which compass?

i was just wondering what compass you all are using out in the ocean? i am in a trident 13 and have a little compass but am looking for at least one more. after 15 years or so of scuba diving i have learned the value in a good TRUSTWORTHY compass 

What's wrong with your dive compass as a second compass - or is that your first compass?

Are you asking about deck-mount compasses, like the Richie's, or a compass you carry tucked into a pocket?

"Trustworthy" is kind of subjective.  Accurate declination?  Shockproof?  Waterproof?  Corrosion resistant?

I count on the electronics I carry with compasses and GPS built in.  I carry a magnetic compass in the pocket of my PFD as the real survival tool.

my dive compass was sold with the regulator, and i guess in trustworthy i mean a compass that will give accurate directions while kayak fishing and the occasional surf launch.

I would never risk my life on something that relies on batteries. Get a quality backpacking compass and wear it around the neck on a piece of paracord. Electronics are fine when they work but there is always that one time when the don't...warf

my dive compass was sold with the regulator, and i guess in trustworthy i mean a compass that will give accurate directions while kayak fishing and the occasional surf launch.

Richie makes good quality equipment.  The type you get would depend on the type of boat you have and whether you want it removable or not.  I would also suggest carrying a standard handheld compass as well, stuff it in your PFD pocket, for use as a last resort backup in case your deck compass was broken or failed in route. 

I would never risk my life on something that relies on batteries. Get a quality backpacking compass and wear it around the neck on a piece of paracord. Electronics are fine when they work but there is always that one time when the don't...warf

+1 on the compass that does not run on batteries. 
-1 on having anything tied around the neck with paracord while kayak fishing. 
Tie it to the life jacket shoulders strap if you want it close, much better option IMHO.

Newb opinion here, but if I'm in a fog bank on the ocean Im in dire straits and I just wanna know roughly which way is land. You can't navigate to a specific place unless you have a good fix on your position anyway.

For a river or lake, I just want something good enough to be able to pick one direction and stay with it.

Having been lost in the woods on a very foggy day during hunting season, i realized I had gone in a circle. I knew I could keep a straight line by working from tree to tree (you have a tree behind you, pick out one ahead and one straight beyond - lather rinse repeat keeps you in a straight line). But I knew there was a road to the north, running east-west-ish. So I just picked more or less north with a compass and hit the road and worked my way back to the truck that way.

Same thing for a "boat lost in the fog" situation. Once you find the shore, you can go up and down looking for a landing spot that is safe, and worry about getting back to the launch point later.

The compass I used on that episode ? My iPhone. I didn't have signal or GPS location, but I did have compass and was able to keep my path on a 30 cone, which was good enough for the situation.

Even a zipper pull compass would have done the job, and better since no battery limitation.

I don't personally worry about having all three electronic gadgets fail all at the same time.  They run on separate batteries, they're all waterproof, and only the fish finder sinks.  But one can never be too careful nor too pessimistic, hence the Silva Ranger in my PFD pocket - if the electronics fail or abandon me at sea, I still have a reliable compass close at hand.

If the PFD hasn't abandoned me, too.   

I agree with WARF INSAYN: don't hang anything on a cord around your neck.

I don't personally worry about having all three electronic gadgets fail all at the same time.  They run on separate batteries, they're all waterproof, and only the fish finder sinks.  But one can never be too careful nor too pessimistic, hence the Silva Ranger in my PFD pocket - if the electronics fail or abandon me at sea, I still have a reliable compass close at hand.

If the PFD hasn't abandoned me, too.   

I agree with WARF: don't hang anything on a cord around your neck.

You can't agree with WARF in that particular statement cuz it was INSAYN saying DON'T .... WARF said around the neck on paracord. 

Aha!  I sit corrected.

i was just wondering what compass you all are using out in the ocean? i am in a trident 13 and have a little compass but am looking for at least one more. after 15 years or so of scuba diving i have learned the value in a good TRUSTWORTHY compass 

The mount screws on to the Mod Pod. Easily removed if you are crabbing and don't want to bang it up.

http://www.opticsplanet.com/suunto-orca-pioneer-small-boat-compass.html