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At 08:49 PM 5/16/99 -0400, Chris Werner wrote: >It all comes down to planning. If you don't plan out the dive, and hope your >computer is going to do it for you, you are making a huge mistake. Computers >allow you to take the easy way out. They give you a false sense of security, >don't allow for gas consumption plans, expect you to change the gas on the >fly. No thanks. Even if my bottom timer goes I still have my buddies. How >many buddy teams all wear the same computer? > >Chris In my view, the way to use a computer wisely is to allow a maximum deco penalty. This limit is based on the size of your stage bottle and your RMV. Beyond this plan you need more than a rough estimate of what you plan to do, complete with contingency tables. However, the computer gives you the benefit of calculating exactly what you do while a square-profile worst case estimate does not. As long as you plan to carry enough gas for the worst case estimate and are prepared to switch to printed/ handwritten tables if the computer blanks out you're quite safe. The danger of using a computer unwisely (let's make a dive and see what happens!) shouldn't be the norm for computer assisted diving. When I dive with a computer I'm never surprised by what it shows since I pretty much know where I'm heading anyway. Don't use a computer as an inwater video game without an understanding of what you may expect. In case it blanks out you'll really ruin your day unless you bring enough gas for a safe overkill in terms of deco. I say "overkill" since your contingency plan should be a worst case estimate based on maximum depth and a square profile dive. If you're prepared to complete a lengthy deco, in the unlikely event of a computer malfunction, I see no problem in letting the software take care of planning *within* those limits. By the same token, "overkill" decos are something I use for planning all the time. For instance, I may do a 200' / 25 min dive. Last time I dove a 210'/ 30 min schedule. Do I care to see how much time I may save by running the exact profile? Nope, I'll just use the old one, which I know is more than sufficient. (Needless to say, same or better gases in terms of decompression). regards, Hans -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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