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In a message dated 6/12/00 5:06:42 AM, artg@ec*.ne* writes: << On Sun, 11 Jun 2000 ScottBonis@ao*.co* wrote: > "How does the computer know when to switch to the deco. gasses?" you ask. > Good question. Magic!!! No not really, the computer is an air integrated > unit connected to the back tanks. It keeps track of my breathing rate during > the dive. And when that breathing rate goes to zero, it knows that I am no > longer breathing off of the back tanks so it switches to the first deco. gas > (the EAN 50 in this example). Great. What if your primary gas supply fails, and you're in a gas sharing situation? Or you're diving doubles, and you have to shut down the isolator and you're breathing off the post the computer is not on? Now the computer thinks its time to switch gasses. Ooops. >> Hi Art, These are good questions to talk about. In an earlier post I suggested that it might be wise to mount the two air integrated computers on different posts so I imagine if there were a failure in the primary gas supply such that one side needed to be shut down and the isolator closed, I would simply use the computer that was on the good post (the one I'd be breathing) to finish the dive. If there were a total failure of the primary gas supply (requiring at least two independent failures) such that buddy gas sharing was required (I shudder to think of this happening on a deep dive), then as you indicated both computers would switch to deco gas. But if either of these primary gas system failures were to occur, then the dive would be called immediately and I (or I and my buddy together) would ascend immediately, switch to the deco gas and finish the dive. The only computer error would be the computer thinking I was on deco gas for the few minutes ascending while buddy breathing. And the backup waterproof tables, using the computers as depth gauges / bottom timers, could always be used to figure a new deco schedule if needed. << IMO, any dive that calls for switching gasses is more along the lines of a "heavy deco" (your terminology) dive, where planning, including contingencies, is required before entering the water. Diving by computer is contraindicated for such dives. -- Art Greenberg artg@ec*.ne* >> This, of course, is your opinion and I respect that. Remember please that I am definitely not suggesting doing extended deco dives at this time using only wrist computers and without having done the proper planning. But I need to emphasize again that although I personally don't recommend it, IMHO, the reasons that have been given for not using wrist computers simply do not seem to hold up under careful scrutiny. Art, thanks a lot, really, for your comments. I do appreciate the opportunity to discuss this stuff and get some of the questions and concerns out in the open. You take care now and safe diving, Scott -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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