Aqua Lung i300 for deco?

[iron_panda]

Hey guys, I've just completed my OW training and I'm looking for a computer. I've heard good things about the Aqua Lung i300 for new divers but can it be used for deco? I know I'm not meant to worry about deco for now but it's for when I do progress I don't have to rush around to find a new computer that does have deco capabilities. So even if it isn't that great for deco, it'll do for when I progress until I find a new computer

Thanks in advance for any info!

 

[rongoodman]

It is a recreational computer and very clearly says so in the first paragraphs of the owner's manual. It would not be suitable for technical diving for any number of reasons, unless you put it into gauge mode and used a dive plan generated with other software.

 

[BoltSnap]

It is a recreational computer and very clearly says so in the first paragraphs of the owner's manual. It would not be suitable for technical diving for a number of reasons.

What @rongoodman said but it will tell you when you have a ceiling for exceeding your NDL and it will let you know at what depth and for how long.

 

[Pao]

It has gauge mode which you can use in conjunction with tables for tec diving.

 

[iron_panda]

Thanks for the replies! I know it's not 'suitable' for technical diving but it can be used for deco can't it? Whether you use it with tables, or has in-built functions. The only reason why I ask is that when I do progress I don't want to rush around to find a new computer to enable me to even start my progression to the next level. Even if it's not great for tech diving / deco, I can still use it whilst I take some time to actually have a look at different options. Rather than buying the first one I see because i need one for deco

 

[Neilwood]

I would say that if you have the plan of going into deco on a regular basis, buy something designed for it such as a Petrel, OSTC etc and get the relevant tech training so that you aren't simply "flying the computer".

Unlike NDL diving where the safety stop is optional and can be skipped with virtually no issues (in the vast majority of cases), deco brings a set of obligations that should you fail to heed them can have serious consequences. Your computer craps out on an NDL dive it is no great problem, you simply end the dive with a careful ascent to the surface. On a deco dive, you need to know and understand the theory so that, should your computer crap out, you still know your deco obligations and perform them. Skip mandatory deco stops and there is a good chance you will have problems.

 

[Pao]

Thanks for the replies! I know it's not 'suitable' for technical diving but it can be used for deco can't it?

The gauge mode will suffice for diving with tables which is usually your primary mode of determining deco in a well-planned tec dive. The dedicated tec computers are usually used for back-up.

 

[JohnnyC]

I know it's not 'suitable' for technical diving but it can be used for deco can't it?

These two statements are somewhat at odds with each other. Any depth/timing device can be used with a set of tables, NDL or deco or otherwise. It's not calculating deco. An i300 does not calculate deco the same way a computer designed for it does because those recreational algorithms are not programmed to deal with it, even if the base algorithm does. Deco IS technical diving. There is a very real overhead above which bad things can happen if not treated accordingly. The idea that it'll just all be fine if you go into deco because your computer will sort it out is quite dangerous.

If you want to go into technical diving, be it decompression, cave, wreck, or otherwise, you need proper training and gear. Whether that's learning how to use a bottom timer and a set of tables, or use a real deco computer like a Shearwater, you need to know what you're doing beforehand. Getting a recreational computer and assuming that it will get you out of deco trouble is a surefire way to look like a pretzel.

If you wan the i300 for your current diving, go for it. If you're going to rack up a decompression obligation, learn what that means and how to do it safely, if your i300 works in gauge mode you'll use that, but you need a backup depth/timing device anyway, so you'll be buying something else regardless. Either way, don't let your rec computer try and take you into technical diving in any other form other than gauge mode.

 

[stuartv]

Thanks for the replies! I know it's not 'suitable' for technical diving but it can be used for deco can't it? Whether you use it with tables, or has in-built functions. The only reason why I ask is that when I do progress I don't want to rush around to find a new computer to enable me to even start my progression to the next level. Even if it's not great for tech diving / deco, I can still use it whilst I take some time to actually have a look at different options. Rather than buying the first one I see because i need one for deco

Let me rephrase what the other folks are saying: If/when you sign up for a technical diving course, your instructor is almost guaranteed to tell you that, either, you can't use an i300 for the course and you need to buy a proper tech computer, OR, you can use the i300, but only in Gauge Mode. AND, your instructor is also pretty likely to want you to have a backup device (either a second tech computer or a rec computer in Gauge mode or a dedicated "bottom timer"). So, you can buy an i300 now and you'll still probably have to buy a tech computer anyway, and you can use the i300 in Gauge mode (assuming it offers Gauge mode - I don't know if it does or not) as your backup/redundant device in your tech course.

Also, FWIW, you're pretty unlikely to be "rushing around" to find a new computer if/when you decide to pursue tech diving. People starting that usually know WELL in advance of the first day of class. And WAY in advance of the first day in the water (which is when you would NEED to have the right computer(s)).

So, yes, if you exceed your NDL, an i300 will prescribe deco stops for you. But, if you go Tech, you'll need two devices, so you'll be buying another computer anyway. So, buy whatever you want now. Just make sure it has Gauge mode.

 

[stuartv]

The idea that it'll just all be fine if you go into deco because your computer will sort it out is quite dangerous.

...

Getting a recreational computer and assuming that it will get you out of deco trouble is a surefire way to look like a pretzel.

I'm skeptical. Can you offer any examples (or other data to support your statements) where someone followed the deco prescribed by a Rec computer and got bent like a pretzel?

I'm more inclined to think that the reasons not to use a Rec computer for deco are:

- you can't control the algorithm like you can with a tech computer, and it will (probably, but who really knows) act more conservatively and give you more deco and less NDL on repetitive dives. The posts I've read about certain computers "penalizing" you for things seems to suggest this.

- you might not be able to do a gas switch in the water (depends on the Rec computer), so it would only be good for deco on back gas

- it might not support gases with higher than 40% O2. So, not very useful for real deco diving.

- it won't calculate a TTS for you, based on the gases you're carrying (which is simply an inconvenience).

- many Rec computers will lock you out of Dive mode for 24 or 48 hours if you omit required deco stops.

I know all the Rec computers' manuals tell you not to use them for deco diving. But, they all will give you a staged deco ascent plan if you do exceed your NDL. So, what is the data you are aware of that supports the suggestion that following a Rec computer's deco plan is "a surefire way to look like a pretzel"? If that were true, it sounds like a surefire way for a computer manufacturer to get sued for a lot of money and lose.