StrikeEagle29:
I am preparing to start my journey into SCUBA and have not yet experienced my first dive. I am striving to achieve at least an AOW certification. I was wondering, given their praise, should I invest in a computer or stick to the basics of dive tables and console? I understand the benefits and flexibility of a computer offers, but which do you think would make me a better diver?
Strike Eagle,
I think you are already seeing a wide spread in responses, from "Get one now!" to the Most Ancient and Honourable Uncle Pug's Luddite stance of "The machine is evil!"
As usual, the real truth lies somewhere in the middle, as posited for instance, by H2O Andy. To be a good diver, you MUST learn the tables. You must have an understanding of why and how they were created, and how they go about trying to keep you within "safe" limits. If you note the quotation marks around the word safe, you will find out about the limits, both statistical and practical, of the tables.
A computer is just a tool, and the right computer for your regime of diving is a very useful tool. Like any sharp-edged tool, however, you need to know how to use it properly, what its limits are, and what to do if it fails you.
With all respect to the Most Ancient and Honourable Uncle Pug, no human being can sample the conditions around himself and calculate how that affects his or her decompression requirements as rapidly and accurately as can the micro-processor in a wet computer. If such a person exists, Professor Xavier stands ready to recruit him or her!
It all comes down to having the knowledge to understand what your tools can do for you, and using them wisely.
Can I, for instance, fly a 777 by hand, using eyeballs and only the most limited instruments, with a couple of flight surfaces controlled by what we laughingly call "Chain Drive"? You bet your sweet patoot I can. We practice it in the sim. The next question is, do I want to have to do it??? Come on, now. I'm sure you can guess the answer!
The aircraft I fly has more and better computers than the Space Shuttle, even with its latest upgrade. (No joke, kids! Makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck that they pilot that old dinosaur into space, but, as they say, that's another story.)
Why would I want to cripple my computers and fly the damn thing by Braille in "gauge mode". Again, I CAN do it, but it makes no sense to do so!
To come back to Earth, so to speak, I would highly recommend that you take the advice of the moderate Moderator, Andy, and learn your tables well. Then you will know which computer you want, and what to do if it fails you.
Later, as your diving advances, you will get another computer of your choice, and you will still need to have tables (which you will understand), a depth gauge, and a bottom timer. This provides redundancy, or back-up, and therefore increases safety. This is just a natural progression.
After all, to quote the words of Mr. Natural: "Get the right tool for the job, kids!"
Cheers! :bravo: