Nitrox course. What's the point?

[Blackcrusader]

Shearwaters let you choose between fresh, salt, and EN13319

 

[Raphus]

Shearwaters let you choose between fresh, salt, and EN13319

What exactly is en13319?

 

[Blackcrusader]

I'm not sure what you mean by deco stops if you aren't trained as a tech diver. What method are you referring to?

BSAC Sports diving is deco diving and is recreational diving. I was taught deco air diving in 1986 1987. Deco diving is not technical diving for many agencies.

 

[Gareth J]

What exactly is en13319?

EN13319
10m = 1020kg/m(cubed)

Fresh water is
10m - 1000kg/m(cubed)

Nominal saltwater
10m = 1030kg/m(cubed)

Courtesy of Shearwater

 

[Pressurehead]

This what Bruce posted back in 2009 [I used a different user name then].

Press Release

We are very pleased to announce that the Shearwater Pursuit family of computers has been awarded CE certification. We are now certified to EN 13319 for Diving accessories Depth gauges and combined time measuring devices with no exceptions.

Even though we passed the basic CE EMS and EMI 61000 tests last year, we felt strongly that it was important to move ahead with additional testing and recently received the more stringent EN 13319 certification.

While CE certification is not necessary outside of the European community, we believe it is important for life support equipment in our sport to be subjected to independent, third party testing. This is just another part of our commitment to manufacturing and supplying simple, reliable and robust equipment.

Best regards to all

Bruce

 

[dmaziuk]

To be honest I struggle to see the advantage.

Me neither -- I usually don't even bother to set the clock on our computers to local time on our trips. (Except the last time I also changed the batteries and that reset the clocks without us noticing the damn things logged two dozen dives 20 years ago. )

If you really need accurate depth measurement, like on a working dive, there are instruments for that. And they don't fit into a wristwatch-sized device.

 

[doctormike]

BSAC Sports diving is deco diving and is recreational diving. I was taught deco air diving in 1986 1987. Deco diving is not technical diving for many agencies.

Oh, yes, I am well aware that BSAC teaches deco early on and doesn't call it technical diving. This discussion comes up all the time.

Here's my thinking on that.

This is the new divers forum. Not to be an ugly American, but I would guess that the numerical majority of users of this platform go by the simple rec=NDL / tech=deco dichotomy. Now that may or may not be true, but even if this were a BSAC / CMAS majority site, we shouldn't imply to new divers (most of whom are NOT trained in staged decompression) that if we decide to change the plan during the dive, it's not a problem, we can just do deco.

That's the reason that I'm beating this particular dead horse.

 

[Storker]

If you don't get paid to dive, you are a rec diver, right?

Right.

But to be a mite more serious: IMNSHO the rec/tec dichotomy is yet another sharp black line drawn through a grey area. What's the difference between a "mandatory safety stop" and a 5 min deco stop at 3m? Again IMNSHO, zero. For me, the big difference comes with accelerated deco and gas switches. Not between a "mandatory safety stop" and a backgas deco stop or two.

As always, YMMV

 

[doctormike]

Right.

But to be a mite more serious: IMNSHO the rec/tec dichotomy is yet another sharp black line drawn through a grey area. What's the difference between a "mandatory safety stop" and a 5 min deco stop at 3m? Again IMNSHO, zero. For me, the big difference comes with accelerated deco and gas switches. Not between a "mandatory safety stop" and a backgas deco stop or two.

As always, YMMV

I would say that a mandatory safety stop is an oxymoron.

Look, you can always take these discussions to absurdities.

Should I always carry bailout with my rebreather? Yes. Well what about in 2 feet of water in the shallow end of a swimming pool? No. Ok, how about 3 feet...?

Why do I need to plan for deco? Because you can no longer surface directly once you have a virtual overhead. But what if it's only 2 minutes of deco and I'm running very conservative gradient factors and I know that my personal tolerance for decompression stress is excellent, etc...?

So yes, just because a line is arbitrary, doesn't mean that it's not useful. We should be telling new divers that once you incur a virtual overhead, no matter what arbitrary algorithm decisions you made to get there, you are now obligated to have done the appropriate training and planned this deco ahead of time, so that you have enough gas to make it to the surface safely. If that can be done by BSAC and called recreational or sport diving or whatever, fine.

 

[Angelo Farina]

Oh, yes, I am well aware that BSAC teaches deco early on and doesn't call it technical diving. This discussion comes up all the time.

Here's my thinking on that.

This is the new divers forum. Not to be an ugly American, but I would guess that the numerical majority of users of this platform go by the simple rec=NDL / tech=deco dichotomy. Now that may or may not be true, but even if this were a BSAC / CMAS majority site, we shouldn't imply to new divers (most of whom are NOT trained in staged decompression) that if we decide to change the plan during the dive, it's not a problem, we can just do deco.

That's the reason that I'm beating this particular dead horse.

I understand your point.
I agree we must not confuse new divers.
And I give no importance on the name given as "rec" or "tech".
For me the correct concept to give to all new divers is that they should not stop their training after the first OW course. It is not safe to dive with just this low level of knowledge, in the assumption that if one stays within the NDL there is no risk.
Better to get further training and reach the level when you can do safely deco dives.
Only at that point a diver is "complete" and can dive safely, knowing that, when sht happens, he has the resources (knowledge, skills, expertise, equipment, amount of air, etc.) to replan the dive, doing the deco if required.
I understand that this is just my opinion, and some major agencies prefer to sell a number of useless "specialty" certs instead of teaching the discipline and knowledge required for safe deco diving.