Are dive computers making bad divers?

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Does the use of GPS, Radar and Sonar make boaters bad boaters?

No! The inability to back their boat at a boat ramp does!

 

[Celt]

What information might be too distracting, and what sort of poor decision might that lead to? It makes sense; I just can't come up with any specifics.

Get the readings or settings mixed up. Like the computer set on a high O2 and you have air on your back. Some computers are now giving tank contents, could you mix up contents with some other reading and empty your tank. I'm just asking as I know nothing about them. The thing I like about making a dive plan is it gives me a mental picture of the dive before I get in the water, and a schedule to keep to. I recently got a uwatec and have it set on the most basic screen giving depth, dive time, no stop. Or deco stop depth and time. I still wouldn't go without a plan. Just habit maybe I could be saying something totally different in a few years.

 

[Wibble]

Those were NDL dives--no decompression stops.

They were, of course, multi-level, which was my point. The tables can't plan or track multi-level dives like that. If you are going to use tables to plan your dives or as a backup to a computer, you will have to limit yourself to square profile dives.

Ah ha, more information has arrived for the dive planning

The previous specification didn’t say anything about that being a multi level dive and within NDL limits, so had to use the information available for the planning — which was your excellent point. Hence the plan ended up as a typical square profile wreck dive requiring technical diving ANDP techniques and gasses.

As you infer, multi level dives within the arbitrary NDLs would require following a computer’s tracking of your nitrogen loading. Tables won’t work, planning software such as MultiDeco would need some effort. Even devotees of Ratio Decompression algorithms would have a hard time.

Only a computer can accurately inform you of your decompression limits whilst actually doing the dive — which will be completely random on the day where the diver works with their computer and within their skill limits, certification limits and gas constraints.

One person’s single tank NDL bimble is another’s technical dive

 

[Celt]

Too much information?
Some of them could not even understand the meaning of ndl. Paid no attention to alarm.

Thats my fear, that I'd misread something or not understand the information I'm getting,

 

[scubaozy]

For rec diving with ean32 often gas runs out before ndl. Let’s take an average joe diver needing 15l/min, 30mins dive at 30m (ndl), he will use 1800l gas and al80 (11l) filled @200 Bar he will have 2200l available and his reserve will be 400l gas. I did not even count TTS gas needs.
A SI of 2:34h he will get another 26 mins @ 30m/100ft. That is 1560l gas again no gas allowance for tts calculated and 640l reserve left. In theory he can get by doing this whole day without a table or dc but using a pressure gauge with very basic rules.

 

[Celt]

Absolutely. Too much information, or information presented in a confusing or unclear manner can lead to a poor decision. Part of that can be the fault of the diver, as many don’t seem to know what their computer is telling them. Part of that can also be on the manufacturer for designing a confusing interface.

Even if a diver confuses temperature for depth, the computer will still track what’s happening, but it’s up to the diver to understand what it’s trying to tell them. I think re computers can be especially problematic, as it’s unlikely that the diver is familiar enough with it to be able to quickly understand what is on the display.

That's my fear that I'd misread something critical. Or set it up wrong. I have no experience with a computer. I now carry a uwatec but don't rely on it entirely.

 

[Wibble]

Difference is, if your GPS quits you can continue by following maps and a compass. If your computer quits when you already have 30 minutes with a max depth of 110 feet you have to bail.

You fall back to your backup computer. If that fails you fall back to your buddies. If they’re not available then you’d use emergency ascent techniques, extending your decompression using your SMB and experience as a reference.

Use the rule: if you rely on anything then you must have a backup. This is for everything, gas redundancy, lighting, cutting devices, masks, SMBs…

 

[Wibble]

Does the use of GPS, Radar and Sonar make boaters bad boaters? No. But it is still a good idea to understand and implement basic compass, charts and dead reckoning in case the electronic crutch ever fails.

Alas there’s new problems introduced with all the technology. GPS means incredible accuracy, meaning "traffic jams" at popular waypoints in the middle of nowhere. Fine until it’s foggy.

Technology is never a replacement for good core skills.

 

[Wibble]

Whats the book name?

Deco For Divers — Mark Powell

 

[BlueTrin]

Get the readings or settings mixed up. Like the computer set on a high O2 and you have air on your back. Some computers are now giving tank contents, could you mix up contents with some other reading and empty your tank. I'm just asking as I know nothing about them. The thing I like about making a dive plan is it gives me a mental picture of the dive before I get in the water, and a schedule to keep to. I recently got a uwatec and have it set on the most basic screen giving depth, dive time, no stop. Or deco stop depth and time. I still wouldn't go without a plan. Just habit maybe I could be saying something totally different in a few years.

If I remember correctly the Shearwater Perdix used to default to the highest O2 mix at the beginning of the dive until an update (probably because it was selecting the best gas …) which was annoying as you had to revert to your back gas in your selection.

You need to enter the gas mixes you have on you before the div, and during the dive, you only switches between the gas mixes to indicate what you are currently breathing.

I had buddies who forgot to set up the correct mix, so I think it’s a valid concern. I also have met people who didn’t understand that you need to deactivate the gas mixes you don’t carry prior to the dive, which is a bit worrying for people who dabble in light deco.

To answer your question, the AI computer only display the pressure of the tanks, you still need to enter in the computer the gas composition before the dive: the AI sensor is only a pressure sensor. It cannot analyse the gas itself.

Edit: checked if the perdix manual warns the user about making active a gas you don’t carry: