computer programs

[aranea]

Are there dive planning programs for PCs? free one are prefered

 

[BrianS]

Dive planning as in you want to input dive depths and times and let it work out surface intervals or you mean like a Log Book?

 

[pants!]

v-planner is pretty nice, but it costs money.

There is a free version of GAP that works OK.

These programs are created specifically for decompression diving, though.. you can fudge numbers around so you don't get a deco obligation with them. I'm not aware of any programs that specifically do NDL dive planning.

 

[aranea]

I mean to put in deoths and time and if you're planing a second dive data for that one too. Then get the times of stops you have to make, how long you should wait between dives. More like something to to check what you are doing with the tables is right.

Thanks pants. I'll look for those programs.

 

[pants!]

If you don't have deco training, DO NOT DO DIVES THAT REQUIRE DECO.

 

[aranea]

I won't do deco dives of course. I have neither the training nor the experience to get the training yet. I will try to see if i can use them just for recreational purposes.

 

[ScubaSixString]

I won't do deco dives of course. I have neither the training nor the experience to get the training yet. I will try to see if i can use them just for recreational purposes.

Z-planner looks alot like V-Planner but it uses the earlier Buhlman B and C algorithyms.
ZPlan (the engine behind the GUE can be used in dos mode (easier for some applications)

I don't know what to think about its time to fly. I had a 70ft dive planned up to the NDL with deep stops and it gave me a time to fly of 7.5 hours....I'd stick with the 24 hour TTF until you know what you're doing.

You can use it for NDL diving but IT IS DECO SOFTWARE DO NOT ENTER DECO WITHOUT TRAINING, EXPERIENCE, AND PROPER EQUIPMENT.


Free Download from here

http://www.njscuba.net/gear/bin/z-planner101.exe

Again DO NOT USE ITS MIXED GAS OR DECO FUNCTIONS WITHOUT TRAINING

 

[ScubaSixString]

I won't do deco dives of course. I have neither the training nor the experience to get the training yet. I will try to see if i can use them just for recreational purposes.

What you are asking for might lead you into trouble.

If you don't know how to use the tables, these programs won't know the difference.

If you put in a dive to 90 ft for 30 minutes (breaks the NDL) followed by a SIT of 30 minutes and then a dive to 80 ft for an hour the program will not warn you. It will give you a deco schedule that looks JUST like the one for dives within the NDLs (only longer and with more stops (maybe))

To use these programs for NDL diving KNOW THE TABLES. Work out the dive profiles on tables. Then enter those numbers into the software. If you set it up to do so, it will give you deep (pyle, etc) stops and conservative safety stops. If you know your SAC it can give you gas usage ESTIMATES (be real conservative here. If it says you'll use 50cf of air don't assume you'll only need a 68cf tank)

 

[PhinDiver]

PADI just came out with the ERDP. This is a neat little calculator type version of the tables. It is pretty easy to use. It takes a diver through dive planning and does give NDL's and ANDL's.

 

[ScubaSixString]

PADI just came out with the ERDP. This is a neat little calculator type version of the tables. It is pretty easy to use. It takes a diver through dive planning and does give NDL's and ANDL's.

I saw one of those at a dive shop recently. Have you used it?

(the one i saw was in a package. looked like a kids calculator to me... wondered what it was doing in a dive shop )