Are dive computers overkill for most recreational divers?

[MauiScubaSteve]

I think that in many cases they are. If the "normal" diver is one who goes down to the islands for a week of diving and does two tanks each morning or afternoon flowing a guide about, then a computer is by-and-large irrelevant.

I think that for the two tank per day for a week diver, owning a computer is possibly overkill. All the Hawaii dive boats I have been crew on have computers available for every guest, some even insist. For tables divers the boat I currently crew will usually restrict your bottom time on the 2nd dive (compared to the computer divers), and that disclosure during check-in nearly always results in the $5 computer rental.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

It kind of depends on how organized your dive plan is.

Following the guided tourist theme of the previous quote/post, how organized can/should the dive plan be? For much of our local tourist diving the first dive goes down in the neighborhood of 70-80' and then is dictated by the actual skill level of the divers and the depth of the attractions of the dive.

Tourists want to dive to 100' at Molokini's Backside and they want to dive the Cathedrals off Lanai. Many will lie about their experience &/or their comfort in boating/advanced diving to do so. They may be lying to themselves too, and walk a good talk on the surface, but it's hard to hide the truth underwater.

Some days the main attraction is deeper than other days. Some days you have to dive the guests. I am required by my employer to hit my profiles; Some days that means chillin' at the planned max depth until my computer shows 5 minutes and then gradually working back to the shallows; some days it's a quick touch and go and back to the shallows. Some days the touch and go is due to skill level, some days it's due to location of the cool animals!

Given the facts in our trenches it would require lots of multi-level tables plans for each dive to give a decent dive to the paying dive public. I've seen tourist operations that did not put computers on every diver and most tourist divers are asking for more trouble diving that way IMHO!

 

[scubadada]

Divers, independent or otherwise, should have their own computers to control their dive profile. I'm not arguing that diving a conservative profile is not adequate for guiding dependent divers without a computer on most dives. I'm not interested participating in most of these experiences. I will not dive with an operator not willing to take my knowledge and experience into account.

Good diving, Craig

 

[Thalassamania]

I think that for the two tank per day for a week diver, owning a computer is possibly overkill. All the Hawaii dive boats I have been crew on have computers available for every guest, some even insist. For tables divers the boat I currently crew will usually restrict your bottom time on the 2nd dive (compared to the computer divers), and that disclosure during check-in nearly always results in the $5 computer rental.

I'd never dive on that boat again ... NEVER! As far as I'm concerned a boat is a bus to the dive site. I can pass on the amateur decompression advice.

Following the guided tourist theme of the previous quote/post, how organized can/should the dive plan be? For much of our local tourist diving the first dive goes down in the neighborhood of 70-80' and then is dictated by the actual skill level of the divers and the depth of the attractions of the dive.

Tourists want to dive to 100' at Molokini's Backside and they want to dive the Cathedrals off Lanai. Many will lie about their experience &/or their comfort in boating/advanced diving to do so. They may be lying to themselves too, and walk a good talk on the surface, but it's hard to hide the truth underwater.

Some days the main attraction is deeper than other days. Some days you have to dive the guests. I am required by my employer to hit my profiles; Some days that means chillin' at the planned max depth until my computer shows 5 minutes and then gradually working back to the shallows; some days it's a quick touch and go and back to the shallows. Some days the touch and go is due to skill level, some days it's due to location of the cool animals!

Given the facts in our trenches it would require lots of multi-level tables plans for each dive to give a decent dive to the paying dive public. I've seen tourist operations that did not put computers on every diver and most tourist divers are asking for more trouble diving that way IMHO!

In other areas, say the Florida Keys the dive can be completely predictable. A dive on say, the Thunderbolt rarely various, you take exactly the same path and then come up. Then it's into an area that you'd need a shovel to find more than 30 feet and home for lunch. Hardly needs a computer, since the guide has made the t-bolt dive several hundred times.

 

[caseybird]

Why wouldn't a 2-tank-a-day-diver not want to know deco status? The DM might be busy rescueing some other suicidal diver, I want to know what's going on in my dive. Get the computer.

 

[fire_diver]

It kind of depends on how organized your dive plan is.

It depends on how SQUARE your profile is.

If you run true, square-profile dives then you have no use for computers. If you do ANY type multileveling during any of your dives, then you would be far ahead to be diving with a computer.

 

[ssturges]

The nice thing about computer is they are an active safety element of the dive. Gauges are passive. Gauges not doing you a bit of good if you are not looking at them. I would rather not spend the whole dive reading gauges. My computer is my constant buddy.

Ever notice how a lot of dive guides dive a little shallower that you to conserve air and have a better view than the surroundings, impacts? Does the dive guide know how much air you have? Are they make sure you just break through the MOD? is the Dive guide even paying attention to his gauges? I he paying attention to you? Do they breathe at the same rate as you? Does the dive guide break away to take a dive low on air to the surface? Are they monitoring your accent rate? …

You as a diver are responsible for your own care and safety, if you think anything else you have a false expectation. The dive guide is not your baby sitter. It is amazing that people still debate using a computer. My next door neighbor who drove in the 60s and 70 said it was the same way with BCs and Wings. If you dove with one you were labeled a wimp. Don’t think I would want to dive with anyone so ignorant and over confident who would debate the safety aspect of using a dive computer.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

I think that for the two tank per day for a week diver, owning a computer is possibly overkill. All the Hawaii dive boats I have been crew on have computers available for every guest, some even insist. For tables divers the boat I currently crew will usually restrict your bottom time on the 2nd dive (compared to the computer divers), and that disclosure during check-in nearly always results in the $5 computer rental.

I'd never dive on that boat again ... NEVER! As far as I'm concerned a boat is a bus to the dive site. I can pass on the amateur decompression advice.

If the Dive Operator and their staff are going to be considered at least partially responsible for the safety of their divers I can see why they want the divers on computers.

If the dive ops are not responsible then Mike Ball here in OZ and SC in the Bahamas and their staff should not considered even partially responsible for the events discussed so enthusiastically in some other threads.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I'd never dive on that boat again ... NEVER! As far as I'm concerned a boat is a bus to the dive site. I can pass on the amateur decompression advice.

In other areas, say the Florida Keys the dive can be completely predictable. A dive on say, the Thunderbolt rarely various, you take exactly the same path and then come up. Then it's into an area that you'd need a shovel to find more than 30 feet and home for lunch. Hardly needs a computer, since the guide has made the t-bolt dive several hundred times.

You do realize that all we are requiring is that tables divers plan their dives and then dive their plans?

If the first dive is 80' max depth for max 35 minutes of diving, then ascending at the mooring line for a 3 minute SS @ 15', then a 45-50 minute SI before the second dive with a 60' max depth, the tables diver who is good on their air is going to have to ascend well before the computer dive who is good on their air, no?

Sounds like you mostly dive tables, but with a couple computers for back-up, so the restrictive conversation would not happen to you. During the dives if you indicate a need to ascend early due to you following your tables plan it might only mean the computer divers in the group who are good on their air don't get to see the neat attraction of the dive site that is at the edge of computer diving range.

The OP concerns resort recreational diving, which in yours an my neighborhood is 99% guided diving. Your first posts seemed to be on topic, but now it's just about you and a specific dive site nearly 6,000 miles away.

 

[sladerer]

Computers may be overkill for new divers, they may not. Depends on how often you're going to
dive, where, what profile, air/nitrox (many new divers go through nitrox cert during/shortly after
cert). You can certainly dive safely without them. If you are only doing resort diving, with a
DM who guides you and your dive time is limited by the group, maybe you don't need one - but
I still believe you are safer with one.
If you're diving on your own, common in numerous places including Monterey, FL panhandle,
beach diving at your resort, etc I'd suggest they are more important, but you can still safely
dive without one.
Add in deeper dives (80-100 ft) or "deep" (100-130') with multi-day, repetitive, multi-level
dives and your approaching "must have" status. How soon after your cert you get to this
point is obviously an individual thing. It's certainly a must if you want to maximize BT.