Buoyancy Humble Pie -- Old Dog Learns New Tricks

[Pre BC]

I have been diving for 38 years and consider myself to be a solid old school DM... Then again, humility is not a trait shared in large quantities (particularly among divers and pilots) and very few human beings consider themselves to be below average at anything they do routinely. A recent poll of Americans found that 96% considered themselves to be "well above average" automobile drivers... Obviously impossible... Obviously self delusional... and now I am forced to admit I am probably one of them! :cool2: !

Which brings me to the very large dose of humble pie served to me by my new dive computer with its' digitally downloadable dive log that includes graphs of my dives broken into 10 second intervals. Wow, did I have a lot to learn about bouyancy and depth control.

In particular, what truly humbled me was the amount of feedback the computer provided me about variations in my depth and rates of ascent. It is one thing to read -- and intend to observe -- the guidelines for rates of ascent and safety stops taught in your open water classes... It is quite another to recieve detailed post dive feedback that shows how you really performed in intervals broken down into seconds!

It has really been both a humility pill and a positive challenge. Maybe I had grown complacent after 3 decades of diving or maybe I never was as good as I thought I was (remember the poll of US drivers!). However, now after every dive I know exactly how stable I was at depth and how rapid/smooth my ascent rates were. Receiving that constant feedback has made me a much better diver. It has reminded me to pay attention to the basics and, as a result, I am much better at monitoring my depth, rates of ascent and safety stops. Converting to a dive computer with a digital downloadable dive log has changed my approach to diving in much the same way that converting from a donut to BC did a few decades ago...

I strongly recommend it!

P

P.S. Every major manufacturer of dive computers has several models that provide downloadable feedback and functionality similar to what I get from my Sherwood Wisdom 2. This particular make and model works great for me because my 50 year old eyes need big numbers! The good news is, no matter what brands your local dive store carries, you don't have to spend a lot of money to buy a piece of humble pie... You will love it and be a better diver for it!

 

[diver 85]

Even with all your new found 'errors' ,here's maybe some comforting words--you're still alive and(I'm assuming you've never had any/many chamber rides) and healthy.....There's another philosophy out there---don't fix it if it ain't broken....Enjoy your new info--- Bottom line as you stated, we all can learn, even old dogs.........

 

[Dan Weidert]

PreBC
Love your handle. I also started diving before the BC.

Reviewing my dive graphically on my desk top computer was how I learned that a 30ft/min ascent rate is a lot slower than I thought. My program colors all ascent violations red. So the goal has become to eliminate any red from the profile. It is amazing what immediate, specific feedback can do for performance.

Dan

 

[Garrobo]

A good reason to stay away from one of these computers. Sometimes too much information is a hazard to one's ego.

 

[captain]

If the computer causes you to focus on it instead of the dive then what's the point of the dive. The bottom of the ocean isn't flat and just as we have to walk around objects we have to swim up and down around them. As diver85 noted if it ain't broke don't fix it. Divers do just fine without computers to track every move.

 

[tfsails]

My old computer has a download cable--if you want to buy it. I'm way too cheap to buy one, so have no idea what my dive profiles look like in graphic form. Somehow, I'm still alive and unbent...

Oh--and I'm not gonna buy a cable for that computer now!

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

A question: Are your ascent rate violations of significant duration to really be a risk?

My computer will give me an ugly red light when I move quickly a few feet up, even through this by itself is not a risk. (Obviously, the same rate for a substantial distance or close to the surface would be a totally different issue).

 

[Web Monkey]

Which brings me to the very large dose of humble pie served to me by my new dive computer with its' digitally downloadable dive log that includes graphs of my dives broken into 10 second intervals. Wow, did I have a lot to learn about bouyancy and depth control.

Aside from all the "nobody needs a computer" rhetoric, looking at the dive profile from my computer was what convinced me that I really need to work on my buoyancy and ascent speed. It's really humbling looking at all the jagged edges and red marks on the graph.

Terry

 

[phunk]

If the computer causes you to focus on it instead of the dive then what's the point of the dive. The bottom of the ocean isn't flat and just as we have to walk around objects we have to swim up and down around them. As diver85 noted if it ain't broke don't fix it. Divers do just fine without computers to track every move.

You don't need to focus on it any more than you have to focus on a timer/spg/depth gauge. The point is that it will keep track of things that happened when you were focused on other things, and let you look afterwards and realize you have room for improvement. If that hurts anyone's ego, then they're living in the delusion of their own perfection. The rest of us see it as a useful tool.

 

[FritzCat66]

Yup... Digital can be a wonderful and useful addition to diving, both while in the water and when reviewing dive data afterwards. Just ignore the prevailing Mennonite divers on ScubaBoard, leave them to their J-valves.