Deco Tables and Soft Ware?

[Diver0001]

I have V-Planner, GAP and Deco Planner installed. All three can be manipulated to produce pretty much identical results and pretty much whatever result you desire. Learning each of them takes some time but not nearly as long as learning enough about decompression theory to make sense out of any of them. I mostly use GAP to plan dives on because that's what I learned on years ago and I like the interface. Most of the divers I hang with use Deco Planner, so when it comes time to run tables so I usually print those along with the GAP tables. It gives us something to chat about during the ride.

GAP-Lite runs on Pocket PC's, which means I can leave the computer at home and take my cell instead for last minute changes. If you've got a handheld, the operating system it runs on maybe one of the most important factors in your decision.

I've been thinking about swapping my palm for a pocket PC so I can use Vplanner on the road.

Incidentally, my regular tek-buddy has been using GAP and with the parameters we're using it gives him virtually identical runs except for the stops in the shallow zone. We just fold the two plans into each other and do a few more min of deco in the shallow zone. Personally I started off using GAP and switched to v-planner because of the interface. I just found it easier to use.

R..

 

[Scuba_Steve]

Add a bit of HE to your bottom mix and you should have a pretty good memory

That's more my style.

I think the problem here is that some of us "new" guys (I'll define that loosely as those that weren't around the Navy tables were in play) can't recall nor ever learned that the typical 200ft 30min air dive called for something like a first stop at 40 or 50ft.

I'm guessing a bit there off the top of my head, but the point is that's way shallower than any current program calls for, so I see some of these folks introducing deeper and deeper stops to their detriment really, onto what these programs call for already.

Sometimes I'd like to ask how deep do they want those deep stops to start? Max depth minus 20ft?? LOL

Oh well......

 

[VinceDS]

Jury is still out on deep stops. For every article one can produce that shows a pro, I can probably produce and article that shows a con.

In my own experience, my buddies and I tend to add 5min at each gas switch, excluding O2 at 20fsw which gives us the benefit of a higher Po2 at each stop for a few minutes anyway. None of us have ever had a problem.

But, this is for 150 to 170fsw dives, profie could be much different for much deeper dives. Need to be careful on the deepstops from the standpoint that you may still be ongassing rather than offgassing - just make sure you are using the right profile.

And, from some of the above posts, no matter how old you may be, or how many dives you have under your belt, if you aren't diving HE at 150fsw, you are a danger to yourself and your buddy. And, please people, don't bring up cost. If you can't afford to dive HE at those depths and profiles. please don't dive at all... HE is necessary equipment at these depths.

Hell, if I'm doing any type of penetration at 120fsw, I'll dive w/ HE in the mix. It does make a big difference if you factor in Martini's Law...

 

[super opus]

v-planer can go on a pda but just print off the diff dives that u may want to do and bring them with then your all your out of is papper