Some aspects that I love about the RDP is the ability to have the entire dive planned out before getting in the water. I knew depth, bottom time, the minimum SI if needed to do a second dive, etc. You can get a lot of information from the dive tables. Just know, that if you dive with the computer, you can't use the computer information on the RDP. Think about it, as a beginner, you should be practicing safe diving habits. If it's not planned, why risk it?
Dive tables...
- Thread starter avengerki
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Another vote for "Why learn 'tables'?" at all -- at any level? OTOH, Doppler is right (as always) that one really does need to understand N2 loading but that is NOT the same as understanding "the tables." BTW, just which table does one need to understand?
All any "table" does is give you a graphic display of someone's decompression algorithm but there ARE other ways of expressing that algorithm. From the very simple rules of 120 (or 130), to Ratio Deco, to Minimum Deco to cutting your own tables for a specific dive using V-Planner or any other such program. The key is that you need to have some reasonable strategy for knowing how to plan and calculate your N2 loading and how to make sure you have off gassed enough to be safely back to the surface.
Side comment -- I always have to laugh at the people who say "My brain doesn't fail" because a computer might fail -- then you must not be human (or at least as old as I am). Hmmm. Are you really tracking your average depth and time by counting seconds and knotted lines or are you using your computer (bottom timer) to keep track of that? Do you really want to plan all of your dives as square profiles or are you remembering multi-levels so that you can track your N2 loading? Me, I'll use my computer/BT for the information it gives to me and be very happy to get it. If/when it fails (first of all, shame on me) and the secondly, I'll go ahead and use one of the many simple strategies for determinging my N2 loading and then spend a bit more time on the surface should I even think about doing another dive.
All any "table" does is give you a graphic display of someone's decompression algorithm but there ARE other ways of expressing that algorithm. From the very simple rules of 120 (or 130), to Ratio Deco, to Minimum Deco to cutting your own tables for a specific dive using V-Planner or any other such program. The key is that you need to have some reasonable strategy for knowing how to plan and calculate your N2 loading and how to make sure you have off gassed enough to be safely back to the surface.
Side comment -- I always have to laugh at the people who say "My brain doesn't fail" because a computer might fail -- then you must not be human (or at least as old as I am). Hmmm. Are you really tracking your average depth and time by counting seconds and knotted lines or are you using your computer (bottom timer) to keep track of that? Do you really want to plan all of your dives as square profiles or are you remembering multi-levels so that you can track your N2 loading? Me, I'll use my computer/BT for the information it gives to me and be very happy to get it. If/when it fails (first of all, shame on me) and the secondly, I'll go ahead and use one of the many simple strategies for determinging my N2 loading and then spend a bit more time on the surface should I even think about doing another dive.
soonerwink
Contributor
I am a DiveCon at a local LDS, and we still teach tables. When logging the dives in the log book at the lake we even have them use their tables. The O/W tests have a few questions on them using tables, do they have different tests if you don't teach tables? I know it is up to each LDS to teach tables or not. As a DiveCon that is one of the sections of the classroom session that my Instructor always has me teach.
I do not own a waterproof watch.
If both my computers die on the same recreational dive tables will be useless as I would not know depth or time.
Misreading a table is much easier than missing the NDL on a divecomputer.
If both my computers die on the same recreational dive tables will be useless as I would not know depth or time.
Misreading a table is much easier than missing the NDL on a divecomputer.
I guess it all depends on your style of diving and where you dive. Not having a lot of reefs in Pa and Ohio/West Virginia I do very often dive pretty much square profiles as do my students. And they are encouraged to until they have their basic skills down. They are not encouraged to follow a DM and and do whatever they do. They don't need to dip into every little canyon and follow drastic contour changes. And they are told about watching their depth and trying to maintain a more or less consistent depth whenever possible. Whether or not they do is up to them once they leave the class. Myself I practice what I teach and do keep track of avg depth either on a slate or at this point my Shearwater Predator does do avg depth and dive plans are planned as square profiles. Even on vacation I like to do multilevel, yet still for the most part square profiles, where for me it is fun to do that. Then again I'm really not into reefs and fish ID. If I could I'd only do wrecks and those are by nature often square profile dives.
I know more than one certification agency has drifted away from teaching dive tables, but I don't think a diver is properly trained unless they are familiar with and do dive planning with them. Learning to use and understand the tables gives a deeper understanding of the physics of diving and the need to following safe diving profiles and practices. It is where we learn the "WHY" of so many things. The alternative is to teach student to "do what the computer tells you." That works. but is conveys very little theory, and computers can fail. ( yes I know, and humans can make miscalculations.) I for one think every diver should be taught dive tables, and they can be assisted with learning how to read and program their dive computer too. But if you learn only one, I vote for the tables. Then when you buy a computer , you can read the manual and do just fine with it.
DivemasterDennis
DivemasterDennis
Chase Haddleton
Registered
My math teacher told us that she once had a kid that always answered questions right (fractions unit) but once she got him to do it on the board, but he couldn't do it.
What she found out, is that he didn't know how to add simple fractions. Why? Because his calculator could do it for him, so he never learned how to properly do it.
Say you forget your dive computer at home, and no one has a spare, you can't dive now.
What she found out, is that he didn't know how to add simple fractions. Why? Because his calculator could do it for him, so he never learned how to properly do it.
Say you forget your dive computer at home, and no one has a spare, you can't dive now.
fnfalman
Contributor
The problem with reading the table is that most instructors don't know how to teach the students how to read the tables and they get all confused and discombobulated. Most people freak out when they see a bunch of numbers. Then you tell them that this number goes here, then it goes there, then you gotta add all of these together to get it. No wonder the students would grab for the computer.
I am a chemical engineer and the first time I was taught to read the dive tables, I was like, "WTF, over?" If a chemical engineer who is trained to generate algorithms and reading charts were having trouble with the explanation of dive tables, what do you think about soccer moms and joe schmoes?
I am a chemical engineer and the first time I was taught to read the dive tables, I was like, "WTF, over?" If a chemical engineer who is trained to generate algorithms and reading charts were having trouble with the explanation of dive tables, what do you think about soccer moms and joe schmoes?
OP
avengerki
Contributor
I was just thinking what is so complicated about dive tables so I started looking at images of the various agencies and looked at PADI's dive table and went ok I am having issues figuring that one out, then I went to the SSI dive tables that I am a little more familiar with and went ok this is layed out easier to read with not having everything showing in the same table. I am sure once I become more familiar with reading the dive tables I could look at the others and read them too, just have to relate the information back to what I know.
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