rstofer
Contributor
It was rhetorical and certainly not directed at anyone involved with this thread. No offense intended.
Richard
Do I really need a computer?
- Thread starter Apollon
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It was rhetorical and certainly not directed at anyone involved with this thread. No offense intended.
Richard
orange_diver
Contributor
none taken. s'all good.
Come along with me to Boynton Beach, FL. Take a 65 minute drift dive with EAN 36. We go to a depth of 65 feet. If you have a computer, you wait 50 minutes between dives (while changing out your tank), and make the same dive again. Without a computer, you can't join us for a second dive.
Look these up on a table. The tables hand out "punishment" on these dives, as they count as 70 feet. We use steel 100 tanks, nitrox, and computers to safely do this. We don't need computers, but if you lived around here, you would want one, too.
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PADI has produced the eRDPML, which is essentially the original eRDP on steroids, that can plan multi-level dives. The reasoning for this new product is to eliminate the variances between wheels, and to make it easier to calculate multi-level dives.
Is this supposed to be test? PADI EANx36 table has 65 feet depth. 65 minutes put you in the pressure group S. After the surface interval 50 minutes you are in the pressure group H. (turn to the other side) and you could do 65 foot depth dive for 59 minutes. So, back to the class you go.
Saying all that, I actually prefer to dive with a computer, sometimes with two, sometimes in gauge mode. It all depends what type of dive I do. All I was trying to say was, that you could dive without computer if you choose to.
Hey, Mr. Good dive. Thank you and congratulations. You have solved the continuing debate: is PADI better than NAUI? My NAUI tables don't have a 65, gotta use 70. According to PADI, we would cut the second dive short by six minutes? NAUI divers, take note, 59 is less than 65, but greater than NAUI's zero.
If a diver went for a lobster 67 feet, even for a minute, would it then become a 70 foot dive? An instructor would probably say so, but for a computer diver, it is not significant.
Sometimes, we don't have a choice. You guys from up north want some good diving? Come down to Jupiter FL, for the three dive Friday trip. The boat requires a computer for that trip, and they can rent you one.
Stu.
If a diver went for a lobster 67 feet, even for a minute, would it then become a 70 foot dive? An instructor would probably say so, but for a computer diver, it is not significant.
Sometimes, we don't have a choice. You guys from up north want some good diving? Come down to Jupiter FL, for the three dive Friday trip. The boat requires a computer for that trip, and they can rent you one.
Stu.
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fishy fellow
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Hi Appollon,
I also am surprised you were told you absolutely need a computer. If the diving you are doing is working for you without one and the tables work within the range of what you want to do fine. Personally I like my computer because I can pay more attention to other things like my new found passion for photography and a qwick occasional glance at the computer tells me what is going on. I also find that diving in groups where everybody else has a computer sticking to the tables may cut the dive short since I would not want to rely on another divers computer.
I also am surprised you were told you absolutely need a computer. If the diving you are doing is working for you without one and the tables work within the range of what you want to do fine. Personally I like my computer because I can pay more attention to other things like my new found passion for photography and a qwick occasional glance at the computer tells me what is going on. I also find that diving in groups where everybody else has a computer sticking to the tables may cut the dive short since I would not want to rely on another divers computer.
But...now that we've calculated the dive using your computer and goodive's tables and maybe checked it with my decompression software and have verified it by actually doing the dive, we don't need to recalculate it every time we do it, do we? So we can do the dive without the computer? I would.
You're measuring with a micrometer and cutting with an axe. If the extra two feet for one minute isn't significant for the computer diver, then it isn't significant for anybody else either.
Do you ever do a safety stop? What effect does that have on your decompression status? Why go out of your way to plan a dive right to the edge? If I think I'm anywhere near needing a little hang time, I just hand for a bit and come out of the water cleaner. If I'm not pushing that dreaded NDL or any other "limit" 2 ft for one minute can't possibly of any concern.
Niether tables nor computers work very well if you don't put any thought into what you're doing.
I always have a choice. Why would I pay a boat crew who's so clueless? I vote with my wallet and try not to encourage such nonsense. Personally, I'd, no doubt, get side tracked in cave country on my way down where I can go off on my own and avoid nuckleheads like.
Dtaine
Contributor
Hey, Mike. No planning on the edge here. When we use a computer and go on those 65 minute dives, it is the gas supply getting low that limits us to 65 minutes. There is still time remaining on the computer.
Years ago, we would dive these places with aluminum 80 cylinders. The gas or air would run low and say "time to go" before the tables did. Moving up to 100 and 120 cu. ft. cylinders, and using the popular tables, we were returning to the boat with extra air left over. The computer gives us extra time to go with the extra gas, and we like that.
Dives in the 60 to 100 foot range make the computer valuable here. I don't know of anyone, except the newest divers, who doesn't use a computer. Call Gerry or Ham at Jupiter Dive, 561-745-7807 and they can give an explanation on why the three tank day requires the computer.
Cheers,
Stu
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