How finiky are dive computers?

[TheWetRookie]

I am a new diver and have the Oceanic VEO 180.

I have been working on my buoyancy these past few dives and ensuring a nice even and steady accent. I was having problems not venting enough air out of my BC and dry suit and ended up floating up as I got into shallower water. The past 4-5 dives I have been able to maintain things right into 8' of water. I am getting the hang of things.

My question though is how finiky or sensitive are dive computers as my computer on a couple of the dives that went well for me still had flashing lights indicating a rapid accent?

Talking with the guys all they could think of (as they dove with me) is that it could just be me lifting my arm (with the computer on it) from a low position to a high position to vent air from the suit. Would this be enough to set off the rapid accent alarm?

Any thoughts?

 

[Butch103]

I am a new diver and have the Oceanic VEO 180.

I have been working on my buoyancy these past few dives and ensuring a nice even and steady accent. I was having problems not venting enough air out of my BC and dry suit and ended up floating up as I got into shallower water. The past 4-5 dives I have been able to maintain things right into 8' of water. I am getting the hang of things.

My question though is how finiky or sensitive are dive computers as my computer on a couple of the dives that went well for me still had flashing lights indicating a rapid accent?

Talking with the guys all they could think of (as they dove with me) is that it could just be me lifting my arm (with the computer on it) from a low position to a high position to vent air from the suit. Would this be enough to set off the rapid accent alarm?

Any thoughts?

Yep, on some computers

 

[Wildcard]

It's version of rapid may be different than yours. PADI says 60 feet/min many puters say 30feet/min max. This may be the problem.

 

[pdoege]

It all depends on the computer, however, in general when you get to shallow depths rapidly raising an arm or rotating your body from horizontal to vertical will set off the fast ascent warning.

No big deal.

To the computer, a raised arm at 20 feet is a big pressure difference and it will tell you all about it.

Similarly, high currents and buffeting can trigger "bogus" fast ascent alarms at shallow depths.

Remember that you are driving the computer. It is just telling you its version of reality.

Peter

 

[fire_diver]

I think it's probably your computer. Mine does the same thing. Raise my computer 2feet up to my face while doing a 30fpm ascent and it will flash into the red. When I review my dive later, it will show a flashing red (which means 30fpm violation) because that happened for one second at some point during the dive.

FD

 

[Charlie99]

Talking with the guys all they could think of (as they dove with me) is that it could just be me lifting my arm (with the computer on it) from a low position to a high position to vent air from the suit. Would this be enough to set off the rapid accent alarm?

I can't speak specifically about your VEO180, but its predecessor, the Oceanic Data Plus computer would set the rapid ascent indicator from just raising my arm to vent the BCD.

The best way to verify what is going on is to download the dive data from the computer and print out the graph.

A smart dive computer would have instantaneous display of the ascent rate to assist in making the ascent, but log the alarm in the post-dive display only if the rapid ascent lasted longer than 2 or 3 seconds.

 

[Scubaguy62]

Oceanic is Aeris' sister company; I have owned an Aeris Atmos 2 for 4 years now, and after more than 200 dives with it, I still get its "christmas music" while ascending, and I'm talking I take 30 - 45 seconds to come off my safety stop.

Aeris/Oceanic's algorithm is just way too sensitive, so I just monitor the initial ascent until I get in rythm with the ascent and then I just follow my pace..

 

[1_T_Submariner]

I'm not sure if you can change the sample rate on your computer but, I changed mine to 2 seconds from 15 seconds (I think) to get rid of these alarms. I have an Areis not sure how to change yours.

 

[nice-diver]

put the computer on your right arm and you will narrow down your variables. I just bought a veo100...good to know, thanks

 

[TheWetRookie]

I have not got the "christmas music" yet, just the flashing lights. I am thinking about getting the computer cable however it is about $110 CDN as I recal but it would show what is happening. Ouch! just for a cable.

The idea of changing the arm would be a good one to try out to help eliminate excessive arm movement.

Thanks for the imput guys/gals

Now I just have to get back out, we are soaked in by a big and long storm front that has lasted about 3 weeks now and it is hit and miss for getting out.