Bruno Genovese
Registered
The value of diving with a dive computer became very obvious during my initial Open Water training.
It also became very obvious that most dive shops would either not provide one with the gear rental or charge a lot to rent you even a basic computer.
So I bought a Cressi Giotto for $300 as my first piece of diving gear - yes, even before buying a mask or snorkel, and was glad I did.
Why? Besides all the many reasons given:
-The main one for me was "added safety".
-I wanted my No decompreassion times to be based on what I did, not guesstimates.
-After seeing how some divemasters are safety conscious while others pushed the air and no decompression limits I did not want to trust my health into anybody else's hands.
- I wanted to be certain to have mandatory decompression info available should I ever accidentally exceed the no decompression limit.
- Most importantly, it is so easy to accidentally exceed the maximum ascension rate of 18m per minute that I really want that audible alert when it happens and the little 1,2,3 arrows that tell me that I'm getting close to ascending too fast.
- Finally, having my own computer lets me track residual nitrogen on multiple dives better, makes it easier to estimate surface intervals for a safe and fun aubsequent dive, and lets me review dive information to put in my logs... even days after I finished diving. And reading my computer during and after every dive helped me develop a pretty good "gut feeling" of what depths, times and surface intervals are safe and fun.
So, would I dive without my computer in a pinch? Probably, although I'd likely be extra conservative. But would I ever dive without my computer if I have the option... no way!!!
It also became very obvious that most dive shops would either not provide one with the gear rental or charge a lot to rent you even a basic computer.
So I bought a Cressi Giotto for $300 as my first piece of diving gear - yes, even before buying a mask or snorkel, and was glad I did.
Why? Besides all the many reasons given:
-The main one for me was "added safety".
-I wanted my No decompreassion times to be based on what I did, not guesstimates.
-After seeing how some divemasters are safety conscious while others pushed the air and no decompression limits I did not want to trust my health into anybody else's hands.
- I wanted to be certain to have mandatory decompression info available should I ever accidentally exceed the no decompression limit.
- Most importantly, it is so easy to accidentally exceed the maximum ascension rate of 18m per minute that I really want that audible alert when it happens and the little 1,2,3 arrows that tell me that I'm getting close to ascending too fast.
- Finally, having my own computer lets me track residual nitrogen on multiple dives better, makes it easier to estimate surface intervals for a safe and fun aubsequent dive, and lets me review dive information to put in my logs... even days after I finished diving. And reading my computer during and after every dive helped me develop a pretty good "gut feeling" of what depths, times and surface intervals are safe and fun.
So, would I dive without my computer in a pinch? Probably, although I'd likely be extra conservative. But would I ever dive without my computer if I have the option... no way!!!
