Safety of some popular dive computer algorithms???

[Austin]

Thanks for all the great responses! You all seem so smart

The comment about staying away from the limits of a liberal computer as opposed to being locked out of a conservative one makes sense. Is it hard to get the bars out of the yellow zone, like more than 10 minutes at 15', just curious.

I plan on taking a deco course when i'm 18, but being 16 and a half i have some time before that decision is available.

At this point, i'm deciding between the Aeris atmos Pro and the Oceanic, i've talked with a bunch of people about them, and i've heard the complaint about having to reset the EANx value before every dive on the Oceanic, but are there any major differences or considerations between the two? Or is there another great hoseless computer out there? Thanks!

 

[DepartureDiver]

The difference are the features. The time limit calculations, etc. should be identical. The only reason they wouldn't be is if one has an extended range to it or one is an older style. I would simply pick which one you like best or which is less expensive. They are made by the exact same company and the "guts" don't change. I'm not sure about the EAN switch comments as I have never had difficulty with it and you would have to do it with other computers, but I don't use a computer much and perhaps other computers are easier to switch.

As far as getting out of the yellow, depending on the profile you did, it could take a few minutes. So don't go too far into it and with nitrox you should come out of it faster.

 

[rjchandler]

, and i've heard the complaint about having to reset the EANx value before every dive on the Oceanic, !

i think this depends on the model you get

 

[Austin]

That makes since that the "guts" would be the same if made by the same company. Are there any other reputable hoseless computers that you all know of? An interesting thing that i've only seen mentioned on the Aeris, so i don't know if the others have it, is that the software is upgradable, so if better or modified algorithms come around, it can be upgraded. Thanks for all the comments! Oh, this is off subject, but is there a website that sells padi speciality books and packages?

 

[DepartureDiver]

We might should move this thread to another location since we are starting to talk about equipment, but you have asked some good questions. My favorite are the Oceanic types (which includes Aeris)... just my personal opinion. Check the company web sites, I'm sure the upgradeability would be mentioned there and my guess is that if Aeris is upgradeable, so is Oceanic.

Let me also complicate this some. The more bells and whistles you get, the more information that is displayed. This may sound silly, but there is a benefit to keeping it simple. Ask any cognitive psychologist about this and accidents. So when you go hoseless, you have increased your cost, taxed your mind some more with more display, and increased a failure point if the computer crashed or stopped. All of this can be debated and just as many pros can be found as cons. It is purely personal preference, but I prefer the simple display of depth and time remaining with the cool little nitrogen bars so I can see how conservative I am being. But if you are really wanting a hoseless, take a look at Cochran too. But once you set the conservatism level, you have no visual indicator of how aggressive or conservative you are being. Another con about the Oceanic "button" types (or any type that is started with a button versus a wet contact) is that the buttons o-ring is another failure point that could potentially lead to a flood where you lose the computer during the dive. However, when I use a computer for my no-stop diving, I still prefer this type and accept this risk knowing the way I dive I can get out of the situation safely.

 

[DepartureDiver]

Okay ... another comment I felt like adding. While an air intergrated computer can give you some nice data like gas consumption etc., the information as to how much time you have left based on your breathing rate may not be as much of a benefit as you would like. It is not how much time you have left based on your breathing rate, but whether or not if you have enough gas to bring both you and your buddy under a stressful condition to the surface while doing a slow controlled ascent with deep safety stops. For me this is a psi issue and a computer simply can't help ... so personally I'm just not sold that the extra cost and information on the screen is worth it. Plus it is too easy to start relying on the information which doesn't take into account the out of gas diver with the proper stops. Just something else to consider.

 

[Austin]

Thanks for the thoughts! They all make sense, its just i would really like not having an extra hose/SPG to deal with. And i would really like to have all the info on one spot. The only option that satisfies both those requirements is a hoseless computer. And it seems that for the same quality computers, a hoseless is no more than $200 more. Maybe it's becuase i'm a teenager, and addicted to fancy gadgets that i like them, lol. I'll keep looking though and learning. I've learned a ton here, thanks to everyone!

 

[rjchandler]

i think uwatec/scubapro has a hoseless

 

[Uncle Pug]

Precision My Boy... that is what computers can do for you. Only a computer can take depth readings multiple times per second and do the complicated calculations of Al Gore's Rythm with precision.

Meaningful output is another matter, however.

 

[DandyDon]

"I would MUCH rather have an aggressive computer that I do not dive to its limits than an overly conservative one that will lock me out of diving for a day for no good reason."

That is a very interesting idea.

Dr D.

That's my approach. Oceanic & Atmos computers (same machines) get crticized by people who don't study the manual, which encourages the diver to consider the Yellow Caution zone as Caution. I may get into the Yellow on a dive, but I do my deep stops and shallow stops until I'm back in the Green - in addition to hydrating well, and taking it easy after the dives.

What if I came out with a computer than allowed only 15 minutes bottom time at 60 feet? Would the fact that it's more conservative than any other be great, or a penalty?

and i've heard the complaint about having to reset the EANx value before every dive on the Oceanic, !

You'll hear that only from those who don't study the manual. It's well covered there.

i think this depends on the model you get

Perhaps, but I think not. I think that it can be turned off on any Oceanic or Atmos Nitrox computer. If I've tested 4 tanks I'll be diving for the day, and they're all the same, I'll turn it off. But if they're different levles, I might turn it back on.

And I suggest that anyone who does not know how to do this easily should not be wearing a computer s/he doesn't understand. But I've heard it on the boats: My computer beeped down there? I wonder why?

My older Oceanic doesn't have Simulations, but my Verso Pro does, and I run them. Good practice. :yelclap: