tplyons
Contributor
I have my computers sent to silent. I'm looking at them constantly anyway.
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My Oceanic Geo 2 has alarms turned on - sorry if that offends anyone. It also has a red LED that flashes when an alarm is sounding.
We are all human and humans make mistakes - even those that are much more experienced than me. Just take a look at the accidents and incidents board for proof of that. Anyone that says they don't want or need reminding of an impending disaster is a liar or an idiot in my opinion.
If all is going well on a dive I will not generate any alarms and I can feel smug about it. But, if I stuffed up, then I'd rather have a noisy alarm than the other possible consequences. If any of you don't like that then tough - it's my life and I choose to protect it as I wish.
What I'd like to see is a computer that comes with a set of ear buds ... so that only the diver wearing it would hear their alarms, and in a way that they could easily identify them as coming from their own computer. When that happens, then perhaps the purpose of those alarms will actually achieve something.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
You shouldn't rely on your computer to protect your life ... if that's your attitude, then sooner or later you're going to find yourself in a bad situation with no clue what to do about it, because your computer won't provide that information. Your computer is there to give you data about your dive profile ... it's not supposed to tell you when to go up, when to slow down, or when you're getting low on air ... that's a great way to develop a reliance on a piece of gear that, sooner or later, WILL let you down.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
My opinion is that both sides are exaggerating a bit.
To Those who don't like audible alarms:
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I am with you that when someone is making an annoying noise they should turn off so that they don't annoy people around them.
Same thing goes with mobile phones that ring at church or somewhere else where they are not supposed to ring.
BUT
You need the alarm for that one and only time that you just might forget something or get carried away or something.
(ok we get it there are divers that are 100% aware, at all times, every time, they don't get carried away even for a single second ,
not even when they become 90 years old).
To those who like audible alarms:
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When something is beeping, then you need to snap out of what is happening to you,
check what it is and take care of it (the alarm first).
Don't just rely on the computer for your dive.
p.s. I don't wear a hood and I have a hard time hearing if by chance an alarm goes off.
How do people that complain hear other people's alarms from a distance?
The people who will most likely notice it are those who aren't used to hearing it ... the ones who are bothered by audible alarms. These are usually the people who have turned off the alarms on their own computers, and who have learned their skills sufficient to not need such "reminders".
Those who rely on these alarms, and who have them on their computers, get so used to hearing them that they tend to tune them out ... much like someone who lives next to a highway or airport will eventually tune out the sounds of traffic or airliners overhead. It's part of our natural adaptation process ... and the major reason why these alarms are effectively useless. They tend to get overused, and it's not that you're not hearing it, it's that those beeping noises have just become a natural part of the background on your dive.
... and if you're having a hard time hearing it, then you're going to have a hard time responding to it ... so what good is it?
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
(ok we get it there are divers that are 100% aware, at all times, every time, they don't get carried away even for a single second , not even when they become 90 years old).