INTRUDERDIVER
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Doc Intrepid:Welcome to the board. Hope you enjoy diving.
By now you may realize that further discussion on this thread is largely pointless.
There are two schools of thought. They tend to disagree at a rather fundamental level. Neither is likely to convince the other of any stronger argument. Feel free to select either one and defend it vigorously.
Just remember two things.
Don't confuse "want" with "need". You don't need a computer. Whatever you're spending for two of them, you're spending because you 'want' them, not because you 'need' them. You need a regulator to dive, but not a computer.
Computers will likely give you longer bottom times on each individual dive. On diving vacations, however, you often dive multiple times per day. Computers will calculate this total residual nitrogen exposure also, but - as someone else mentioned earlier - they do so with a precision (based on a model) that allows you to press right up against the NDL limits. Tables, with their square profiles, offer a built in conservatism. You can press either one, to be sure. But on any given day of, say, 4 dives, tables v. computers, you'll likely find a longer total exposure time with computers (because they allow for longer individual dives).
Just be careful...when you dive multiple dives per day for three or four days in a row, you can suffer a DCS hit while technically staying within NDL limits (using either). But, again, the tables offer some built-in conservatism that the computer, more precise in its calcs, does not.
IMHO. YMMV. Have fun on your vacation.
Doc
Doc and everyone,
Thanks again for all of the advice. I do know that my wife and I plan to dive in mexico every day that we can. The thing is that the dive shop did tell me that they recommended that I only do two one tank dives a day. We can either choose to go in the morning or evening. So I think the most we are going to do is two dives a day which I think for just starting out is a good way to go. This way I don't have to concern myself with the 4 or 5 dives a day. The first dive will be at 80 feet and the second dive after a 1 hour surface time will be at 60 feet. Then it will be break time until the next day. Thanks again.