Will Air Integration in dive computers replace the SPG?

[MaxBottomtime]

I was diving with a buddy two weeks ago who uses a Uwatec Galileo Luna with a transmitter. His computer died during the dive, and he almost did. He came up to me and gave me the OOA sign. We shared air for the next five minutes until we reached the surface. I'll stick with my trusty spg, thank you.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Oh yeah that is simple... what do you do 1.8 times plus 32 or minus 32 ??? or is it 5/9ths ?????


(What the hell do I need to know the temperature for during a dive - especially in celsius.


And depth increments in decimals! That is freaking hilarious! I remember I got an air integrated compuer off the discount table at the dive shop. CHEAP. Very similar to one i had before. So no manual, no real checking it. Slap it on my reg, jump in, swim down to the wreck in 180 feet... And I get WACKO CRAP!... I quickly realized the pressure was in bars... so multiply by 15.. that is not hard to figure out while narced... but the depth... It was reading like 567 (or something)... I figured the thing was screwed... took me almost the whole dive to notice there was a tiny little decimal in there and the depth was in METERS (56.7 meter).. EVEN BETTER! now i just have to multiply depth by 3.3 - while narced and remeber the decimal or round to a whole number .

After a few dozen dives, I actually got used to it... But there is no freaking way anyone will ever convince me meters (and decimals there of) are a better way to measure depth than feet (in whole numbers)...

... I just need depth (NOT max depth attained), elapsed time, total ascent time, deepest ceiling/stop and then later the actually ceiling, ascent rate graphic, and with AI pressure and "air time" or whatever they would call it now. . .

Consider the below (it takes longer to explain, read & comprehend versus actually using the mathematical method in practice):

You really don't need AI --the Metric System in Scuba diving makes the arithmetic much easier especially if your pressure Surface Consumption Rate (SCR) turns out to be roundable up to convenient integer like 1 or 2bar/minute per ATA.

Simply convert your current depth in meters to ATA (divide-by-10 and add 1,) so 30meters for example equals 4ATA, multiply your SCR of 2bar/minute by 4ATA, and your Depth Consumption Rate (DCR) becomes 8bar/minute at 30 meters depth. If you then check your SPG in 5 minutes time, you should expect the reading to show a delta consumption of 40 bar down from your previous reading. If the actual SPG reading is thirty percent or more consumption than expected, then you are working-breathing harder physically or have a gas leak somewhere, and probably should consider aborting the dive (especially at a depth like 30meters!). . .

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Here are some example pressure SCR values for a variety of common cylinders, given a arbitrary nominal constant volume SCR of 22 litres/min per ATA (a reasonable & achievable breathing SAC rate/RMV for most novice divers):

11L/bar tank (AL80): 2bar/min per ATA;
12L/bar tank (Steel HP100): 1.8bar/min per ATA;
13L/bar tank (AL100): 1.7bar/min per ATA;
15L/bar tank (Steel HP119): 1.5bar/min per ATA;
16L/bar tank (Steel HP130): 1.4bar/min per ATA;
11L Twins (Double AL80's): 1bar/min per ATA;
12L Twins (Double HP100's): 0.9bar/min per ATA;
16L Twins (Double HP130's): 0.7bar/min per ATA.


So other than maybe a "training wheel gimmick", again you really don't need AI --see how much easier, intuitive & practically advantageous it is to repetitively work smarter with "1 bar/min" or "2 bar/min" values and the Metric System in general for Scuba?

 

[kelemvor]

Oh yeah that is simple... what do you do 1.8 times plus 32 or minus 32 ??? or is it 5/9ths ?????


(What the hell do I need to know the temperature for during a dive - especially in celsius.


And depth increments in decimals! That is freaking hilarious! I remember I got an air integrated compuer off the discount table at the dive shop. CHEAP. Very similar to one i had before. So no manual, no real checking it. Slap it on my reg, jump in, swim down to the wreck in 180 feet... And I get WACKO CRAP!... I quickly realized the pressure was in bars... so multiply by 15.. that is not hard to figure out while narced... but the depth... It was reading like 567 (or something)... I figured the thing was screwed... took me almost the whole dive to notice there was a tiny little decimal in there and the depth was in METERS (56.7 meter).. EVEN BETTER! now i just have to multiply depth by 3.3 - while narced and remeber the decimal or round to a whole number .

After a few dozen dives, I actually got used to it... But there is no freaking way anyone will ever convince me meters (and decimals there of) are a better way to measure depth than feet (in whole numbers)...

Why not just change the settings on the computer to display imperial?



---------- Post added January 14th, 2016 at 12:43 AM ----------

I was diving with a buddy two weeks ago who uses a Uwatec Galileo Luna with a transmitter. His computer died during the dive, and he almost did. He came up to me and gave me the OOA sign. We shared air for the next five minutes until we reached the surface. I'll stick with my trusty spg, thank you.

Computers shouldn't be failing but don't you think there was another problem besides just the instrument failure if he actually went OOA at depth?

 

[DevonDiver]

Computers shouldn't be failing but don't you think there was another problem besides just the instrument failure if he actually went OOA at depth?

Do you think that the root problem was situational awareness? After all, a failed computer/AI doesn't lead to gas loss. What happens is that the user doesn't notice that their computer/AI has failed.

In which case, does AI address the cause, or symptom, of emergencies like this?

Does AI promote greater situational awareness, or does it substitute for it?

 

[Centrals]

Here's some more awesome stock screen shots for you to interpret.

And if you like to dive wrecks or some specific locations with mapped features, leave the laminated map survey on the boat.

I can do with one on my 20mins 6m blue water deco stop!!!! But I might miss anything drift by or separated from my buddy.
I can't see myself getting one.

 

[DiveNav]

Have you actually looked at this tech Alberto?

Right now I can only say that we have been looking at / playing with WAI since 2014 ..... and, most likely, our next Kickstarter project will have "some form" of WAI in it

 

[Liquid Pleasure]

Not steering and brakes! Unless you commute by jet...



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Have to disagree with you here. Brakes use electronics if you have ABS. Steering uses electronics to dampen shocks to keep the car level when turning hard.

 

[scubadada]

You, however, take excellent care of your gear. That isn't normal.

And you, my friend, run one heck of a boat, that is not so common either. Eagerly awaiting my opportunity to return to the Spree, maybe Cuba, if I'm lucky

 

[CuzzA]

So should we take a page out of the ScubaBoard book with their "new format" to further prove, in time technology changes and one day the SPG will be replaced with AI? Is this a good example?

 

[stuartv]

Do you think that the root problem was situational awareness? After all, a failed computer/AI doesn't lead to gas loss. What happens is that the user doesn't notice that their computer/AI has failed.

In which case, does AI address the cause, or symptom, of emergencies like this?

Does AI promote greater situational awareness, or does it substitute for it?

If you're not checking your cylinder pressure, does it matter whether it's displayed on your computer or on an SPG?