Sharing a Dive Computer

[oddible]

The latter section of this thread was more what I was expecting when posting this topic. The logic of 'if he's going on vacation he can surely afford another dive computer' is funny - not sure what types of vacations you go on but even a cheap dive computer bought new is nearly 10% of the cost of the vacation (for TWO!) - I'm a university instructor, not a banker. That said, I just bought an Oceanic Veo 250 on eBay - thanks for the advice.

 

[theskull]

The latter section of this thread was more what I was expecting when posting this topic. The logic of 'if he's going on vacation he can surely afford another dive computer' is funny - not sure what types of vacations you go on but even a cheap dive computer bought new is nearly 10% of the cost of the vacation (for TWO!) - I'm a university instructor, not a banker. That said, I just bought an Oceanic Veo 250 on eBay - thanks for the advice.

Good call! Glad you took the wisdom of the "unexpected" responses.

theskull

 

[syntaxerrorsix]

Nor should you be discouraging them from diving! :homealone:

No one here is. We are discouraging sharing a computer. They can both use tables and that in no way discourages diving as they were taught. They both have those and they are trained to use them.

Each of us has to come to our own conclusions on what is acceptable and not acceptable. A major training agency that has been the leader for online training as well as learning how to actually use a PDC during dive training has no problem with this and neither do I. Both of these areas were anathema to ALL of the training agencies not long ago, and now they are s-l-o-w-l-y coming around to see the logic and the inherent safety in accepting these paradigms. You can trust those that follow the leader here: I will continue to trust the leader.

Have fun with your computer and go dive. The sky is not falling and you will not surely die. I dove just this last week with a buddy on a single computer, and am here to tell the tale.

Each of us do come to our own conclusions on what is acceptable AFTER we have had time to absorb the information and can make educated decisions. They should rely on their training not some other agencies advise that pretty much contradicts everybody else.

I call shenanigans.

 

[Papa_Bear]

New diver here, my wife and I are just finishing up our PADI OW and have scheduled a trip to Belize - we're also just getting started on our equipment purchases. We just bought a Suunto Gekko dive computer that we're hoping we can share to start out. Since we will be doing all of our diving together I suspect that while not ideal that this isn't too big a problem. Any things to be wary of or to take into account when sharing a computer with your dive partner? I plan to be conservative on the numbers to ensure there are absolutely no issues.

Only as a depth gauge and only when one of yours dies! If you can't afford a computer by a set of tables and a watch! Never use a buddies gauge for your safety as you will never have the same profile unless your on the Swedish Synchronous Dive Team! Maybe you can fly in one seat as well? Or share one set of fins?

 

[Mattleycrue76]

....most of the dive ops/boats I do business with .....MANDATE......as in REQUIRE computers.......and one computer PER DIVER !!! ......it's gonna suck if you fly all the way to some remote/ expensive dive location and you're not allowed to go into the water !

...there are even a few dive ops that will loan you a FREE computer (Dive with Martin/Cozumel)...that's how important some dive ops believe each diver having a computer to be.

...additionally, just like people can judge you by first impressions, dive ops will look you over (and you gear...or lack thereof) and make a preliminary opinion of you....let's just say you will be labled 'clueless newbie' and steered toward the 30 min @ 30' discover scuba/kiddie dives and kept well clear of anything remotely interesting/challenging.

......you can probably look forward to being 'outcasts' among the group....so the two of you need to make plans to rent your own local DM so the three of you can do your own thing.....all of you diving tables. The rest of the group will be on computers and will have much longer/deeper profiles than you will...and the rest of the group will not tolerate having to surface all because YOU have to surface while they still all have plenty of bottom time left......many ops have the group surface together due to local conditions, and you will be the weak link in the chain....wrecking the dive vacations of all the other divers that you will force to be shortchanged on their dive times!

...also, although you might be the exception, a dive computer is much less likely to make a deco/bottom time claculation error...compared to a diver having to manually calculate 'tables'......and if you screw up and get yourself bent in some remote location, will you be able to afford the air-evacuation/medical bills......and are you SURE your insurance would cover this eventuality, especially if they can say you were reckless and diving outside established safe practices ?

Why do you feel the need to make blanket statements like this? I have a nice computer (Vytec) but I ditched the transmitter in favor of a SPG and run it in gauge mode most of the time. You're telling me some charter boat won't let me plan and execute my own dive?

To the OP: congrats on your computer purchases. If you were still looking for an alternative to a second computer I would have suggested looking up ratio deco/min deco.

 

[The Chairman]

Good call! Glad you took the wisdom of the "unexpected" responses.

Not even close! Now he has a safe computer for most warm water scenarios (Veo 250) paired up with a computer designed to be used in cold water (Suunto) and they won't match. The latter will go into deco far before the former, so they will STILL be relying on the Gekko.

No one here is. We are discouraging sharing a computer. They can both use tables and that in no way discourages diving as they were taught. They both have those and they are trained to use them.

Who says they know how to use tables? That's not a given anymore. You have given no compelling reasons to dive your way, and you have not answered the OP's original question.

Each of us do come to our own conclusions on what is acceptable AFTER we have had time to absorb the information and can make educated decisions. They should rely on their training not some other agencies advise that pretty much contradicts everybody else.

Given the absolute absence of any data/reasoning/facts within your arguments, the converse would seem to be true. The entire argument is predicated on "we don't do it this way" and "we are not open to reason". Have you researched WHY SDI uses this protocol or are you content to substitute a knee jerk reaction as an educated decision. I'm just asking.

 

[The Chairman]

Why do you feel the need to make blanket statements like this?

Fear is far more motivating and fun than actual science and research. The industry needs far less of the "sky is falling" mentality and a healthy dose of reality to get past the fear mongers.

At one time NitrOx was referred to as "voodoo gas" by the same type of people. This is just more of the same obstructionist/ head-in-the-sand thinking.

 

[RJP]

How ever, you can share it in the lines of she gets to use the reg setup with the computer one dive, and the next dive you take the setup.

You're kidding, right?

Please tell me you're kidding...

 

[diversteve]

How ever, you can share it in the lines of she gets to use the reg setup with the computer one [-]dive[/-] day, and the next [-]dive[/-] day you take the setup.

Fixed that...

 

[syntaxerrorsix]

Not even close! Now he has a safe computer for most warm water scenarios (Veo 250) paired up with a computer designed to be used in cold water (Suunto) and they won't match. The latter will go into deco far before the former, so they will STILL be relying on the Gekko.

Who says they know how to use tables? That's not a given anymore. You have given no compelling reasons to dive your way, and you have not answered the OP's original question. Given the absolute absence of any data/reasoning/facts within your arguments, the converse would seem to be true.

Seriously? I'd say it's far easier to assume that they DON'T have the proper training to use a single computer like you advocate or he wouldn't be here trying to figure out how. PADI still teaches tables, if he managed to take a course where they didn't and solely relied on ones computer I'm sure they would have covered buddy use as well. Given the absolute absence of any data/reasoning/facts I'd say you are trying to justify your way over what is commonly considered a poor idea for a new diver that has very little experience even diving they way he was taught.

The entire argument is predicated on "we don't do it this way" and "we are not open to reason". Have you researched WHY SDI uses this protocol or are you content to substitute a knee jerk reaction as an educated decision. I'm just asking.

The reason is evident. The computer on your wrist calculates YOUR depth and time and ascent a descent, so unless you are joined at the hip (and oh so many new divers are right?) it's a poor idea to use a single computer to compute anything other than time.

Earlier you touted a follow the leader attitude, so do lemmings. I take control of my safety and monitor MY actual dive profile and all agencies support this as well. The only knee jerk reaction here is to defend something you've done or taught and applied it to a situation that could in the worst case scenario hurt someone because they weren't trained to do it and their in-water skills likely don't support the sort of buoyancy control and discipline to make that a safe venture.

Fact - PADI trained
Fact - Doesn't know how to use one computer with a buddy.
Reasoning - Wouldn't be here if he already had the answer.
Data - Far more literature than I care to post here from nearly every dive agency in the world and nearly every computer user guide published.
Knee jerk - Your idea to toss new divers into an unknown situation they haven't trained and practiced for because you and one or two agencies train THEIR divers to do this.