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Computer Algorithms, Objective Evidence of Whether One is "Safer"
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underH2Oman
Contributor
I think we all have to think of DCS like the flu bug. When nitrogen is in the body it activates an autoimmune response. How the body responds to nitrogen in the system will differ from person to person. That's why some get DCS and their buddy doing the same dives does not. Its your body's reaction to the nitrogen that causes the problem or not.
I do not think that there is a computer on the market that can accurately predict a safe level of nitrogen in any diver at all times. Perhaps most divers most of the time. They are in fact no better than diving a set of dive tables, they just remove the diver from having to make the calculations or error in calculations. The big advantage of a dive computer is they do multilevel calculations on the fly there fore extending dive times. There are dive tables that allow the diver to calculate multilevel dives on the fly as well.
You can use any computer on the market , they all do the math but there are none that can or will guaranty that you will not get DCS as they can not know your physiology. There are just too many variables that can affect an individuals physiology to make them more or less at risk than there buddy to account for.
In the end why look for the most liberal computer as it is the one that would also be considered the one to put me at the most risk. Just get the one that looks good.
Dive any computer conservatively and hopefully you will never have a problem with DCS.
I do not think that there is a computer on the market that can accurately predict a safe level of nitrogen in any diver at all times. Perhaps most divers most of the time. They are in fact no better than diving a set of dive tables, they just remove the diver from having to make the calculations or error in calculations. The big advantage of a dive computer is they do multilevel calculations on the fly there fore extending dive times. There are dive tables that allow the diver to calculate multilevel dives on the fly as well.
You can use any computer on the market , they all do the math but there are none that can or will guaranty that you will not get DCS as they can not know your physiology. There are just too many variables that can affect an individuals physiology to make them more or less at risk than there buddy to account for.
In the end why look for the most liberal computer as it is the one that would also be considered the one to put me at the most risk. Just get the one that looks good.
Dive any computer conservatively and hopefully you will never have a problem with DCS.
OP
THANKS! That paper has a lot of info. Will digest it carefully.
Thanks for posting this, I'm a bit confused about the survey though. In the header they say "The profiles included a multi-day, multi-level repetitive dive series of “low risk” profiles", however Figure 1 implies multiple dives done on the same day. If they are same dives, no surface interval is given.
Can someone help clarify?
Really?
We have algorithms developed from a little science and empirical data.
They make computers that calculate to the 10th significant digit.
Then we tweak the results by deciding to set the computer more or less conservative.
Then apply it to bodies with huge swings in body mass, body mass index, hydration, alcohol intake or off ... gas? and various levels of eating varying amounts of carbs, proteins, and starches, and wild swings of fitness levels.
That's like measuring with a micrometer and cutting with an ax.
We have algorithms developed from a little science and empirical data.
They make computers that calculate to the 10th significant digit.
Then we tweak the results by deciding to set the computer more or less conservative.
Then apply it to bodies with huge swings in body mass, body mass index, hydration, alcohol intake or off ... gas? and various levels of eating varying amounts of carbs, proteins, and starches, and wild swings of fitness levels.
That's like measuring with a micrometer and cutting with an ax.
Dive conservatively with a computer set to your comfort level.
Get slightly more aggressive (if it's in your comfort level) until you feel the subclinical DCS symptom of "fatigue" after diving.
Back it off a notch, and pay attention to your general health, rest, hydration, and eating habits before diving.
---------- Post added February 7th, 2014 at 06:41 PM ----------
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I'm trying to say, learn yourself, learn your body. What was perfectly good yesterday won't work since you stayed out later last night and got less sleep.
Or that you drank more than normal. Or that you had a gut bomb. Applying science to the huge variety of people, states, and being only gives a ballpark. There is no silver bullet.
Agreed, but the study was comparing different computers against a repeatable set dive scenarios. Understanding how the testing was performed helps understand what the computer is telling us.
If you don't use a computer (and rely upon tables) that is fine, but unless you never do multi-profile dives, you're only kidding yourself
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE dive computers and understand them a lot more than most people, since I am a computer engineer.
It's simply that people seem to be looking for "buy that computer and set it to y conservatism, and you'll be safe. No such thing. Diving is all about risk management and while understanding the algorithm and the computer is one part, understanding oneself is more important.
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