Why the dislike of air integrated computers?

[The Chairman]

Just don't break the rules here. There are plenty of boats who do deco dives here in the Keys... but they aren't done on the fly. Too many people are way too cavalier towards going into deco. Adults plan. Kids play.

 

[benha]

For my part, I bought an air integrated CONSOLE computer (Aeris A300AI) because I wanted fewer things attached to me. At a minimum, I had to have an SPG on a hose, and the computer is barely larger than the SPG it replaced. It allowed me to ditch my compass and get my computer off my wrist, which I actually found a bad place for it. (Got in the way when reaching into holes for lobsters, and sometimes complicated safety stops when I had stuff in my hands.)

I position the computer the way I used to do with my SPG and I can just glance down hands free and see my status.

That's the good.

The bad is that something went awry on its first dive and the display stopped working. Fortunately I was 5 minutes into a 25-foot dive so it wasn't a big deal, but it was sobering to realize that navigation, decompression, depth and air status all go out the window with one failure.

Ultimately for my type of diving I figure the odds of a failure are low enough and the consequences manageable enough that it's worth the streamlining to put those eggs in one basket. Realistically, if you're not in a deco situation and have kept tabs on your air and depth as you go, it's not a problem to make a managed ascent without instrument support. Go up slow and stop for a few minutes before the last few feet.

If I were doing deco dives, I'd obviously have a different view on the subject. This, of course, is where we get into peoples' religion. Everyone dives differently and their opinions are based on their type of diving.

 

[doctormike]

Just don't break the rules here. There are plenty of boats who do deco dives here in the Keys... but they aren't done on the fly. Too many people are way too cavalier towards going into deco. Adults plan. Kids play.

Yeah, even though it's usually meant as an insult, nannys have their place.

There's a difference between the transient diver population in California and the Keys. I would guess that in warm water destinations, there are lots of folks who dive very infrequently, certified years ago, happen to be in town on vacation, and decide to go for a dive. The local boats in California and NY don't see much of that type.

So even though I was unhappy at the time given the specifics of the situation with our group, I can understand where they are coming from.

If I was running a day boat operation in what is essentially a Caribbean resort town (Key West), I might not be so quick to adopt the attitude that everyone is an adult and a certified diver, and their profile is their business. Plenty of casual, infrequent divers have no idea what NDLs are or why the computer might be beeping at them. So I would cut some slack for a dive op who is running a strictly recreational day trip and doesn't want anyone to get hurt, even if it IS their own fault.

Yes, I'm sure that some of you know that YOU are experienced and well trained, and that you resent some nanny-state dive op telling you what profile to run. But think of it from the other guy's position - unless they know you, they have no idea if all of you are all hat and no cattle. Some very inexperienced divers learn a lot of jargon, but don't respect the sport. I met a guy diving recently who had done his basic open water certification THREE WEEKS ago, and was going on about travel gas and his critique of the Buhlmann algorithm.

 

[The Chairman]

We experience 10/12 diver deaths a year here in the Keys. Denial: not just a destination in Egypt. We gots lots of it right here! That being said, our worst two days of the year are fast approaching: Mini Season! It's when Elena and I elect to do something safe, like cave diving.

 

[boulderjohn]

We experience 10/12 diver deaths a year here in the Keys. Denial: not just a destination in Egypt. We gots lots of it right here! That being said, our worst two days of the year are fast approaching: Mini Season! It's when Elena and I elect to do something safe, like cave diving.

And what are the primary causes of these deaths?

 

[The Chairman]

And what are the primary causes of these deaths?

They're usually old farts: over fifty. Just like you and me.

 

[boulderjohn]

They're usually old farts: over fifty. Just like you and me.

Well, Amen to that.

The old DAN fatality reports shwoed year after year that the leading cause of diver fatalitiies was coronary issues. These deaths have little to nothing to do with diver practices during the dive. The reason I ask is that I am lost as to why this is being brought up in the thread. I guess I am missing the context.

 

[The Chairman]

They want to know why boats in the Keys are a bit aggressive when it comes to safety. Lots of deaths is why. No, they really aren't diving induced deaths, but it keeps them on their toes. No one wants to needlessly add to the numbers. I can't blame them.

 

[doctormike]

Well, Amen to that.

The old DAN fatality reports shwoed year after year that the leading cause of diver fatalitiies was coronary issues. These deaths have little to nothing to do with diver practices during the dive.

Just something to keep in mind - the fact that the deaths were related to coronary issues (or more likely, cardiac issues in general) does not mean that you can assume that diver practices are not a factor. Yes, a diver with a pre-existing heart condition is at increased risk.

But the only way to prove that these deaths while diving have nothing to do with diving profiles, practices, etc.. would be to compare a group of divers to an age matched group of the same number of people walking around a shopping mall and find identical rates of sudden cardiac death.

It is not 100% clear how decompression stress (which occurs on every dive, and is worsened by increased inert gas loading with inadequate deco stops) causes injury. But one apparent factor is that bubbles can act to trigger an inflammatory response. There are also non-bubble factors that can cause vascular injury.

I don't think that anyone knows this answer for sure. But I would caution against just writing off a diving fatality as the inevitable consequence of an underlying health issue, and excusing poor diving practice as a contributing factor.

 

[scottwilson1]

I like the AI and use it but always will have a spg for back - it just looses connection too often - it reconnects within seconds but still I wouldn't put my life in its hands.