Math is Scary - Drowning is (probably) Scarier

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I have never tracked time during a dive. Just air pressure.

You're going to want to look into breaking that habit sooner than later as/if you intend to ever dive deeper than about 30'/10M.

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I have never tracked time during a dive. Just air pressure.

I track depth, time pressure and then mentally calculate my SAC/RMV rates during the dive. In part it is my self check to see if I am narked. I can usually get my overall SAC/RMV rates pretty close at the end of the dive.

Now with 10 dives on my Perdix AI that gives my SAC rate, I can check my math in the course of the dive, but still do the mental math under water.

I don't stop being an engineer when I get wet lol.
 
It's a good thing to know your RMV and your available gas time at the avg depths you may be diving with you usual cylinders. I dive in SE FL quite a bit and always use AL80s. In Jupiter, the avg depths are about 63 ft, my dive times are about 52 minutes. At my RMV I use about 54 cu ft and surface with almost 900 psi. In Boynton Beach my avg depth is more like 57 ft and my dive times are around 65 min. I use about 64 cu ft of gas and surface with about 525 psi. The math is easy, a good exercise to aid in your diving. Give it a try.
 
I wrote a thing about a thing that I am baffled isn't taught more.

Newer divers: do some math.
Mentors: help them do some math.

https://www.xoc-ha.com/post/two-plus-two-equals-purple
Haha, for someone claiming to be a mathematical dunce, you are actually pretty good at it.
Personally, as a recreational diver , I don’t think it is necessary to do math every 5 min while on a dive. I trust my computer. I trust my dive plan. I know my SAC and it usually translates to 50 min dive on 80ft max depth multi level and 60 min on 60ft max depth dive (normal conditions). Thus, I never get surprised when I look at my computer :)
I would argue that for a recreational diver, you don’t want their brain to be too task-loaded, so they don’t control for depth or trim or just enjoy the surroundings because they are keep doing math.
I do agree with you that checking your computer during the dive is important and following the dive plan is important. It is important to know how to do the math. However, while I am diving I will be enjoying my dives :) ...
I enjoyed your style of writing. Thank you for posting it, it was both educational and entertaining.
 
I would argue that for a recreational diver, you don’t want their brain to be too task-loaded, so they don’t control for depth or trim or just enjoy the surroundings because they are keep doing math.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I enjoyed writing it.

One point: the whole exercise was really to point out how after an information garnering dive (SAC rate) then you can sit on your couch and write down 4 numbers for different depths that will hold true for as much as the rest of your entire dive career. And while that math might be a bit of a challenge, it makes life that much safer and easier during the dive.

As to the math DURING the dive:
If someone is really incapable of working out, say, 4x4 during a dive without being so task-loaded they lose control of their buoyancy then someone, somewhere (probably at the elementary school level) has really failed them.
 
I have never tracked time during a dive. Just air pressure.
If you get a dive computer, it will do all that stuff for you. Pressure, depth, time. It also does stuff like calculating your nitrogen. I find time useful because many dive boats (usually cattle boat ops like Rainbow Reef) want you back on the boat after a certain amount of time - usually 1 hr.
 
I just recently learned the 5-minute segment tool in a cave class, and while I'm persuaded it's handy for that environment, it may be more than I want to think about on a tropical reef bimble.
 
I have never tracked time during a dive. Just air pressure.

It may work for you now - but as you progress you may want to work on other skills.

For shore dives - I use time to find my exit point. When I dive from shore I may go out 25 or 30 mins - when I turn around I have found that I swim faster on the way back. I don't know why this happens - maybe I just want to get back and I am done. I shave about 4 to 6 mins off my time back so at 45 mins or 52 mins I know I am at my exit point. I don't necessarily like to surface and look around to find my exit point. I take pride in going out and finding my way back and it helps push those that dive with me. Several of my buddies are instructors who do not have the navigational skills that I have honed. It takes practice to dive in different environments.


YMMV
 

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