Preparedness for dive computer failures

[FinnMom]

On a tech dive I carry 2 computers. I also always have a 2nd computer in my backpack, although I can't remember it ever being used except as a loner because someone forgot their computer, or some kid/student didn't own one. On a liveaboard I have a 2nd computer -I don't plan on missing dives and used computers can be picked up cheaply enough.

2airishuman: Greater Minnestota? No way: ain't no place greater than MN ;-) UofMN '87

 

[Reku]

I planned for computer failure by buying 2 of the highest quality computers I could find. My life is worth much more then the $1600~ I paid for my shearwater petrels. If one fails (which is unlikely) I have another to finish my dive and keep on diving the rest of the day. In this case you get what you pay for. I also carry tables and an analog watch + depth meter so even if everything fails I can keep going (unlikely to happen.).

 

[TMHeimer]

Most of my dives are very shallow &/or square profiles. On the shallow ones I use watch and depth gauge, on the deeper ones I add computer. With square profiles it doesn't matter much whether I follow the computer or analog stuff. If one fails I have the other, or am shallow enough it doesn't matter--like 30'. I'm on my 3rd watch (first one flooded in a rare circumstance, 2nd one lost --not on a dive). My present ($25) watch is over 4 years old. Of course with the watch you have the difficult task of remembering what time it was when you descended--hey even I can do that.

 

[DogDiver]

Take my backup computer out of my pocket and enjoy the dive vacation.


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[decompression]

Mindeco profiles......


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[bradells]

Just like any piece of equipment. When it breaks, the dive is over.

That can mean, send up a blob, ascend to the surface and be picked up (live boat diving), surface swim (anchored/shore diving), or turn the dive and swim to your entry point (overhead).

Your buddy/teammate is your backup.

I carry a separate timing device.


BRad

 

[Pin83]

I always carry two computers, my primary on my wrist and a backup in a pocket, but 90% of my dives are leading groups and a failure would mean terminating the dive for everybody. If you're doing non-decompression open-water diving, and there's no reason you cannot make an ascent if a failure occurs, then there is no need for a backup: you could terminate and use your buddy's computer to gauge your ascent rate. If it's not possible to make a direct ascent to the surface (deco, overhead) then redundancy is more important, but your training and experience will dictate your equipment (but by then you've spent so much on equipment and training that a spare computer is no big deal). You could still approximate from your buddy's computer, but this is not ideal... (but neither is a computer failure, I guess).

Interestingly, earlier this week I dived Wolf Rock (45min @ 35m max, 50min @ 25m max), and at the tail end of my second dive had about 5 min no-deco remaining. When I surfaced and climbed onboard I heard an annoying beeping, and took a few minutes to figure out where it was coming from...my backup computer had decided I had gone into deco, and had skipped a stop. This obviously would have locked it out...lucky I was done diving. First time it's happened tho.

 

[JohnnyC]

Primary and a bottom timer. Primary fails and it's a recreational dive, thumb the dive depending on where in the dive I am, min deco ascent, 2hour SIT to get me back into PG A or B depending on the previous dive. Go diving again using just bottom timer if computer is hard bent. If it's something stupid like a battery, I'll replace it and figure a new NDL from the table, still use the computer, but use it as a bottom timer since it doesn't have accurate tissue tracking at that point.

If it's a technical dive, I'm running my deco schedule on a table of the BT in the even that my computer ****s the bed.

 

[Steve_C]

Your diving makes a big difference. In my case a fair amount of my diving is open water multilevel from an anchored boat with the possibility of current some where in the water column. Depths 75-100 fsw. Ascending at any point is an option but it is not a good option and a hassle for me and the boat that has to come get me later. I dive with two wrist mounted computers. An old aeris and a Zoop. How I got that combination was not planned but works. I also have a console with SPG, depth, and compass. Both computers are cleared on each dive. If one dies then I dive the other.

 

[muzikbiz22]

My instructor provides the three usual options (ascend and plan a 24 hour surface interval, ascend and then re-plan all your previous dives on paper to arrive at the correct pressure group, or dive with two computers).

I think it's interesting to see how different people approach the problem. How do you approach it?

On OC, it's a wrist mounted computer with AI, backed up by a small SPG. Computer fails, I still have my analog PSI, and I continue the dive with my common sense & experience. When rebreather diving, there are specific protocols, per my unit, for wrist and/or HUD failures. The same OC dive computer is dragged along in gauge mode. With that said, I can tell you I've never experienced a computer failure on a dive.