Is a Computer essential kit?

[AfterDark]

When I started diving nobody had computers except for NASA and those where very BIG.

Most of my diving has been done without a computer. About ten years ago I bought my 1st PDC to conform to the dive charter rules that I was diving with. The next year I bought a second one for backup. Except for the rare charter diving, I mostly I use my PDC for logging dives, a depth gauge and thermometer.

So no a diver does not need a PDC but it can make diving easier.

 

[tridacna]

Strongest computer advocates correlate in inverse proportion to age.

 

[Centrals]

OK, OK, you and Mac and the rest of the historical society(that contest took place back in 46), keep on carrying the torch. Just don't come at me with the superior warmth and fidelity of vinyl or you're gonna get an OK Boomer.

Read #1.
The word is 'essential'
I dive with two DC but there is nothing wrong to dive with table only!

 

[arew+4]

Read #1.
The word is 'essential'
I dive with two DC but there is nothing wrong to dive with table only!

As I have stated since page one I agree not essential, but neither are seat belts, safety glass, and airbags, but I would advise anyone against buying a car without them to save a couple hundred dollars.

 

[Centrals]

As I have stated since page one I agree not essential, but neither are seat belts, safety glass, and airbags, but I would advise anyone against buying a car without them to save a couple hundred dollars.

1. I cannot buy a car without seat belt locally.
2. Seat belt etc offers extra safety but NOT dive computer for the kind of dives that the OP is doing.

 

[arew+4]

1. I cannot buy a car without seat belt locally.
2. Seat belt etc offers extra safety but NOT dive computer for the kind of dives that the OP is doing.

Why can't you buy a car with out seat belts?

Because they are a really good idea, and more often than not they provide additional safety. Are there instances where they may contribute to death, yes, but they are exceedingly rare. And just like the dive computer on your wrist or console, you can choose to not use it.

And now for a far out scenario in which a computer could save your life. You are found unresponsive but breathing with the reg in your mouth. The good samaritan diver looks at your computer and sees your ndl is 20 minutes, he takes you straight to the surface. You live. No computer he takes you straight to the surface you throw an AGE and die before he gets you on the boat, he did not know you were on your way up with 30 minute debt. Or maybe he decides to give you a couple five minute stops on the way up and the leaky aneurysm kills you on the way up when you had no debt to pay.

 

[Celt]

Going to keep this very simple with no pie in the sky scenarios.
Dive 1 . A planned shore dive to a max of 80ft no deco. In 40 minutes I’m on the beach.
Dive 2 : Same dive following a computer. Like people say the computer takes into account the fact that I don’t spend all the time at 80ft so it keeps me in the water longer (on gassing)
How is the second dive safer. Maybe a lot of so called undeserved kits are caused by computers

 

[lexvil]

Going to keep this very simple with no pie in the sky scenarios.
Dive 1 . A planned shore dive to a max of 80ft no deco. In 40 minutes I’m on the beach.
Dive 2 : Same dive following a computer. Like people say the computer takes into account the fact that I don’t spend all the time at 80ft so it keeps me in the water longer (on gassing)
How is the second dive safer. Maybe a lot of so called undeserved kits are caused by computers

are You laying out two dives, sequentially on the same day or are asking about two separate dive days, day one no computer, day two using a computer?

 

[Celt]

are You laying out two dives, sequentially on the same day or are asking about two separate dive days, day one no computer, day two using a computer?

Exactly the same dive. The only difference is one is a square profile using tables and the other using a computer.

 

[Gareth J]

The simple answer is a computer is not essential.

I started using tables (like most). Then upgraded to a dive computer (in those days, air only). Much later, when I started doing accelerated decompression dives, and later trimix dives, the only option was to cut a dedicated hard table and dive on depth gauge and bottom timer.
It got to the point where computers where cheaper than bottom timers, so we all used computers in gauge mode. (Now of course you can get computers that handle multiple gases, and allow switching mid water).

If you are doing single dives, or single day dives with reasonable surface intervals, then these can be done on a table. In the UK, we normally only do two boat dives a day, with long surface intervals. As I understand it from this board, on boat dives in the USA, you are not given the opportunity to have reasonable surface intervals, so this might be less practical.
Once you started doing multiple dives a day, and multiple consecutive days of diving, then table diving becomes extremely restrictive, especially if you are diving deeper than initial diver qualification restrictions.
If you are on a live aboard, then you are severely restricted in what diving you can do. As an example, Red Sea trips general involve 4 or 5 dives a day, over consecutive days of diving. This is not practical without a dive computer.

One of the questions, is what are you saving by not having a computer? A basic, Nitrox compatible dive computer is cheap, especially when compared with everything else related to diving. Digital depth gauges are more accurate than analogue gauges, dive computers start timing automatically (as do bottom timers - which are more expensive than a basic computer).