Air integrated computer and tec diving

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I use a Petrel as my main computer and a Suunto HelO2 as a backup on gauge mode with the dive profile on wet notes in case of computer failure as it did with my buddy's Petrel last weekend on a 70M dive, fortunately he had a back up computer on gauge but we ascended on my Petrel.

On the subject of single bladder and double bladder wings, I use the latter as I normally dive in a wetsuit or semi-dry, rarely in a drysuit.

I have also used an SMB to ascend from 60M on a deco dive when I did my Normoxic Trimix course simulating a bladder failure. This also included a gas change at 21M to 50% then shooting a yellow bag and continuing the ascent to 6M and doing another gas change.
 
I don't see the point in having a dual bladder wing in the first place. As you said, drysuit is redundant buoyancy. ..... It's not an issue for me because I don't undertake any decompression dive in a wetsuit.

Do you mean you never dive in the tropics, or that you're one of those plonkers sitting red-faced in the wash tank between dives trying to keep cool and hoping that heat exhaustion and dehydration won't bend you?

... using an SMB as redundant buoyancy isn't really an issue (although I actually carry a lift bag specifically for that reason, only comes out if I were to lose both wing and drysuit). Like anything to do with technical diving, it takes practice and repetition. In my mind the people who are unwilling to cultivate those skills and the mindset to utilize those skills probably shouldn't be doing dives of a technical nature in the first place.

I call BS on 95% of the people who claim stuff like this. I never see people practice to properly learn and maintain this skill.... they struggle with rudimentary deco ascents. They'd have no chance if any other variables occurred... like having to simultaneously lift an incapacitated buddy etc... neither can they be put into timely effect, say, for instance, if your wing blew out and you were accelerating in descent on a 900m wall...

Personally, I think for many tech divers, it's just a convenient.... hypothetical..... excuse not to use a redundant bladder..... because they're seem as 'uncool'.
 
Personally, I think for many tech divers, it's just a convenient.... hypothetical..... excuse not to use a redundant bladder..... because they're seem as 'uncool'.


Thanks for saying that. I use one when I dive wet with doubles, and I always felt uncool..!

I seriously don't know what the downside is, as long as you don't use the second inflator hose.
 
Do you mean you never dive in the tropics, or that you're one of those plonkers sitting red-faced in the wash tank between dives trying to keep cool and hoping that heat exhaustion and dehydration won't bend you?



I call BS on 95% of the people who claim stuff like this. I never see people practice to properly learn and maintain this skill.... they struggle with rudimentary deco ascents. They'd have no chance if any other variables occurred... like having to simultaneously lift an incapacitated buddy etc... neither can they be put into timely effect, say, for instance, if your wing blew out and you were accelerating in descent on a 900m wall...

Personally, I think for many tech divers, it's just a convenient.... hypothetical..... excuse not to use a redundant bladder..... because they're seem as 'uncool'.

I do dive in the tropics. I'm not sure what a plonker is, but I don't have to do anything out of the ordinary to keep cool. In fact, I even dive at home! And my home is hotter that yours. Sunnier too. It's actually quite nice.

I don't understand your point about people practicing and maintaining that skill. People do it, or don't. I do. You're an instructor, of course the people you see suck at making proper ascents during decompression. I would hope that by the time you were done instructing them, they would not suck at making proper ascents to decompression stops. As for an incapacitated buddy, well that's entirely situational, however I'm not going to try and hold onto an incapacitated buddy for an hours worth of deco stops. That's just silly. Bent is better than dead. Send them up and let the Coasties take them. I'm quite positive that at some point during your instruction, at least once, you tell your students, "one victim is better than two."

Now I'm curious how many dives where you've had your primary AND redundant source of inflation fail, while at the same time using an SMB for buoyancy, shooting a bag, and ascending with your incapacitated buddy, while descending on a 900m wall. I feel like you may be exaggerating a touch. Maybe? Just a bit? Trying to be dramatic? It's ok, you can admit that you're being ridiculous for effect. I won't hold it against you.

As for a wing blowing out, that's why I have redundancy....by way of my drysuit....and I'm properly weighted so that I can easily account for any rapid loss of buoyancy. Do you not teach proper weighting? Regardless, it's not difficult to fill a lift bag.

Look, I get it, you like people to think you're a badass instructor and your opinions are never to be questioned and everyone else's pale in comparison, but your theoretical situations are specious at best, insulting to technical divers at worst, assuming that no one is capable of dealing with those situations. Maybe you're not the instructor you think you are if 95% of the people you dive with can't do a proper ascent or handle a lift bag. I very clearly stated that diving without a double bladder wing was silly because I dive dry was solely my opinion, but you decided you wanted to make it personal by calling me a plonker, whatever that is, and then trying to denigrate my skill as a diver. I believe "sod off" is an appropriate response? Have a nice day. :)
 
a lot more than a port plug, there are ways for the gas to get out if the transmitter truly failed, there are seals in there that can give, no different than any other SPG. Only difference is you don't have the spool o-rings, so it becomes more like swapping a port plug for a button gauge

I will agree that is possible, but have you ever seen this happen? Even heard it happening? Call me dangerous, but I don't consider that a risk with even a reasonable chance of happening.

That said, I don't dive with an AI computer these days -- bought a petrel2 a year ago and use my Uwatec 2g if I need a backup/bt/whatever. When I did, it had nearly 700 dives with no failure of any kind and probably 50-60 more since my gf made it hers (Uwatec Galileo Luna).
 
Like I said.... I call BS on 95% of these claims.

I hear it all the time on the internet, or in the bar... but never see it being practiced in the water....

I don't know your skill as a diver, only your claims on the Internet.

I don't understand your point about people practicing and maintaining that skill.

The point being.... they don't. But they'll contentedly rely upon it (in theory) as a means to avoid wearing an 'uncool' dual-bladder wing. Skills are perishable... even even IF this was taught in training, it isn't on many dives (1?) and then never repeated. Basically... it's not a reliable skill. People gamble on never having a wing failure... or if so, hope they can muddle through an ascent ok... which is hardly an appropriate technical diving mindset.

You're an instructor, of course the people you see suck at making proper ascents during decompression. I would hope that by the time you were done instructing them, they would not suck at making proper ascents to decompression stops.

Yes...and students conduct proper ascents using their wing on every dive... hence the improvement. They don't use a lift-bag... hence no skill development for that.

Is there one agency that supports lift-bags for redundancy that actually mandates one (or more!?) practice ascents using this method in training?

As for an incapacitated buddy, well that's entirely situational, however I'm not going to try and hold onto an incapacitated buddy for an hours worth of deco stops. That's just silly. Bent is better than dead. Send them up and let the Coasties take them.

Note: Incapacitated. That can mean a lot of things... Cramp? IBCD? Blown ear-drum? Environmental or marine life injury?

Now I'm curious how many dives where you've had your primary AND redundant source of inflation fail, while at the same time using an SMB for buoyancy, shooting a bag, and ascending with your incapacitated buddy, while descending on a 900m wall. I feel like you may be exaggerating a touch.

Let's not be pedantic. I was giving examples of a plethora of scenarios that could significantly undermine an attempt to ascend via lift-bag. Stuff that can be handled on a wing, but not whilst having to deploy, fill, hold and control a lift-bag. Don't be inane to suggest I was stating they'd all happen simultaneously. I have sufficient doubts of 95% people handling a single problem whilst ascending on a lift bag..... I don't need to go overboard.

As for a wing blowing out, that's why I have redundancy....by way of my drysuit....and I'm properly weighted so that I can easily account for any rapid loss of buoyancy.

If I read your bio correctly, you're only trained to ER level? So you've not really got the experience to talk about the weighting issues inherent with deep mixed-gas diving? Expand your horizons, because the debate isn't limited to the reach of your experiences alone...

Regardless, it's not difficult to fill a lift bag.

...and yet it's killed divers with infinitely more experience and training than yourself.

....your theoretical situations are specious at best, insulting to technical divers at worst, assuming that no one is capable of dealing with those situations.

Nothing theoretical. That's your bailiwick, it seems.

Neither did I say "no one". I said 95%. That's an estimation, but it's based on more than a decade of full-time observation.

I very clearly stated that diving without a double bladder wing was silly because I dive dry was solely my opinion, but you decided you wanted to make it personal by calling me a plonker,

I very clearly ASKED if you were a plonker. You very kindly answered.
 
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I use two air integrated PDCs with two transmitters. It's the easiest way for me to side mount in the North Florida caves. In fact, I think it's the safest. No lollipops to drag in the mud or to snag on rocks. My left tank is on my left wrist and my right is on my right. I change the batteries on every third dive (rechargeable).

All this talk of this being written in blood and crap. Do we know of any tech divers who died because they used an AI PDC? I haven't heard of one. In debate we call this a misleading vividness, sort of like telling someone in spit fins that they are going to die.

When it comes to tech diving, as it is with all types of diving, you have to stick with your comfort zone. I don't have a problem with the diving digital revolution. IOW, I'm not a Luddite. I've done the dives off of custom cut tables. They certainly don't allow me the latitude to change much. That's a huge problem in a cave, where there are a lot of ups and downs. Planning is far more problematic and thirds may not be appropriate if I'm expecting any significant amount of deco.

As for the Cobra, it's just too conservative for me. If you want Suunto, go with the HelO2 so you can dial some negative conservancy and bring it in line with warm water PDCs. I use the Hollis DG03 and it rocks for what I do. No, it won't do helium, but then neither do I. I'll wait 'till I'm on a rebreather for that.
 
All this talk of this being written in blood and crap. Do we know of any tech divers who died because they used an AI PDC? I haven't heard of one. In debate we call this a misleading vividness, sort of like telling someone in spit fins that they are going to die.

Principles. These are written in blood.

My post was quite clear and explicit. Read what's written, not what you assume.

As far as can interpret the fundamental principles that apply to technical diving, as espoused by every agency, there is nothing that would suggest an AI PDC to be dangerous. I have no objection to them, providing the user utilizes them correctly and there are no configuration or failure issues that undermine safety or simplicity.

In respect to this thread.... adding a SECOND AI PDC (SPG redundancy) would violate the principles of simplicity, necessary redundancy and failure points (versus benefit).

I see what the OP suggests as being contrary to principles and mindset- because it is a financial/cost-saving measure that adds no necessary benefit, but does detract from the optimum. It's a short-cut, a compromise... a cutting of corners.
 
When did 'redundancy' become out of vogue in the tech world? Like I said, point out a single tech diver who has had an injury because of an AI transmitter or hose. It's a mythical problem that is not written in blood anywhere. How did you put it? It's just some BS on the internet at this point. Point in fact, You already dive with two SPGs on your side mount rigs. What's the real difference here?

Things change in the tech world over time. What was held to be true at one point is often shown to be kinda funny later on. How many people dive with a spare mask in a cave any more? It was required equipment at the turn of the century. There are a few diehards out there convinced that they'll need that extra mask some day, but very few dive with them any more.
 
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