chrpai
Contributor
Scubakevdm:
I'll pay for the DAN O2 kit for anyone stupid enough to purposely push the limits of their tables/computers just to prove they are right.
Air/Nitrox?
- Thread starter airraider1
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I'll pay for the DAN O2 kit for anyone stupid enough to purposely push the limits of their tables/computers just to prove they are right.
Don't worry about it, we've got three.chrpai:
cornfed
Mindless lemming
What about airfare to FL?Scubakevdm:
Laser
Guest
Scubakevdm:
Ok, I can see that you really don't have a grasp on anything and are blindly following your computer. What alog is your computer running? How about we do some 120' dives followed by some 100' ft dives follwed by the 70' dive and see who comes out cleaner? Your computer will be locked out and I'll be heading home after getting in that last dive that your computer said you couldn't do.
Laser:
It runs the Buhlman algorithm, specifically ZH-L8 ADT. We're located in Boynton Beach Florida. We have a wreck in 115' one in 95' and the reef at 65 -70'. Very nice diving down here, and we can post the results on the board so no-one else will every have to say ugly things to each other ever again. Someone asked about the airfare... no. Sorry I'm poor. The trips and the O2 are on me though.
IndigoBlue
Contributor
airraider1:
It is extremely nice, if not critical for safety, to have an electronic depth & timing device. This can be your computer functioning in gauge mode. Gauge mode is when you disable the NDL model feature, and just use the computer to tell you current depth, max depth, & total dive time.
If your present computer lets you do this, to change modes like this, from its NDL model to a gauge only model, then YES YOU CAN USE IT FOR EANx DIVING. In that case you simply do all the calculations in advance, when you plan your dive. Then you should dive your plan.
You will need dive tables of some sort. If you are using an air dive table, a good one, such as PADI, NAUI, SSI, or DCIEM, then you can convert to EADs with this formula:
EAD = (1 - FO2) / 0.79 x (D + 33) - 33
for seawater or
EAD = (1 - FO2) / 0.79 x (D + 34) - 34
for freshwater.
If your dive computer does not allow you to switch over to gauge mode, then you can continue to use your dive computer in its NDL air mode while diving EANx. However your computer will be giving you overly conservative allowable dive time information.
MOD is another problem, if you do not have an EANx computer. Your max depth limitation is dependent on the fraction of your oxygen in your gas. For air, 21% O2 is more than enough MOD for all recreational applications.
For EAN32 your MODs would approximate your recreational diving depth limits. For EANx mixes richer in O2 than 32% your MODs will be shallower and you could easily violate them if you are not careful even while following recreational diving depth limits. Obviously you learned how to compute MODs in your EANx class, or else you learned how to read EANx tables that showed MOD limits on them.
I normally urge people who are buying dive computers to buy a nitrox computer as their first computer, even though they are not yet nitrox divers. If you bought one that is not nitrox, maybe you can sell it to a new diver who is not nitrox certified yet. If it is a good computer, and you offer it for half off, it should sell quickly.
Many of the computers today have Nitrox capability, it doesn't cost much to add it to the computer (probably nothing other than testing). Its generally only a slight change to the programs algorithm, that all of these companies have already figured out. And a few menu changes.
But do you need a Nitrox ready computer, the question comes down to are you going to do four or more single tank dives per day, over multiple days. Then there is a good chance you will be using Nitrox because it reduces the amount of nitrogen absorbtion, which allows you to do more dives. The computer will do a fairly good, but generally more conservative, estimate of your nitrogen load.
The whole table vs. computer is generally a preferences argument, and to some extent a diving styles argument. Many recreational divers will let the computer track it for them, the deco/wreck/cave divers have greater concerns and tend to have backups for eveything which means using tables and often a computer.
Personally, my diving is generally recreational, and I love just sitting swimming around under the boat looking in crevices and holes for things. So most of my diving is between 30-50 feet, not that I have a problem going deeper if there is something worth seeing, but I like staying under longer more than going deeper. On a recent Agressor trip, I did 23 dives in 5.5 days. In this case we were using Nitrox and I never came close to my limits on any of my dives. The dive computer was very helpful because most of the depths were all over the place, and diving by table would have limited my diving considerably.
You may see suggestions on two dive computers. The argument for this is that if one of your computers dies you have a backup with your dives already in it, so you don't miss any other dives. I actually follow that, I have a Cobra and a Mosquito, with a spare pressure guage in my bag if the Cobra should fail. On the first trip with the Mosquito it failed, so I lost my backup. But the Cobra worked fine and I had a very nice time. But having two computers is expensive, I was in the position of needing a new watch so I paid a little more and got the Mosquito as a day to day watch.
By the way, the Nitrox on the boat was usually at 30% or 31%, we never hit 32%. Granted its not a lot, but it throws off most of the standard tables. But my computer didn't have any problems. And no you couldn't mix it to your own preferences, you got air or their mix of Nitrox.
But do you need a Nitrox ready computer, the question comes down to are you going to do four or more single tank dives per day, over multiple days. Then there is a good chance you will be using Nitrox because it reduces the amount of nitrogen absorbtion, which allows you to do more dives. The computer will do a fairly good, but generally more conservative, estimate of your nitrogen load.
The whole table vs. computer is generally a preferences argument, and to some extent a diving styles argument. Many recreational divers will let the computer track it for them, the deco/wreck/cave divers have greater concerns and tend to have backups for eveything which means using tables and often a computer.
Personally, my diving is generally recreational, and I love just sitting swimming around under the boat looking in crevices and holes for things. So most of my diving is between 30-50 feet, not that I have a problem going deeper if there is something worth seeing, but I like staying under longer more than going deeper. On a recent Agressor trip, I did 23 dives in 5.5 days. In this case we were using Nitrox and I never came close to my limits on any of my dives. The dive computer was very helpful because most of the depths were all over the place, and diving by table would have limited my diving considerably.
You may see suggestions on two dive computers. The argument for this is that if one of your computers dies you have a backup with your dives already in it, so you don't miss any other dives. I actually follow that, I have a Cobra and a Mosquito, with a spare pressure guage in my bag if the Cobra should fail. On the first trip with the Mosquito it failed, so I lost my backup. But the Cobra worked fine and I had a very nice time. But having two computers is expensive, I was in the position of needing a new watch so I paid a little more and got the Mosquito as a day to day watch.
By the way, the Nitrox on the boat was usually at 30% or 31%, we never hit 32%. Granted its not a lot, but it throws off most of the standard tables. But my computer didn't have any problems. And no you couldn't mix it to your own preferences, you got air or their mix of Nitrox.
Laser
Guest
Scubakevdm:
I appreciate the offer. I just know that I have locked out my vyper and also a buddies computer by doing deep stops even within NDL. The computer doesn't like it.
You on Splashdown? You know Mike Gray?
Laser:
Yes, and Yes. I even like him.
scubasean
Contributor
Laser:
Laser,
Rather than merely stating that you can stay longer, please help those of us that may not understand why you think this, perhaps by helping us understand the method you use for calculating NDL and stop info.
A specific example would be great...
I'm interested....
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