Ambitious newb: Researching PDCs and relevant background info

[stuartv]

And what is it going to do when one of my deco regs purges? Is it going to tell me that i am breathing something I shouldn't be?

I already answered that. It's going to do nothing. Because all it's doing it monitoring the bottle you told it to. And it's just going to tell you if that bottle isn't depleting at all. It's not going to tell you if you hit the purge on your 2nd stage and pressure drops to 0 (for any bottle). It's not going to tell you if you're consuming too much gas. It's JUST going to tell you if you are not using any gas at all, on the one bottle you've told it you are using. That's it. Dead simple. One simple little check to help you if you thought you programmed your O2 as bottle 3, but you really programmed it as bottle 2, so you switch to your O2 and then told your PDC you switched to Gas 3. It sees that Gas 3 isn't depleting at all and tells you that. I know that your PDC will tell you the mix on the bottle you chose, so you SHOULD notice that you switched to O2 and the bottle you selected on your PDC shows FO2 of 50. And if you never make that kind of mistake or you do always pay that close attention, the alarm from the AI PDC will never go off.

Like I said, you are the one making things too complicated now.

I started to respond and realized there is nothing to be gained. I've tried to explain different perspectives to you but it is pretty clear that all you want to do is prove your point; I don't see any desire on your part to understand the thought process/philosophy behind anything anyone else has said. I truly hope that you go into tech diving some day so you can look back on this thread through different eyes.

You said you limit yourself to only things that you need - the ultimate in KISS. And you don't see how that confuses me when you also say that you use a fancy, expensive PDC while there are lots of other experienced tech divers saying you only need a set of gauges, with bottom timer? You NEED a PDC for tech diving, but other divers don't?

And my asking questions about that comes across as me not wanting to understand??

 

[Tbar]

Maybe this tread should be titled: "Obnoxious newb: trolling PDCs"

It might be best to actually do your course, ask some appropriate questions, remember it is an open water course. Then get some underwater experience, consider equipment that is 'simple to use' vs 'task loading' as you get better skills then move to greater task loading. When you have some experience then develop more skills (note skills not knowledge).

When you do your course have respect for the instructor and the other students - it is an open water course and that should be the focus, all students need to get to that level rather than one pull the course of the rails.

When you go diving have respect for all those involved, divers, boat hands, dive organiser/master, particularly given that many of them will be trying to help you - even if they are family. Listen to them, build your skills and don't put others at risk due to your arrogance and perceived knowledge.

Try to have fun diving...

 

[swaters]

Whatever dive computer brand / model you end up purchasing, make sure you learn how to properly use it.

Alberto (aka eDiver)

Be careful with ediver / DiveNav. I purchased a online course from them for $6.99 to do the Oceanic Pro Plus 2 computer specialty course. When I finished I went to print my certificate of completion and they wanted another $5.00 to print it. It says nothing about that before hand. This is such a SCAM!!!

 

[DiveNav]

Be careful with ediver / DiveNav. I purchased a online course from them for $6.99 to do the Oceanic Pro Plus 2 computer specialty course. When I finished I went to print my certificate of completion and they wanted another $5.00 to print it. It says nothing about that before hand. This is such a SCAM!!!

Hi, the Certificate of Completion is required ONLY if you want to take a Dive Computer Specialty with PADI or SSI.

This is well explained on our site.

In fact, in Module 1, Section 2 of the Pro Plus 2 class, under "Notes" we say: ".....To gain real life experience with this dive computer seek training from a qualified Instructor. This online class qualifies for the:
PADI Distinctive Specialty Course
SSI Unique Specialty Course

 

[eelnoraa]

Off topics, but wow, there is such a thing called Computer Specialty. In my line of work, [** - a piece of hardware] specialty means whoever have this specialty should know the ins and outs of that hardware, be able to take it apart, fix it ... not just to use it.

 

[stuartv]

Maybe this tread should be titled: "Obnoxious newb: trolling PDCs"

Ha ha! I'll take that. I promise I am not TRYING to be obnoxious. I have been sincere in TRYING to understand what everyone has been telling me. But, I do understand that all the question-asking can end up looking like I'm trying to prove some other point or something. I do apologize for that. I will stop rehashing and asking and just take what you all have told me and go into my OW class with the best "empty cup" I can muster - though all my reading here and your input will be in the back of mind and I'm sure I'll have some questions for my instructor that have their roots in the things y'all have told me.

Again, my sincerest thanks to all of you that have tried to help me and my sincerest apologies for coming across like an arrogant know-it-all.

 

[TSandM]

Stuart, you're suffering from too much curiosity and not enough practical knowledge

When you do a staged decompression dive, where you are carrying multiple bottles with different gases in them, you plan the dive meticulously ahead of time. You know how much decompression gas of each type you will need, with a contingency fudge factor, and you make sure each bottle has at least as much as you need, if not more. Once I have switched off my backgas and verified that I'm on the right tank and it is full, I'm not very worried about my pressure from that point onward, because I know what it is -- it's ENOUGH.

For that reason, among others, it simply wouldn't be worth anything to me to buy transmitters for my deco regs, so that I could use whether the pressure in the deco tank was falling as an indicator of whether I was on the right gas. For one thing, I find gas switching on the computer to be annoying (I don't even do it most of the time). For another thing, the pressure gauge on my deco tank is just about right under my eyes where I can look at it with almost no effort at all -- so why does it need to be on my wrist?

I have known technical divers who use transmitters -- my husband is one. But only on backgas, and not without an SPG backup. Tech diving may seem like the equipment-intensive arm of the sport, but in reality, technical divers tend to like simple, because simple is more bombproof. We also like keeping our brains engaged in the dive, so thinking is expected and pretty much desired.

If you go back less than ten years, using computers for technical diving was not widespread and actually much discouraged. We have better computers now, but I don't know of anybody who is teaching pure computer reliance for staged decompression diving. You just can't safely do it in a reactive fashion. A computer may allow you to make better decisions if, for some reason, your profile becomes wildly different from what you intended . . . but a lot of technical training has to do with how to stay on track in the face of major distractions or malfunctions, so the occasion when you need help with something totally unforeseen would be an extreme rarity.

Take your class. They won't discuss any of this in the detail that this thread has done, and they'll encourage you to buy an AI computer, because they're expensive and they're profitable for a shop to sell. If you like your pressure on your wrist and you don't mind spending money, go for it. Peter likes his. You'll swear at it sometimes, when it doesn't sync, but most of the time it will work. You may decide to carry an analog gauge for backup, or not; the day you can't get it to sync and everybody else got to spend an hour with the mantas may change your assessment .

I think what I'd say is read the thread again, and put aside, if you can, your need to prove that your position is valid. Take away the concepts of reactive versus proactive diving, simplicity and reliability, and rational apportionment of resources. Those concepts can be applied through all of diving and all your equipment purchase decisions, and will save you money, and help you end up with a gear configuration you don't replace six months after you start diving, as many of us did.

 

[JohnnyC]

Let's play the imagination game for a second.

Let's say you're a 15 year old who has only gone around the Walmart parking lot once in your mom's old Corolla.

Let's say you like cars though, so you do a lot of reading and *think* you understand everything about them.

Now let's say you think this qualifies you to hop behind the wheel of a Porsche GT3.




What you're talking about is exactly the situation I've described above. Since you don't actually have the experience, you're making assumptions based on things you don't fully understand. We get it, you want gadgets, you want to be able to do the cool guy stuff, but you're not there, and won't be for a long time. You need to smash down on that middle pedal until you understand the difference between the right one and the left one, and when to use each. For anyone to even let you think that you're remotely prepared for the activities you're talking about is irresponsible, and a good way for you to get yourself killed. Your nonchalance at having to do a CESA from 20m is a great indicator that you're entirely unprepared.

You've had a lot of people in this thread politely telling you that you're new to this and you should chill out until you actually understand the points you're needlessly arguing.

If you want an AI computer, get one. It's your money. But to try and argue your justification as anything other than your own personal desire is just silly.