Any proof that dive computers improve safety?

[Scott L]

How about a mandatory prayer before the meals? I'm sure this would be even better pre-screener.

No, their policy on computer usage seems to be doing the job.

 

[tarponchik]

not at all

unless someone goes to a chamber, there is often no record of DCS; thus, probably the majority of DCS instances are never reported

even if they go to a chamber, they get treated. there's no real "investigation" that happens

Jees...Do they write down their names? For a comparison, I once reported a dehydrated dude I found in Canyonlands to park rangers, and they spend the next 45 minutes filling the proper paper forms and asking me all kind of questions, like what was the make of his car and his license plate number.

 

[H2Andy]

Jees...Do they write down their names?

no, they give them numbers

of course they write down their names ... and who goes around collecting these names and putting them together, along with any other useful information about the incident?

no one

and you miss the key point: the majority of DCS cases never get to a hospital because they are not severe enough or get mistaken for aches and pains or the flu or what not

 

[tarponchik]

It doesn't matter! There is a little thing called physiology that makes EVERYONE different and even the tables are a best guess! People take hits who are well with in the tables or a computer! It is the chance we take and the price we may pay for our activity! Not all parachutes open!

I assume you are correct. It seems, a lot of folks here misunderstood my point. I am not looking for a proof that dive comps are unsafe; I just do not see any proof that comps make diving safer.

 

[Damselfish]

some ops may require computers so that everyone on a boat has the possibility of similar profiles/bottom times

 

[tarponchik]

and you miss the key point: the majority of DCS cases never get to a hospital because they are not severe enough or get mistaken for aches and pains or the flu or what not

These are of no interest, of course.

 

[tarponchik]

Or, is this an assumption that's why they require them? QUOTE]
Yes, this was my assumption.

 

[tarponchik]

some ops may require computers so that everyone on a boat has the possibility of similar profiles/bottom times

Well, for liveaboards, for example, this is impossible anyway, since some folks do not do more than 2 dives a day, some stop at 3, and some go for 4-5 dives. Some skip the 2nd dive, some skip the 3d to take a nap, some never dive at night etc.

 

[H2Andy]

These are of no interest, of course.

why not?

how do we know how close people are getting to being bent if they don't go to the chamber? do people who use computers get there less often?

or those that cross the line but whose symptoms get mistaken. shouldn't that data be considered also? do people who use computers get there less often?

there's no way to know

now, if you want to go solely on chamber rides, then you will be getting a very small piece of the puzzle only, assuming you can collect the data from a sufficient number of chambers around the country

as far as i know, no one really does that right now. DAN might ...

 

[FishOutUvH2O]

Or, is this an assumption that's why they require them?

Yes, this was my assumption.

If someone does actually tell you it makes a diver "safer" to use a PDC. Recommend to them that they jump on this board, head down to the "Technical Diving Specialties" forum and start a thread titled "Divers who use computers are safer." I would love to follow that thread.

However, I suspect that the reason dive shops and live-aboards require them is customer satisfaction. Especially, if they require everyone to surface with the weakest link. Normally, that's the first person to hit a certain gas pressure. But, if you have someone diving tables, while everyone else is diving a computer, there are going to be a lot of pissed-off people with a lot of gas left in their tanks, coming-up way before their gas limit and long before their NDL's. I probably wouldn't want to be the table diver.