Are dive computers making bad divers?

[CapNemo]

All being said, I still find it very important to teach new divers how to use the tables properly. Although they are unlikely to need them throughout the majority of their recreational courses, I find that by properly explaining and teaching the tables gives divers a greater understanding of nitrogen absorption, depth, time and NDL limits. This theory can then be applied to better understanding and using dive computers.

 

[Steve_C]

I am sure that it takes different people a different amount of time to learn things. In my case it took about 10 minutes to learn tables and how to use them. They are very simple things. Same for basics of NDL and nitrogen loading and off gassing. Key concepts can be stated in a few sentences. I dive my two computers. For almost all my dives they are multilevel and the level time is not predictabke, (Oh there is a murk layer on the bottom 10 ft, let us stay up on top of the wreck this time). A fair amount of the time my dives are NDL limited and not air. Carry tables with the dive book because that is a quick way to do some crude what if planning as to PO2 and NDL when considering dive feasability.

 

[boulderjohn]

Today's divers are not only much better equipped but they are much better trained. Even the weakest of today's divers (and weakest in a much bigger pool) have at least a broad understanding of these risks. Any suggestion that the divers of yesteryear were inherently superior is just old bastard hubris, upset by the great accessibility to the sport that technology has brought.

Although he wrote it a while ago, Al Tillman (original director of the Los Angeles County instructional program and NAUI Instructor #1) said much the same thing in the history of NAUI he and a few others put together. The seminal moment in the founding of NAUI occurred in Houston in 1960, when a large group of instructors from around the country gathered to begin the process of forming that new agency. They did instruction on site as they determined what needed to be part of the standard instructional package. In reflecting on it years later, veterans of that historic session said that the average modern student completing an OW class is a better diver than the average instructor was in 1960.

 

[drbill]

Being one of them thar old bastard divers whose only training the first time I used SCUBA was "Don't hold your breath" I did many dives without a BCD, SPG, octo, computer, etc. Somehow I survived them. I'm quite happy diving with the "new" gear the industry has come up with. However, I will say that I rarely do a dive with a single computer. I usually use two, set for slightly different conservativeness.

While diving with my second (a Uwatec Aladin Pro) on a deep deco dive, my remaining battery life said 37% and I had about 20 minutes of deco when the battery died completely. I didn't use redundant computers back then nor did I have a bottom timer or watch. Good thing I have as many fingers and toes as I do so I could count the roughly 1200 seconds left in my deco obligation!

 

[boulderjohn]

All being said, I still find it very important to teach new divers how to use the tables properly. Although they are unlikely to need them throughout the majority of their recreational courses, I find that by properly explaining and teaching the tables gives divers a greater understanding of nitrogen absorption, depth, time and NDL limits. This theory can then be applied to better understanding and using dive computers.

That would be one way to do it. Amazingly enough, Mark Powell wrote an entire book on decompression theory (Deco for Divers) without writing a single sentence telling how to use a table. Is it your contention that people who read Deco for Divers cannot understand decompression theory without also leaning how to use a set of tables?

I teach decompression theory early in a class. I teach why nitrogen is absorbed during the dive, and I teach why it must be released carefully upon ascent. Then I teach how we measure that process and how we say safe while doing it. I can teach that process through the use of tables or computers.

 

[CT-Rich]

The level of diver education is changed a lot, sure. Few divers in 1970 would have ventured into a cave and none of them would have tried complex diving like modern tech divers. Those are activities that have evolved from traditional recreational diving over time. The average recreational diver is better equipped and have better safety margins than those trained, like me, in 1980. Are they better grounded in the theory of diving and let loose on the world as better trained? Yes and No. Divers today get much less initial training and theory than I received, but they are encouraged to be much more supervised in their early career than my generation of divers.

In fairness their is a lot more dive travel and divers are heavily affecting reefs way more today than they were in 1980. JYC was dynamiting his way through reefs in what today are heavily utilized tourist destinations.

A diver rototilling the reef is more likely because he went to the resort with only a couple or no dives. In 1980 those same reefs would only be visited by hard core divers that were willing to risk dysentery and malaria to dive those same reefs. I won't say the divers have changed nearly as much as I would say the world has changed.

 

[dberry]

<snip>In reflecting on it years later, veterans of that historic session said that the average modern student completing an OW class is a better diver than the average instructor was in 1960.

The issue of technology vs. good or bad divers is hard to dissect because I'd expect an average diver from "the old days" who is still diving today is a much better diver than an average modern diver. Let's chalk that up to experience, commitment, and Darwin.

 

[Scubavic8824]

It is becoming more and more frequent that I find myself with divers who are extremely computer dependent. Since computers are becoming a dime a dozen, I am not sure if this is a bad thing. I asked one of the divers I was with if she was able to plan and conduct dives without a computer and she told me that she has over 200 dives but was never trained on tables.

How many of you guys do dives without computers? For those senior divers who have been diving since before the computer revolution, do you feel that the new generation has been idiotized by computers, or no.

I am hearing this topic to frequently it seem. I had the oprotunity to attend college at Ball State Univerity. With one semester to fill with a few fun classes. I decided to take open water scuba through aquatics program. I am so greatful this opens my second passion.

After two years being an SEI advance open water diver. I wanted to extend my education so I can one day work for a small dive shop and handle digital media. Now a 4yr Divemaster, we instructors/ Divemaster at Tom Leird Underwater Services still start training on tables. We discuss computers with classes but do not teach them. This is because we use analog gauges for rental gear.

If a student would like to learn more about computer. We discuss this in depth on a one on one session. Showing them the difference between tables and computer. We want our SEI divers to know tech fails but tables don't!!!! And the importance of knowing where you fall on the table if this were to happen.

So to answer your question computers come second. I have 90 dives in and have never used one.

 

[Patoux01]

We want our SEI divers to know tech fails but tables don't!!!!

Luckily, depth gauges and timers don't fail, I guess.

 

[oldschoolto]

Being one of them thar old bastard divers whose only training the first time I used SCUBA was "Don't hold your breath" I did many dives without a BCD, SPG, octo, computer, etc. Somehow I survived them. I'm quite happy diving with the "new" gear the industry has come up with. However, I will say that I rarely do a dive with a single computer. I usually use two, set for slightly different conservativeness.

While diving with my second (a Uwatec Aladin Pro) on a deep deco dive, my remaining battery life said 37% and I had about 20 minutes of deco when the battery died completely. I didn't use redundant computers back then nor did I have a bottom timer or watch. Good thing I have as many fingers and toes as I do so I could count the roughly 1200 seconds left in my deco obligation!

But that's the whole point of learning tables... If you need to get your butt out of a jam.... You can... Without the knowledge of tables and DECO your $hit out of luck...

Jim...