back up computer

[Splitlip]

I kinda prefer to use 'brain' to earn $ at job, then buy nice dive computer with said $, so brain can take a well deserved vacation while 'it's' on vacation.

Nice! LOL.

For OP. I wear 2 computers, one of which is the Galileo Sol. I have/had two Pelagics and another Uwatec, and a Mares (not pelagic), and a Scubapro (not Uwatec).

By far the least Conservative and most liberal computers are Pelagic.

Now here is the fly in the ointment. The Sol is so sophisticated that it makes adjustments to your NDL based on SAC and heart rate (work load). The others don't.

It's a moving target when I have my heart monitor on. I simply follow what the Sol tells me, regardless of where the backup is unless it should fail.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

You bother to keep track of your residual nitrogen (group, penalty time/depth, or however you were taught) between dives while diving a computer so that, in case your computer fails, you can use the tables and bottom timer to correctly determine your safe bottom time?! You are a dedicated diver with keen attention to detail. Either that, or I am a technology-dependent lazy sloth...

Ever since I took intro to tech and helitrox, yes. I also log my basic dive info on SI's. Fill in details later. But times, depths, and beginning and ending pressures go into it between dives. And where ever possible

I try to actually dive squarer profiles. Not always possible and sometimes downright impossible. But I have found myself asking do I really need to spend 5 minutes dipping into that sand channel or can I stay at 40 feet and still see WHAT I WANT to see? Or in freshwater sites, what is more important, dipping into every crack and depression or working on swimming and navigating for 1/2 an hour and not vary depth by more than 2-3 feet bottom contour permitting. Every one is different. FOR ME, just cruising along the reef is NOT as much fun as doing it and refining my skills. Even when just cruising along I know my times, depths, air pressures, etc.

IS this really necessary? Again FOR ME it is. I have this little voice in the back of my head that says someday I will go on an exotic vacation, where I get to dive all day long, and on day three my comp will crap itself. I'm not going to go out and buy another computer when I have a BT, analog depth gauge, and a watch. I can take than and prove to the op that I know what I'm doing and not be penalized a day of diving that I paid big bucks for.

Or maybe it's because until oldtimers starts to set in I trust my judgment more than the computers as to what is safe for me.

 

[MMM]

Check the settings on your Tusa Zen. This computer has a conservative mode setting that is probably causing your problem.

Thanks. I'm aware of that setting (my old backup was an older Tusa...not nitrox capable) so I don't think that is the problem. But I'll double check.

 

[Crush]

Ever since I took intro to tech and helitrox, yes.

You are hard core, Jim Lapenta!

 

[jnowack]

Thanks. I'm aware of that setting (my old backup was an older Tusa...not nitrox capable) so I don't think that is the problem. But I'll double check.

At our store, we found the Zen to be amongst the most conservative computer (at the shallower depths, according to the "plan" mode. Deeper they all varied by only a couple minutes) when compared to other Sherwood, Cressi, Zeagle and Suunto computers. I didn't get to do my planned comparison of diving my Wisdom and Zen together on our Bonaire trip a couple weeks ago, since I had to loan the Wisdom to another diver in our group who arrived with a low battery warning.

I don't mind the conservatism. If it goes into deco on a deep dive, it will prolly clear by the time I get shallow. If not, then whats an extra few minutes at 20 or 10 feet?

 

[OceansideOcean]

Hi all,

I jumped on Scubaboard yesterday to ask a question, and coincidentally, it's the exact same question.

I have less than 50 dives, the last 30 on a Galileo Sol. I love the thing but I wonder what would happen if it craps out under water.

So what's the consensus on this question?

I'm strictly recreational and will never do tech - I'm over 50 and love motorcycling and photography more, so that's where I devote my extra $$.

I'm thinking it should be something that's small as I may never use it, and in addition, i want to know how much gas I have left.

I've thought about a dive watch and a small spg and I've wondered if I should get a small AI computer and tuck it in somewhere, only necessary should the Galileo croak.

If I go with just the Galileo Sol and forget the backup, I don't mind calling a dive, but like someone said earlier, what about the rest of your trip?

What are you guys doing for backup?

 

[Crush]

What are you guys doing for backup?

Past:
I used to carry a bottom timer/SPG with me into the water, but not tables (which stayed on the boat). In the event of a failure, I would call the dive and either skip diving for the day, or to back-calculated with tables (at the surface) and my dive buddy's profile (not great, I know, but I would err on the side of caution) what my residual nitrogen was if I wanted to dive the same day.

Now:
I carry two computers. Tables are still on the boat.

 

[OceansideOcean]

Now:
I carry two computers. Tables are still on the boat.

What's the 2nd computer?

I'm surprised; I just don't see anyone saying what computer they use for backup.

What do you all use for backup?

TIA

 

[Crush]

Primary computer: Sherwood Wisdom 2 (air integrated). Some of my dives are very low vis - the large display is nice.

Backup: Sherwood Insight (wrist mount).

They both use the same algorithms, so I don't get vastly different NDLs.

 

[scubadada]

Bottom timer, tables, and brain.

Ever since I took intro to tech and helitrox, yes. I also log my basic dive info on SI's. Fill in details later. But times, depths, and beginning and ending pressures go into it between dives. And where ever possible

I try to actually dive squarer profiles. Not always possible and sometimes downright impossible. But I have found myself asking do I really need to spend 5 minutes dipping into that sand channel or can I stay at 40 feet and still see WHAT I WANT to see? Or in freshwater sites, what is more important, dipping into every crack and depression or working on swimming and navigating for 1/2 an hour and not vary depth by more than 2-3 feet bottom contour permitting. Every one is different. FOR ME, just cruising along the reef is NOT as much fun as doing it and refining my skills. Even when just cruising along I know my times, depths, air pressures, etc.

IS this really necessary? Again FOR ME it is. I have this little voice in the back of my head that says someday I will go on an exotic vacation, where I get to dive all day long, and on day three my comp will crap itself. I'm not going to go out and buy another computer when I have a BT, analog depth gauge, and a watch. I can take than and prove to the op that I know what I'm doing and not be penalized a day of diving that I paid big bucks for.

Or maybe it's because until oldtimers starts to set in I trust my judgment more than the computers as to what is safe for me.

Sorry, but this is just not practical advice. I just did 18 dives in 5 1/2 days off Little Cayman. Most of the dives started on the wall and ended in shallow depths on the reef. I would not dream of doing these dives using tables as each was an hour or more using computers. My main computer is an Oceanic VT3, backup is an Oceanic Veo 3.0. Time for ScubaBoard oldtimers to catch up to modern times. Maybe this is just a reflection of where we dive.

Good diving, Craig