Blindly trust computers?

[Ryan Mcshane]

God damn it feels good to be a gangsta.

 

[lowviz]

Google is not smarter than a sixth grader.

 

[yle]

I used deco planner set to 20/85 (which is considered pretty safe) and @PfcAJ just showed you another from a mobile software.

We both use average depth to plan our dives and neither of us have died, horribly, twice. Where are the bodies??

I'm a little confused about your application of average depth...

Are you using the average depth to plan the dive, and then ensuring that your average depth during the dive matches your plan? If so... how are you calculating your average depth during the dive (to ensure you're following your plan)?

I'm asking because I'm genuinely curious. If there is a simpler, better, more reliable way to safely plan dives, it should be discussed.

 

[lowviz]

If you're going to suggest that a diver that has had only OW training should be encouraged to plan dives that incur a deco obligation as long as their plan includes enough time at a shallow depth to clear that obligation... I'm going to respectfully disagree.

That's fine. Problem is, a lot of OW divers go on an epic search for a PDC with the most generous algorithm. Yes, agreed, deco has no place in this forum. It is Basics. OW.

What does looking for a better PDC really mean? It means that you are willing to ignore someone's conservative NDL for a more aggressive one. That puts you into deco with respect to the more conservative PDC.

But everybody ignores that...

 

[runsongas]

Or there's an abnormally higher number of suunto users out there.

not on this board and you don't see an equivalent thread for mares/oceanic

Suunto depth sensor failures

 

[Ryan Mcshane]

I'm a little confused about your application of average depth...

Are you using the average depth to plan the dive, and then ensuring that your average depth during the dive matches your plan? If so... how are you calculating your average depth during the dive (to ensure you're following your plan)?

I'm asking because I'm genuinely curious. If there is a simpler, better, more reliable way to safely plan dives, it should be discussed.

I pay attention to where I’ve been depth/ time wise and run a rolling average in my head. Knowing the table for the gas you’re breathing helps too (super easy for 32%)

 

[yle]

That's fine. Problem is, a lot of OW divers go on an epic search for a PDC with the most generous algorithm. Yes, agreed, deco has no place in this forum. It is Basics. OW.

What does looking for a better PDC really mean? It means that you are willing to ignore someone's conservative NDL for a more aggressive one. That puts you into deco with respect to the more conservative PDC.

But everybody ignores that...

I think that's a separate, but related, issue: divers that don't understand even the basics of decompression theory and believe that their computers give them "permission" to dive to certain limits (The same thing happens with clueless divers and their nitrox settings... the computer gives them "permission" to dive deeper if they set their ppO2 limit higher.)

I'm sure there are some OW divers that search for the dive computers with the most generous algorithms... but I've never met any. The OW divers I've met almost universally are interested in learning how to dive safely and to enjoy the experience.

 

[dmaziuk]

not on this board and you don't see an equivalent thread for mares/oceanic

I see a lot of Suuntos on boats in Caribbean. In a group of 8 there'd typically be two of us with Leos and maybe another couple with not-Suuntos. On this board everybody dives in a shearwater backplate while bashing the scary conservative suunto watches... so of course they have all the sensor failures, too.

I think it's more accurate to say that nobody's sued mares/oceanic over something that sounds borderline frivolous.

 

[BRT]

If you need another example, try this one:

60 ft depth 50 minutes (my table has 55 min as NDL)

or

110 ft depth 25 minutes & 10 ft depth 25 minutes

Both dives have an average depth of 60 feet for 50 minutes. At least on my table, the first one is a no-deco dive and the second one is not.

Or hey, try this one:

80 ft depth 30 minutes

or

150 ft depth 15 minutes & 10 ft depth 15 minutes

Again, both dives have the same time and average depth. But I think the second dive incurs a deco obligation.

Please... feel free to use average depth to do your own dive planning, but it's irresponsible of you to suggest on a "basic scuba" forum that it's a viable option.

You are exceeding the NDL on the deeper level, before you go to the shallow level.

 

[yle]

I pay attention to where I’ve been depth/ time wise and run a rolling average in my head. Knowing the table for the gas you’re breathing helps too (super easy for 32%)

Kudos to you then, sir. I do the same... along with rolling average gas consumption calculations during a dive. But I know I'm a freak when it comes to mental calculations.

Carry on...