Breathing rate, air integrated computers and DCI correlation

[Dr. Lecter]

I don't agree with Beaverdiver that this is a terrific feature, but I don't think its harmful. At the worst it will kick in and make the dive more conservative.

If it works as intended, I agree it is not harmful to anything but your wallet (and perhaps your overall diving mentality, as it teaches you to disengage your brain and let your computer do the thinking for you without any idea what it's doing). However, the real 'at the worst' is that it's not working during a dive that wound up being much more strenuous than planned and the diver loses added conservatism because they're not thinking about it -- either to manually change the settings or to just extend their shallow/safety stops -- that's what the computer is for.

 

[HIGHwing]

What's really amusing about this is in a broader context:

Rebreather? Oh hell, those things are full of wires, sensors, and electronics all conspiring to kill you. Bad. Bad. Scary. Scary.

Billion function recreational computer? These are great, they're full of wires, sensors, and electronics all trying very hard to keep you safe.

 

[mathauck0814]

What's really amusing about this is in a broader context:

Rebreather? Oh hell, those things are full of wires, sensors, and electronics all conspiring to kill you. Bad. Bad. Scary. Scary.

Some are, some are not. Some have one sensor, some have five. Some have one wire, some have many. Some are electronic, others are completely manual. Might want to make an educated statement rather than a blanket one.

Billion function recreational computer? These are great, they're full of wires, sensors, and electronics all trying very hard to keep you safe.

I see a MAJOR difference in the education level of the diver using either tool.

Further, keep in mind that the rebreather diver often has two or more very sophisticated computers (unlike the gimmicky SP computer we're discussing here) to keep them safe and two or more independent systems to interpret the data coming from those sensors.

Lastly, the rebreather is a tool for those who do dives where it is required. The computer in question is not. Everyone diving a rebreather does so knowing that they are making a trade off in risks for a benefit in logistical simplification. Does the standard consumer of a whistles and bells dive computer understand the tradeoffs they're making or are they simply buffalo'd into a sense of security because of the "features" by their vendor?

Apples and oranges.

 

[beaverdivers]

What really bothers me is that neither heart rate nor respiratory rate is a good measure of workload. Both can be elevated by many things other than exertion, and most of those things (nervousness, discomfort, cold) have little or nothing to do with nitrogen absorption.

DCS is also a function of temperature. The Uwatec algorithm takes into account significant exposure to cold temperatures.

Are you sure temperature has nothing to do with on-gassing & off-gassing of nitrogen?

The fact is that the incidence of DCS in divers who observe NDLs and have good ascent practices is EXTREMELY low, with or without heart rate monitors.

The Diver Alert Network ( DAN ) reports less than 1% of divers fall victim to DCS.

I prefer to have a % approaching zero; using a heart rate monitor reduces the risk of DCS.

 

[boulderjohn]

DCS is also a function of temperature. The Uwatec algorithm takes into account significant exposure to cold temperatures.

How does it know how cold I am?

After an hour in Puget Sound a couple of years ago at 48°, I was sweating in my dry suit and heavy underwear. After 40 minutes in Hawai'i a couple of years ago in a 3mm suit, I was shivering.

 

[redacted]

How does it know how cold I am?

After an hour in Puget Sound a couple of years ago at 48°, I was sweating in my dry suit and heavy underwear. After 40 minutes in Hawai'i a couple of years ago in a 3mm suit, I was shivering.

Have you seen their new probe?

---------- Post added September 11th, 2013 at 04:30 PM ----------

I prefer to have a % approaching zero; using a heart rate monitor reduces the risk of DCS.

How much? Closer to .5 or to .00001?

 

[HIGHwing]

Some are, some are not. Some have one sensor, some have five. Some have one wire, some have many. Some are electronic, others are completely manual. Might want to make an educated statement rather than a blanket one.

You way missed the point I was making.

 

[mathauck0814]

You way missed the point I was making.

Oh hell, probably... it's been one of those days. And I'm pretty sure I never even had a cup of coffee. Sorry.

 

[beaverdivers]

How does it know how cold I am?

It uses time & temp.

 

[GrimSleeper]

It uses time & temp.

beaverdivers, I can't work out whether you have incredibly thick skin - in which case, honestly, kudos to you - you've got the reading comprehension skills of a concrete slab, or you're just so determined to keep selling your 'solution' that you'll plough on regardless.I'm ever so slightly in awe of your single-mindedness...