Caribe Blu / Blue Angel -short review

[Hinalo]

The 5 minute SI after Devils's Throat going into the 4th dive of the day really got my attention, partly because it must have been prompted by the DM.

I've been on boats where the DMs and crew have shaved SI to less than an hour after dives with big Nitrogen hits, and I have been very uncomfortable, adjusting my plan to my comfort zone, but after 5 minutes SI following a deco dive, that sounds very scary, and I think I would probably pass on that dive.

Glad you were OK and learned something.

 

[cheesehead]

The following link http://www.scubaboard.com/archive/index.php/t-362.html will take you to a discussion from this board that suggests my concern on reverse profiling and computers is not reasonable. There is also several tests on scubadiving .com that utilize reverse profiles without computer problems.

Tim

 

[Firefyter]

I did a deco dive at Maracaibo this past month, followed by a short (23 min) surface interval, then dove Columbia Shallows as the second dive. My max depth on Shallows was only 31 feet, and my computer (a Gekko) was content with it. Most of Columbia Shallows could be considered a prolonged safety stop.... People are always harping on how conservative the Suuntos are, but it never had a problem with this pair of dives. Granted, it wasn't the 3rd and 4th dive of the day, but I had been doing some pretty aggresive diving all week.

 

[NitroxAZ]

My stepson (27) and I were the 3rd and 4th divers on this dive along with my wife who had not done the morning dives. My computer (Aeris Elite) reads the following:

Previous SI: 12:37
Tormentos: 58' Max Depth, 53 min
Nitrogen: 5 bars green

Previous SI: 1:02
Chankanaab Bolones: 63' Max Depth, 39 min
Nitrogen: 5 bars green

Previous SI: 2:36
Devil's Throat: 126' Max Depth, 26 min
Nitrogen: 1 bar yellow

Previous SI: 31 min
Columbia Shallows: Max Depth 31', 55 min
Nitrogen: 4 bars green

My step son's computer is in line with mine with minor differences. While this is an aggressive profile, I was no where near a deco obligation like Mina. Her SI was shorter due to her deco. I believe that the choice for her may not have been the right one for her, but is her choice to make. She was not rushed to get back in the water, rather we were asked about our preference to do so or wait until comfortable. I may be in the minority, but with the max depth of 31' at Columbia Shallows wit much of that dive within the 15' -20' range, I also consider this a prolonged safety stop. I was relying on my computer and would have thumbed the dive if I thought that I or my stepson were in danger.

Any comments appreciated.

 

[driftin' by]

No offense taken, but in my case it wasn't winging it. It was the day's first dive, and I had mechanical air and depth gauges

Oopsy-daisy. I assumed you were using an air integrated computer as you assumed my wife's computer wasn't air integrated. I also assumed that it was your second dive. My bad, as I don't see a single thing wrong with what you did and now fully rescind the "winging it" comment. When you ASSuME, you make an *** out of you and me. Getting an analog depth and pressure gauge for a backup is high on my list to take on trips/boats.

 

[driftin' by]

It's interesting seeing everyone with short SI's. A review of my last 10 days of 2-tank boat dives in Coz, my Cobra recorded the shortest SI to be 56 minutes with the longest being 87 minutes. The 87 minute one was spent motoring north from Columbia Deep to Tormentos. At any rate, 8 out of 10 times, I'm going into deco on the second dive with my dang Cobra!

 

[MMM]

My "dang" Cobra is the same. I "fixed" it by getting a nitrox cert and diving nitrox on my second dive. Problem solved.

 

[Diver Kat]

Last Coz trip our SI's ranged from 63 minutes to 77 minutes. We have the Suunto Mosquitos which are super conservative as well. We dive Nitrox 36 on the first dive, so usually no problems with running into deco time ...

 

[ggunn]

Oopsy-daisy. I assumed you were using an air integrated computer as you assumed my wife's computer wasn't air integrated. I also assumed that it was your second dive. My bad, as I don't see a single thing wrong with what you did and now fully rescind the "winging it" comment. When you ASSuME, you make an *** out of you and me. Getting an analog depth and pressure gauge for a backup is high on my list to take on trips/boats.

No problem. I'm glad you are thinking about getting "real" gauges; the idea of depending solely on a computer for depth and tank pressure gives me the willies.

 

[cheesehead]

No problem. I'm glad you are thinking about getting "real" gauges; the idea of depending solely on a computer for depth and tank pressure gives me the willies.

By legend the same was said about gauges as the industry did away with "j" (?) valves.

BTW-I dumped my first and last air integrated computer for basically the same reason.

Tim