lpshanet
Registered
+1, I don't understand why people don't get this. If the computer tells you that you've got 6 minutes NDL left, then you don't HAVE to stay those 6 minutes and run it up to what the computer considers the NDL. Just end the dive early.....
In addition, the Pelagic DSAT algorithm is only "aggressive" when compared against some of the other computers these days. I've yet to see any data suggesting it's legitimately more aggressive as measured by DCI cases. You're not exactly "living on the edge" by diving a Pelagic DSAT computer(Oceanic, for example) to the NDL, to start with. It's quite reasonable.
In short, with an Oceanic you have the ability to be as conservative as to have almost zero bottom time, or run a longer NDL if you so choose........
Inherently, I think many people totally agree with you. I do, too, in principle. However, in practice, for a less experienced diver (or computer user), it isn't that simple. New divers have a lot they are thinking about every time they get in the water, and while they can make the quick calculation to dive more conservatively than the computer is telling them to, it's one more thing to think about under water. Many of the safety features of a dive computer, such as alarms, etc., are made to go off when certain parameters are crossed or even when you're getting close. You lose the benefit of those passive warnings when you choose to dive a less conservative computer and just stay away from its limits. It's very easy to get caught up in what we're looking at or doing under water...that's why many of us dive, after all. Realistically, instead of looking at your NDL, you might be looking at some amazing soft coral. So even if you wanted to come up with 6 minutes of NDL remaining on a less conservative computer, you could easily miss that mark. Meanwhile, the inherent safety measures of the more conservative computer would have warned you and sent you back up. It's true that you may lose out on significant dive time, but for a relatively inexperienced user who is worried about it, that's a small price to pay for increasing the margin of safety and spending the time looking at the underwater environment instead of spending the bottom time staring at the computer display nervously.
As skill and experience increase, it's perfectly reasonable to adjust your needs/wants based on your comfort level. But I don't think we should necessarily criticize those who want to dive a conservative computer, at least to start with. Any decrease in the likelihood of getting bent can make a diver relax and enjoy the dive more.
