Alan, for what its worth, my opinion.
I also use 2 computers, but both run the same algorythim. Now if I set them differently due to error, I always use the most conservative unless an emergency forces me to surface. I think your real mistake was not to do deco time on the conservative one (along with not stopping to prevent embarrasment). Even though you may not have deco cert, it doent prevent you from doing deco (or lets say a longer safety stop), just to be sure.
Also I have found that many recreational computers seem to be very agressive in their algorythims, compared to tech computers, so more care warrented there as well. Thus if you push it, the risks seem somewhat higher.
I had a diver come up without completing deco obligations the other day (due to communication confusion between him and I). I made him go straight back down again to complete his time. He may have gotten away with it but why risk it? Best to just complete it.
In your case, clearly you paid a penalty for it. If it happens again or you get a skin bend for no apparent reason, get onto pure oxygen as quick as possible, for say 2 hrs, in most cases that resolves the issue. Even if you dont have pure oxygen, a nitrox mix helps. My wife gets bent easily and we have used 50Nx and it cleared the symptoms within 30 min (yes she has a tiny PFO thats not able to be fixed, doc says its so small he doesnt consider it to be a PFO).
Its easy for us to point out the obvious after the fact, and clearly you know you made a judgement error, so just learn from it and move on.
Its easy to have one computer set different from the other, or having two different brands can make them read differently. In all those cases I would always take the most conservative. All my computers are Shearwater, with the exception of my older Oceonic Pro Plus 2 which I use for recreational diving, along with my Petrel. The Petrel being a tech computer always gives me some deco when the PP2 says I have NDL time left, so I always do deco when this happens.
Another point is to always remember that if you get into deco, just follow your computer. I get annoyed when Dive Instructors bang on so much about not doing deco, that the student fears deco that much that they will often surface rather than doing deco as the computer says, because of the fear of doing something they have been told not to do. Like its going to kill them if they do it. We shouldn't encourage deco in recreational diving, nor normalise it, but rec divers should have a basic understanding of it so if they stuff up and have a deco obligation then they follow their computer, and not just avoid doing it.
Anyway I am glad you are ok and have learned a lesson without too much harm to you. Enjoy your diving.
I also use 2 computers, but both run the same algorythim. Now if I set them differently due to error, I always use the most conservative unless an emergency forces me to surface. I think your real mistake was not to do deco time on the conservative one (along with not stopping to prevent embarrasment). Even though you may not have deco cert, it doent prevent you from doing deco (or lets say a longer safety stop), just to be sure.
Also I have found that many recreational computers seem to be very agressive in their algorythims, compared to tech computers, so more care warrented there as well. Thus if you push it, the risks seem somewhat higher.
I had a diver come up without completing deco obligations the other day (due to communication confusion between him and I). I made him go straight back down again to complete his time. He may have gotten away with it but why risk it? Best to just complete it.
In your case, clearly you paid a penalty for it. If it happens again or you get a skin bend for no apparent reason, get onto pure oxygen as quick as possible, for say 2 hrs, in most cases that resolves the issue. Even if you dont have pure oxygen, a nitrox mix helps. My wife gets bent easily and we have used 50Nx and it cleared the symptoms within 30 min (yes she has a tiny PFO thats not able to be fixed, doc says its so small he doesnt consider it to be a PFO).
Its easy for us to point out the obvious after the fact, and clearly you know you made a judgement error, so just learn from it and move on.
Its easy to have one computer set different from the other, or having two different brands can make them read differently. In all those cases I would always take the most conservative. All my computers are Shearwater, with the exception of my older Oceonic Pro Plus 2 which I use for recreational diving, along with my Petrel. The Petrel being a tech computer always gives me some deco when the PP2 says I have NDL time left, so I always do deco when this happens.
Another point is to always remember that if you get into deco, just follow your computer. I get annoyed when Dive Instructors bang on so much about not doing deco, that the student fears deco that much that they will often surface rather than doing deco as the computer says, because of the fear of doing something they have been told not to do. Like its going to kill them if they do it. We shouldn't encourage deco in recreational diving, nor normalise it, but rec divers should have a basic understanding of it so if they stuff up and have a deco obligation then they follow their computer, and not just avoid doing it.
Anyway I am glad you are ok and have learned a lesson without too much harm to you. Enjoy your diving.
