A lot of new news has surfaced since I wrote that brief. While I originally wrote it to provide information to my Megalodon divers in South Florida, I'm glad to see Jill posted it here and on Rebreatherpro.com.
There are defineatly two schools of thought on integrated vs non-integrated decompression. IMHO, the benefits of integrated deco must be backed up by some other form or manual reversion. This could be an independant non-integrated computer, or in it's most basice form, a set of tables and bottom timer. This places your eggs in multiple baskets and gives you options while running in failure mode.
Since I wrote the article about Shearwater looking to run V-Planner Live, ISC has since announced the joint venture with Shearwater to offer an OEM solution. I think that running a SW on a Meg does a couple of things. You eliminate one handset or computer. Your primary RB controller replaces your non-deco primary handset and your primary decompression computer. All major functions run from the right arm, and there is no need to reset setpoints on multiple units. That being said, a second Shearwater or in my example in the article, the LV X1, becomes the first level of manual reversion through non-integrated deco, but still running the same algorithm. The third level of reversion comes from tables. These could be cut from the X1 or V-Planner, so that what you plan, operate, and expect in a failure will all be the same.
I applaud ISC and Shearwater for making the effort to integrate two great products. The X1 makes a great add-on for redundancy. Hopefully, the three will play well together and simplify Megaldon divers choices and operations.
Eric Stadtmueller
There are defineatly two schools of thought on integrated vs non-integrated decompression. IMHO, the benefits of integrated deco must be backed up by some other form or manual reversion. This could be an independant non-integrated computer, or in it's most basice form, a set of tables and bottom timer. This places your eggs in multiple baskets and gives you options while running in failure mode.
Since I wrote the article about Shearwater looking to run V-Planner Live, ISC has since announced the joint venture with Shearwater to offer an OEM solution. I think that running a SW on a Meg does a couple of things. You eliminate one handset or computer. Your primary RB controller replaces your non-deco primary handset and your primary decompression computer. All major functions run from the right arm, and there is no need to reset setpoints on multiple units. That being said, a second Shearwater or in my example in the article, the LV X1, becomes the first level of manual reversion through non-integrated deco, but still running the same algorithm. The third level of reversion comes from tables. These could be cut from the X1 or V-Planner, so that what you plan, operate, and expect in a failure will all be the same.
I applaud ISC and Shearwater for making the effort to integrate two great products. The X1 makes a great add-on for redundancy. Hopefully, the three will play well together and simplify Megaldon divers choices and operations.
Eric Stadtmueller
