dive charts?

[gaf]

Hey

Im planning on doing a dive this weekend. I Have only dived once since i got my dive licence. I've forgotten how to read the dive charts, and im not using a dive computer. The dive im doing this week will be around 7-10m, is it safe to dive in shallow depths without using dive charts, what depths should i use a dive chart.

Thanks. Dan

 

[morayp]

According to every table I have ever read you will run out or air long before Nitrogen becomes a problem. The bigger concern is it sounds like its been a while since your certification. Are you SURE you are up to the site and conditions? Do you have an experienced buddy? Do you have a plan? These are serious concerns, not intended to keep you out of the water, but to keep you safe.

 

[gaf]

morayp, i did a dive 2 weeks ago in maui. The few times i have dived, the person i dived with had a computer. I checked the chart and the book and it came back to me rather quick anyway.

Daniel

 

[TheTrickster]

morayp, i did a dive 2 weeks ago in maui. The few times i have dived, the person i dived with had a computer. I checked the chart and the book and it came back to me rather quick anyway.

Daniel

Firstly Daniel - Welcome to Scubaboard! - I hope you have a great dive this weekend coming! I wish I was diving this weekend!

You say you did your first dive after certification only 2 weeks ago - How long ago did you get certified?

I can fully understand you forgetting to read the RDP (Recreational Dive Planner) if you haven't been diving for a while, however what worried me was when you said you dived but followed someones elses computer, did they lend it to you, or were they wearing it?

Diving without a plan isn't clever, but diving without a plan and sharing a computer is a big no no :no (but no one is going to stop you...well apart from the DM/Captain)

If you are diving in 7-10m of water, always treat is as if you were diving at 10m so according to the PADI RDP you have a 145mins dive time, without incurring any Deco obligations, however as with all dives, a safety stop at 5m for 3mins in recommended.

If you dive for longer than 145mins, then the 3min stop at 5m is *required*

Good luck - and have a great dive!

 

[The Kraken]

Keeping that 145 minute dive in mind, most really new divers will use up about 0.7 cubic feet of air every minute at the surface.

At 33' (roughly 10m) the diver will be sucking down 1.4 cubic feet of air per minute.

So if you extend it out, you'd probably need a tank that would hold about 203 cubic feet of gas . . . . that would be a mighty big tank (or doubles).

Basically what I'm saying is that you won't run into deco problems, but you really should review the use of the diving tables.

the K

 

[doghouse]

Scuba toys has a program that will quiz you on the dive tables, and teach you how to read them. The program is a little rudamentary, but works very well! I have been using it, and now are much more comfortable with the tables.

 

[String]

Im assuming that despite no computer you do have a watch and depth gauge?

 

[lishen]

Computerized Tables Tutor: http://www.aquaholic.com/down/Tables.exe

 

[Blackwood]

Diving without a plan isn't clever

Certainly. Of course, since most dive agencies don't teach dive planning - especially in BOW - new divers have few options.

 

[doghouse]

Blackwood, SSI spends 1/2 of a chapter on planning your dives and using the dive tables. It goes into why you do your deep dive first, and calculating surface intervals. That was my favorite chapter in the book.