Dive Computer - Planning vs Simulation

[ceckerson]

I am new to diving and making decisions about what equipment to buy. I am trying to understand what equipment catalogs say about dive computer features. What is the difference between dive planning functions and dive simulation functions? Thanks.

 

[Meng_Tze]

I am new to diving and making decisions about what equipment to buy. I am trying to understand what equipment catalogs say about dive computer features. What is the difference between dive planning functions and dive simulation functions? Thanks.

I can only speak from own experience and it could be that other manufacturers have other understanding of the two:

Planning is where you basically see what you time at depth is given a certain gas. You could think of this as reviewing the internal table in the computer. I.e. at 100ft, the computer allows for 30mins NDL with 32% (this is just an example!).

Simulation is where you see the computer actually do that profile. It runs through the depths, time and brings you can up. I have always wondered why they have this feature.


Both features are to be used top side. Planning can be helpful in seeing what you time/depth and gas limits are. I am not sure what the value is of the simulation.

 

[piikki]

I've never used the simulation on my computer (kinda tells the value of it to me...) I know it's there.

I do find it a bonus to have the function to be immediately able to see your last profile without downloading it. Mine runs it on the screen giving depths every 20-30 secs for the whole dive. I've used it just for my edumacation, especially when I have had some sort of a problem and was not sure if I seesawed during the dive. I don't know if all computers have this function. Can't remember the weird name the function has on my puter now...

Now, that was not quite answering your question... It was one function I did not even realize to ask about when I was buying though.

 

[Rick Inman]

Planning is where you basically see what you time at depth is given a certain gas. You could think of this as reviewing the internal table in the computer. I.e. at 100ft, the computer allows for 30mins NDL with 32% (this is just an example!).

Simulation is where you see the computer actually do that profile. It runs through the depths, time and brings you can up. I have always wondered why they have this feature.

Meng Tze has it right. Simulation is the ultimate in cyber diving. You can just sit on the beach and push buttons and pretend you're diving. Ohhh, what would happen if I went a little deeper...? Gee look, my NDL just went down...

 

[Meng_Tze]

..Can't remember the weird name the function has on my puter now...
...

Uhm.............log book/profile

 

[piikki]

Uhm.............log book/profile

nuh, mine has a different category for it altogether, separate from log. I think the display abbreviation was something like PADF, can't remember what it signifies.