dive computer - view of a newbie

[allwet]

I purchased a suunto vyper and took it to a fresh water max dive 50'. I should say I'm newly certified with 10 dives now. We did two dives approx 30 min each. Spent about 1:30 out of the water between dives. I purchased the computer for safety and to help protect me against myself. IT WORKED

I loved how the computer kept my ascent pace correct, stopped me for my safety stop, later told me water temp, max depth and gave me a profile of my dive. And now I'm purchasing the computer/pc link to down load the whole history.

Here is the down side - I did not look at the tables knowing that 1:30 GAVE ME SAFE TIME FOR ANOTHER 30 MIN DIVE - THIS IS A NEWBIE TALKING - HOW ARROGANT. Well for some reason my dive computer registered this a one dive, or I am not pulling the log information up correctly. Something is wrong with how I am using the computer or the computer itself.

This has shown me two things 1. There is no substitute for the dive tables 2. It is nice to have a back up for either that computer failure or human error.

 

[haggis]

check the instruction manual that came with your Vyper for how to access the log properly, as I had a fun time head scratching with this computer till I figured out (doh!) read the instructions. Your computer should definitely have logged your dives, and if it turns out it hasn't then possibly there is a fault and you should take it back to the shop you bought it from and ask their advice. BTW although computers are marvelous bits of kit, you should still be aware that they can and do on occasion fail, and it never hurts to have a quick squiz at the tables before your dive (of course if it fails, then I also hope you have another method of measuring depth/time, nothing fancy required, an analogue depth guage and waterproof wristwatch do the job fine).
HTH

 

[haggis]

just had a look at the BSAC '88 tables, and from the information you've given if you had been diving according to tables (I know, big yawn) then your second dive would have been a decompression dive, maybe not the best of ideas for a newly qualified diver as, as you know, conducting a dive with decompression stops means that you can't make a direct ascent to the surface should any problem arise (well you can, but the risk of DCI is increased)

 

[allwet]

I hope you're wrong. I pulled my tables. 50' 33 minutes makes you a "J" diver. Surface interval of 1 and 1/2 hour puts me on the flip side as a "B" diver which at 50' again leaves me with residual nitrogen of 13 and bottom time up to 61 minutes which I did not stay. Now if I look at the R.A.T resd nit of 13+ actual bottom time 30 + total bottom time of 43 still in the limits of no decopression time. Please tell me what I am missing. Thanks

 

[herman]

I just checked this on a PADI table and a SSI table with these results:

Padi: 50ft for 31= I pg, with a 1:30 surface the diver is a B pg, that left 67 minutes of avalible bottom time, well with in the 30 min for the second dive.

SSI: 50 ft for 30 min= E pg, with a 1:30 si the diver is a D pg leaving 41 minutes of avalible bottom time, still enough time for a 30 min, 50 ft dive.

I did find it interesting that the PADI table allows a maximum of 80 minutes for a 50 ft dive (enough to get both 30 min dives although too close to the limits for my taste) and the SSI table allows a maximum of 70 minutes for a 50 ft dive, still enough time for both 30 min dives even assuming no SI, not something I would recommend but none the less within the tables. Interesting how the tables vary. Looks like you were well within the limits based on both there tables especially when you take into account accent and decent times. I need to see if I can find a BSAC table, should be interesting to compare.

 

[haggis]

I could be wrong, as I was trying to convert between metres and feet, but figuring that 50' is around 16m, then the first dive would have put you on a D, which leaves you on a C after 1 and a half hours SI. A subsequent dive to 16m would then give you a no deco time of 15minutes. Pain in the ass that different agencies use different tables, eh!

 

[allwet]

I guess no matter which table you use the neat thing about a dive computer is that it will adjust you down time based on your varying depth not the max depth even if you were only there for 3 minutes. It constantly is giving you new max down time on the screen!

 

[herman]

They are nice but they can be a pain. I had mine die (flood) on the first dive of a 2 day trip. Luckily, all of the diving was very shallow, less than 25 ft, so I was in no real deco danger. Had this been a week long live-aboard, I would have been a lot more upset....On the bright side, the maker owned up to manufac defects and replaced it, 2 years out of warrenty, for free. I now own 2. Matter of fact, a dive master along on the trip had his flood as well. They do die on occasion and I have never seen a table go bad, so they are still well worth keeping.

 

[allwet]

After what I paid for the computer...FLOOD...bite your tongue! Remember, I'm new.... meaning new BC,wet suit, reg., octopus, fins, mask, soft weights, depth compass and pressure consol,,,,even spear gun. Dont't talk to me about failures! Oh by the way I fronted for my son on everything except the gun and computer. There's something the computer can't do ...figure the lost interest of my empty bank account after buying all this! You got to love it!
Yesterday my son and I went into the Gulf of Mexico off my boat leaving my 12 yr old on top with my wife. My oldest (my dive buddy) told my wife if we come up waving, that is not to say hello it means we need help. Being the first dive in current and after down time of about 25 minutes at max 30' we came up to make sure of our bearings. Later I found out my youngest son told my wife that we were waving.
Well as it turned out compass was right and we came up right on the anchor line. I can tell you I was a little nervous about that...I used 450psi of more air than my son.
But back to the computer...I just RELIVED the dive using the log profile of the dive computer...WITH MY SON...the best part of any of it!

 

[keralucu]

....looking to purchase a dive computer and not sure which brand. The only brand I'm really familiar with is Aladin which most of my mates have.

I'm very interested to read your comments, particularly that most of you guys with more experience still recommend keeping your dive planning skills, using tables, up to date. After having completed the course, I found myself wanting to practice using this module more and more because I'm sure that dive computers, being computers, will have their crashes and who knows what depth and conditions you could be in when that happens. Thanks for reinforcing my own thoughts that it's not "scuba-nerdy" to keep up with your dive tables!