dive pc or dive table

[SHARKBAIT94]

Hello all,
Well now that my g/f and myself are certified to dive, I was wondering if it is a good choice to just go ahead and get two computers or use the dive table that we learned? Now I kind of like the idea that the dive table says (lets just throw some number out and play around…. in other words work with me) if we go down 40ft for oh I don’t know 22 min then I have to do a deco stop for 5 min (again just numbers I don’t have the chart in front of me) and that it. The other side of the coin is the dive pc, it will recalculate your dive as you go up and go down and tell you how much time to have to deco at this level your going up to fast and all that good stuff . NOW, as a new dive that already had an experience in my check out dives. Read “we did it, we got our certs“ to get the whole story Would it be wise to just get the pc for me and my g/f so we have the pc letting us know hey “numb nuts your going up to fast” or the “hey look at me were going to go into deco soon if you don‘t stop what ever it is your doing” I ask this only cause if I were to go to any dive store and I’m sorry if I insult any lds owners, but if you see me walking in with a fist full of dollars and ask “do you think I should buy the two pc being my g/f and myself are new to scuba or use my table to enforce what I learned and not always trust electronics” any one would jump the counter to make the sale especially in the winter time in new jersey. I understand that if per say I was under and my pc crapped out on me I would automatically go up and to a deco stop just for safe measures and end the dive but I hear conflicting opinions from the recreational diver to the sea beaten divers that “one should learn the table and use it and use the pc as a back for human error” to the “just get a pc the risk of human error is greater then your pc messing you up” So with all the great opinions and experiences of other scuba board members I thought I would throw this out to you guys and girls and see what the majority has to say. On a side note the guys and couple of girls that have been diving for years all pretty much say the same thing get a pc and use common sense as your back up. I’ll be honest I was all set to buy a complete set up from scuba toys right before I got hurt and that pretty much put the kibosh on the whole purchase (Steve I have not forgotten what you had set up and will be giving you a call soon) but after sitting around and dreaming of being under and talking to other divers as they were diving and I sat up top on the wall watching the bubbles surface, that’s when I started to think about the whole pc vs. dive table. that’s my questions for now as a search and read up on equipment.
Thanks again

 

[Michael Schlink]

I have been diving with a computer for many years, and yes, they do fail. Because of that we (wife and I ) always dive with 2 'puters. preety much eliminating a need to use the dive tables. Depending, of course on the dive profile, a computer can provide significantly more "bottom time". Along with the extended bottom time a computer can provide additonal information and features that are nice, if not essential. To name a few
Ascent rate indicator
Altitude adjustment
Temperature
Deco obligation
If you were to go the air intergrated route you can also add "air time remaining" on some units and some even have a "hey you're sucking your air too fast" alarm.
For normal, shallow reef type diving they are a great tool when used properly.

 

[scubatoys]

Computers are very dependable, and give you two distinct advatages... Calculating your multi-level profiles - which really every dive is multi-level, and warn you of too fast of an ascent.

And from a practical standpoint - a lot of places will limit your time without computers, but if you both have them, you will be allowed to "dive your computer" and take advantage of the extra time they allow.

 

[rubbachicken]

hi there
i'd say get computers, but don't forget how to use the tables
if you do get computerised, think about getting one that does nitrox, just incase
i think most do these days, but if you decide that you want to dive with nitrox in the future and your computer doesn't, it'll just save you changing
i use a suunto vytec but i have all the tables with my log book just incase
if lets say you were planning to go and dive in the maldives, a dive computer is a requirement, but having said that you can rent one easy enough

 

[webjr]

Hello all,
Well now that my g/f and myself are certified to dive,

Welcome Aboard !
As for computer vs tables ...
Before you can decide if a computer is right for you , ask yourself these questions .
"What kind of diving will I be doing ?"
"How often will I go diving ?"
and "How much do I value convenience ?"
If all you do is spend a couple of long weekends in Cozumel , you'll probably be diving in a fairly large group . Your guide will probably plan your dives (allways check'em yourself) on tables (that's the only way to plan a group dive) . You won't see much of a benefit from a computer in that situation , except for convenience . I'ts nice to dive and not worry about remembering all that stuff for log book . Sitting in your hotel room with your computer and logbook is much more convenient . If you do allot more diving , especialy repetitive dives , a computer will usualy give you allot more bottom time .
So ....
Ask yourself those questions and decide what you expect from diving .
Personally , I'm a LAZY diver . It's worth it to me just to make keeping my logbook a little easier .

 

[Charlie99]

Now I kind of like the idea that the dive table says ... if we go down 40ft for oh I don’t know 22 min then I have to do a deco stop for 5 min (again just numbers I don’t have the chart in front of me) and that it. ....

Read “we did it, we got our certs“ to get the whole story Would it be wise to just get the pc for me and my g/f so we have the pc letting us know hey “numb nuts your going up to fast” or the “hey look at me were going to go into deco soon if you don‘t stop what ever it is your doing”

Dive computers are good tools if used right.

Using a dive computer as a crutch because you don't have any idea of what you are doing is bad.

Both dive computers and dive tables tell you maximum limits. They don't tell you what would be a good series of stops on the way up from a no-required-decompression-stop dive.

You should work with the tables enough that, before you look at your computer during your dive, you have a pretty good guess as to what it will be telling you.

Buy a computer. Use it WISELY.

 

[DandyDon]

Yeah, know the tables and now to use them; carry them with you.

But computers are better overall; some recreational dives require a computer for each diver. And get one that will do Nitrox, as you'll be glad.

Finally, get one that does simulation dives, read the book until you know it well, and run sim dives until you really understand them. Too many divers try to bluff with the cheat sheet, and screw up.

 

[The Kraken]

Computers are great tools, and I highly recommend them.
However, I ALWAYS plan a dive based on the tables, record it on a slate and take it with me just in case my pooter craps out.
I dive with a computer but have an SPG and dive watch for backup.

 

[SHARKBAIT94]

Thanks to all so far. I/we plan to dive a lot in new jersey, considering we have water all around us and we are hardly ever out of the water even before we got are certs. Now we can be in the water but look up to the surface instead of looking down and wondering what’s below. I know the dive table and how to use it with out hesitating on what’s what but i/we kind of like the idea that are bottom time will be longer then what the table states. We do keep are log books with the gear so we just grab the gear case and go no running around looking for the gear, it's all in one huge storage bucket with back packs. it's pretty much a safe bet that i/we will be buying two comps but i know we both don't like the wrist style Steve from scuba toys made a excellent point about the wrist mount comp. on one of our check out dives we tried a wrist mount and on the others we used the all in one console and Steve was right as for us being new divers we both liked the idea that everything is right in front of me air, depth and navigation, where as with the wrist mount I/we felt I/we kept looking at my wrist then looking at my gages and then trying to keep a straight course. I'm sure after diving for a while we will get more proficient with our skills but i/we really liked having all of the info right in one spot.

 

[OE2X]

Computers are very dependable

Not always. NWGrateful Diver had his computer tell him that he dove to 168' fsw in Edmonds Underwater Park yesterday. Max depth is 40'. You can go deeper, but only if you bring a shovel. This is the second regular buddy of mine that has had a computer failure in less than two weeks.

That said, being versed in using tables is wise when it decides to go belly up in the middle of a dive.