Diving Shearwater with a Suunto buddy

[Dan]

When I used both D4 & Teric together (having one as a backup), D4 ended up my primary dive computer (DC) as I had to pay attention on it at the end of the dive to insure that I don’t lock it out. At the beginning of a dive trip, their NDL estimations were similar. On subsequent dives (doing 3 to 5 dives / day for the whole week), if the surface interval was short (1-2 hours), D4 would become more conservative than Teric and limiting my bottom time. I ended up leaving it in my cabin and just used my Teric for the rest of the dive trip.

I now just use one DC, Teric, and leave D4 in my dive bag as a spare DC in case I break my Teric. I may miss a day of diving when that happens to insure that my residual nitrogen is low enough (based on my dive buddy DC) to use D4 for the rest of the dive trip.

 

[boulderjohn]

The idea that you go with the most conservative computer on a team applies to you as an individual if you are using two computers.

Years ago I did a decompression dive with a group that planned the dive using a program called VPM, and they had a version of that program on their computers (a brand no longer made). What they claimed to be doing was following a written version of the dive plan and using the computer as a backup. I, too, was following their written plan, using my (then) brand new Shearwater Predator as a backup. The Shearwater was in its default Buhlmann algorithm and settings.

So what happened on the dive? It is nearly impossible to follow a written plan precisely, although we came pretty darn close. Because it is not possible to follow it exactly, their computers did not precisely match the plan, and at each decompression stop, they waited until all their computers cleared. They ended the dive when all the computers said they were done. My computer wanted me to ascend sooner at each stop than that deep stop VPM program, so I just ignored it while it constantly adjusted to my staying longer on each stop.

So when we were done, I asked them if they were following the written plan with the computers as a backup, or if they were following the computers with the written plan as a rough guide and backup. They had to admit they were indeed following the computers, much as that went against their diving philosophy. The only thing they really got from the written plan was bottom depth and time.

BTW, my computer said I was done with deco within seconds of theirs telling them they were done.

 

[Dan]

Unless it has changed since I owned one, Suuntos lock you out for 48 hours if you tick them off.

Yep D4 locked me out for 48 hours. I don’t think Teric would.

 

[Blackcrusader]

I dive with known buddies if I can. I am off to Bali with Geko divers next week. No buddy coming with me.
So I expect first day of dives will let the staff understand my diving ability. I know they said they will arrange people in groups
so those better on air can be grouped together for longer dives. I'm not worried about this too much and I will need to day just to get back in my zone. IT's been several years since a buddy has not come with me on a dive. Alone lol

I dive the Perdix and use Tec Mode and GF 45/95. Now that's fine as my dive buddies also have shearwaters and we also use same profile.
So if one decides to use a more conservative profile we all switch to that. My back up is my Digital Cressi SPG which gives me depth and time. So I will just follow the guides and I often find they are happy to let you remain in sight and more or less do your own thing with a buddy. So this next trip is all new buddies. Experienced or not so experienced I will happily dive with them all.

Multilevel NDL dives are fine when doing 3 or 4 dives a day. So glad Shearwaters don't lock you out.

If I have this showing a Sunnto is in Deco