Do you need computer at all?

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Because v-planner lets me do it! Takes less than a minute and I have this personal thing about being precise on those types of dives. I also may alter the conservatism settings. I like +2 on my usual stuff. Colder water, bad vis, any kind of current and I may use +3 or even +4. That is just me. I'm 50 yrs old, not bullet proof, and it's more about the quality of the dive itself than the amt of time I spend.
Plus deco is such an exact science, you really want to match your runtimes with the deco perfectly.
 
To get back to the OP's specific question. In the TDI deco procedures course I took this spring, the required equipment was either a depth gage and bottom timer OR a computer. I'm not certain that I would dive without a computer personally -- the warning signals provide a handy in-flight sanity check in case of mild narcosis. As a beginner I have a sense that I'm safer with the computer than without -- even if that is not really the case.
 
Because v-planner lets me do it! Takes less than a minute and I have this personal thing about being precise on those types of dives. I also may alter the conservatism settings. I like +2 on my usual stuff. Colder water, bad vis, any kind of current and I may use +3 or even +4. That is just me. I'm 50 yrs old, not bullet proof, and it's more about the quality of the dive itself than the amt of time I spend.

A question: if being conservative is important, would the more conservative approach be to use 10' increments? You are going to end up doing more time on stops if you use 160' for your 152' dive than if you use 155'.
 
Code Monkey:
Fair warning: I am _not_ a tech diver.

That said, what happens if you dive your plan and then something goes awry down deep (for example, your buddy has a problem that draws your attention longer than it should)? How do you replan? How do you adjust your deco, assuming that you have the gas to do so? I wouldn't ever expect to need this but wouldn't you want something on which to fall back if it did?

Ultimately you plan for situations so you have enough gas for them. Doing extra deco is easy with or without a computer....getting more gas is impossible with or without a computer.

Thanks to everyone for all the interesting answers!
 
To get back to the OP's specific question. In the TDI deco procedures course I took this spring, the required equipment was either a depth gage and bottom timer OR a computer. I'm not certain that I would dive without a computer personally -- the warning signals provide a handy in-flight sanity check in case of mild narcosis. As a beginner I have a sense that I'm safer with the computer than without -- even if that is not really the case.
so does diving safe END's.

Good lord.
 
I am planning to learn tech diving in the coming future and I am now looking at the equipment that I will need for budget planning. Which dive computer do you guys mostly use? Someone says you need a bottom timer only and plan the dive ahead and then follow the plan. How many of you do not dive with a computer?

I've used and owned a number of different computers. For technical diving I've used VR3s and most recently a Liquidvision X1 (using V-Planner). Regardless, I always plan the dive carefully and take a back-up in the form of a watch, bottomtimer, slate and appropriate tables.

I think that dive computers are like cars, your first one doesn't have to have all the bells and whistles; you're just not going to use them. If it does the job, that's all that's required. Use one that employes an algorithm that you have confidence in (some are more conservative than others) and meets your diving requirements and style.

If I was buying a computer today for technical diving, I'd look carefully at the Shearwater Predator. I like the X-1 as it's much smaller, but the Predator has some advantages. Good luck with your choice.
 
I require my students to dive with a depth gauge / timer or a computer that set to "gauge mode" during tech training.
 
so does diving safe END's.

Good lord.


Trimix equivilant narcosis depths are not taught in the first TDI deco procedures course -- kind of because it's an air dive to no greater than 150'.

So, I apologize for being a beginner who is just starting out in tech diving and hasn't taken trimix courses yet. All I was noting is that in the course I took there was a choice between computer and bottom timer+depth gage.

Should I PM you for permission to post a comment in the future? Or are beginning tech divers just not welcome here?
 
If I was buying a computer today for technical diving, I'd look carefully at the Shearwater Predator. I like the X-1 as it's much smaller, but the Predator has some advantages. Good luck with your choice.


My LDS just became a Shearwater dealer, and I have to admit it's a very nice looking computer. What do you see as the advantages? Pretty much anything I move to is going to be an upgrade to my Gekko :D but I want to not be buying a top end computer twice.
 

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