help me put my computer into deco :)

[dumpsterDiver]

To be honest, there isn't much to learn from simply seeing the deco screen on a dive. Yes, it's better than never seeing it - but you won't learn to 'predict' your deco from that single experience.

I've met quite a few recreational divers who have had some minor 'excursions' into deco mode and become absolutely convinced that "a few minutes of deco was no biggy..and it would clear on ascent" etc etc. It led to very sloppy and dangerous dive practices, and showed no understanding, experience or knowledge of how and why decompression accumulates and/or clears.

The deco given by any particular dive computer will accumulate and clear differently depending on the dive profile and previous dives. There is only so much that a diver can learn from the 'experiment' described in this thread.

That is true. If the diver casually extends his first dive (a little) into deco, it will generally clear quickly on ascent. However, pull the exact same stunt on the 3rd or 4th dive of the day and the compter can very quickly spank the diver with a considerable deco penalty.

It takes a bunch of diving over varying conditions to really understand what a particular computer will do to you.

 

[Jbell8289]

I think it is a very smart idea to experiment to find out what the computer looks like and acts like underwater. Remember, when it does "go off" (into deco) you will probably be a little deep, a little stressed, a little low on air and expereincing what it looks like when the computer goes into deco mode underwater should be useful.

It should be pretty easy to do, by simply doing two consecutive, deeper dives and having it set for air for both, It should not be too hard to throw it into deco, without a lot of "games".

I would recommend that you do this on a commercial dive boat, don't tell anyone what you are doing and then deliberately blow off a portion of the "required" deco on the last dive. When you get back up on the boat, grab a soda and then casually tell the dive master "my fingers are numb and I can't get my computer to stop flashing at me, can you help?"""

Make those guys EARN their tips.

HAHA sounds good, then i can also get to see how a recompression chamber works too lol.

In the OP's first post, he mentioned that he would be doing the dive with EAN36 following tables. If he stuck within what his predive planning entailed using tables during the whole dive, and just observed what his computer(set on air) was telling him, that is kinda like using another computer to monitor is dive while observing what the test computer is telling him.

I don't see much wrong with this situation, as long as buddy is fully aware of the intentions of the dive. Heck, it might even give two divers the opportunity to learn a little more about their computers.

Thats kind of what i was thinking...if im following the tables conservatively should be fine right???

To be honest, there isn't much to learn from simply seeing the deco screen on a dive. Yes, it's better than never seeing it - but you won't learn to 'predict' your deco from that single experience.

I've met quite a few recreational divers who have had some minor 'excursions' into deco mode and become absolutely convinced that "a few minutes of deco was no biggy..and it would clear on ascent" etc etc. It led to very sloppy and dangerous dive practices, and showed no understanding, experience or knowledge of how and why decompression accumulates and/or clears.

The deco given by any particular dive computer will accumulate and clear differently depending on the dive profile and previous dives. There is only so much that a diver can learn from the 'experiment' described in this thread.

I have no desire to do decompression dives at this point in time. i just want to be more prepared, i got this idea on one of my first dives using nitrox with my computer.

i set the computer for the right mix (32%) and then did a short shallow dive on the next dive i assumed the settings would remain the same but the computer switches to 50% automatically as a safety feature so the whole next dive which was considerably deeper (but far from the MOD) it was beeping and flashing at me i knew what my my MOD was and what my ppO2 was so i continued the dive (the computer still showed the relevant info (Depth and time) and i planned the dive on tables too so i knew how long i could be down at max depth so i just used the computer as a depth gauge and bottom timer. after the dive was over and i figured out what had happened i was kind of glad i got to see its WARNING OF IMMANENT DEATH which was less than dramatic. made me aware of the fact that i really need to pay attention to my computer bc even when its beeping and flashing its not very loud or obnoxious and if im focused on something else i might not notice it. so i want to see how it handles deco and also wether or not it locks me out after the dive is over.

And its an Oceanic Veo 180nx for those who asked

 

[Elvistheking]

The problem you might have is that as the tables assume a square profile (which most dives are not) you might find that even with the 32 table you might run out of no-stop time before your computer set to air goes into deco (it will usefully highlight the benefits/risks - depending on POV of using computers however).

I'd recommend borrowing another computer and diving that for the day on 32 with yours set to air, at least both will be working from the same dive profile.

On my computer (Uwatec Tec 2G) you can set different levels of conservatism BUT you can also mid-dive get it to show you what the computer would show with 0 conservatism, so you can then set the conservatism right up (so the NDL times were lower and the deco obligations longer) do a dive so that it shows a little bit of mandatory deco (minute or so) but in actualy fact still have a lot of NDL time left, then do some "simulated" deco. In my experience I've gone into deco with it set to +3 (with a maximum of +5) whilst +0 was showing almost 1/2 hour no-stop time left.
BUT you would of course be then diving with 0 conservatism and you may chose to have it higher normally so be careful. Also my RTFM'ing suggest that you can't set any conservatism on you computer anyway, ho hum.Trying borrowing another computer that would be safer......

+1 BTW on reading "Deco for Divers" useful for ALL levels of diver to understand the "art" that is deco theory.

 

[giles45shop]

Doesn't your computer have a way to simulate dives? I know both my Cressi Archimedes II and my Liquidvision have dive simulators built right in. That way you can just sit in your recliner and see what you computer does when you go into deco, without actually doing a dive.

John

 

[Spazzy]

I 2nd Jscott's pressure pot suggestion. Combined with reading the manual.

 

[Jbell8289]

Doesn't your computer have a way to simulate dives? I know both my Cressi Archimedes II and my Liquidvision have dive simulators built right in. That way you can just sit in your recliner and see what you computer does when you go into deco, without actually doing a dive.

John

No unfortunately it doesnt it is on the very low end of the price spectrum, and as a result has very few useful features lol.

 

[Dive Bug Bit Me]

I 2nd Jscott's pressure pot suggestion. Combined with reading the manual.

I have one of these computers as well. Will say that the manual is particularly garbage. I read it, felt confused, figured it is similar to my other computer and jumped in the water to see how it actually works.

Also in the DSAT program, it is aggressive. Buddy and I dived an essentially square profile side by side at 60 ft. Computer still gave me about 20 mins, my buddy was down to 3 mins NDL. I don't know what conservative setting he was using. My computer would have put me just over USN NDL. Still diving so no incident but I am more cautious with it now.