UCFDiver85 once bubbled...
I just bought an Oceanic VE200..... I've been hearing people call it a liberal computer, and was wondering what that meant? What dictates if a computer is liberal or conservative? Is one better than the other? Any
Liberal vs. conservative refers to how long and deep you can stay before it indicates that decompression stops are mandatory. A liberal computer has long bottom times before reaching NDL, a conservative computer more quickly goes into the required decompression mode.
Oceanic computers have the same exact limits as the PADI table, but calculate continously for your time and depth.
Many other computers (more "conservative" ones), particularly Suunto computers, will show mandatory decompression requirement while the Oceanics still show a few minute of bottom time remaining before reaching the no-deco limit.
Oceanics and other computers made by Pelagic Pressure Systems have a tissue loading bargraph that gives a good visual indication of tissue loading. If you keep that graph in the green, or at least do safety stops long enough to get it back into the green, then that effectively turns the Oceanic into a conservative (lower bottom time) computer.
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Rodales dive computer review has info on what they call the "freedom vs. risk" tradeoff.
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What is as important, if not more important, than the liberal vs. conservative computer issue, is the actual dive profile (depth-time plot). Doing repeated up and downs and doing fast ascents without safety stops increase your probability of decompression sickness. Doing a 1 minute stop at 1/2 of max depth, then another 1 minute at 30', then 3 minutes at 15' does a lot to reduce the probability of decompression sickness while diving within NDLs