Place of dive tables in modern diving

[KenGordon]

When you teach tables the student student gets distracted by following how to work the table. They probably never learned to multiply numbers together using log tables at school and it may be the first time they have met a lookup table. All that gets in the way of understanding.

Dives are very rarely properly planned and even less often planned with tables. Also the tables may be more aggressive than a computer. If you are expecting a bottom time of 28minutes on a table and the computer gives only 24 then your planning wasn’t so useful. Even if that doesn’t happen the second dive onwards will be rather more of a work of fiction with the tables.

Planning is better done with desktop software or tablets. Tables are an old solution to a problem which has better solutions available now.

 

[AfterDark]

My tables are in my dive bag. They are as reliable as the day I bought them. This year marks my 50th year diving. My 1st PDC was bought 5 years ago, I bought a second one 3 years ago. Haven't been bent in over 2000 dives with 90+% of those dives on tables. Tables have been in use much longer than PDC's and are a proven, reliable method to track NDL and non-NDL dives.

If I find disagreement between my PDCs and my tables, the tables will win every time. PDCs have not been in use long enough to satisfy my standards of reliability when it comes to my health and well-being on solely.

 

[BDSC]

.. If you don't have a clue, Your in deep s##t if your computer dies...

Jim..

How so?

I typically check my computer about every 5 minutes on a dive. On a shallow dive maybe less. While I’ve never had a computer failure in over 1000 dives, if I did check and it was dead, I’d simply end my dive and surface.

 

[RayfromTX]

How so?

I typically check my computer about every 5 minutes on a dive. On a shallow dive maybe less. While I’ve never had a computer failure in over 1000 dives, if I did check and it was dead, I’d simply end my dive and surface.

That, of course, assumes that your are not under a deco obligation at that time and I think many in this thread are in the mindset of their computer failing while they have a substantial obligation.

 

[KenGordon]

That, of course, assumes that your are not under a deco obligation at that time and I think many in this thread are in the mindset of their computer failing while they have a substantial obligation.

There is a protocol for that, as well as having a buddy whose computer still works.

 

[Aviyes]

My course 1.5 years ago taught tables. Then they recommended getting a DC as the first equipment purchase, if you decided to buy equipment. I think it would have been wrong not to teach the basics of dive tables, so that you know what the DC is doing and more accurately tracking.

I think back to school for an appropriate analogy. Most of us, i'm assuming, had to learn to do the math on paper (Tables), before being allowed the use of a calculator (DC).

 

[BRT]

My tables are in my dive bag. They are as reliable as the day I bought them. This year marks my 50th year diving. My 1st PDC was bought 5 years ago, I bought a second one 3 years ago. Haven't been bent in over 2000 dives with 90+% of those dives on tables. Tables have been in use much longer than PDC's and are a proven, reliable method to track NDL and non-NDL dives.

If I find disagreement between my PDCs and my tables, the tables will win every time. PDCs have not been in use long enough to satisfy my standards of reliability when it comes to my health and well-being on solely.

I have never had my dive computer agree with tables since first buying a computer in 1991. I go with the dive computer every time.

 

[BRT]

That, of course, assumes that your are not under a deco obligation at that time and I think many in this thread are in the mindset of their computer failing while they have a substantial obligation.

Everything else in deco diving is backed up. Why wouldn't you have a backup computer?

 

[dmaziuk]

There is a protocol for that, as well as having a buddy whose computer still works.

If you look at your buddy's computer YOUR GONNA DIE!!!!

 

[CT-Rich]

That, of course, assumes that your are not under a deco obligation at that time and I think many in this thread are in the mindset of their computer failing while they have a substantial obligation.

If you are diving that close to the NDL, you are checking your computer pretty often. The big risk for most divers isn’t straying into the NDL it’s screwing the pooch on multiple dives. You could go back and recalculate your previous profiles using tables and then write a dive plan based on those, but it would be wildly conservative. A failed computer is not an emergency. If it is, you should have been carrying a backup.

A dead battery means you can no longer track your dive time and depth. You should have known it from the last time you checked. If you have been making any significant changes in depth you would know it even sooner. This is not “a you’re gonna die!” moment. This is a “awe heck, I wanted get four dives in today” moment. Nothing more.