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clarktenk:It's not a bad idea to have an extra in the old save a dive kit that way you don't blow an entire weekend of OW diving.
Actually what you see as contradictory statements were in different contexts. The statement about being able to dive any desired profile with in reference to TS&M's desire to change over to bottom timer and cease the use of a computer. In recreation diver, I see no benefit to the bottom timer since any profile you do with the bottom timer you can also do with the computer.Snowbear:These statements seem to contradict each other. If you can dive the same profiles with or without a computer, then why would you lose a dive if your primary computer fails? And why would you need to add offgassing and SI? After all... it's the same profile...
And I'm also assuming that your brain is not disengaged and you are checking your computer periodically before it fails? So you have a pretty good idea what your depth and run time is at that point, right? So it's pretty easy to just finish up the dive with a normal ascent and SI... unless of course you were riding the "NDL" limits :11:
I agree that it is a very worthwhile thing to be able to develop the ability to track you depth and time accurately. What I don't think is worthwhile is turning off your backup (either mental or electronic). Ideally, one can have the mental discipline to track depth and time in your head accurately, while simultaneously having the computer do the same.TSandM:Charlie, I would like to develop the ability to track my depth and time accurately and keep it in my head much better than I do now -- ...... My computer functions as a fallback for my mental failure. It probably will for some time. I don't think there is anything at all wrong with using a computer for that purpose, but I do see value in trying to train my brain to track my depth and time the same way the computer does. ...... Learning to assess time, and to mark and remember depth points at those times, gives me a picture of my dive that is independent of my computer. Can anybody argue that that isn't a worthwhile thing to learn to do?
The humped one lies. He doesn't even use his timer or depth guage. He goes by ears for depth and sac versus his spg for time. Now if his spg fails - he is in a world of hurt.Uncle Pug:When diving from a boat I take along twice as many dive computers as I would for shore diving. When on a multiday diving trip I will take along four times as many and when diving in a remote area I will take along ten times as many.
Charlie99:I agree that it is a very worthwhile thing to be able to develop the ability to track you depth and time accurately. What I don't think is worthwhile is turning off your backup (either mental or electronic). Ideally, one can have the mental discipline to track depth and time in your head accurately, while simultaneously having the computer do the same.
I guess it's the whole either/or thing that I don't get. People keep treating it choice where you EITHER track it mentally, OR you track it by computer.
I don't see why one needs to purposely cripple an instrument and ignore data --- whether your mental tracking is primary and computer is backup, or computer is primary and mental tracking is secondary (or in the case of my rather loose tracking, my mental tracking is merely a sanity check on the computer).
Charlie
p.s. Thanks for the thoughtful reply. Most people would take my question as an insult, or would respond with "take a DIR-F and you'll figure it out".![]()