Rental computers and newer divers

[BoltSnap]

I won't rent dive computers or any dive equipment except tanks and lead weight myself. If I don't have my own equipment, I won't dive.

I have met many divers who don't understand their own dive computer and don't know when it goes into required deco. or what to do.

I teach using dive computers in addition to using dive tables in class and open water.

One guy I know, not my student, keeps bringing me his dive computer to check every now and then. He complains that "it isn't working right." I find that his computer was set to "free diving" mode or went into required deco mode but he has no clue. Many others are like him.

 

[Tim1966]

1. This is actually one of the open water exam questions and answer. I doubt which part you have trouble with.

2. You can’t blame the manual for having too much info and simply ignore it. Use the search function wisely.

3. Every Nitrox course I run I make sure they learn how to set Nitrox, either on their own ons or using one of ours as an example - PADI actually got a stimulation one for eLearning. The takeaway here is for students to make sure they need to set the Nx mode when diving with Nitrox in the future.

 

[arew+4]

They may say no also to the possibility of attaching your pressure sensor/transmitters to. their first stages as well.

True, and expect they would, however, I would still be using my own computer with which I am familiar, and would only lose the gas consumption data.

 

[boulderjohn]

1. This is actually one of the open water exam questions and answer. I doubt which part you have trouble with.

2. You can’t blame the manual for having too much info and simply ignore it. Use the search function wisely.

3. Every Nitrox course I run I make sure they learn how to set Nitrox, either on their own ons or using one of ours as an example - PADI actually got a stimulation one for eLearning. The takeaway here is for students to make sure they need to set the Nx mode when diving with Nitrox in the future.

You seem to be forgetting that we are talking about rental computers in this thread.

1. You usually won't have the manual to read when you rent a computer, but if you do get it, you won't have time to read the whole thing before the dive, which is likely starting in an hour or so.
2. Do you teach the students how to set the functions of every dive computer in the world so they will be ready for any one they might encounter when renting?
3. Finally, as I said, there are still courses that teach students to use tables, even thought they will then be going out and using computers.

 

[34109411]

I pretty strongly disagree with both these arguments.

Part of my work is in usability/UX, and one of the field's central tenets is that when a user encounters a problem, it's (usually) not their fault; it's the product that has failed the user. Yes, idiots exist. Yes, people need to do their due diligence. Et cetera. But when a well-meaning person engages with a system that is obscure or just plain unfamiliar, then it's up to the product's designer/provider to ease the user's path.

Also, realize that the user who gets stuck in a UX-failure situation usually won't know what they don't know. To illustrate this point, consider the "Rumsfeld Matrix."
View attachment 827820
The diver in the story -- the poor sap who got a dive computer that he didn't know how to operate correctly -- was in Quadrant III, at bottom left. He didn't know how to adjust the computer, and he didn't even know that he needed to ask the question, "How do I adjust this computer?"

And I'm gonna go out on a limb here and speculate that moving to Quadrant II, at the top left, wouldn't have made much difference. The most likely scenario is that a diver would realize "Hey...I need to adjust this computer and don't know how to do it!" after the boat was out of wi-fi

I pretty strongly disagree with both these arguments.

Part of my work is in usability/UX, and one of the field's central tenets is that when a user encounters a problem, it's (usually) not their fault; it's the product that has failed the user. Yes, idiots exist. Yes, people need to do their due diligence. Et cetera. But when a well-meaning person engages with a system that is obscure or just plain unfamiliar, then it's up to the product's designer/provider to ease the user's path.

Also, realize that the user who gets stuck in a UX-failure situation usually won't know what they don't know. To illustrate this point, consider the "Rumsfeld Matrix."
View attachment 827820
The diver in the story -- the poor sap who got a dive computer that he didn't know how to operate correctly -- was in Quadrant III, at bottom left. He didn't know how to adjust the computer, and he didn't even know that he needed to ask the question, "How do I adjust this computer?"

And I'm gonna go out on a limb here and speculate that moving to Quadrant II, at the top left, wouldn't have made much difference. The most likely scenario is that a diver would realize "Hey...I need to adjust this computer and don't know how to do it!" after the boat was out of wi-

 

[scubadada]

...At least one operator I use posts the operating instructions for their rental computers on the boats. That is a good idea, but only covers their rentals

...Earlier in the thread, someone said a shop he knows gives instructions for the computers they rent, but I've never seen it...

This is Jupiter Dive Center. The instructions are only for setting the nitrox % for their rental computers, I think this is very helpful.

 

[34109411]

most likely i diver without a dive computer who rent one mean two things. First most likely he doesn't dive often, second , he probably doesn't have one.

If i go rent something and pretend to know who it work when it s not the case who's responsible for this the shop the one who rent ?

Beside, i will be interested to know what brand of computer it was ? Do we have this information ? I just bought a mares quad air a 5 min video on you tube tought me everything .

The diver should have reach out to the staff member when he rent the unit or on the boat talk with the DM.

A dive shop will not setup the computer for you same as they are not gonna analyze your tank and calculate your MOD.

Safe diving

 

[iointerrupt]

As far as I'm concerned, it all comes back to money. Rental gear is often the cheapest thing that will work. That means antiquated LCD screen computers, that while rugged, have crippled user interfaces due to the LCDs.

Look at some pictures of the Apple Watch Ultra dive app, which is aimed at recreational divers. The vacation divers may be poorly trained, but even they understand when it says "Safety Stop" in 24pt font on a yellow background, that maybe it's time to do a safety stop.

If the Shearwater Tern was $300 instead of $650, the LCD computer market would be dead overnight. Alas, we probably have to wait another decade before things get cheap enough to kill them off.

 

[fred32176]

I set an hour time alarm on a dive and never turned it off. The next time I went diving we were practicing buoyancy in a spring and the alarm went off. If I were using an unfamiliar computer, I wouldn't know why the alarm went off. I started out with an i300c and now use a peregrine. I don't remember how to set up the i300c anymore.

Dive computers aren't big, if there is any chance I am diving, I'm bringing my dive computer.

 

[Still Kicking]

A computer is the first thing a traveling diver should buy.

1. Being familiar with your computer's display and settings is critically important.
2. If you are spending a good deal of money to get someplace to dive, why would you not want to safely maximize your time underwater?
3. They are cheap (starting less than $200).
4. They are very easy to pack.

Having said that, it's easy for a shop to offer QR code links to the manual for the computers they rent. But the onus is on the renter to read the manual and set up the computer for their dives.