Should Shearwater add Air Integration to its computers?

[Lorenzoid]

As a photographer, I appreciate having to only look at my wrist once to get all my dive information in a quick glance and can then go back to my subject. I find that AI lends itself to checking my air and other stats more frequently as it's so easy to do so.

I have never quite understood this argument, which has been brought up more than once either earlier in this thread or one of the related threads going on in parallel, that photographers need to check their air more frequently than the average diver needs to.

We all do different types of diving, and for whatever type one is accustomed to doing--whatever tasks make up that type of diving--I believe one should instinctively know their air consumption rate and be able to predict how much air they have left with pretty good accuracy.

 

[stuartv]

I have never quite understood this argument, which has been brought up more than once either earlier in this thread or one of the related threads going on in parallel, that photographers need to check their air more frequently than the average diver needs to.

We all do different types of diving, and for whatever type one is accustomed to doing--whatever tasks make up that type of diving--I believe one should instinctively know their air consumption rate and be able to predict how much air they have left with pretty good accuracy.

My perspective on this is that for a LOT of activities (scuba or not), I engage in them in a way that results in still having a tiny bit of my brain working somewhere in the background to preserve my internal clock. In other words, I can ride my motorcycle or play my bass or swim alongside a wreck and after, say, 10 or 20 minutes, my internal clock will know within reason that it has been 10 or 20 minutes.

But, SOME activities take such focus that, if I engage in that, my internal clock goes completely out the window. I can only guess, from the various u/w photography comments posted here that at least some of those people are experiencing that. They focus so intently on getting the picture (and maintaining their buoyancy and their trim and their position relative to the subject and so on and so on) that they completely lose track of time. And so, when their mind flashes to "what's my time" for a split second, they want to check - because they know it could have been 10 seconds since they last checked ... or 10 minutes.

 

[scubadada]

Some folks want AI, some don't, there's little common ground. Let's go diving

 

[Lorenzoid]

My perspective on this is that for a LOT of activities (scuba or not), I engage in them in a way that results in still having a tiny bit of my brain working somewhere in the background to preserve my internal clock. In other words, I can ride my motorcycle or play my bass or swim alongside a wreck and after, say, 10 or 20 minutes, my internal clock will know within reason that it has been 10 or 20 minutes.

But, SOME activities take such focus that, if I engage in that, my internal clock goes completely out the window. I can only guess, from the various u/w photography comments posted here that at least some of those people are experiencing that. They focus so intently on getting the picture (and maintaining their buoyancy and their trim and their position relative to the subject and so on and so on) that they completely lose track of time. And so, when their mind flashes to "what's my time" for a split second, they want to check - because they know it could have been 10 seconds since they last checked ... or 10 minutes.

Sure. But we divers already have an instrument to help us avoid losing track of time, and by checking that instrument--our timer--we should be able to infer with pretty good accuracy how much air we have left. I get it that some people find having a display that shows both time and remaining air "convenient," but I can see how others might argue that the potential distraction of having remaining air displayed next to time and depth outweighs the "convenience" benefit. Just playing devil's advocate. As I said long ago in this thread or its predecessor, I couldn't care less if Shearwater offers a WAI version or some sort of WAI option that can be made invisible to those who don't want it.

 

[DevonDiver]

I have never quite understood this argument, which has been brought up more than once either earlier in this thread or one of the related threads going on in parallel, that photographers need to check their air more frequently than the average diver needs to.

I don't believe they need to check air more frequently, but rather - they get task focused on their photography and struggle to retain situational awareness.

Thus, they see AI as a means to improve situational awareness by consolidating all the critical information in one instrument, which is convenient to check without requiring major body or limb movements (which distract from the shot and/or spook away the subject).

IMHO, that's fine.... and valid. My caveat is simply that a good diver should retain situational awareness as a priority. Reduction in situational awareness caused by task loading/focus can be indicative of insufficiently ingrained protocols.

Provided that AI is a tool for photographers, and not a crutch for the over-zealous and under-experienced... then there's no problem.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Exactly--a "tool for photographers." A specialized bit of gear for a specialized task. Not a piece of gear that the rest of us should find "necessary" or even particularly "convenient," assuming we have the situational awareness skills and gas management skills that skilled divers have long been expected to have.

 

[DevonDiver]

My perspective on this is that for a LOT of activities (scuba or not), I engage in them in a way that results in still having a tiny bit of my brain working somewhere in the background to preserve my internal clock. In other words, I can ride my motorcycle or play my bass or swim alongside a wreck and after, say, 10 or 20 minutes, my internal clock will know within reason that it has been 10 or 20 minutes.

But, SOME activities take such focus that, if I engage in that, my internal clock goes completely out the window.

What you describe is task loading or focus. There is a see-saw relationship between task loading and situational awareness.

I was once given a great analogy - that of computer ROM and RAM. A new skill exists in the RAM and requires processing power. When new tasks place a demand on the RAM, the older functions degrade or cease. As a skill or function becomes ingrained or muscle memory, then it is moved into the ROM.... and then requires little or no processing power; no conscious attention... and thus, is not degraded when other tasks take up the RAM.

This is true of checking gauges (one function of situational awareness), buoyancy and trim and all other scuba skills.

Divers can perform a new function well provided no other demands are placed upon them. However, it takes time, experience and repetition to ingrain that new function as an instinctive, automatic process. Taking on new functions before that ingraining occurs leads to a break-down of the competency.

I see this process taking place with divers at all levels.... open water to full trimix to advanced wreck.... wherever divers seek to move forwards in skill set before fully committing prior competencies to an autonomic level.

 

[lowviz]

...//... Don't be mean! You can have fun, make your points and even stir a pot or two without being mean.

And that sums up the fun in this thread for me. Fun watching how others defend their personas. And cautiously "stirring the pot" is now policy.

One more bullet point if I may, be able to take it when someone dumps on you. Let's see, who last dumped on me? Oh yeah, It was Pete!

Nevermind, I deserved that one...

 

[The Chairman]

One more bullet point if I may, be able to take it when someone dumps on you. Let's see, who last dumped on me? Oh yeah, It was Pete!

Nevermind, I deserved that one...

Here's the thing, we're going to have disagreements. They might even be sharp disagreements. You and I have never dove, so you won't find me telling you what kind of diver you are or are not. No, not even to justify my stance. Now, read Andy's latest diatribe again. He's all about establishing that I am not a tech diver while he's a super tech instructor. He hasn't even dove with me, yet somehow he's come to the conclusions that I don't have a tech mindset. None of my tech instructors, who have dove with me, have ever made that observation. But Andy can see this over thousands of miles. Just ask him. If your argument stands by debasing other divers or equipment, that you haven't even dove with, then it's not much of an argument. It's just a FIGJAM post. These are the very same arguments used when NitrOx was first introduced. The tech divers and instructors who dove and even promoted Vooodoo gas were told much the same thing. I'm sure that much the same crap was said about PDC manufacturers who added NitrOx capabilities to their line. I'm sure the critics relied on their narrow interpretations of what their agency taught to justify their reticence as well as their FIGJAMming. Wireless integration is a tool. As of yet, there has been no injury, much less death ascribed to using this tool. The dangers only seem to lie in the furtive imagination of a few tech instructors who feel they have to maintain dominance with an over the top denunciation.

Here's the thing. with all this bluster, I have to quote Dick Rutkowski: "Science over BS!" He had to deal with the FIGJAMmers just like we do today. They were even harsher back then. Did you know that he was ejected from DEMA for his stance on NitrOx? Now look at all those past FIGJAMmers today. They even elected him to the Diver's Hall of Fame. Now, some act like they invented the stuff and won't even admit to being one of those against NitrOx. That's the irony of it all. The worst thing to happen to diving today (like rebreathers and wireless AI) becomes fairly commonplace tomorrow. So, whenever anyone tells you it's "written in blood" with a straight face, try not to snicker, but think about all those innovations that have been lambasted over the years. You've just been FIGJAMmed!

 

[scubadada]

I wonder what Shearwater thinks about this thread?