Suunto Eon Steel Skipped Safety Stop

[Ozensha]

I am a new Open Water Scuba Instructor and recently purchased a Suunto Eon Steel for my dive computer. Due to the nature of being an instructor, I am frequently required to do multiple ascents and descents on a single dive; (alternate air source ascents, CESA, ect.). On the first dive with my new Suunto I got a warning on my screen stating that I skipped my safety stop and ascended too fast. The computer was telling me to go back to 10 feet to continue the stop. By chance I had one more student that required me to go back to 20ft+ to perform the last CESA and upon ascending the warning went away.

My question is; if I were to continue to ignore the safety stop error on a no deco dive, would the Eon Steel lock me out for the 48 hour window? I would be pretty upset if this were true. I mean at that price point, why would Suunto make the computer unusable to instructors. I mean there is no way an instructor is not going to skip a stop or not come up too fast due to a bad student.

Thanks in advance for the help. I apologize in advance if this has be answered by another forum.

 

[pinshootr]

you might want to put it in Gauge mode for classes just in case.

 

[doctormike]

I don't have one of those, but it looks like the manual says that the 48 hour lockout is only for missing more than 3 minutes of deco. The algorithm does penalize you for multiple fast ascents and missed safety stops, probably by adding to your N2 loading and decreasing NDLs on subsequent dives. I guess there could be a situation where you do enough fast ascents that the computer would consider you already in deco, that would depend on the algorithm, which is proprietary, so who knows.

A better question is why didn't you just get two Petrels for the cost of the Suunto and not worry about locking up!

 

[DuboisP]

A better question is why didn't you just get two Petrels for the cost of the Suunto and not worry about locking up!

better question : why an instructor is unable to read a manual ?

 

[DevonDiver]

LOL.... worrying about 'hurting' the computer, but not about hurting yourself...

you might want to put it in Gauge mode for classes just in case.

If you need to put your computer (whose task is to keep you safe from DCS) into gauge mode to permit you to carry out diving behaviours, then something is seriously wrong. Change your behaviours...

 

[Sevenrider860]

The Suunto computers tend to complain when performing CESAs that exceed 10m/minute ascent rates. If you exceed that ascent rate you will trigger a Mandatory Safety Stop. The Mandatory Safety Stop is the 10ft Ceiling you are seeing. If you ignore that, the algorithm will penalize you on the next dive if your surface interval is not long enough. It will not lock you out for 48 hours. The 48 hour decompression algorithm lockout only occurs when you have omitted a decompression stop for longer than 3 minutes.

The Suunto RGBM Algorithms typically have the following stops and actions if ignored:

Recommended Safety Stop - No penalty if ignored
Mandatory Safety Stop - Penalized on next dive / Longer Surface Interval Required if ignored
Deep Stop - Penalized on next dive / Longer Surface Interval Required if ignored
Decompression Stop - 48 hour decompression algorithm lockout if not corrected within 3 minutes


From the Eon Steel manual...

"WARNING: DO NOT EXCEED THE MAXIMUM ASCENT RATE! Rapid ascents increase the risk of injury. You should always make the mandatory and recommended safety stops after you have exceeded the maximum recommended ascent rate. If this mandatory safety stop is not completed the decompression model will penalize your next dive(s)."

--- Comment Added ---

I use a Suunto DX which uses the same Suunto Fused RGBM algorithm as the EON Steel when I teach OW classes and there is no need to put the computer into gauge mode. I have never had the algorithm lockout. The Suunto algorithm is proprietary, but there are a number of Suunto documents available that help a user understand what actions and diving patterns influence the algorithm.

 

[Hendrik@Suunto]

Hello,
as long as it's a no-dec dive ignoring the 3-6m stop won't cause a lock-out.

best regards, Hendrik

 

[Ozensha]

A better question is why didn't you just get two Petrels for the cost of the Suunto and not worry about locking up!

Just happens to be one of our best sellers out here in Orange County. The Newport Beach crowd likes the flashy computers and have unlimited budgets. Easier to sell if it is what I am wearing too. Also it is not my only computer, just the latest toy to play with.

 

[DevonDiver]

Easier to sell if[-] it is what I am wearing too[/-] I read the manual, knew how it works and didn't keep violating it in front of my students.

Just saying...

 

[Hatul]

My experience is with Suunto Vyper so it's possible there are differences in the algorithm. I gave my Vyper away to a friend because of bad experience with it and two 48 hr lockouts.

The Vyper was perfectly fine on the first dive, even more liberal than my Galileo. The problem is on repetitive dives. You can get into a situation where it decides to severely penalize you for something minor ( like a slightly short surface interval) and become extremely conservative and go into deco mode. It's then that it behaves much differently than other dive computers. It happened to me, I was well within NDL by my Galileo and in big deco by my Vyper. It's then that you risk violating the weird Suunto deco and getting locked out.

I should add that I was using my Vyper as a backup computer to my Galileo and I have my Galileo set to MB =2 which is a fairly conservative setting that gives optional extra stops and I was following these extra stops, and yet my dive profiles caused the Suunto to lock out twice for 48 hours.

IMO the Suunto is not a good choice for an instructor who has to make multiple dives and ascents as it too readily penalizes and goes into deco. I met one dive guide in Coz who sold his Suunto for that reason. It's also a bad choice as a backup computer, as was my case.