Suunto Vytec and USN Tables compared

[TexasMike]

Here's the sim on repeating the 170ft/20min air dive 3 times in one day.

Details on how to perform the sim on the Vytec are after the data.

[insert usual cautions about this being a deco dive, not substitute for proper planning, don't do it with out training, etc]

Ascent to next stop made after computer cleared me

Dive 1 -- 170ft, BT = 20 mins

• 
  Ceiling depth -- ASC TIME remaining
  ===========================
  35 fsw................42 min (recorded while at 170 fsw & starting ascent)
  42 fsw................44 min (upon reaching minimum ceiling)
  40 fsw................43 min
  30 fsw................41 min
  20 fsw................38 min
  10 fsw................29 min

Surface Interval = 2hrs 30min

Dive 2 -- 170ft, BT = 20 mins

• 
  Ceiling depth -- ASC TIME remaining
  ===========================
  41 fsw................68 min (recorded while at 170 fsw & starting ascent)
  45 fsw................86 min (upon reaching minimum ceiling, note big jump in time)
  40 fsw................87 min (why it went up a minute, I'm not sure)
  30 fsw................85 min
  20 fsw................82 min
  10 fsw................73 min

Surface Interval = 3hrs 00min

Dive 3 -- 170ft, BT = 20 mins

• 
  Ceiling depth -- ASC TIME remaining
  ===========================
  40 fsw................61 min (recorded while at 170 fsw & starting ascent)
  43 fsw................75 min (upon reaching minimum ceiling)
  40 fsw................76 min
  30 fsw................75 min
  20 fsw................72 min
  10 fsw................65 min

SIM-ING REPETITIVE DIVES ON THE VYTEC

After sim-ing the first dive, quit back to the simulation menu and select SIMPLAN. The Vytec will ask you to input your planned/sim'ed surface interval. So using the up/down and select buttons. After inputting your surface interval, you can view the planning mode and NDL's for the depths just like regular plan mode.

To use this surface interval for your multi-dive sim, quit back to the simulation menu, and then select SIMDIVE. Then do the dive as normal.

Repeat ad nauseum to add dives to the "experiment"


Next Sims...Deep Stops on AIR

 

[TexasMike]

Using the simulator on Suunto's Dive Manager program (which can be set to emulate the Vytec) I added the following deep stop profile to our 170 foot/20 min BT dive:

100 ft 1min
90 ft 1min
80ft 2min
70ft 2min
60ft 3min
60ft 3min
40ft 4min
30ft 7min
20ft 10min

This left me with 33 minutes of hang time that can be completed at 10 feet per the simulator.

If desired, I can toss in the displayed ASC TIME.

Result: Adding in the deep stops starting at 100 feet added only 4 minutes to our remaining ascent time when it was allowed to ascend to 10 feet. (see dive one of the post ahead of this one). Per the simulator, the total dive time with deep stops was 88 minutes versus 72 minutes without the deeper stop.

Observation: While completng the stops between 100ft and 40 feet, the ASC TIME remain "constant" at 48 minutes, while the ceiling climbed from 40ft to 25 feet.

Also, the deep stop times were somewhat "arbitrary" and were chosen by me and not any particular deco planner.

 

[BFaure]

This is okay info but useless. In the real world do you know of any diver that will do that type of dive on air. That is a ton of air to bring, I can figure it out with deco planner. That is why I want you to do the dive but with gas switches. That is what will make the real difference. FYI my trip to the Flower Gardens was cancelled due to a broke boat and bad weather.

 

[TexasMike]

I agree that the profile is "questionable" (I agree that for that type of dive, you would be bringing some deco gas with ya) but the principles of the simulation still apply.

Remember, the various points of this thread were

1. To determine how the Vytec compares to published tables
   
2. Determine if the Vytec can handle repeatitive planned decompression diving without getting bent
   
3. Observe how deep stops would affect the Vytec's ascent calculations
   
4. Determine how to simulate repeatitive dives on the Vytec

And I would hope you agree that we have both accomplished all of this and learned some interesting things about the Vytec.

About the only thing I don't like is when the ascent time gets above 99 minutes the display shows "--" versus the correct amount of time. I realize that I'm a long way from seeing that in the field (1.65 hrs of deco!!), but this is a detail that I would like to see Suunto chang one day.

I have enjoyed working through all of this since it has helped me learn more about the Vytec. Now that I have satisfied myself that it is capable of handling repeatitive profiles such as the square 170ft/20min dive without bending (as long as I don't exceed it's ascent calculations), I'm desirous of conducting some dives to compare it to "real world" situations (aka plan with V-Planner or Voyager, dive, and compare ascent plan to the Vytec's display).

[[re-reads your post]]

oops..misread your thinking before I climbed on the soapbox...my apologies.

Sim with Gas Switches...no problem....do you have a profile "pre-planned" that you do in Lk. Travis that I can use for parameters? And then we can compare the results?

Also, I'd like to do both a "single" dive wth your data as well as a "repeatitve" dive.


And bummer on the FG trip.

 

[BFaure]

A dive profile to do....see the past post or...:

170feet 20 minutes

do deep stops every 10 feet starting at 120 feet

switch to 50% at 70 feet
switch to 100% at 20 feet

Let me know....

 

[TexasMike]

Which bottom mix? (don't have my best mix table handy)

 

[BFaure]

170 feet....air would be fine for me.....or a trimix but the vytec does not do that...

FYI if you want 100 feet EAD with 1.4 ppo2:

mix would be 22/27, so for me...air is fine

 

[halcyondiver]

:boom: Hello all, if you have a Vytec, you need to contact your dealer ASAP. There seems to be some sort of error in the SimPlan mode while in Nitrox mode. I haven't received all the details, but from what I have been told by my dealer is that Suunto is doing an even exchange for all Vytecs. Give back yours and receive new one. I believe that Suunto is even paying shipping for the units.

My dealer said that they are looking at 3-4 weeks before they are able to get new ones out. More details to follow... Keep an eye out on their site for more info. If I get more info I will let you know.

What my dealer told me was that the error had to do with Nitrox mode. If you operate in Air Mode then all is fine and the unit works fine. The error seems to be while in the Nitrox mode you run SimPlan.

I can't confirm anything yet, details are still sketchy. I am trying to get more information, but my dealer hasn't received any more info. If anyone gets more updates, please post here.

 

[DuckDive]

Maybe you should post that to a new thread as well.

 

[TexasMike]

Just like we get all of data while underwater to work the problem, let's be sure to do the same here.

A quick check on the Suunto websites (www.suunto.com and www.suuntosports.com) did not reveal any press relases to substantiate Gregg's information.

So before we start yelling "FIRE!", let's check out the source of the smoke.

Gregg, can you get your LDS to provide you a copy of the notice that they have from Suunto?