The "other" Liberal vs. Conservative

[100days-a-year]

How relatively liberal or conservative are today's computers?

I hear people talk about certain computers being either or,but compared to what?And relative to what?

Compared to USN tables they are all conservative.Compared to most modern dive software they still require more deco or limit bottom time.
The only modern computer that seems to be as "liberal" as USN tables or close are some Cochran computers.I dove Oceanics against Uwatecs againt Suuntos against Aeris and at the end of the day it seems they all require far more deco or much shorter bottom durations than previous computers and tables.

 

[drbill]

I dive with a minimum of two different computers these days. They are not equally conservative so I have a window within which I feel pretty safe.

 

[DennisS]

It was a long time before I decided to get a computer. I'd used the tables for 25 years, using the next step up to make them conservative.

My thought was that, any computer that used the same algorithm for a fit 21 year old and an unfit 50 year old wasn't what I was looking for. Times change and a lot of computer are on the market.

One of the dive magazines compared the "conservatism", the Suunto Cobra was conservative and had modes that could make it even more conservative. Mode 2 is don't fly after a shower. I find that the Cobra in standard mode is a good conservative computer that hasn't got my old, overweight, out of shape, body bent yet.

There's an edge between more bottom time, decompression, bends. I'm satisfied to cut my dive a little short, prolong my stops and dive another day. I've always dove this way but now that I'm older I think it's a lot more important.

I've done dives in my 20's that I'm sure would bend me today.

 

[RJP]

How relatively liberal or conservative are today's computers?

My Oceanic wants to eliminate the gas tax this summer, but my Suunto thinks that's just pandering.

 

[ZzzKing]

My Oceanic wants to eliminate the gas tax this summer, but my Suunto thinks that's just pandering.

Bwahahahahaha!!!!

 

[100days-a-year]

It is a shame there is no way to database the incidence of DCS vs. specific computers and user groups.I still use USN tables or VPM-A tables for deep(180' or better)but it has been a pain to find a computer that is not just totally useless after 2 dives in 120' or better.In less than 120' it's not as bad as nitrox offsets some of the conservatism.

After not getting bent in over 4000 dives getting close to 5000 I am secure in my deco protocols.Hydration and running 20 miles a week or more when possible contributes some but I think manufacturers are consious of liability too much.The buddies I have that have been bent violated ascent rates:no,shaved times or were diving caves or wrecks and did yoyo profiles.