tmassey
Contributor
I know you’re making a joke, and that that statement does have a significant amount of truth to it, but that was something that was definitely a change of mindset when I switched to my Shearwater.
Previous to my Shearwater I had an Oceanic computer, which are pretty well regarded as the most aggressive recreational computers out there, giving the most NDL time. And so, I never went into deco with my Oceanic. And staying out of deco was a very big concern as a recreational diver.
I ended up buying a Shearwater just after I finished my decompression class. So, I now had the training to go into deco and it was a little less scary. But also interestingly, my Shearwater gave me much less time than my Oceanic would. So by switching to the Shearwater, I really did live that statement: all of a sudden, I was flirting with or actually going into deco on almost all of my dives, ones that were nowhere near deco on my old Oceanic. It really was a different mindset.
To give you an example of how much more aggressive the Oceanic could be: I have done oxygen-assisted decompression dives using my Shearwater where I literally did not violate my Oceanic, while it was merely set to air. (My Shearwater is set to 40/85.) Of course, you don’t have to use all that aggression: don’t dive near the NDL and it won’t be a problem. My philosophy was that I didn’t want a computer to limit me unnecessarily: I could manage that for myself; but if I needed the extra capability, I wanted a computer that could handle it.
Of course, after I finished decompression procedures and upgraded to the Shearwater, the line between a non-decompression and a decompression dive really wasn’t much of a line anymore. I find it a much more relaxing way to dive, not having undo stress about some scary line or number on my computer. It’s better to be able to manage it appropriately.
So, no real point to any of this nonsense story I’m telling. Other than, yes: all dives are decompression dives, just some don’t necessarily require extensive pauses on the way up. And also, taking decompression training even when a diver is reasonably content with recreational limits is not a bad thing: having that level of knowledge and capability can certainly make you much more relaxed when you’re nearing the non-decompression limit.
