What if...? Computer Issues

[markmantei]

What would you do if your computer stopped working during a dive?
Assuming no backup, end the dive safely according to the dive plan.

What would you do if you exceeded your NDLs (table or computer)?
End the dive following the decompression stops required by the computer.

What would you do if your buddies computer went into deco but yours still showed NDL time remaining?
Always follow the more conservative computer. Regardless the buddy must ascend and follow the deco schedule of their computer, so being a good buddy, I would follow along.

What would you do if you were gearing up on the boat and realized you forgot your computer and no one had an extra?
The correct answer is to plan the dive according to the tables, if there are no tables available then skip the dive. In practice I would probably do the dive using analog guages and stay above my buddy with their computer. Ready to get ripped apart now

 

[rhwestfall]

What would you do if you exceeded your NDLs (table or computer)?

How the heck did this happen? If your pre-dive plan was cutting this that close, then your pre-dive plan was CRAP! If this is the result on an emergency....... okay, lets have the discussion...

 

[Kenny13]

* What would you do if your computer stopped working during a dive?

The dive is immediately over. I would immediately alert my buddy and signal to him that I have to thumb the dive because my computer isn't working, and would get in a position where we could both use his computer to monitor our ascent rate and hold a safety stop. If for some crazy reason I were to lose my buddy and the use of my computer, I would slowly ascend no faster than my smallest bubbles. This would make me +1 in favor of diving with 2 computers too.

* What would you do if you exceeded your NDLs (table or computer)?

I would be proud of myself for making it that far without going OOA

Seriously, if my computer indicated I had exceeded my NDL I would first be very angry at myself for getting to that point, especially as frequently as I check my computer. Alert my buddy that it is time to ascend and catch any stops indicated by my computer on the way up. That 15' safety stop is no longer optional (as long as I still have air).

* What would you do if your buddies computer went into deco but yours still showed NDL time remaining?

I would make any stops on the way up with my buddy. Part of our pre-dive briefing always includes that we abide by whatever buddy's computer is most conservative. My son and I have the same computers, so ours should be pretty close. However, if mine shows no-deco time remaining and his doesn't, we would go by his and hit any stops indicated. Again, we're having air issues long before we hit NDL issues at the depths we're diving, but that still how we plan them regardless.

* What would you do if you were gearing up on the boat and realized you forgot your computer and no one had an extra?

I'd be really pissed about the money I wasted for the charter, because I don't own a watch in order to dive with tables. Never wear one. Also, I don't have a separate depth gauge either. Only an SPG. That's another +1 for a second computer that stays attached to your regs, whether air integrated or part of a console including SPG & depth gauge.

Here's another one to add. Suppose your computer goes out before you've returned to the ascent line/anchor line and conditions aren't optimal for you to make an ascent away from the line (strong current, etc.). Do you chance returning to the line sharing your buddy's computer, or do you go ahead and chance ascending away from the line? Assuming that you're not on an air integrated computer and can monitor the pressure in your tank, I think I would probably say ascend to a shallower depth where NDL's shouldn't become a problem and try to get back to the line with the shared computer before trying a full ascent if it is possible.

 

[MarineResearch]

* What would you do if your computer stopped working during a dive?

Use backup computer on other wrist.

* What would you do if you exceeded your NDLs (table or computer)?

Kick self in butt if it wasn't a planned deco dive, then follow computer deco schedule.

* What would you do if your buddies computer went into deco but yours still showed NDL time remaining?

Stick with my buddy until they have cleared their deco obligation. I seem to spend a lot of time on vacation with divers (not even my buddy) that go into deco and freak out, usually because they never properly programmed their computer.

*What would you do if you were gearing up on the boat and realized you forgot your computer and no one had an extra?

Well, if I forgot my primary and backup computers, and I somehow lost the backup backup that I leave in the pocket of my BC, my mind is so far up my arse that I would skip the dive.

 

[Jewls]

* What would you do if your computer stopped working during a dive?
Stop the dive, signal my buddy and thumb the dive. I would have to stop diving for the rest of the rest of the day since I don't know depth, time, SI, etc. Can dive tomorrow if calculating a dive with eRDPml

* What would you do if you exceeded your NDLs (table or computer)?
Begin a slow ascent as soon as this is noticed, make a safety stop for 5 minutes or as long as your air supply allows.

* What would you do if your buddies computer went into deco but yours still showed NDL time remaining?
Follow the more conservative reading (which would be my buddies) and end the dive with a 5 minute safety stop or longer if air supply allows.

* What would you do if you were gearing up on the boat and realized you forgot your computer and no one had an extra?
I don’t own a computer atm and usually dive with a DM or instructor. I usually follow their profile. Since I know I’m not diving with a computer, I usually have my eRDPml, I try to plan my dives using the eRDPml during the pre-dive discussion and will let my buddy know what my time and limits are. We should follow the more conservative limits.

 

[boulderjohn]

Just to make an observation, the one question that I think is being answered the most haphazardly is the one that asks what would you do if you exceed your NDL. There is reason to give this some thought.

First of all, how many of you really know how your computer tells you that you have exceeded NDLs? Do you know how to follow its directions on ascending to complete your decompression obligation? Do you realize that most computers will shut down for 24-48 hours if you surface without fulfilling your decompression obligation? Do you realize that if you surface without completing that obligation but descend within a few minutes, most computers will continue to operate and let you complete that obligation?

I have seen a number of cases where people have gone into deco and not had any idea that their computer was telling them how to get out of it.

I saw one case where a diver went into near panic because his computer showed he was NEAR deco at depth, not realizing that a simple ascent following his computer's guidance would have taken care of things.

I am not advocating violating NDLs on recreational dives, but if you do, your computer can help you. It will not help you, though, if you have not read the manual well enough to know what it is telling you.

As an old Rod Stewart album said, "A wink is as good as a nod to a blind horse."

 

[markmantei]

I have seen a number of cases where people have gone into deco and not had any idea that their computer was telling them how to get out of it.

BoulderJohn, I am amazed that people do not STUDY the manuals for their dive computer. It is probably the most complicated piece of gear we need to learn to operate, and everyone works differently (its easier to switch bcd's or regs than computers on the fly). I know I'm a bit of a techie, but the first thing I did with both my computers was sit down for an evening and go through the manual playing with the dc along the way. Then again when I did my nitrox I similarly reviewed dc operation.

A computer is no good to you if you cannot interprete what it is telling you. It would be like giving a new open water student a set of padi tables and telling them to plan dives with no instruction.

 

[MarineResearch]

Just to make an observation, the one question that I think is being answered the most haphazardly is the one that asks what would you do if you exceed your NDL. There is reason to give this some thought.

First of all, how many of you really know how your computer tells you that you have exceeded NDLs? Do you know how to follow its directions on ascending to complete your decompression obligation? Do you realize that most computers will shut down for 24-48 hours if you surface without fulfilling your decompression obligation? Do you realize that if you surface without completing that obligation but descend within a few minutes, most computers will continue to operate and let you complete that obligation?

I have seen a number of cases where people have gone into deco and not had any idea that their computer was telling them how to get out of it.

I saw one case where a diver went into near panic because his computer showed he was NEAR deco at depth, not realizing that a simple ascent following his computer's guidance would have taken care of things.

I am not advocating violating NDLs on recreational dives, but if you do, your computer can help you. It will not help you, though, if you have not read the manual well enough to know what it is telling you.

As an old Rod Stewart album said, "A wink is as good as a nod to a blind horse."

I have a permission slip that allows me to go into deco, so I'm not a good example. Besides reading the directions, all of my computers clearly indicate next stop and total ascent time, which hopefully is shorter than remaining air time.

It's both amusing and irritating when you see people frantically swimming around showing people their computer, knowing they are in deco, but having no idea as to what to do. It's irritating because it's not usually a real deco situation, but caused by incorrect settings (e.g., diving nitrox with air settings, altitude setting on at sea level, etc.). It's amusing because they were on the same dive profile as the rest of the group, none of which were anywhere close to deco. Unfortunately, I've seen people run out of air trying to meet their deco obligation to avoid getting locked out for 1 to 2 days. Then there are the people who complete their dive and wonder why their computer stopped working...

 

[Lobzilla]

I guess it is worth mentioning that some computer have a default mode that will activate after a Nitrox dive unless the correct Nitrox setting is entered before the next dive (or the default turned off).

The default mode is the physically impossible worst case of 40% (or 50%) Oxygen and 79% Nitrogen.

As a consequence, the computer is first telling you that you are going to tox due to the high O2 setting. After you 'survived' that, the computer is screaming DECO because of the high N2 setting.

Both is of course a false alarm if you are diving EAN32 or something else between the assumed extremes of the default mode.

That's were a solid dive plan and the organic computer comes in handy. Conservative gas planning will then allow you to clear the silicon computer on the way up and prevent it from becoming a dumb paperweight for the next 24 hours.

The two ways to prevent this comedy is either RTFM (read the friggin manual) or to rely more on organic intelligence in the first place.

 

[theduckguru]

I thought you were going to ask something difficult. You and your buddy are on a dive trip and run out of beer and money, what do you do?

Answer: Don't panic.