What is Ratio Deco?

[PfcAJ]

I use a Predator and very often I don't do what the computer says. As long as you stay below the deco ceiling, you can redistribute stops to your leisure. And even when if you break the deco ceiling it will not block you out. It might not be healthy to you, though. It will recalculate in realtime any deviation from the profile it is suggesting -- without hitting you with stupid, unpredictable penalizations that are outside the algorithm that you came to know in Decoplanner or Vplanner. Switching gases takes less than a second.

For inexperienced readers: I am not promoting deviations from a safe ascent behavior. Proper dive planning is more than just blindly following computer instructions. Refer to your training and instructor if you have any doubts.

Ya, it's a neat unit. There are a few out there that are neat. I just find them unnecessary, expensive, somewhat limiting, and there's not much point to me owning one.

 

[lowviz]

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea that you guys can pick up where your electronics abandons you. So can I.

The part that I just don't get is why not just use the damn PDC to offload all the variables like non-square profiles. It does that for you better than you can.

I remember my first four function calculator. I used to check it with my slide rule until I got tired of finding out that the occasional mistake was mine...

 

[PfcAJ]

Avg depth seems to work pretty well.

 

[lowviz]

So does my GPS. Maps are in the trunk.

 

[PfcAJ]

Once again, if you're not going to go the way the gps tells you to...

 

[lowviz]

*recalculating*

Yeah, I actually get that. But I'm still not so sure that most of the mindless drones do.

Not my fight. I remain "DIR friendly", learned much from you guys and gals...

 

[Rainer]

Put me in the camp that never used a dive computer to conduct a staged decompression dive. Avg depth, a BT, and RD served me fine.

 

[LiteHedded]

Also never used a dive computer. Don't see a compelling reason to do so

 

[mruseless]

I don't have an experienced opinion here, just thought I'd chime in on what I hope to do. Currently working toward GUE Tech 1. I have a Petrel. I plan to dive the way GUE teaches, which I believe is V-Planner and RD. I'll probably use another dive computer in gauge mode for RD and take the Petrel as a backup/logger.

 

[lowviz]

...//... I'll probably use another dive computer in gauge mode for RD and take the Petrel as a backup/logger.

Well, that kind of speaks to my condition. I use a bottom timer and PDC. The PDC is either a VR3 or a Hockey Puck. I plan my dives and find myself glancing at my PDC along the way just to see if I'm on course, almost never look at the BT. No calcs involved, I have much more fun things to concern myself with. (And I love math, BTW)

In fact, from my solo view of life, even the timer becomes secondary. I'm reasonably sure that I could get by with a depth gauge and SPG. Time is just gas usage. If all DIR divers had the same SAC, I'm guessing they would only use a depth gauge and SPG and denounce those that need a timer. But what would be the point?

I find this whole subject most interesting. At first blush, all the top-end GUE/UTD divers appear to be Luddites. But after any small amount of work it becomes obvious that they can't be written off that way. The "rule makers" do indeed follow the science and simplify it for their masses using standard gasses and so forth.

I still can't pin down if this "dive computer thing" is all about dive standardization to where a PDC really isn't worth the price, an exercise in mental math that becomes easy and second nature, or just "branding".

As intriguing as the whole concept of DIR is to me, I'm pretty sure that I'm just not wired correctly to be one of them. I do love the fact that they are out there and pitching, though.