Watching the tissue loading graph on a Shearwater over the course of a week will give you a better feel for on- and off-gassing than any amount of studying tables.
Info Why are tables not taught in OW classes anymore?
- Thread starter tursiops
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OP
I was trying to be unbiased in my post and steer away from mentioning the word Shearwater, but I 100% agree.
Tables are obsolete, understanding them not obsolete but unnecessary. Out of air drills are not obsolete as they are there to let people know it’s possible to make it to the surface.
when I started there were only tables, not even the wheel was around and one can still use those but a computer makes diving easier/more enjoyable.
spending a lot of time on teaching tables will likely only bore 80% of todays youth, like making them sit through a lesson on crank phones, rotary dialing mechanical stepping switch gear before they can get an IPhone, some (very very few) will find the history interesting but most will just pick up the new stuff and get on with life without knowing what Ernestine meant by “one ringy dingy two ringy dingy”
while diving double hose with no b/c or computer didn’t kill me 52 years ago I’m not diving like that today.
when I started there were only tables, not even the wheel was around and one can still use those but a computer makes diving easier/more enjoyable.
spending a lot of time on teaching tables will likely only bore 80% of todays youth, like making them sit through a lesson on crank phones, rotary dialing mechanical stepping switch gear before they can get an IPhone, some (very very few) will find the history interesting but most will just pick up the new stuff and get on with life without knowing what Ernestine meant by “one ringy dingy two ringy dingy”
while diving double hose with no b/c or computer didn’t kill me 52 years ago I’m not diving like that today.
OP
I’d guess for the new diver. The cost of a basic Dive computer, is not significantly more than a depth gauge, 200m watch and dive tables.
For an entry level diver. All that would be required would be to set the date and time (Once). The computer should automatically switch on and start working when the dive starts. The watch would need the bezel setting or timer starting and the depth gauge max needle resetting.
Suppose the time spent learning to manipulate the tables is better off learning to manipulate the dive computer.
johndiver999
Contributor
The whole idea of teaching tables or not seems trivial. If you have smart students, you can teach the table in 3 minutes or less, for one dive. then 3-4 minutes to show a repetative dive and even if they don't or won't remember the details of use, they should be able to garner an understanding of residual gas and offgassing on surface. If the student can't get a rudimentary understanding of the idea from a simple table, they sure as hell aren't going to understand models, gradient factors, compartments, Fo2, etc.
For a lot of divers, if they can just keep the computer from beeping on ascent, they are deriving some value from it and the feedback on ascent rate is a significant advantage over a depth gage and watch.
For a lot of divers, if they can just keep the computer from beeping on ascent, they are deriving some value from it and the feedback on ascent rate is a significant advantage over a depth gage and watch.
Maybe not obsolete.. but gas planning should be much more emphasized over going to the surface. As someone goes deeper but caries that mentality they might cross that line where they can't make it to the surface. And no one anywhere is going to go back to the surface at 30fpm while exhaling straight out of OW in a real OOA incident. They'll freak out and bolt and when they get there they'll think "shew... sure am glad I learned that skill in OW", lol.
It's not really a great skill, it's a crutch (in my novice opinion).
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