why hate safety devices?

[DevonDiver]

I dive with a AI computer with a group of competent divers who are not lazy.....I do know that when narked I tend to get tunnel vision. I don't rely on my computer but IMHO it is a good thing that if I ever am narked I have an audible device to get my attention or that of my buddy (if I am too narked to notice it).

Surely a competant buddy wouldn't need an audible 'warning' to let them know you were debilitated with narcosis? What happened to communication and awareness?

 

[ronbeau]

Electronic failures are common, mechanical spg failures not that common. So with that its not a safer alternative. For OW recreation diving I have no issues with them tho. You want it, get it.

Are you saying diving computer failures are common?

 

[aquaregia]

Forgetting to replace the battery is pretty common, in my experience. I started carrying a second computer (in gauge mode) to lend to buddies whose battery had expired.

 

[DevonDiver]

I've had 4 computer failures in the last 3 years, albeit that was diving day-in/day-out. 2 battery failures, 1 pressure sensor failure (alternating between two depths rapidly and signalling rapid ascent, for no reason) and one complete meltdown (flashing random wierdness, beeping etc).

I am not sure if that counts as 'common'.

None of those caused a 'drama', because I was at sites I knew well, conducting a familiar routine of dives well within NDL limits.

 

[Zieg]

I remember back in the early '70s listening to a bunch of hard core divers complaining that these new buoyancy devices were only good for those guys who couldn't figure out how to properly set their weights. You know, that they replaced a skill that everyone should know.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Are you saying diving computer failures are common?

In the 10 years I've been diving ...

- Suunto Favor ... died suddenly during a dive. I ended the dive and replaced the battery. That wasn't the problem. The computer was permanently dead.

- Oceanic Versa Pro ... depth sensor went screwball ... it continued the dive, even after I had packed my gear and was driving home on I-5. It thought I-5 was at a depth of 17 fsw.

- Oceanic Versa Pro #2 ... another depth sensor problem. This time it was telling me I was at 160 fsw in a dive park that maxes at about 40.

- Suunto Vytec ... more depth sensor issues. I wouldn't have even noticed if I hadn't been doing a tech dive and wearing a backup BT. There was a 10-20 foot difference between the two numbers. Comparing it with my buddy's gauges I determined the Vytec was off, and used the BT to complete my deco stops.

- Aladdin Tech2G ... suddenly stopped displaying meaningful data and would only display "Error3". I replaced the battery and it worked fine.

- Liquivision X1 ... just quit working. I dunno why ... I sent it back and they sent me a new one. It works fine.

So I guess how common it is depends on how you look at it ... 6 failures in over 2600 dives is less than a 0.25% failure rate ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I remember back in the early '70s listening to a bunch of hard core divers complaining that these new buoyancy devices were only good for those guys who couldn't figure out how to properly set their weights. You know, that they replaced a skill that everyone should know.

... and so how many divers today do you think would be able to dive without a BCD? I'd guess not many ... in which case the BCD did, in fact, replace the skill ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Paladin]

Ya know, Bob, I'm beginning to worry. It seems that lately, I'm finding myself in agreement with you more often. If this keeps up, I may have to have myself committed!

Merry Christmas!

 

[Crush]

I remember back in the early '70s listening to a bunch of hard core divers complaining that these new buoyancy devices were only good for those guys who couldn't figure out how to properly set their weights. You know, that they replaced a skill that everyone should know.

For some, I am sure that that is the case - proper weighting skills became less relevant.

However, for many who dive in cold water with a wetsuit, a BCD is necessary for you to complete dives according to modern basic OW training. Back in the day, you weighted yourself to be neutral at your operating depth and kicked hard to get down. In cold water, this was a reasonable effort. At the end of a dive you simply rose back to the surface - no three-minute safety stop. Now, perhaps (I don't know) it is possible to weight yourself to be neutral at depth in warm water in a thin wetsuit and, at the end of your dive, comfortably kick downwards (to offset suit buoyancy and your consumed air) to maintain a depth of 15 feet for three minutes. However, I am certain that this cannot be done with a thick wetsuit.

 

[Crush]

Back in the 80's the auto industry tried digital instrument panels but got push back from buyers. Besides the unconventional look they required a conscious effort to read the numbers instead of a quick scan that the needles of conventional gauges were all in the normal position.
I like a analog SPG and depth gauge for the same reason. The best dive computer display is the original Edge that came out in 1984. It has an easy to scan bar graft display that doesn't require reading numbers.

That is a great point. When I look at my (digital) SPG I recall the number of my last read during the dive, but that number has less "meaning" to me (intuitively) than a graphical representation does.