Why no slates?

[PerroneFord]

Short answer: Thumbs up.

Exactly. Shouldn't be any more complicated than that. It was not a problem that was solvable underwater, so abort the dive. If the scenario could create further problems, and your buddy needs to be aware, then thumb the dive, and then write a quick note on your wetnotes.

 

[SteveAD]

I keep a slate in my pocket for when no hand signal can explain what I want to say. The last time was my buddy looking at me with quizzled eyes. In scratch I wrote "drysuit inflator broken, dive done" She didn't see what happened to me, and by then I had my LP hose hooked back up, but my suit was flooded. Brrrrrrr... I was done. I "looked" ok, but wasn't. What's the hand signal for that one?

Point at inflator with middle finger. "inflator is *******ed". Thumbs up.

Or for a more polite signal, point to the offending piece of equipment the give the hand waggle "problem/not ok" sign"

 

[Rainer]

Point at inflator with middle finger. "inflator is *******ed". Thumbs up.

About exactly how I'd handle this.

 

[rjack321]

Point at inflator with middle finger. "inflator is *******ed". Thumbs up.

Or for a more polite signal, point to the offending piece of equipment the give the hand waggle "problem/not ok" sign"

Pointing followed by the 2 handed breaking of a stick sign works too. Once you are up at any gas switch you can use wetnotes to elaborate on the flood as you start deco that you may want/need to shave.

IMHO the waggle "not ok" is used for much less serious issues than "broken". Waggle would be for something which is working fine but just uncomfortable like a misadjusted goodman or a lumpy sock in your fin. Or maybe a reg which is working but not breathing well. Broken is reserved for all broken.

For actual survey notes, wrist slates are way too small. E.g KMD and I had 2 pages of cave survey notes in only 20mins.

 

[MonkSeal]

I don't do deco diving, but my guess is that if the schedule is not going to be done on the fly, it's been written in the wetnotes before the dive (just as our cave maps are).

It's always done on the fly

BTW So many non-DIR responses in this thread make it almost unreadable.

 

[Rick Inman]

BTW So many non-DIR responses in this thread make it almost unreadable.

Seriously, can you please clear those up (or someone). Thanks.

 

[TSandM]

This was posted in the general DIR forum, and it is my understanding that non-DIR answers and discussion are okay here. It's the Practitioner's forum where it's restricted to DIR answers only.

Deco is always done on the fly? Wow. In Rec Triox, we ran a bunch of profiles through Deco Planner and then added deep stops and O2 window time, so I assumed that at least some DIR divers did that. You can tell I haven't done Tech 1, can't you?

 

[rjack321]

Deco is always done on the fly? Wow. In Rec Triox, we ran a bunch of profiles through Deco Planner and then added deep stops and O2 window time, so I assumed that at least some DIR divers did that. You can tell I haven't done Tech 1, can't you?

For ocean tech dives you don't know the deco until you've done the dive. We do know general parameters ahead of time (e.g. how much deco time we could accumulate and still have enough gas, the MOD of our backgas, etc.). If your team knows what its doing all that you need to do is signal "average depth" then give a number and everyone pretty much knows the schedule from there.

In the cave you know the average depth ahead of time (not a virgin cave). You know your consumption in psi (seen that anywhere?). You know your turn pressure. You can pretty much figure out your in and out BT based on those 3 values. Compare that time with the MDL time. The time over MDL is deco time. Shape it exponential and then halve the 20+10 time for the O2 benefit. You'll need to do this on the surface before every Cave2 dive after your tanks have cooled and everything is settled (any S and valve drills are done).

No slate needed or even desired in either case. By those fully trained, Decoplanner is only used for wacky profiles and to run what ifs scenarios. Not to generate tables for lamination.

 

[Elemental]

By those fully trained, Decoplanner is only used for wacky profiles and to run what ifs scenarios. Not to generate tables for lamination.

In caves, I use RD to get an idea of the deco, then use DP tables set to my risk tolerances to fine tune it.

FWIW, I was taught in C2 and T1 that RD is intended as an excellent backup tool for determining deco.

 

[PfcAJ]

DecoPlanner and RD are tools. The real answer is to know when and how to combine them.

Personally, I don't jump in the water without at least an idea of my deco. Often, I'll print multiple tables for different run times at different depths.

Could I formulate a deco schedule that will get me out of the water? Sure. Is that my first line? No.

Back to slates and wetnotes. Writing down your schedule(s) is a great idea. Since the team member calling deco is predetermined (save some issue during the dive), then you don't really need to look at it if you aren't that person. If you want to, great! Its a non-issue. If you want to say something, its ok to bust out the notes. Once again, it doesn't take that long and shouldn't be a problem for you.