Posted by Dimitrios on January 16, 2001 at 00:24:19:
In Reply to: Re: Why dive computers? posted by MHK on January 15, 2001 at 17:35:43:
What I'm saying is that computers can track your depth at one second intervals and include your entire dive profile in it's current calculation of your real-time NDL and you respond with,
"If you study the algorithms, pay attention to your diving and gain the requisite skill you'll find soon enough that you'll instinctively
know your NDL's."
Do you think you can solve the differential equation that my computer solves to compute my real-time NDL?
I don't think so.
Why?
You can't possibly take into effect my depth at every second during my current dive, all my surface intervals and all the depth I was at every second of every dive I have done in the last 24 hours to compute my NDL.
Why? Because you and I are human and we don't have the brainpower to solve such an equation in our heads.
Then you say,
"I'm therefore in the position of having saved hundreds of dollars by not buying the computer, should the
computer lock out during a dive I'll know the appropriate decompression procedures, and if I'm on a multi day and/or live
aboard and my computer fails I'll be able to continue diving whereas if I relied on a mechanical device and it fails I would lack
the requisite knowledge to continue diving..."
A rational SPORT diver doing SPORT diving will never enter decompression during a sport dive therefore they do not need to know a decompression procedure if their computer fails. If they obey their computer's NDL during the dive then all they need to do is ascend at 60 feet per minute and get back on the boat.
AND how can you assume that all divers who rely on a "mechanical device" lack the requisite knowledge to continue diving using tables and a stopwatch?
My mother got certified at sport chalet the other day and she had to learn the tables even though she learned to dive with a computer. I learned to dive before computers come out and I can still easily remember how to use a table.
YOUR ASSUMPTION ABOUT COMPUTER DIVERS NOT KNOWING ADEQUATE DECOMPRESSION THEORY IS RIDICULOUS!!!
Then you claim,
"Computers were invented as a supplemental aid to a diver not as
a replacement but sadly agencies no longer place understanding NDL limits high on the priority list in favor of quicker more user
friendly classes..."
HA!!! Computers were invented to give you off gassing credit for time spent at depth less than your max. If they were invented as a supplement then they wouldn't do that, they would compute NDL's based purely on max depth and time.
Computers give you more dive freedom and are one of the greatest pieces of equipment to come along since the aqualung itself.
I THINK YOUR CLAIM THAT COMPUTERS WERE INVENTED TO BE SUPPLEMENTAL IS RIDICULOUS AND COMES FROM YOUR DIR SUPREMACY COMPLEX.
Doing Just Fine,
Dimitrios