Posted by Kendall Raine on March 09, 2001 at 12:45:33:
In Reply to: Re: DIR/Computer Use? Square No, air yes. posted by Steve on March 09, 2001 at 10:49:32:
Steve;
I'm sure I've got it wrong, but you didn't suggest you were going to do 150 fsw on 32%, did you? Besides, the Yukon bottoms at 100'.
FTR, I've got no problem with using computers. I don't, but so what? The problem I have is the argument, made frequently here, that computers enable someone to get a lot more bottom time over multi dive multiple days. The fact is the algorithms are wrong. They penalize you for deep stops, bring you up too fast, and do nothing (most of them) to account for free phase bubble mechanics. As with any model, the error factors compound so that at the end of day four, who knows where you are. The last straw is the people who use them generally have only one way tell their degree of decompression stress-they either present with overt symptoms or they don't. The only reason more people don't get bent on them is they're really conservative.
It's ironic, but for the same money as some new computers, you could buy a bottom timer, Doppler and a software program to cut schedules. I now keep a Doppler record of every deep dive I do with the Doppler grade matched against the deco profile. I took the Doppler on a multi day trip to the islands one time and used it on people. It opened a lot of eyes.