Posted by MHK on June 28, 2001 at 16:26:31:
I was speaking with Jablonski yesterday and I was mentioning to him the resistance that we are hearing about computers and the recreational diver. He gave me his permission to paste a copy of the recreational manual and make it available on this bbs. My understanding is that the manual is available for purchase if you so desire. I'd suggest contacting Jim Hoffman about obtaining a copy..
Anyway here is JJ's thougts for your consideration:
Computer Diving
Divers have three primary methods by which to calculate dive and/or decompression time. These methods include the use of tables, wrist mounted computers, and personal computer decompression programs. Substantial debate exists over the use of wrist mounted decompression computers. These computers are worn by divers and calculate dive time limitations and decompression obligations during the dive. Some educators have discussed abandoning the learning of decompression tables, which is very similar to eliminating the teaching of basic math skills such as addition and subtraction instead using a calculator.
The most obvious problem with diving computers is that divers could be left without essential diving information should the diving computer fail. Many divers prefer to learn the proper use of decompression tables striving to learn the actual process of decompression diving. Divers that choose to use computers should do so after becoming well versed in the diving limits and then using the computer primarily as an educational tool. The following list includes concerns about decompression computers.
A Baker’s Dozen Problems With Computer Diving
1) Dive computers tend to induce significant levels of diver dependence, eliminating the awareness so common and essential to all diving but particularly obvious when divers begin decompression diving.
2) Dive computers do not allow proper planning, as divers can't properly "study" the impact of various mixture and decompression choices.
3) Dive computers are of very limited educational benefit as they do not induce questioning, or proper planning discussions as can be found with tables and most particularly with PC based decompression programs.
4) Many real time dive computers use algorithms that heavily pad decompression time, sometimes resulting in odd and often ridiculous levels of conservation.
5) Dive computers are expensive and in some cases leave divers with limited resources carrying equipment that is of far less benefit than other equipment that may have been purchased.
6) Dive computers significantly limit the likelihood that divers will track their residual nitrogen groups, leaving them less informed in the event of computer failure.
7) Dive computers do not allow for Helium diving in any formats but the bulkiest and most questionable format. It is very likely that new Helium based decompression computers will be inordinately conservative and suffer from all the limitations of air and nitrox diving computers.
8) Dive computers will often generate longer decompressions than could be figured by an astute, well-educated diver with experience.
9) Dive computers often create confusion by giving the user to much useless information, sometimes even obscuring depth and time in favor of blinking CNS and/or deco limitations.
10) Some dive computers become very difficult to utilize if a deco stop has been violated. Some computers lock up completely while others just beep or generate erroneous and distracting information.
11) Dive computers do not allow for the educated diver to properly modify their decompression to account for advancing knowledge such as the use of deeper stops in a decompression profile.
12) Dive computers do not offer divers as much flexibility in the generation of profiles with varying conservation. For example the right mix would allow 100 min at 60 vs 60 at 60 but the diver might prefer to do one or the other and indeed might like a compromise. Computers confuse this issue by not providing divers with the proper information.
13) Dive computers users often ignore table proficiency and therefore do not learn tables properly. When confronted with a situation where they can't dive the computer (failure, loss, travel etc) these divers are at a serious handicap.