Posted by Wayne on May 07, 2002 at 14:55:46:
In Reply to: This sounds like a tempest in a teapot posted by TDI_2 on May 07, 2002 at 14:40:55:
I was slow to get into the computer revolution, but now that I dive with one, I am convinced that they are the way to go. But I still prefer to do my planning on a table. Ok so I really prefer the silly RDP Wheel thingy, but it is fast and easy to do quick planning of such things as surface intervals. You can very quickly figure out if you should fix lunch now, or have a snack and do one more dive before lunch.
For what it is worth, my personal thinking is that the bigest thing we can do to improve the odds of a happy dive are to slow down the ascent. I mean I really want those fast tissues (real ones not theoretical) to have the chance to relax and let the tension out. Deep stops for the deep divers, slow ascents for everybody, and pauses now and then to pass gas on the way up.
But knowing how to get by on tables is important especially if you have a computer die. I have hadd battery problems that left me in the dark on the dive profile. But I knew the depth (asked another diver how deep that was) and I knew how long, more o rless, and I was able to plan further dives until I could get those pesky batteries replaced.
Wayne