Posted by Chuck Tribolet on August 07, 2002 at 19:06:43:
In Reply to: Re: Dive Tables vs. Computers posted by Melvin on August 07, 2002 at 14:36:23:
It's not the number of divers, but rather the
fraction of dives, and the profile of those dives.
Assume that 85% of divers use computers, and 85%
of all bends cases were using a computer. One
would assume that computers were just as safe
as tables. But if the computer divers do 99% of
all dives, and the 15% of divers who dive tables
do 1% (and therefore haven't bothered to buy a
computer), it might well be true that computers are
far safer than tables.
The slip from 80 to 100 feet is a moot point.
Most depth guages have a "tell tale" which logs
max depth.
Not all computers have ascent speedometers, and
and most if not all of the ascent speedometers
are:
A. Way too liberal. You should be ascending way
slower than those limits.
B. Way to "narrow minded". A very short rapid
ascent (say, two feet in one second when
you lifted the arm with the computer). I've
had the ascent rate alarm go off when I was
sitting on a sand bottom vegging, and a
moderate swell went over.
Understand that the IR readout from computers
is there for one reason: to protect the computer
manufacturer from lawsuits. Yes it's useful when
there's an accident. But it's a big yawn
otherwise. Too bad they require an expensive
gizmo to hook them up, and don't just attach
to a standard laptop IR interface.
Chuck