Northwest Dive Club

This is a bit of a companion thread to the "cutting tables" deal. For those using computers as their primary deco tool locally...

Do all your buddies use the same unit and/or algorithm? Do you follow all the stops on your buddies computer when your own says you are clear and should ascend to the next stop? Do you split up and end up on slightly different deco profiles (that presumably come back together periodically)?
I'm assuming a shearwater, cochran, nitek, and VR3 (yada yada) are not generating identical profiles and curious how this is reconciled (if at all).

I don't use my computer for any serious deco diving, but, yes, a lot of us do dives with some deco involved without cutting tables, etc. We just follow the most conservative computer- so far, I haven't seen a discrepency of more than 4-5 minutes at the last stop. It's usually more like 2-3 minutes. Even with CCR/ OC mixed teams.

I'd buy all my friends Liquivision X1's!!

Which units are in the gang? I have heard the VR3 with rgbm upgrade will keep you in the water for hours. That's merely a rumor though.

At least on other boards I have heard of 15min BTs at 190ft creating 50+min decos because some computers were offgassing while some were not and other mismatches. If that's not occuring locally is that because you are all "aligned" on similar units/algorithms?

A bunch of VR-3s, my shearwater, Nitek He, maybe a Cochrahn a couple times. and maybe a few I don't remember. VR-3s all over the place, though. No idea if any of the VR-3s my buddys dive have the RBGM upgrade. Seriously, we've never had any significant discrepencies- like I said, maybe 5 minutes at worst. But- I probably wouldn't do anything like 190' w/o tables and a plan. Not exactly sure where I would draw that line, but it would depend on the dive.

CaptnJack wrote:Which units are in the gang? I have heard the VR3 with rgbm upgrade will keep you in the water for hours. That's merely a rumor though.

At least on other boards I have heard of 15min BTs at 190ft creating 50+min decos because some computers were offgassing while some were not and other mismatches. If that's not occuring locally is that because you are all "aligned" on similar units/algorithms?

Sounder wrote:I'd buy all my friends Liquivision X1's!!

Hey Doug, I think you mispelled I'd. It should be "I'll buy all my friends Liquivision X1's!! "

And Thanks Doug
U da Man!

Jabberjaw wrote:

Sounder wrote:I'd buy all my friends Liquivision X1's!!

Hey Doug, I think you mispelled I'd. It should be "I'll buy all my friends Liquivision X1's!! "

And Thanks Doug
U da Man!

I'm really glad you don't have mod powers.

Sounder wrote: I'm really glad you don't have mod powers.

Some day, with each post I get a little closer. As long as I don't post the one bad :violent3:ing post I can make it.

CaptnJack wrote:This is a bit of a companion thread to the "cutting tables" deal. For those using computers as their primary deco tool locally...

Do all your buddies use the same unit and/or algorithm? Do you follow all the stops on your buddies computer when your own says you are clear and should ascend to the next stop? Do you split up and end up on slightly different deco profiles (that presumably come back together periodically)?
I'm assuming a shearwater, cochran, nitek, and VR3 (yada yada) are not generating identical profiles and curious how this is reconciled (if at all).

We have a primary and a back up deco caller per team, the DC calls it as they see it from a cut table everyone posesses, and makes certain every diver is clear (By either trusting their 'puter, or their body) before the team surfaces. :smt038 :smt038

I'm getting the impression that you're carrying computers but diving the tables and the computer's are just along for the ride? And that sometimes one asks for a little more time (1-5mins depending on the stop) and everyone just does it and carries on.

So what are the computers used for? Bailout when the plan is totally sideways seems to be one reason (correct me if that's wrong). Any other reasons?

CaptnJack wrote: So what are the computers used for? Bailout when the plan is totally sideways seems to be one reason (correct me if that's wrong). Any other reasons?

"makes certain every diver is clear (By either trusting their 'puter, or their body) before the team surfaces"

a vital instrument of reference to some, an unnecessary extra to others

CaptnJack wrote:I'm getting the impression that you're carrying computers but diving the tables and the computer's are just along for the ride? And that sometimes one asks for a little more time (1-5mins depending on the stop) and everyone just does it and carries on.

So what are the computers used for? Bailout when the plan is totally sideways seems to be one reason (correct me if that's wrong). Any other reasons?

On a serious deco dive, I, and everyone else I know cuts tables. Then, yeah, the computer is just a back up. Otherwise, it's pretty much like you describe. From reading ratio deco threads, I gather that pretty much the same thing happens? Like, one person wants to extend a particular stop, so the whole team does, right?

All that aside, my computer is also my primary timing device, depth gauge, and means of monitoring my P02. As a bonus, it does give me deco information as well- I can choose to use it or not.


Otherwise, I'll go do a 130-150' dive without cutting tables, no problem- the computer's good enough, and I've certainly done enough of them to wing a deco schedule if I really have to. (depending on time at depth, naturally.) I have dived deeper without tables, but I don't recommend it.

Nailer99 wrote:On a serious deco dive, I, and everyone else I know cuts tables. Then, yeah, the computer is just a back up. Otherwise, it's pretty much like you describe.

That's cool. Just trying to get da mental imagine

Nailer99 wrote:All that aside, my computer is also my primary timing device, depth gauge, and means of monitoring my P02. As a bonus, it does give me deco information as well- I can choose to use it or not.

Of course.

Nailer99 wrote:From reading ratio deco threads, I gather that pretty much the same thing happens? Like, one person wants to extend a particular stop, so the whole team does, right?

Otherwise, I'll go do a 130-150' dive without cutting tables, no problem- the computer's good enough, and I've certainly done enough of them to wing a deco schedule if I really have to. (depending on time at depth, naturally.) I have dived deeper without tables, but I don't recommend it.

I'm pretty much doing exactly the same accelerated deco as all my buddies (roughly 15-20 different divers off and on from here to LA/Akumal, MX) 70ft for 2 hours, 200ft for 20mins doesn't matter. Very rarely there's an extra min for a deep stop that I would skip.

me and ken did a dive with my duo and his shearwater, i think my duo had 2 more minutes of deco then his. of course the duo doesent do helium though:( . and ona deco dive we all surface together, if some one wants to do a few extra minutes he lets us know.

I use a Nitek He and find that it clears after my friends with a HS explorer, shearwater, or even the VR3. I kept my buddy in the water an extra ten minutes on sunday because I didn't lock my gas change in on the computer. All i got from him was a middle finger, our tables were clear but the computer wasn't so we stayed to clear it and not bend it. On the surface I owed him a beer for keeping him in the piss warm water in the hoodcanal at 10 fsw with the sun beating in on us, but we talked about it before the dive that we stick together. He dives a Hs explorer which uses the RGBM and it would be interesting to see if an upgraded Vr would have the same deco schedule.

But all in all I like my nitek, but what i don't like about it is how sensitive it is to depth. if i am doing a stop at 20 and float to 19fsw (i know i shouldn't move that much but i do and don't care much) it beeps at me.
Mav