Tech computors

[Kayak Diver]

I'd like to hear which computors you techies out there are using and what you think of them. There are a lot of new multi-gas computors on the market, Dive Rite, OMS, Abyss, but I haven't heard much feedback from those who own 'em. I am still diving with single gas computors, haven't been able to afford new one yet. I've heard good things about Dive Rite Nitek 3, but I'd like to hear more. Thanks

Dale

 

[Jon]

Bottom timer and tables.
I had a nitec 3 and sold it.
Now I use my stinger in gauge mode with tables for deco.
Some of my friends use the Sunnto Vyper in gauge mode and tables.

Jon

 

[Jay Styron]

We're using the NiTek3 for deep air or tech Nitrox. Got an Abyss ordered to try out but for now w/ Trimix, tables and bottom timers.
Jay

 

[icarus pacific]

Originally posted by Jay Styron
now w/ Trimix, tables and bottom timers.
Jay

Ditto. And a lot of time learning how to "feel" loaded.

sven

 

[Kayak Diver]

Same here, using tables for tri-mix. My dive team has been using Abyss software to generate custom tables, also have seen GUE's software but haven't used on a dive yet. Anyone else using anything different?

Dale

 

[icarus pacific]

I was using the Abyss ware to double check the numbers on some work a couple months back and it seemed fine, not too conservative, not too stupid. I was given some tables by an East coast amigo that does the serious penetration stuff, (Doria, U1
187..) but for work like that, and it is work, I'm wearing a hat and dragging a hose. The tech thing for fun just isn't my style.

Check Sven's ab grab thread, you being a local guy and all.

sven

 

[Jon]

dplan

I just picked up GUE's dplan for the palm pilot. I picked up a cheap palm, $75, and bought the program for $60. I write out the tables on a wrist slate and keep back-ups in my wet notes. I use my stinger in gauge mode.
I had a chance to try out the dpaln this past weekend on a series of trimix dives. It worked great. I could spit tables out faster than my friends could fire up their lap tops. I also have a lot less to lose if it gets wet, compared to a lap top.
I really love the stinger for mix dives. It shows me my bottom time AND gives me large digit seconds for those short stops. I just keep it in gauge mode all of the time. The whole thing costs a lot less than a Nitec 3 too.

Jon

 

[Andy]

Tec computers

I've used SUUNTO's Vytec and it works great.
It's easy to use and is very good as a primary computer.
I use a Vyper as a back up in gauge mode with laminated tables from Divevoyager.
I used GUE's Decoplanner before but they are not as nice and easy to read as Divevoyagers.
Haven't seen the Abyss?!

 

[Jay Styron]

VR3

Hi All,
I just got back from a tech mission and was able to try the VR3 trimix computer. It was very well thought out and durable. It was helpful to have the designer on board explain all the features and show all the applications it could handle. Since it can handle everything from straight air dives to multigas trimix dives it could be the computer to replace the other limited use comps.
Jay

 

[icarus pacific]

Ay! Jay mon!

Welcome back!

I had the opportunity to strap on that Mares unit the other day and was really impressed by it, 'course I'm pretty easy to please:inlove What was interesting was that after a couple of warm ups to see what was out and about, I was concentrating more on the numbers rather than the dive; something totally unlike me. I'd be down and looking to better the last dive, checking the temp, yadda yadda...

God forbid Erik or Bill here find out that I was diving for numbers.:mute Next thing I know is that I'll lose my sense of humor, reduce my coffee intake and strap on a mono, ala Fattah.
Brrrr...

Get your shirt? Get a hold of Anderson re: March 03, and get yurass over to the latest caption contest.

Thanks again.

sven

 

[narked]

Was going to mention the VR3, this month's Dive mag (BSAC mag, not sure on it's availability outside the UK) had a review of it. Available for everything from open circuit air/nitrox to pretty much any rebreather thanks to a number of different links you can purcahse for it. Plus it has games for those deco stops!
Now if someone would give me enough money to buy one.....

Matt

 

[Arduous]

Cochran

Anyone using Cochran ?

 

[Jon]

I just got back from a trip which included freediving, nitrox diving and trimix diving. I kept my Sunnuto Stinger in freedive mode the whole time. I used DECO planner on my plam to plan out all of my dives. It was cheap and it worked out well for everything that I did. Everyone else on the trip that did deco dives used the same basic set-up. Some of them had Uwatec bottom timers instead- cheaper yet. We all dove the same plans to make things even simpler.
Everyone that I personally know who owns a Cochran has had nothing but problems with them.
Save some money on a trimix computer and use it for a down payment on a scooter instead- much more fun.

Jon

 

[Jay Styron]

I agree w/ Jon on the Cochran comps. but if you are going to do alot of tech diving or even just a modest amount but do alot of nitrox and air diving why not get a comp. that can do it all? Tables are good if thats all you have and there's alot of deco programs out there. But the bottom line is getting more time on the bottom and do less deco. For example, you cut tables for 240'/25, you make the dive but don't go below 233' and you leave the bottom at 23min, by useing a comp. you could shave probably 15-20min off your deco. In cold water or rough seas 15 min is along time. It's no different than running a nitrox comp for your everyday dives. It's all about maximizing your efficency on the bottom. IMHO.
Jay

 

[narked]

That's all well and good, but here in BSAC, we have a good saying: Plan the Dive, and Dive the Plan.
Ideally you wouldn't be changing your dive as you do it, but computers are great for if you for some reason lose track of time and end up going over your planned bottom time, or if you miss one of your planned stops.

Matt

 

[Jon]

Jay brings up a good point on why we always run back up tables for a variety of depths, bottom times, and lost deco bottles. Because we all dive standard gases we can reuse these tables everytime we go to a wreck in that same depth range. It is also interesting how after a 4 hour surface interval you can go back in and use the same table on many of the dives that we do.
In the past I had set my Stinger into nitrox mode for warm water trips. On this past one I ran the numbers on my palm and it gave me less than 5 minutes of deco on many of the nitrox dives. That is just like a safety stop that I would do anyhow, except that it was only a minute at each stop on the way up. So, it didn't seem to cost me too much time compared to the nitrox computer that I wore on my other wrist as a back-up timer.
We also like to watch eachother pretty closly on deco because the water is often below 40 degrees and we are deocing out on high 02 mixes- not above 1.6 though!
Since the whole team is on the same tables we all move through deco the same. With computers everyone's deco would be different.
I'm thinking about a D-3 for my next computer. It seems to be able to do everything that I would want it to at a lot less money than the VR-3

My $.02

Jon

 

[icarus pacific]

That's all well and good in BSAC, but here in the real World, shit happens.

Planning on your buddy having problems, planning on seeing something interesting juuust a little further down and back, planning on your air rate being a little off due to exertion or conditions....

You can plan all you want, but the one constant is that something'll come along to make you alter your plan(s), and thats when you could be down there with the team from MIT< MBARI and Bill Gates, the best computer is your clear head.

sven

 

[Jay Styron]

Believe it or not we have the same saying here. I do carry tables for my planned BT/Depth. But now as a backup to my computer. If it fails then I can still get out alright. We do plan our "expected" BT/Depth before each dive and try to pair w/ a buddy of comparable air consumption. If you are doing a multilevel dive on a wreck and only spend 5min out of 25 at your deepest depth why do a deco as if you spent all your time there when obviously the physics don't support it. Sure you could try to plan a multilevel dive on the surface but why bother when you can have a computer do it for you real time and possibly save you some hang time or allow more BT. Since I'm guessing everyones using some deco planning program you're still relying on a computer. I'm not saying take the human factor out of it but if the technology is there why not use it. Alot of the dives I do I have specific task to get done so every minute is valuable. From this experience I know "things happen", and you can't account for every variable. As long as you and your buddy stay together safty shouldn't be an issue. Also like Jon we run high PPO2 during deco so we also like to stick together. To me this is just an evolution from an air comp to a nitrox comp now to a trimix comp. I guess if you don't use an air/nitrox computer for anything but a back up to the tables thats ok but it seems to go against the reason why they were made. I've only used the VR3 so I can't comment on the Abyss but here's a comp. that you can use for air/nitrox/trimix so it actually could replace your nitrox comp. so there's a cost savings, plus all the other features that are too many to list here. Think about the worst case senerio of tearing your drysuit at the end of a dive w/ a full deco obligation. If I could get out sooner because I was wearing a comp. that calculated my actual dive profile I think I'd take that over the tables. If thats already part of your dive plan then I guess you're covered. But to each his own, so how ever you dive, I wish you well. Safe diving.
Jay

 

[narked]

Icarus, if you read what I said, I said ideally you wouldnt deviate from the plan. I also said that computers are great for if something DOES go wrong.
Computers aren't there to give people the idea that they don't need to plan, and where possible stick to that plan. But a lot of people use a computer to plan their dive as they go along. As you said, shit happens, and that's where the computer comes in.

How you plan the dive isn't the issue, providing you do it BEFORE you get in the water. Using your PC to plan it is fine, saves you having to do all those sums up in your noggin, PROVIDING you know how to do the sums yourself, and you make sure the numbers the computer gives you are reasonable. The point is if you plan your dive, you've planned it for a reason. Follow the plan through. The computer is there for if you decide during the dive that for some reason or other there is no point staying down any longer, and it then gives you the deco stops you need to do.

Matt

 

[Jon]

The clear head is most improtant. THat's why we use mix below 100'. The deeper we go the more helium we add. The longer I do this the more helium I like.
In 22 years of diving I have never run out of air or missed a deco stop once. Some of the tough guys around here who dive air and use computers have problems all of the time. The last time I dove off of one of their boats the captain came up to me with 200psi in his doubles and 45 minutes of deco to do. His computer didn't help him out too much there, my extra stage bottle did. Since that time we now have a group of divers In the area that are all on the same wave length. None of us dive on his boat.
And it's not the BSAC its DIR. We don't like to use that word (DIR) because of all the yelling that goes on in other lists about it back and forth. We just dive it.
Many of us are also long time instructors for a variety of different orginizations, but we have all switched over to DIR after seeing its benifits. We have tried a lot of the other sillyness over the years and prefer to learn from our mistakes. Relying on computers that quit on you when you have a 45 minute deco obligation is not one that I will make again- back-up tables saved me that time.
Last year that computer diving boat captian made three trips to the chamber after one of his mess-ups. There is a reason why my friends and I stay away from him.

Keep it simple, keep it fun, keep it safe and try not to break the bank while doing it.

Jon