What kind of dive computer do you use? and why?

[Dashrynn]

I dive a Shearwater GF- the old one that's about the size and shape of a cinder block. I love it, even though it's huge.

But the reasons I use it probably don't matter to the OP. You're in the market for one, I assume?

Not exactly, but the op is curious.....

[eliseaboo]

This computer gives a 3-minute countdown when you hit 20 feet for a safety stop. I only barely pushed my computer into deco, for a good reason, so I only accumulated a tiny bit of an obligation once I started up the line. It wanted me to do a 1 minute deco stop at 10 feet, so it gave me a one minute countdown once I hit the safety stop mark on the line. Once the minute was up it stopped counting down, and just gave me bottom time again, and I was stressed so couldn't remember how long I'd been there. Basically, it sent me into deco, and told me I had to do *less* of a stop at 15 feet because of it. The deco stop is mandatory, safety stop is a suggested stop. So the 1-minute stop takes priority over the 3.

So yes, Jake is right. I was diving a recreational, within NDL profile, which was the plan when we entered the water. Once the $%@& hit the fan and it put me into an outside NDL profile, it stopped doing what I expected it to. It changed my dive plan. Just be aware when you're diving a computer that you don't become too reliant on those sorts of things, because under stress you can forget very basic things, like how to time 3 minutes...

I'm making this point because I don't really see this as a computer I'd use for decompression diving, and I think (but not certain) the OP was looking for a computer to use while diving within NDLs. Perhaps it is a good computer, I don't have the training to know. It got really mad at me when I did that though...I do know it will let you get right back into the water, rather than lock you out for 24-hours like some computers if you push them into deco. But it will get you out of trouble if you accidentally push the limits, just be aware of things it will do differently than you expect.

[Norris]

I don't like the taste of the am/pm air, it's kinda tangy. I'm not sure if it still is or not, that was before I started getting nitrox from NWSD.

it's the same down here, too. i don't do am/pm fills anymore. it's usually the shell stations, though sometimes i go to the 76 stations when they have that "buy two fills and get a free small slurpee" special.

The AM/PM in Hoodsport only costs 75cents for a fill:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX2OrEy18lo[/youtube]

HA HA HA Leave it to MZ to take it to the limit!!!!

AWESOME!!!

[Nwbrewer]

This computer gives a 3-minute countdown when you hit 20 feet for a safety stop. I only barely pushed my computer into deco, for a good reason, so I only accumulated a tiny bit of an obligation once I started up the line. It wanted me to do a 1 minute deco stop at 10 feet, so it gave me a one minute countdown once I hit the safety stop mark on the line. Once the minute was up it stopped counting down, and just gave me bottom time again, and I was stressed so couldn't remember how long I'd been there. Basically, it sent me into deco, and told me I had to do *less* of a stop at 15 feet because of it. The deco stop is mandatory, safety stop is a suggested stop. So the 1-minute stop takes priority over the 3.

I'm still a little confused. Normally it asks you somehow to do a 3 minute stop at 20', but you took it a little bit over NDL, so it wanted you to go to straight to 10' for a 1 minute stop, and that was it? It didn't ask for any stop time at all below that? After that it just cleared you to ascend to the surface?

[mz53480]

...I'm still a little confused....

Elise,
I'm with Jake on this--it seems strange that it would skip a deeper stop for a shallower one?
Or did you do a deeper stop first, and then the 10' stop after? Or was your ascent slow enough to just go to 10'?
Thanks, I appreciate any clarification b/c understanding this will help me as a diver in the future; I know it will.
MZ

[dwashbur]

...I'm still a little confused....

Elise,
I'm with Jake on this--it seems strange that it would skip a deeper stop for a shallower one?
Or did you do a deeper stop first, and then the 10' stop after? Or was your ascent slow enough to just go to 10'?
Thanks, I appreciate any clarification b/c understanding this will help me as a diver in the future; I know it will.
MZ

I've had mine do this before, and I think I understand. Basically, if you come up slowly enough, it gives you credit for the offgassing you do along the way and adjusts itself accordingly. The last time I went into deco was about 2 years ago at Cove 2, but at that time I was watching the computer very carefully while we made our way up the slope. Since we go so slowly anyway, it was constantly adjusting itself to account for the time we were taking. Later on I checked the manual and a couple of websites and discovered that its internal algorithms are "smart" enough to do this. We were only past the NDL for less than 2 minutes, so by the time we got up to about 40 feet it was back to giving us basic NDL time, though with a required 1 minute stop somewhere along the way (don't remember the depth, but it wasn't 10 feet!). So maybe that's what was happening with Elise's computer? I have no idea how these things make their calcuations; I can spell "advanced math" but that's about it for my knowledge of the subject.

[Mattleycrue76]

This computer gives a 3-minute countdown when you hit 20 feet for a safety stop. I only barely pushed my computer into deco, for a good reason, so I only accumulated a tiny bit of an obligation once I started up the line. It wanted me to do a 1 minute deco stop at 10 feet, so it gave me a one minute countdown once I hit the safety stop mark on the line. Once the minute was up it stopped counting down, and just gave me bottom time again, and I was stressed so couldn't remember how long I'd been there. Basically, it sent me into deco, and told me I had to do *less* of a stop at 15 feet because of it. The deco stop is mandatory, safety stop is a suggested stop. So the 1-minute stop takes priority over the 3.

I'm still a little confused. Normally it asks you somehow to do a 3 minute stop at 20', but you took it a little bit over NDL, so it wanted you to go to straight to 10' for a 1 minute stop, and that was it? It didn't ask for any stop time at all below that? After that it just cleared you to ascend to the surface?

i don't know about Elise's computer but I've put my Vyec into very minor deco a few times. What happens is that it shows me a mandatory ceiling of 4-5 minutes at 10ft. As long as I am between 10 and 20 ft until that time drops to three minutes or less the computer will remove the ceiling and just count down the rest of the regular safety stop. If I were to chose to surface during these last three minutes the computer would not consider itself violated and would not lock me out. I've been practising ratio deco lately and I really need to make the switch since my computer and scooter absolutely HATE each other :angry:

[defied]

Correction about the Shearwater. I will only use a computer that will allow me to download the dive information directly, allowing me to code a script in linux to collect said data, and display it in my own dive log app. I'm confident that the Shearwater would let me do that, but not 100% positive until I can play with it. 0]

D(B)

Nerd.

Damn Skippy!

D(B)

[Nwbrewer]

This computer gives a 3-minute countdown when you hit 20 feet for a safety stop. I only barely pushed my computer into deco, for a good reason, so I only accumulated a tiny bit of an obligation once I started up the line. It wanted me to do a 1 minute deco stop at 10 feet, so it gave me a one minute countdown once I hit the safety stop mark on the line. Once the minute was up it stopped counting down, and just gave me bottom time again, and I was stressed so couldn't remember how long I'd been there. Basically, it sent me into deco, and told me I had to do *less* of a stop at 15 feet because of it. The deco stop is mandatory, safety stop is a suggested stop. So the 1-minute stop takes priority over the 3.

I'm still a little confused. Normally it asks you somehow to do a 3 minute stop at 20', but you took it a little bit over NDL, so it wanted you to go to straight to 10' for a 1 minute stop, and that was it? It didn't ask for any stop time at all below that? After that it just cleared you to ascend to the surface?

i don't know about Elise's computer but I've put my Vyec into very minor deco a few times. What happens is that it shows me a mandatory ceiling of 4-5 minutes at 10ft. As long as I am between 10 and 20 ft until that time drops to three minutes or less the computer will remove the ceiling and just count down the rest of the regular safety stop. If I were to chose to surface during these last three minutes the computer would not consider itself violated and would not lock me out. I've been practising ratio deco lately and I really need to make the switch since my computer and scooter absolutely HATE each other :angry:

Ok, that makes sense. I'd like to point out that the cochran's ascent alarm wasn't happy once or twice yesterday, (loops are fun) but it never even got close to deco.

[kitsapdiver]

This computer gives a 3-minute countdown when you hit 20 feet for a safety stop. I only barely pushed my computer into deco, for a good reason, so I only accumulated a tiny bit of an obligation once I started up the line. It wanted me to do a 1 minute deco stop at 10 feet, so it gave me a one minute countdown once I hit the safety stop mark on the line. Once the minute was up it stopped counting down, and just gave me bottom time again, and I was stressed so couldn't remember how long I'd been there. Basically, it sent me into deco, and told me I had to do *less* of a stop at 15 feet because of it. The deco stop is mandatory, safety stop is a suggested stop. So the 1-minute stop takes priority over the 3.

So yes, Jake is right. I was diving a recreational, within NDL profile, which was the plan when we entered the water. Once the $%@& hit the fan and it put me into an outside NDL profile, it stopped doing what I expected it to. It changed my dive plan. Just be aware when you're diving a computer that you don't become too reliant on those sorts of things, because under stress you can forget very basic things, like how to time 3 minutes...

I'm making this point because I don't really see this as a computer I'd use for decompression diving, and I think (but not certain) the OP was looking for a computer to use while diving within NDLs. Perhaps it is a good computer, I don't have the training to know. It got really mad at me when I did that though...I do know it will let you get right back into the water, rather than lock you out for 24-hours like some computers if you push them into deco. But it will get you out of trouble if you accidentally push the limits, just be aware of things it will do differently than you expect.

I know this has already been commented on by other users, but I just wanted to add my two cents. The 10 foot stop that the computer shows you is a ceiling. So at that point it's telling you that 10 feet is your ceiling. However, once you are shallow enough that the controlling tissue department starts off gassing you would see that number start to come down. For recreational divers who accidently push the NDL too far, the best advice is to remember some of the AOW, and make a 1 minute stop at half of your deepest depth, (maybe 2 minutes if your into deco.)
You can also make 30 foot, and 20 foot stops.
As you get shallower you want your stops to be increasingly longer than the one before. Assuming you never had more than a minute or two accumulated you should clear the deco on your computer before you actually get to your ceiling (or safety stop depth for that matter). If you wanted to hang your 10 foot stop at 20 feet you certainly could, and you'd be just fine it may take just a little longer than it tells you, and then you could hang your safety stop as soon as the deco clears.

Many computers still direct a 3 minute safety stop after the deco obligations.

[Gdog]

Aeris Atmos AI for the last 6 years. Easy to read, easy to use, handles nitrox. It does seem a bit conservative, but Im ok with that. Wife has one too. Sorry to jump into the thread late...and damn, not sure I want to breath on AMPM air.

[H20doctor]

Tusa Imprex II ... WHy because it rocks !! and when it runs low on Battery power , i just look at everybody elses stuff >> I laugh at deco , Deco fears me >>>>MWAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAA

[BASSMAN]

Tusa Imprex II ... WHy because it rocks !! and when it runs low on Battery power , i just look at everybody elses stuff >> I laugh at deco , Deco fears me >>>>MWAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAA

Yeah, it makes those 80+ foot drops @ 3TN @ night, interesting huh?

[mz53480]

...and damn, not sure I want to breath on AMPM air.

You know--otherwise, you'd have to go to the LDS, THEN to the am/pm for the food anyways. We've found that just combining it all together has been such a time and $ saver, especially in this economy.
And it's usually good stuff. Note: your gas analyzers can be a bit touchy since the gas fumes are close by and can interfere a bit. Best to check it further away from the station.
And, it can be busy too, especially during the holiday weekends. Labor day....oh man. :angry:
It took us about an hour for a fill, but it's so worth it.