Understanding Dive Tables And Computers

Some leisure divers consider dive tables as relics from the past in a time of reasonably priced wrist-mounted dive computers. Knowing how to utilise a diving table, however, will help lower your risk of decompression illness if done correctly. Dive tables find your surface interval time and let you figure out how long you might reasonably stay at a certain depth. They also assist in your grasp of the mathematical ideas underlying your dive computer's whirling algorithms.

Histories

While dive computers are now a common component of scuba gear, diving tables remain rather significant in the field. Together with dive computers, they offer a useful tool for computing decompression stops and help to organise and execute difficult dives. They also help to evaluate a diver's diving execution's quality. Every scuba diver receives instruction on using no-decompression dive tables as part of their fundamental open water program. Still, most divers do not habitually follow these apparently benign directions. They might be overwhelmed by the complex mathematical theories and physics underlying them, one factor. Another is that the tables neglect the variations in physical fitness and nitrogen loading between divers of various forms, sizes, and ages, therefore assuming a hyper-fit Navy diver.

Purposes

Many divers say they have not picked up a dive table since certifying and cannot even recall how to use one. This does not mean tables are useless or that computers should replace them, though. Computers can offer a more exact profile in real time than what the square wave dive plan on a table suggests. Still, they assume you will drop to a specified depth and stay there until the allocated surface time runs out. Their contingency plans so sometimes call for the use of reserve gas, which lowers the total amount of spare gas accessible in case of disaster. Furthermore, their pre-planned ascent schedules are not sensitive to a delayed ascent, hence the diver could have to stretch the intended decompression times greatly.

correctness

Although computers are helpful and convenient, one should not rely just on them to exclude appropriate conservatism and smart dive planning. The information a computer offers is not perfect even if its algorithms are more consistent than those of the human brain. Assuming that each dive level takes half as long to reach full saturation as the previous one, tables and computers both run on presumptions about nitrogen absorption and excretion times in different tissue compartments. To identify a model that performs flawlessly every time, it is difficult to evaluate all combinations of persons, dives, and conditions, though. Besides, every computer model and method vary somewhat from the next. For a group of divers using the same dive tables, this can provide distinct permitted profiles.

Dependability

Dive tables' and computers' dependability is a continuous challenge. Though they are tested extensively, it is impossible to test them on every diver on the planet. For a single set of diving tables to safely operate for everyone, the recreational scuba population is too varied in age, weight, fitness level, and other factors. Likewise, utilising dive tables in open water environments where the lighting may be inadequate and there isn't a solid spot to sit and compute makes mistakes easier. Many recently certified new divers claim they seldom use dive tables and would find it difficult to recall how to do so. Fortunately, computer multilevel profile diving provides far better accuracy than conventional dive tables.

Money

Dive tables continue to be quite important in the diving field even with the development of dive computers. Computers cannot replace the capacity to use dive tables to plan repeated or multilevel dives, even while they offer real-time bottom time, depth and nitrogen exposure data. Different dive computers and algorithms vary somewhat from one another as well, therefore a group of divers may have different allowed profiles for the same dive if everyone is using a different dive computer. From the surface, this can cause uncertainty and possible safety concerns. Knowing dive tables helps a diver have the background information needed to successfully plan and execute challenging dives. This covers the relationship between depth, duration, and nitrogen offgassing as well as the correct computation of air dive times depending on the NAUI Letter Group system.