Diving pleasure : Memento the diving computers

Diving pleasure : Memento the diving computers by Alain Foret

Summary:

Dive computers are nowadays widely used and the offers of the manufacturers are multiple.The last few years have seen the appearance on the market of new functions ranging from nitrox to multi-gas management, passing through electronic compasses, integrated air management, the concept of deep stops, optional stops, apnea mode, etc.

On the display side, the latest OLED technology has made its appearance alongside the traditional LCD screens, posing the question of screen ergonomics and access to the various functions in a different way. It is even possible to see the desaturation information in the mask and to use your smartphone as a dive computer.

On the interface side, Bluetooth technology has been integrated, making it possible to export data not only to your desktop computer, which has been available for many years via a physical connection, but also to tablets and, in general, to any mobile support.

As for the desaturation models, they all now include the Haldane approach (dissolved nitrogen) and the microbubble approach, for even safer decompression.

In short, as you can see, the world of dive computers is in full swing and it was necessary to take stock of the issue, to have an overall view to better understand the possibilities offered, the choices proposed and the stakes in terms of safety of desaturation.

This is the purpose of this Pleasure Diving guidebook, which is intended for divers, whether they are supervised or autonomous, and for supervisors, guides, initiators and instructors. Divers will find answers to their questions:
How does a dive computer work?
What are the criteria for choosing one?
What are the limits of use?
What are the main functions available?
What is a desaturation model?

Supervisors can use this material for their courses on desaturation procedures. With this in mind, each page of the memento is captioned:
PE : means that the page concerns supervised divers, who must know how to read their instrument, understand the key concepts and know the possibilities offered.
PA : means that the page is for autonomous divers. In general, they must know all the possibilities offered by their instrument and, in particular, be aware of the possibilities of setting parameters that have an impact on the safety of desaturation.
EP: means that the page is intended for supervisors (guides, initiators, instructors), whose knowledge of the subject must be broader than that of autonomous divers and go beyond their instrument alone, in order to be able to advise the divers they supervise, help them in the handling of their computer and guide them in their choices.