We’ve all had that feeling — you’re inside the middle of an exquisite dive, hovering somewhere over a fantastic view of the bottom when the feeling hits. “I’ve got to move up,” you understand. “It’s time to say goodbye.”
All certified divers recognize that bottom time is a precious commodity. Almost continually, that’s where the maximum thrilling points of interest at your preferred dive spot could be. And yet, seeing the one’s attractions way, you’re in a consistent balancing act between air supply, the elements, and your body.
During certification, you learned approximately the significance of dive tables in assisting you in calculating the amount of backside time to be had at a given sight. Calculations are important for maintaining secure ranges of nitrogen building up for the duration of your dive. In practicality, even though only a few divers virtually hassle to deliver dive tables alongside for the ride nowadays. But, that doesn’t make decompression time any less critical. Knowing how long you can or want to remain at what depth remains truly important to any dive. However, present-day dive computer systems will deal with most of the enterprise of calculating bottom time and decompression time for you. And, they do so extra quickly and greater effectively than vintage school, human calculations can.
The quite latest advent of less expensive dive computer systems has modified the face of present-day diving immensely. In contrast, traditional dive tables require you to do mental math and estimate how much bottom time you have; a dive laptop can do the process exactly even as well as contemplate the fluctuations of your intensity in real-time.
Ultimately, the cease result is less time spent doing intellectual gymnastics, more significant time to see the sector around you, and more considerable time to immerse yourself in your dive.
One piece of the system, endless uses
We get it. You can hire a dive laptop alongside your tanks, but that doesn’t suggest you have to. Owning your piece of package can’t handiest keep on condo costs but also pay dividends once it’s set up, especially for your body, and—crucially—incorporates your dive history.
PADI recommends dive computer systems with a clean-to-study display that provides numerous statistics factors. At a minimum, your dive pc needs to show these statistics: no prevent limits, depth, time, no stop time remaining, ascent fee, emergency decompression rates, preceding dive data, and occasional battery warnings. It must additionally be well suited with enriched air (nitrox). The latter is a huge deal and saves you from many hand calculations required during the usage of nitrox.
Some dive computer systems have non-obligatory features like thermometers, compasses, an incorporated dive watch, and an included air display. (If you’re into that.) many also consist of connectivity abilities with laptops or computing device computer systems, allowing you to export dive facts to research or proportion on social media.
A primary dive pc can be had for around $two hundred. However, other advanced alternatives are available from a variety of manufacturers. Those range upwards of $1,000, although many divers will probably find a happy medium of dive pc capabilities at a mid-variety price point.
Choosing the proper dive laptop for you
Are you a amateur, intermediate, or advanced diver? The answer could determine how a lot you want to spend on a dive computer. Most new recreational divers gained’t want to drop $1,000 or extra to find a successful dive laptop for their desires. In reality, simple and more inexpensive computer systems in the $200 to $500 range often advantage amateur divers, who’re still mastering to take advantage of the tool’s functionalities. For an amateur, it’s more important to get comfy respiration, swimming, and navigating underwater than it is to utilize a complicated graph on an extremely sophisticated dive pc.
