What Is A Dive Computer & How Does It Work?
Quadri Abdur August 24th, 2023 Posted In: Articles Tags: SCUBA
What Is A Dive Computer?
In modern times, it’s unusual to find a SCUBA diver who is ready to go out for the day without a dive computer. And the reason is fair. Dive computers have revolutionized the sport of SCUBA diving by allowing divers to be fully alert and in control of their environment at all times when submerged. Learn more about dive computers and how they function below!
Understanding Dive Computers
A SCUBA diving computer is a digital tool for recording and displaying dive data in real-time. It considers both the duration and maximum depth of a dive. Its system uses a decompression model to estimate blood’s dissolved nitrogen levels. Ascent profiles were formerly calculated manually, but with the advent of dive computers, divers are now informed of the optimal depth and duration of their surface intervals.
Decompression sickness, or the bends, can occur when a diver emerges from the water, but it can be avoided with careful planning and calculation. Commonly, divers rely on their dive computers to show them how much time is left until they can safely ascend to the surface without needing to make any decompression pauses. In a nutshell, dive computers let you maximize your bottom time while maintaining safety above and below the sea.
How Does a Dive Computer Work?
With the use of a decompression model and the diver’s recorded depth and dive duration, a dive computer can calculate the amount of dissolved nitrogen in the diver’s body. Since nitrogen loading rises with depth, divers need to allow more or less time for nitrogen to exit their tissues, depending on how deep they go. A diver who goes beyond the no-decompression limit must ascend to the surface in stages.
Vital Features of a Diving Computer
The quality of your dive may be made or broken by the dive computer you use. Let’s talk about dive computers, their features, and why it’s important below.
Give Decompression Times
To avoid developing decompression sickness (when nitrogen bubbles emerge in the body after a dive), dive computers provide you decompression timings. Also known as how long you can stay at a certain depth without risking injury. A dive computer will inform you how deep you need to ascend. It also informs you of the duration you have to stay there if you unintentionally enter decompression.
Calculate Diving Depth
Dive computers are also great for tracking how deep you’ve gone underwater. This ensures that you don’t go deeper than you should, diving to depths that could put your safety in danger. If you have a dive computer, you can prove to your insurance company that you didn’t go deeper than your certification allowed.
Upload All Data
Another advantage of using a dive computer is that you may save all the data you collect throughout a dive on the device. You may now retain a detailed digital record of all your dives. In addition to making notes and uploading images for each dive, you can also submit maps. This is helpful for future visits to the dive location and connecting with other SCUBA enthusiasts online.
Rechargeable Batteries
It is now feasible to use dive computers with rechargeable batteries, as we work to reduce our impact on the environment. Your dive computer may be recharged by simply connecting it to a USB port. Most dive computers can be used for 20 dives after a single charge.
Sensors for Many Gases
As your diving skills improve, you may be ready to take on more challenging dives that call for more than one oxygen tank. With this feature, you may stay updated about the oxygen levels in each cylinder with the help of a dive computer.
The Air Transmitter
The air transmitter is an optional addition to dive computers. With the help of a wireless transmitter, you can keep tabs on your vehicle’s air pressure at all times. At your present depth, it also estimates how much time you have left on your oxygen supply. How? Based on your typical breathing rate and tank pressure.
Types of Dive Computers
After deciding to purchase a dive computer and prioritizing its features, there are three primary varieties from which to pick.
Wrist Type
Most divers use wrist dive computers because they are small, comfortable to wear on the wrist, and simple to read.
Watch Design
The dive computer in the form of a dive watch is convenient for SCUBA excursions since it can be worn like a regular watch while you’re not diving and then switched to the diving mode when you do. It’s pricier than most dive computers and has all the features you need.
Console
The console computer will replace the pressure and depth gauge that has traditionally been connected to the regulators by means of a hose. Although the console computer is not as portable as other types, it performs an excellent job of keeping track of your oxygen levels, depth, and other safety parameters, making it a favorite choice among American divers.
Final Thoughts
Dive computers remain a vital tool to help divers record and display dive data in real-time. Certainly, all contemporary dive computers keeps track of your depth, time, and N2 loading. Nonetheless, choosing a dive computer often depend on individual tastes, needs, and preferences. Do you need a huge or small screen, a built-in compass or a variety of gas mixtures, a console computer, or a wrist-mounted one? Ensure to choose the one that suits your needs best.
