Basic Knowledge About Dive Computers

Risks of Diving

The many wonders of the underwater world have been exposed to the public due to diving. The biggest danger of diving is often hidden by the various kinds of beauty that the deep blue contains. Many people may think that the real danger to the divers would be sharks or boats or anything else that may exist in the water, but it is in fact Caisson disease or decompression sickness.

Anyone who goes from a high pressure to low pressure environment can be afflicted by the disease which is also known as the bends. The disease is a result of Henrys law, which in summary states that gas will form bubbles in a fluid when the pressure goes down. In terms of the bends, nitrogen is typically the gas and the blood is the fluid.

When the process occurs gradually, such as in an airplane cabin, the lungs have enough time to remove the gas before the bubbles form. When it occurs quickly, such as in the case of a diver surfacing too fast, it may result in itching skin and rashes, pain in the joints, paralysis and potentially death.

How to avoid the bends

Preventing the bends requires the diver to ascend slowly, allowing the gas to naturally de-gas. The number of variables to consider when calculating the time needed for slow surfacing makes it very difficult to determine. That is why the dive computer was invented. With its specialized timers and sensors, it can determine how deep the diver is and how long the diver was at that depth. Diving computers conduct its calculations in real time and determine how much time the diver needs to spend at a particular level to surface safely and prevent the bends.

A dive computer in just about every brand and model is able to sense the exact duration of divers being at certain depths. The diving computer can then estimate the blood gas level of the diver and figure out: the time period in which the diver can surface without having to worry about the bends; the duration of the divers stop at each depth in order to surface safely and the maximum depth the diver can reach amongst other things.

The Diver Interface

Many forms of divers computer will have visual displays, which should be clearly read and visible while diving. The display of the dive computer should be uncluttered, so the diver does not experience information overload. In addition to the above information, better models of diving computers will display information such as the temperature of the water, the required decompression time at each depth and how fast the diver is rising. Many higher end models will transmit the entire dive to a computer for later analysis.

Certain defining features can really set a dive computer ahead of the pack. By the time a diver has surfaced, high end dive watches will display the time before a diver can board an airplane. One of the quickest ways to get the bends is to board an airplane too soon. High end models are also able to keep track of the air supply in the scuba tanks.

When it comes to buying a dive computer for yourself, you should check to see how much information is provided on the display and whether or not the display is clear and visible, for practicality underwater. You should also check for other features and see what underwater variables are being kept track of in terms of dive quantities. A recommended choice of an excellent diving computer would have to be the Suunto D9.