Picking the Perfect Dive Computer

Posted: Sep 28 in Dive Blog tagged Diving Gear, Specialty Diving by Jan

After scuba certification in Illinois, keep your dive on track with a computer

Though many Americans seem to bring a computer with them everywhere, taking a smartphone or laptop on your dive will never be a good idea. Still, a computer can be your very best friend on any dive, helping you avoid decompression sickness by keeping track of the time and depth of your dive.

Also known as a decompression or deco meter, a dive computer can be a vital part of staying safe on any dive after you get your scuba certification in Illinois. By determining the length and depth of your dive, a dive computer can provide the parameters you’ll need to stay within to keep your nitrogen levels from becoming problematic.

If you’ve recently completed a scuba certification class and find yourself in the dark about how to choose or use a dive computer, a specialty class on computer diving can shed some light on how to make this technology an effective part of your scuba experience. Though most divers today use dive computers, the many options available can make selection overwhelming. Because the dive computer that works best for you will depend largely on personal preference, take the following factors into consideration on your search for the ideal dive device:

Independent or Integrated?

Dive computers typically come in two varieties: independent and integrated. An independent dive computer is a standalone gauge that is typically worn around the wrist and often looks like little more than a large waterproof watch. Independent dive computers usually don’t come with a built-in pressure gauge, but will still provide a wealth of useful information. Many divers choose to wear their independent dive computers as everyday watches.

An integrated dive computer may also come in watch form, or may be found as a console version attached to the rest of your equipment by hose. These computers work in conjunction with your SPG and other instruments to give you more detailed information. Integrated dive computers are able to provide you with an estimate of your remaining time by measuring your air supply, depth and the speed of your breathing. This can remove the need for an SPG, but caution should be taken, because if your dive computer fails you’ll find yourself unable to determine the amount of air left in your tank. Integrated computers also tend to be the most expensive models.

What Should I Look For?

Regardless of whether you choose the independent or integrated route, your dive computer should have the following features:

• Readability. Though your dive computer may seem easily legible above water, this may not be the case during your dive. Be sure that the display is easy to understand and large enough to consult easily while diving.
• Warnings. Even if you have the fanciest dive computer in the deep blue sea, it won’t do you much good if it runs out of power. Most dive computers will warn you if their batteries are close to depletion, but double check that yours has this feature. Many dive computers will also provide audible warnings when you ascend too quickly or your gas supply is below a certain threshold limitation.
• Nitrox Compatibility. As nitrox use in diving has become more commonplace, computers that are compatible with nitrox have followed suit. Because diving with enriched nitrox will help you dive further, buying a nitrox-compatible dive computer may be a prudent choice if you ever plan on diving with nitrox in the future.

With the many incredible diving technologies available today, it should come as no surprise that these are only a few of the features you may find in a dive computer. If interested, you may also want to choose a dive computer that offers integration via transmitter, allowing you to keep an integrated computer on your wrist. Some dive computers also help you create dive logs by letting you upload information to your PC. Those who are focused on tech diving may be interested in computers that calculate usage of multiple gases.

What other factors are important in a dive computer after scuba certification in Illinois? Share your tips, experiences and questions with us in the comments below.