Dive Slate Mark up for Deco

[RichClark]

I use my VR3 for primary and use my slates as backup.... In due course I wouldn't mind a 2nd VR3, but for now I rather spend the £££ diving.

I use one of those 3 slate thingies, and cover it in gaffer tape and use a fine permanent marker. My tables are written in much the the same way as others have already stated.

The only difference being, is that the top slate, is actually more of a plan; i.e. I draw out a rough profile, and indicate my descent, depth for gas switch onto BG, when I expect to hit the bottom, total run time at the bottom, and when I'm due to leave, I even show what depth I'm planning on shooting my bag at and TRT when I expect to hit my first deep stop / gas switch.

This is perhaps a bit over kill, but if the shit hits the fan, I want to be able to see my entire dive plane, and not just backup tables.
Sorry that the explanation is a bit convoluted, but if anyone wants, I can post pics.

Cheers

Rich

[Mikel-Deko]

Deep 15/15 15/10 15/20 B-O
52 15/15 15/15 15/15
45 15/30 10/25 20/35
27 1/33 1/27 1/38 1
24 1/35 1/29 1/40 1
21 1/37 1/31 1/42 2
18 2/40 1/33 3/46 3
15 3/44 4/38 5/52 4
12 5/49 5/44 7/60 5
9 8/58 6/51 9/70 9
6-O2 19/78 16/68 25/95 45

Here you have how i do it.
1st colum. DEEP
2nd colum. Main dive dive time/run time
3rd colum. -5 min/ run time
4th colum. +5 min/ run time
5th colum. Bail-out.
Any gas change is showed near the deep.
I print it and i put it with adhesive tape in my slate.
You only can used it once, but as you have it in you computer, you can always make any change and make it again.
Hope this can help you.
Regards
Mikel-Deko

[Garf]

Below is an example of how I do mine. Please note that I have made these up in my head. I have not allowed for travel time between depths, time to change gases or anything like that, before anyone has a go! I did these in exel, but usually put pieces of duct tape on the slates and then write them out in black marker as below. You can get white duct tape which is lovely for this.

I would have others written out on other slate pages for Deeper, Longer, and Deeper/Longer. works for me.



TFS is the important one for me. Tells me the time I have to be at the first stop. As long as I get that bit right, the rest of the plan is easy. I appreciate that it is a lot simpler approach than many take, but frankly it works for me, and I dont like complicated things underwater.

If there is a gas switch involved, then the plan will appear as below;

[Padowan]

I have one of those larger flip up slates, and on the bottom slate (the largest one) I have indented a grid using some deft work with a soltering iron, this gives me lines that don't rub off, I then write all my schedules for any half decent dive I do. All I write down is the runtime at the particular stop, working from deep on the left, to shallow on the right, so it might look something like this...

.. 55 50 -- -- 36 30 27 24 21 18 15 12 09 06 03 00
P. -- 20 -- -- -- -- 23 24 25 26 27 29 32 43 -- 49
+D 20 -- -- -- -- 23 24 25 26 27 29 32 35 48 -- 54
+T -- 25 -- -- -- -- 28 29 30 31 33 36 39 54 -- 60
OC -- 20 -- -- -- -- -- 21 24 25 26 28 31 36 42 45
B. -- 10 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 14 15 16 -- 25

P = Plan
+D = More depth, usually I do +5 for the planned bottom time
+T = Extra time at depth, usually 5 minutes
OC = dive plan, OC ascent
B = Bailout (for example descend and don't find wreck), usually half the planned bottom time

I used to have a (-G) column which was when I was on OC, and was a lost deco gas plan, but now I'm on the box, I have the OC row which is for the depth and time as planned and doing the ascent on whatever OC gasses I'm carrying

The depth labels are not permanent, so I write in whatever depths I need either for bottom depth variations and stop depths...

This is a flexible arrangement and it works for me.

[Garf]

I quite like that Padawan, that's quite a neat system. I still like having my stop times in front of me, however, but that's maybe down to lack of experience on my part.

[Paul Oliver]

I do the same as Ainsley, but i do like garf's very nice and simple layout.

I want easy to read tables that i could cope with when stressed or narked and that any buddy can read. I have had blured vision a couple of times and don't want any confusion.

I also like a different method of back up so table and timer to 'puter or visa versa.

[MattS]

Another variation on Ainsley's theme;
Example only.

MIX:Air EAD:
D S RT
------
30 - 30
15 2 34
10 2 37 80%
6 2 39
5 5 44
3 3 47
=== 48

Separate slate
BAIL: Air
D S RT
=====
10 2 37 21%
6 4 41
5 10 51
3 3 54
=== 55

D - Depth, S - Stop, RT - Run time (time to leave the current depth)

I finalised this layout back in the days when deep air meant deeper than 66m and narcs was just another problem to deal with. The layout is about as simple as I can make it as a result. I did try forgoing the S column but was not happy about relying on just the run time.

The bail out slate only covers the difference in stops times that a lost stage will cause. The early model VR3 was a little flaky and I used to write the main plan on the back of the bailout slate. The current model is reliable enough that I don't bother. I carry a full table for working out any other time variations and I should not have to look at it until I am shallow enough that narcs is not a problem. For Trimix dives I take a second bailout plan and custom cut the full table.

[graham_hk]

Learn some simple rules of thumb about deco and then you can calculate any profile for any depth or bottom time thereby leaving the slate in your pocket and freeing up your wrist.

Graham

[Pierre Farrugia]

Hello,

What I do is to write the dive profile on the top slate with a pencil and then cover everything with transperant tape as on one dive I hit something and the numbers disappeared!

What I will have written is

DEPTH TIME MIX RUNTIME

Hope this helps