[Finless]

Having read the article in Diver by Mark Ellyatt called "Bubbles Gone Bad" about the various types of deco softwares that are available with the wildly varying results depending the different methods used (GF, bubble models etc) made me think, again, about what to believe. I have little knowledge on the subject and I don't do major deco (max 30 mins) so I tend to go by what other people use and, more to the point, I'm not really interested in learning how to understand the physics of deco, I just want something that works.

Primarily, I go by what my dive computer tells me (Cochran sae on 9 mtrs per minute max ascent rate and 10% conservatism) and I haven't been bent yet (includes one 60 mtr dive and a few to 50 mtrs and mainly in the 30 to 40 mtr range) .......... or, at least, not so I've noticed?

Somebody gave me a copy of a well known deco product which I have used to run my backup times in case of computer failure.

Anyway, I had a look at Prolanner and it is over £100 + VAT:-

Price:
£104.23 ex. VAT
£122.47 inc. VAT
Proplanner was the first commercially available dive planning software for the recreational and technical dive market. It is used by thousands of divers all over the world to plan and execute their dives. The Pro Planner software now comes in a single version that covers Open and Closed Circuit users and all gas variations.


- this seems slightly OTT, not in terms of 'my life' but as a product. Is this fair or am I being over parsimonious?

Anyhow, any recommendations on what software to use for my type of diving (no He yet).

 

[Colin Marriott]

Try this 'un

HLPlanner - FREE VPM-B based decompression software



ColinM

 

[Morg_NZ]

Which issue is his article in??

I personally like

http://www.nautilusdiveplanner.com/

Easy to use, constantly being updated and features added, prints great tables in various formats, easy to set up and also has a string of new features being added within the next few months.

 

[Jezza]

Which issue is his article in??

The current one, i got it yesterday

 

[Finless]

Which issue is his article in??

I personally like

NAUTILUSDIVEPLANNER.COM

Easy to use, constantly being updated and features added, prints great tables in various formats, easy to set up and also has a string of new features being added within the next few months.

It's in the May issue.

I have a lot of respect for Mark Ellyatt for the dives he has done/survived + I went to a presentation of his at LIDS (the wreck of the .......... curse this memory ........ it's off Lebanon and is nose down in the silt .. props at about 80 mtrs and the sea bed at 120ish mtrs) - anyway, he seemed like a really nice bloke.

He compares different models of software to show the differing deco times and, indeed, the difference in deco generated by changing the level of conservatism used.

 

[Finless]

Which issue is his article in??

I personally like

NAUTILUSDIVEPLANNER.COM

Easy to use, constantly being updated and features added, prints great tables in various formats, easy to set up and also has a string of new features being added within the next few months.

I just had a look (thanks for the link) ...... my problem is knowing which algorithm to choose ......... trial and error till I get a bend?

 

[Morg_NZ]

I just had a look (thanks for the link) ...... my problem is knowing which algorithm to choose ......... trial and error till I get a bend?

Nope, Pick the one that's closest to your current comp{Chocran??...DCAP} and wind the conservatisim up.
This one lets you pick the algorithm you want at no extra cost..... other you have to buy the program to try. Also there adding more algorithms to the program as well as download features of leading computers.

Proplanner was great when MS-DOS was king and there wasn't any other otions out there

 

[Roobydoo]

I have Proplanner, which uses the same algorithm as the VR3. I also have V-Planner, which IMHO is a lot better to use, and very versatile. You can download it free from the internet, which gives you the ability to plan your dives. It is configurable, so you can also work out gas requirements based on your own RMV etc, which is a real bonus.

But there is also a lot more to it. If you blend, there is a whole section on blending He and EANx, but this isn't free. You have to buy a license, (about $45) which unlocks the goodies.

Well worth it!!

HTH

Steve

 

[Finless]

I have Proplanner, which uses the same algorithm as the VR3. I also have V-Planner, which IMHO is a lot better to use, and very versatile. You can download it free from the internet, which gives you the ability to plan your dives. It is configurable, so you can also work out gas requirements based on your own RMV etc, which is a real bonus.

But there is also a lot more to it. If you blend, there is a whole section on blending He and EANx, but this isn't free. You have to buy a license, (about $45) which unlocks the goodies.

Well worth it!!

HTH

Steve

I really like Proplanner but it seems very expensive? $45 is much more in the right ball park .......... but is that just for the mixing software?

 

[milldog]

you have a PM

 

[Morg_NZ]

I really like Proplanner but it seems very expensive? $45 is much more in the right ball park .......... but is that just for the mixing software?

http://www.nautilusdiveplanner.com/

Does all of the above and more... gas blending, EAD calcs, etc etc etc

You can also try for free!!
And purchase only the level you need...if you only dive to 50 M why pay for software that plans to 150M ???:embarassed:

Download it and try it

 

[milldog]

gone

Graham

 

[The Duck]

I'm a V-Planner fan.

It get me out of the water feeling good (no obvious signs of sub-clinical DCS, well to me at any rate). It allows you to configure it to match your diving and your conservitism (sp? - that spelling looks wrong!?).

 

[Woz]

There's also MV Planner that is a free Buhlmann deco planner.

Or my personal favourite- JDeco that runs on your mobile phone, does Buhlmann and VPM and blending too. The best £20 you'll spend on software.

 

[grazie42]

I use v-planner on my pc and JDeco on my mobile...If I was only going to get one and just wanted a decoplan, I´d propably go for JDeco (it has both buhlmann and Vpln).

Having looked at other software (not all), I have to say that I still think v-planner is good value-for-money (specially with the exchange rate of the dollar at the moment)...

 

[Finless]

Harping back to my original thoughts on ME's article, the variances in TTS times between diff softwares was too big ................ unless some are vastly overating the deco requirement or .................

As I say, I rely on my computer because it is there with me and gets me back again ............ although I might up the conservatism setting a bit ................ I think uses a 16 box thingy Bulhman(sp) widget.

Is this how every techie does it - "goes out and uses their own body to quantify whether their deco is too aggresive?"

I suppose that's the way it has to be?

 

[Woz]

If you get the chance, do Mark Powell's Deco Theory and Physiology course. It's dead interesting. And you may as wel make it up as you go along anyway- it's just about as valid.

 

[Finless]

If you get the chance, do Mark Powell's Deco Theory and Physiology course. It's dead interesting. And you may as well make it up as you go along anyway- it's just about as valid.

Woz,

I'm having enough trouble remembering what I already know without trying to cram more stuff in there!!! Unless it makes complete 'common sense' then I will be wasting my time and money ................. probably.

Anyway, the more I have learned about diving the more it scares me ............ I think I prefer the more ignorant old me!

 

[Woz]

Woz,

I'm having enough trouble remembering what I already know without trying to cram more stuff in there!!! Unless it makes complete 'common sense' then I will be wasting my time and money ................. probably.

Anyway, the more I have learned about diving the more it scares me ............ I think I prefer the more ignorant old me!

That's it Bryan. You just follow what Suunto says for a 40 min deco dive. You'll feel fine. Honest you will.

"Suunto RGBM" by the way- complete Suunto Bollox and a bit of Clever Marketing. They run Buhlmann just like virtualy every other computer. The lying Scandinavian toerags.

 

[grazie42]

That's it Bryan. You just follow what Suunto says for a 40 min deco dive. You'll feel fine. Honest you will.

"Suunto RGBM" by the way- complete Suunto Bollox and a bit of Clever Marketing. They run Buhlmann just like virtualy every other computer. The lying Scandinavian toerags.

I read somewhere (possibly in a Suunto manual :redface: ) that what they do is run Buhlmann and RGBM with Buhlmann "in control" but with the ability to insert RGBM "stops" when RGBM is sufficiently unhappy with the way you dive.

Can´t say as I´ve ever noticed it doing that as a) RGBM only really comes into its own on "deeper" profiles where my Suunto wants a new diver anyway and b) on shallow dives when I may pay some attention to stuff besides depth and time, I don´t go deep or long enough for RGBM to get aggitated...

....possibly....of course I could be just another lying scandinavian toerag