Customer Reviews

Dive Computers: A Consumer's Guide to History, Theory, and Performance

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I'm a Divemaster who has had this book since it came out in the early '90s. It covers the evolution of dive computers up through when the book was released. There is detailed comparative information on each of the dominant dive computers of the day and of the algorithms favored then by the different manufacturers. It was an excellent book in its day and would have rated a 5 out of 5 when it first came out.

Some of those same physical nitrogen absorption algorithms are still in use in today's dive computers. Others of the covered algorithms have evolved since the book's release but are still easier to understand given the book's background information.

Most specific current dive computers are not, of course, covered in a book copyrighted in 1991. (For example, the newest Suunto computer covered in the book is their Solution series).

Much of the information is still relevant though, in terms of understanding the roots and limitations of the different theoretical models of nitrogen behavior in the body. I still loan this book out fairly frequently to let new or non-technically-oriented divers get an understanding for how dive computers and their theoretical models work and for what they should look for in a dive computer.

It is particularly useful with the more hard-headed divers who pick computers solely based on how much time it will allow them at depth. (I guess they feel they somehow can't get bent if a more-liberal dive computer says they're OK).

I recommend this book solely for its background information with the reservation that neither current dive computers nor the most current nitrogen / bubble models will be covered. Once you've read this, you can research the current algorithm used by a prospective dive computer purchase and have a much better chance of actually understanding it.