In this episode of The Dive Locker Podcast we explore whether dive pro’s should teach dive tables or not.

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As you know our industry is full of debates, well one of them is whether or not to teach dive tables. Some say computers have replaced them and some say what if you need them when your computer fails. Good arguments from both positions.

So I’m gonna break down these arguments, throw in some other considerations for good measure, and that way you’ll be as informed as possible on the issue and the sides. And hopefully when you climb up on your soapbox to defend your position you won’t fall off and die on your sword.

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Pro’s and Con’s – Or Are There?

To teach or not to teach that is the question. Okay so many old school instructors learned on dive tables, they understand them, know how to use and teach them. Then computers come along and wow… a whole new world of dive planning opens up. Awesome. Now on the flip side there is a whole lot of newer instructors who don’t have the same background and experience. In fact the only time they ever saw a dive table was in their Divemaster course. So to them tables are a burden and computers are the way to go.

The problem is is that both sides point to the other and defend their points but often these points are caustic and accusatory. When you sit in enough seminars, hang around enough instructors and read enough dive forums and blogs you see that it can be contentious. Look there’s enough divide in this world let’s not bring tables into the world of debate!

Looking Openly

So let’s look at this from a few angles. First, let’s point out that it is clear the industry is moving away from teaching and using dive tables. In fact, there are agencies who don’t teach them at all, at any level. The number one argument against dive tables is that the dive computer is a vastly superior product for dive planning and execution. And that is a true statement. It allows for real time measurements, it automatically calculates contingencies for changes in the planned dive profile, it records, it graphs, it guides through safety stops or deco stops, it alerts ascent rates and it can even change algorithms in conservativeness.

That by far is superior to the dive tables and their square profiles that are only calculated by the deepest depth, rounding times and depths up and down, and having rules in fine print that no one can read underwater! They are very restrictive to bottom times and frankly they are challenging to use and students often forget how to use them. Okay, so we get the point.

But consider this. Why would the world’s largest dive training agency PADI require Divemasters and Instructors to know how to use them? Hmm. Is it because PADI has tens of thousands of plastic Recreational Dive Planners in their warehouse and they need to get rid of them? There are some of you out there that actually think that by the way. Well it’s actually more transparent than that. They are the agency the produces the most Divemasters in the world and they are also the agency that is in the most dive resorts and charters in the world. And that is where the dive tables still have legs.

In consulting with divemasters and boat captains for this episode that perform charter dive trips, it is clear they use dive tables often. What happens is many tourist destinations see the divers just renting equipment, and thus no computers are on the rental package. So the boat crew actually assists in the dive plan. This is mostly with Open Water and Advanced tourist.

Usually however, the regulars and local divers all have computers. And also of course when there is a technical dive charter everyone is on computers and even backup computers. But there still remains a need to plan a dive or two or more using dive tables when the divers only have a watch and depth gauge. This is a common occurrence on charters in tourist spots.

The other common occurrence is when those who own computers forget them, they malfunction or the battery indicates low power. These are very real occurrences – so now what? Does the diver actually not dive? Waste all that money and sit out? Nope, that’s when the tables come out. And the person either knows how to use them or not. And in many cases they don’t. So, here comes the divemaster and saves the day by showing them how long they can safely stay down per the tables.

Again, this is were the tables are being used in our industry. The problem is the majority of Divemasters will never work on a dive boat in their whole career. So they can easily poo poo the need for knowing how to use dive tables.

What Is At Risk Not Teaching Tables?

Now here’s where it gets interesting. I was on a charter dive boat in Cozumel where I saw a buddy pair getting ready to dive. They both looked squared away as divers and they both had computers. Now out of the corner of my eye I saw the one diver fiddling with his computer and I heard him say the battery was dead. He then said well I’ll just use your computer and stay above you the whole dive.

Before I could go get the divemaster and ask him to intervene, he actually heard it too and discussed dive table protocols they should follow for the dives. He quickly pointed out using one computer for two divers is not a good practice. The diver responded with, well that’s what I was taught to do if my computer ever failed. And it was obvious that he never learned tables by the blank look on his face when the divemaster explained them.

Okay you got the scene in your head right? So again what is the alternative to dive if your dive computer goes out? What do you teach your divers to do? Not dive? Well that’s technically the correct answer, but do you think for a minute a diver is just going to become a bubble watcher because their computer failed or they forgot it? Heck no!

So here’s how this would go down if one of the divers got bent on that trip. A legal claim would be made – a lawsuit – that the instructor was negligent by telling the diver during a class that they can use one computer as long as the person without a computer stays above the diver with the computer. What takes place next in deposition is that instructor or even lets say this false information did not come from the instructor but the buddy heard it somewhere – now at the deposition the plaintiffs attorney asks “did you learn how to use dive computers in your training?”

The person answers yes. Okay you are a XYZ training agency diver, did you take your course online or by book? By book okay please read page 83 of XYZ’s Open Water Diver manual third paragraph down, bullet number five. “Each buddy in a team must have a separate computer. No two divers share the same dive profile, so each diver must have his or her own computer.”

Also, says the attorney, we noticed in our investigation that you dive with the ABC brand computer model 123, is that correct? Yes it is. Then can you please read for me the owners manual of that model on page 10 rule number 3? “Each buddy in a team must have a separate computer. No two divers share the same dive profile, so each diver must have his or her own computer.” Thank you. Of course an expert witness is in the wing salivating at the mouth to discuss why two divers can’t share one computer.

Folks with the absolute negativity towards using dive tables, divers don’t even know it’s an option. Now one could argue that a diver is totally responsible for their dive plan and if they break the rules so be it, liability should not fall on the professional that taught them or the professionals on the trip. The fact is if a pro willfully allows a violated procedure like this to occur they could be held liable because they did not intervene and prevent that bend hit.

Final Thoughts

Now you may be asking Tec are you saying we should teach our students dive tables as a CYA to a lawsuit? Not really, what I’m pointing to is the absolute indisputable rationale that dive tables are a better back up for failed or no computers, than sitting out a dive. Look if they learn it in class and then forget it, but the day comes that they need them, they can whip out the old thing and even hand it to the boat crew to ask for assistance planning their dive. Or by reading instructions they can re-learn it if their not on a supervised charter.

So for these reasons I teach both computers and tables to my students. Computers are the priority and the tables are the backup when needed, but they learn how to use both properly.

Now there’s also instructors who teach computers exclusively, but they use tables to show what it used to be like or to give a broader explanation of decompression theory. But if it stops there, then the diver never learns the backup and thus that same diver who goes on to be a dive pro doesn’t know tables at all – unless of course they are with agencies that make it mandatory to learn. Again this is one of the biggest reasons why the big kid on the block PADI is requiring tables to be learned at Divemaster and Instructor levels.

Plus I have yet to find a divemaster who says sorry I can’t help you plan your dive today, you’ll just have to sit out the dives. Come on.

As you can see, I’m biased towards teaching tables as an alternative to the computer and I’m posing thoughts for your consideration. Whether you teach them to your students or not that’s your call, but it is my professional opinion that especially dive pro’s should know how to use tables and not go around talking about how ancient and useless they are like figuring things out on abacuses and stone tablets. Give me a break. There is merit to knowing how to use them and to teaching them. While at the same time, champion promoting and selling dive computers as the primary and essential piece of dive planning equipment.

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Thanks For Listening!

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