Personal Dive Computer Settings
- My ZOOP dive computer has 3 levels of "Personal Settings" to compensate for any personal factors a diver may have that might present a greater likelihood for DCI (De Compression Illness). These factors are listed as follows:
• cold exposure - water temperature less than 20°C [68°F]
• the diver is below average physical fitness level
• diver fatigue
• diver dehydration
• previous history of DCI
• stress
• obesity
- The settings are P0, P1, and P2. Being overweight and 64 years old, I set my Personal Settings to the highest, "P2" level. So, how much of a difference does it make? Well at our Live Aboard Dive trip last Spring, it was very apparent that Jill and I were coming up to finish our dives at shallower depths earlier than the other divers. There was some concern of whether I was using my dive computer properly. So, I tried setting the Personal Setting to level P0 and looked at the Dive planner to see how much difference it would make in the No Deco time. And the difference is quite significant.
80 feet depth at P0 gives 28 mins
80 feet depth at P2 gives only 19 minutes
- I thought about leaving it set at P0 but then, the whole point of having the Dive Computer is to keep me out of trouble. I really DO have personal factors which might make me more sensitive to DCI. So, I set it back to P2, left it that way the rest of the trip, and had a ball.