This occurs when a deep dive is followed by an even deeper dive. This recent dive
history is used to compensate the nitrogen loading for the current dive.
ALTITUDE ACCLIMATIZATION:
Driving or flying to a dive site significantly higher in
altitude requires special modifications to the "sea level" algorithm. The
CO
regularly samples the ambient barometric pressure to determine these changes in
altitude. Accordingly, the decompression algorithm is changed to reflect these
barometric pressure changes. Note that temperature and weather systems also affect
barometric pressure and hence, apparent altitude. Using the Time-To-Fly digits, the
number of hours required to “adapt” to the new altitude is immediately known to the
diver. If a significant altitude change occurs, a minimum of one hour should pass before
diving to allow the unit to adapt to this new altitude. Rapid changes in altitude should be
avoided. The dive computer may in fact, see particularly rapid changes from a higher to
a lower altitude as a dive. Should this occur, removing the batteries for ten minutes will
reset the computer; however, all tissue nitrogen loading will also be lost.
Should it be desired to initiate a dive PRIOR to completing the adaptation time, the
CO
will treat this dive as a repetitive dive in its algorithm, taking into
account the "residual" nitrogen present due to travel to altitude. There are two methods
of compensating for altitude. Via the
Analyst
®
PC Interface, ZONE or SEAMLESS
compensation for altitude may be selected.
10
In
ZONE
, all altitudes less than 600 metres above sea level use the sea-level algorithm.
At altitudes greater than this, altitude compensation is “seamless”; literally, every small
fraction of gained altitude is considered in adjusting the algorithm. ZONE will reduce the
