(DiverWire) – Scuba Schools International (SSI) has become the latest scuba diver training organization to incorporate dive computers into its Open Water Training course.
Earlier this week SSI announced that the company is moving the dive tables to the Appendix in their SSI Open Water Diver Student training materials.
“Just like technology has entered our daily lives with the many advancements at our disposal — i-phones, laptops, etc. — dive computers have also become mainstream in recreational diving. For this reason, SSI has chosen to focus on the use of dive computers in our Open Water Program,” stated Doug McNeese, SSI President and CEO.
McNeese continued, “We are not eliminating dive tables from the manual. We are simply placing them in the Appendix. This will allow Dive Centers and Dive Professionals the option to use the tables if they choose.”
For the past 2 years, SSI has given Dive Centers and Professionals the option to train with either dive tables or computers. We moved the tables to the index and left the information on the DVD so that divers will still have the information.
The dive tables can still be used as another way to help students understand how we absorb, eliminate and track nitrogen. Then students will have the knowledge they need to complete their recreational dives with a computer.
Late last year, PADI announced it was incorporating dive computers into its Open Water Diver course. SDI (Scuba Diving International) was the first to include dive computers in Open Water training, breaking new ground nearly 10 years ago.
