GAP deco planning software

[deanme]

Anyone have any experience with the GAP deco planning software? I currently have Deco Planner 3. The GAP software appears to be a nice upgrade.

http://www.gap-software.com/download/gap-diveplanner.html

[Howard]

I have used it on a pocket PC for 4 years. Very nice product.
I'm not sure what the print features are though. I just write down the schedule I intend to use in wetnotes.

[skip]

i use the naui-gap deco software (rgbm). i prefer vplanner. but the naui-gap is not as intuitive to use, but once you read the instructions it works great!

-skip

[atedeschi]

i have both vplanner and Naui Gap. I used vplanner for a few yrs and its quick and easy to use, the Naui Gap isn't bad but not as easy to use. As far as diving I have had no problems with vplanner and whats nice is you can use the same profile after a 2hr SI, so less cutting of the tables. I started using the Naui program last spring but after I did a dive to about 170', I got back on the boat and my back was sore, and jumped back in the water with an O2 bottle for another 15mins or so. I felt alittle better but not much, tough it might have not been the tables. On the way up the latter, a big wave came and my fin slipped and i feel about 4ft on my back into the water. It may have been that which caused me to be sore. I think I am going to give the RGBM another shot, because people I know did the dive a little shorter profile and where fine and dive RGBM all the time. I do like vplanner profile cause if i wait 2hrs i can do same profile without cutting tables.

[Slüdge]

whats nice is you can use the same profile after a 2hr SI, so less cutting of the tables.

I may be missing something here. Would you care to explain what this means?

[atedeschi]

I may be missing something here. Would you care to explain what this means?

DIVE PLAN #1
Surface interval = 0 day 2 hr 0 min.
Elevation = 0ft
Conservatism = Nominal

Dec to 150ft (3) Nitrox 25 50ft/min descent.
Level 150ft 32:00 (35) Nitrox 25 1.38 ppO2, 141ft ead
Asc to 70ft (37) Nitrox 25 -30ft/min ascent.
Stop at 70ft 0:20 (38 ) Nitrox 25 0.78 ppO2, 65ft ead
Stop at 60ft 2:00 (40) Nitrox 25 0.70 ppO2, 55ft ead
Stop at 50ft 4:00 (44) Nitrox 25 0.63 ppO2, 46ft ead
Stop at 40ft 5:00 (49) Nitrox 25 0.55 ppO2, 36ft ead
Stop at 30ft 8:00 (57) Nitrox 25 0.48 ppO2, 27ft ead
Stop at 20ft 3:00 (60) Oxygen 1.60 ppO2, 0ft ead
Stop at 15ft 12:00 (72) Oxygen 1.45 ppO2, 0ft ead
Surface (72) Oxygen -30ft/min ascent.

Off gassing starts at 103ft

OTU's this dive: 87
CNS Total: 39.1%

165.3 cu ft Nitrox 25
13.4 cu ft Oxygen
178.8 cu ft TOTAL


DIVE PLAN #2
Surface interval = 1 day 0 hr 0 min.
Elevation = 0ft
Conservatism = Nominal

Dec to 150ft (3) Nitrox 25 50ft/min descent.
Level 150ft 32:00 (35) Nitrox 25 1.38 ppO2, 141ft ead
Asc to 70ft (37) Nitrox 25 -30ft/min ascent.
Stop at 70ft 0:20 (38 ) Nitrox 25 0.78 ppO2, 65ft ead
Stop at 60ft 3:00 (41) Nitrox 25 0.70 ppO2, 55ft ead
Stop at 50ft 4:00 (45) Nitrox 25 0.63 ppO2, 46ft ead
Stop at 40ft 5:00 (50) Nitrox 25 0.55 ppO2, 36ft ead
Stop at 30ft 8:00 (58 ) Nitrox 25 0.48 ppO2, 27ft ead
Stop at 20ft 3:00 (61) Oxygen 1.60 ppO2, 0ft ead
Stop at 15ft 12:00 (73) Oxygen 1.45 ppO2, 0ft ead
Surface (73) Oxygen -30ft/min ascent.

Off gassing starts at 103ft

OTU's this dive: 87
CNS Total: 39.3%

167.0 cu ft Nitrox 25
13.4 cu ft Oxygen
180.4 cu ft TOTAL

__________________________________________________ ________________________

RGBM classic RGBM +1

Depth Gas PO2 35
0 EAN25 0.25
150 EAN25 1.39

70 EAN25 --
60 EAN25 -- 2(39)
50 EAN25 -- 3(43)
40 EAN25 -- 3(46)
30 EAN25 -- 5(51)
20 O2 -- 2(53)
15 O2 -- 6(59)

Total run time Total run time Total run time 60
Total CNS Total CNS Total CNS 34.90%


Depth Gas PO2 35
0 EAN25 0.25
150 EAN25 1.39

70 EAN25 -- 1(38 )
60 EAN25 -- 2(40)
50 EAN25 -- 3(43)
40 EAN25 -- 3(46)
30 EAN25 -- 5(51)
20 EAN25 -- 4(55)
15 EAN25 -- 13(68 )

Total run time Total run time Total run time 69
Total CNS Total CNS Total CNS 23.30%

Gas usage Gas usage Gas usage
EAN25 163


First two profiles are V-planner and second two are RGBM.
V-planner only a min difference between the profiles.

[Slüdge]

Wow. I thought you had lost your mind, so I ran the numbers for a 35 minute dive to 150' with 100% for deco, followed by the same dive two hours later. Deco was three minutes more on the second dive.

I would have guessed a lot more.

[skip]

less cutting of tables? it's as easy to cut two tables as one. the program does one or two with equal ease. i suppose there's less to write down (one table used for two dives). but it also depends on the dives. also, my vplanner is not giving quite the same answer as yours (but close):

DIVE PLAN #1
Surface interval = 0 day 2 hr 0 min.
Elevation = 0ft
Conservatism = Nominal
Dec to 150ft (3) Nitrox 25 50ft/min descent.
Level 150ft 32:00 (35) Nitrox 25 1.36 ppO2, 141ft ead
Asc to 100ft (35) Nitrox 25 -60ft/min ascent.
Asc to 70ft (36) Nitrox 25 -30ft/min ascent.
Stop at 60ft 2:10 (39) Nitrox 25 0.69 ppO2, 55ft ead
Stop at 50ft 4:00 (43) Nitrox 25 0.62 ppO2, 46ft ead
Stop at 40ft 5:00 (48) Nitrox 25 0.54 ppO2, 36ft ead
Stop at 30ft 7:00 (55) Nitrox 25 0.47 ppO2, 27ft ead
Stop at 20ft 3:00 (58) Nitrox 99 1.57 ppO2, 0ft ead
Stop at 15ft 11:00 (69) Nitrox 99 1.43 ppO2, 0ft ead
Surface (69) Nitrox 99 -30ft/min ascent.
Off gassing starts at 104.7ft
OTU's this dive: 82
CNS Total: 34.1%
186.5 cu ft Nitrox 25
12.4 cu ft Nitrox 99
198.9 cu ft TOTAL

DIVE PLAN #2
Surface interval = 0 day 2 hr 0 min.
Elevation = 0ft
Conservatism = Nominal
Dec to 150ft (3) Nitrox 25 50ft/min descent.
Level 150ft 32:00 (35) Nitrox 25 1.36 ppO2, 141ft ead
Asc to 100ft (35) Nitrox 25 -60ft/min ascent.
Asc to 70ft (36) Nitrox 25 -30ft/min ascent.
Stop at 70ft 1:10 (38) Nitrox 25 0.77 ppO2, 65ft ead
Stop at 60ft 2:00 (40) Nitrox 25 0.69 ppO2, 55ft ead
Stop at 50ft 4:00 (44) Nitrox 25 0.62 ppO2, 46ft ead
Stop at 40ft 5:00 (49) Nitrox 25 0.54 ppO2, 36ft ead
Stop at 30ft 7:00 (56) Nitrox 25 0.47 ppO2, 27ft ead
Stop at 20ft 3:00 (59) Oxygen 1.59 ppO2, 0ft ead
Stop at 15ft 13:00 (72) Oxygen 1.44 ppO2, 0ft ead
Surface (72) Oxygen -30ft/min ascent.
Off gassing starts at 104.7ft
OTU's this dive: 86
CNS Total: 50.0%
189.2 cu ft Nitrox 25
14.2 cu ft Oxygen
203.4 cu ft TOTAL


-skip

[deanme]

I like to be able to pull up two profiles concurrently so I can compare different gas options. I think the GAP software is really great. I think I will get it. I think I spend more time analyzing different gas scenarios then I spend on the actual dive. :)

[skip]

it's pretty easy with vplanner to compare profiles; i just copy and paste into a word document as I work on different plans. this is sometimes for fun, but more often I'm trying to get the most bottom time with gases I have or can mix with a whip or top off with air. I actually think vplanner is easier for this; i use naui gap when teaching naui tec, and to compare to vplanner!

also i paid something like $200.00 for naui gap (and that was with instructor discount) and it took days to download what with keys and passwords going back and forth in emails. vplanner was 70.00, paypal, and up and running within 20 minutes of purchase, and it updates free. I've had vplanner several years now and it still updates free.

both have been very good with customer service and when my computer crashed both were quick to allow downloading and reinstallation with no additional charges.

have you seen freeplanner? it's free and much like vplanner.

-skip

[FW]

I never heard of freeplanner, but here is a link: http://freeplanner.org/Welcome.html

[deanme]

Thanks for all the input.

I checked out VPlanner and FreePlanner. Interesting about the FreePlanner, given the same parameters, the profile for VPlanner has you out of the water quicker than the FreePlanner. I guess you get what you pay for (just joking)? :)

I do like the graphics that come with GAP. I think that is why it took longer to download, more lines of code.

[atedeschi]

vplanner has graphs as well.

[skip]

here's a sample vplanner graph.

-skip

[jkaterenchuk]

I have GAP and use it but now have run into an issue for planning Bailout on CCR cave dives that one of the more experienced GAP users might address. It seems quite easy to do this on V-Planner but can't figure it out on GAP.

I have having some difficulty figuring out how to plan a multi-level cave bailout from CCR to OC at max penetration. Gases are not important so I just indicated when gas is the same mix or different. Can anyone help.

Assume the following:

CCR 1.0 setpoint 270 ft for 5 minutes DIL Gas A
then
CCR 1.0 setpoint 245 ft for 7 minutes DIL Gas A to reach maximum penetration....now need to Bailout to OC and turnaround and go back

OC 245 ft 7 minutes OC Gas B
OC 270 ft 5 minutes OC Gas B
OC Deco OC Gas B, C, D, E

Thanks, John

[Slüdge]

...the profile for VPlanner has you out of the water quicker than the FreePlanner.

I have never considered "getting you out of the water quicker" to necessarily mean better.