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They aren't hard to figure ot at all once you know how to use the information.

You are quite right that correlation between bubbles being present in your circulatory system, and suffering DCS, there is a very wide swath. This is to the benefit of doppler users.

What people don't often realize is where to draw the line in the sand. Basically, you want avoid any detectable bubbles in your circulatory system. Number one reason is that tissue damage is cumulative. Much like scar tissue for atheletes that reduce joint/ligament flexibility over time, so is the damage wrought by the bubbles forming in your system. Incidentally, this also increases the ease with which DCS symptoms will anifest itself. For those who have been around the game long enough, you may hear of certain people who get bent really easily now.

Sure you may not feel anything today from the presence of bubbles, but keep doing that for years on end and your diving career is going to become very miserable indeed.

The first thing to be aware of, and their main usefullness, is to figure our whether there are any bubbles, and what difference in conservatism it takes to prevent any detectable bubbles from occuring in the circulatory system.

To give you an example, between being a level 4 and clear for a 250 ft dive, we're talking only about 5 minutes of deco. Even the least erudite person will realize that for those few minutes spent decompressing could go a long way toward preventing the cumulative stress that can become an impediment to diving over time.

The only real question is how long do you want to be doing this fine sport?

You are also correct that this debate shows up regularly. Fortunately, the crowd that was advocating agressive decompression based on "new" math has really dwindled. Isn't that curious, all those fine people that used to boast how their bubble level was high after a dive for ten minutes and then it goes down, or how they had some nobel prize winner holding the doppler sensor. Well, these folks ain't divin' much anymore, some are wearing diapers all day long for the rest of their days.

Amazing what buying a doppler can do. It is true that once the conservatism is adjusted, the likelyhood that it is needed again is somewhat low, depending on what type of diving you are doing.

One area where they can be very useful is for the repetitive diver. If you're already sounding like a popcorn machine, maybe you shouldn't do that second 400' dive today, lay off the beer, and take a few breaths of oxygen.

This is chamber diving avoidance 101.

Hey maybe there should be a course!

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