What is a RDP?
A Recreational Dive Planner is a dive table and planning program designed for the recreational scuba diver. Recreational Dive Planners are based on dive computers, tables, and algorithms originally developed by Sheck Exley of Santa Rosa CA and the Recreational Scuba Training Council (RSTC).
Recreational Dive Planners use the Recreational Dive Planning Algorithm (RDPA) for planning single depth recreational dive profiles. Recreational Dive Planners are primarily used by divers who plan and dive their own open water scuba dives.
Recreational Dive Planners may or may not be handheld devices that display a diver's depth, time and depth of the dive. They can be a slate to take underwater or an electronic calculator, even a program to install on your laptop.
Recreational Dive Planner's use four parameters to create an equivalent single depth "no decompression" recreational dive profile - Sea Level Air Depth / Wet Suit Factor (1 minute), Water Temperature, Active Time and Recreational Dive Multiplier.
Recreational Dive Planner's only plan "no decompression" dives - Recreational Dive Planner's do not plan decompression dives using the Recreational Dive Planning Algorithm (RDPA).
For divers interested in Decompression diving, you will need to get quite some experience first, be a certified Nitrox diver, and step into the technical side of diving with the PADI Tech-Rec programs. At that point, you will use different algorithms and different dive planning tools, and your dive computer will need to be able to support different gas blends and complex calculations. We never stress enough times how important it is not to fall into decompression during recreational dives: monitor your computer constantly during your dive.
Watch this informative video to learn about the Recreational Dive Planner:
ALL THIS INFORMATION IS INCLUDED WITH TEST QUESTIONS IN THE HANDOUT BELOW.
Why is calculating TBT important?
TBT or "time below the surface" is critical information for a Recreational Dive Planner to provide you with an equivalent single depth recreational dive profile. Recreational Dive Planners use four parameters to create an equivalent single depth "no decompression" recreational dive profile - Sea Level Air Depth / Wet Suit Factor (1 minute), Water Temperature, Active Time and Recreational Dive Multiplier.
Why Recreational Dive Planners are based on Dive Computers, Tables and Algorithms
Dive computers and Recreational Dive Planner's use the Recreational Dive Planning Algorithm (RDPA) for planning single depth recreational dive profiles. Recreational Dive Planner's provide a similar method of displaying recreational dive profiles as Recreational Diving Tables do - Recreational Dive Planner's provide equivalent single depth recreational dive profiles.
What is actual bottom time? ABT
ABT is the term Recreational Dive Planners use for actual bottom time.
Recreational Dive Planner's display ABT as minutes.
What is total bottom time? TBT?
TBT is the term Recreational Dive Planners use for total bottom time. It is translated in minutes as well.
The difference between ABT and TBT is very simple: ABT represents the amount of time spent underwater, from the moment we submerge to the moment we begin our ascent. The TBT instead is the total of ABT + residual nitrogen time, which is essential for the correct calculation of nitrogen absorption in repetitive dives.
Why Recreational Dive Planners only plan no decompression dives
As explained before, the Recreational Dive Planner is an instrument that we can use or recreational dives only, up to 40 meters or 120 feet, and with absolutely NO decompression time. For deco dives, we will need proper training, different gas blends, and a totally different planner. Choosing to go in decompression during a recreational dive and with little to no knowledge of decompression dives may result in a fatality.