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5. BEFORE DIVING
Do not attempt to use the dive computer without reading this user's manual in its entirety,
including all the warnings. Make sure that you fully understand the use, displays, and
limitations of the instrument. If you have any questions about the manual or the Suunto
HelO
2
, please contact your Suunto representative before diving with the dive computer.
Always remember that YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY!
When used properly, Suunto HelO
2
is an outstanding tool for assisting properly trained,
certified divers in planning and executing technical dives. It is NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR
CERTIFIED SCUBAINSTRUCTION, including training in the principles ofdecompression
and/or multi-gas diving.
WARNING
Diving with gas mixtures (nitrox, trimix, heliox, oxygen) exposes you
to risks that are different from those associated with diving with
standard air. These risks are not obvious, and require training to un-
derstand and avoid. Risks include possible serious injury or death.
Do not attempt to dive with any gas mix other than standard air without first receiving
certified training in this specialty.
5.1. Planning your dives
The Suunto HelO
2
is designed for computer-aided technical diving. You plan and modify
your dive profiles with SuuntoDive Planner and download the gases requiredfor the profile
to the dive computer. During a dive, the dive computer alerts you about the gas switches
and stops, as well asmonitors the dive. The dive computer recordsdata of the actual dive.
After a dive you upload the data back to the Suunto Dive Planner for comparing the plan
to the actual dive and adjusting the plan for the next dive.
The Suunto HelO
2
can store up to eight different gas mixes of oxygen, helium or nitrogen
into its memory. The minimum O
2
% on the dive computer is 8%.
With the Suunto Dive Planner you can:
1. plan a dive including a depth plan, decompression schedule, and gas mixes for use
during a dive.
2. simulate the dive and create backup plansfor printing them on slates. The information
on a slate includes the gases, depth, dive time, and ascent profile.
3. create recipes for gas mixes, either for partial pressure or continuous flow filling, and
print them out for ordering or mixing.
4. download gases, maximum PO
2
, alarms and settings to the dive computer, as well
as confirm and set primary and secondary gases.
5. upload data of the last dive to Suunto Dive Planner and use the data for planning the
next dive or for comparing the actual dive to the planned one.
After filling the cylinders with the requiredgas mixes, their oxygen and helium percentages
must be analyzed and the dive computer settings modified accordingly either with the
Suunto Dive Planner or directly in the dive computer.
When creating a dive series, the real tissue pressures are calculated by uploading the
actual dives to the Suunto Dive Planner with the Suunto Dive Manager. You can then plan
the next dive based on this information.
5.2. The Suunto Technical RGBM
Suunto’s Reduced Gradient Bubble Model (RGBM), utilized in the Suunto HelO
2
, predicts
both dissolved and free gas in the blood and tissues of divers. It is a significant advance
on the classic Haldane models, which do not predict free gas. The advantage of Suunto
RGBM is additional safety through its ability to adapt to a variety of situations and dive
profiles.
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