Environment
The environment settings let you specify the conditions of your dive site. These parameters affect water density and surface pressure, which in turn influence depth calculations, gas consumption, and decompression schedules.
Environment settings panel showing water type and altitude fields -- planner-environment-light.png / planner-environment-dark.png
Water type
Choose between Salt water (the default) and Fresh water.
Salt water is denser than fresh water (approximately 1.025 kg/L vs. 1.000 kg/L). This difference affects the conversion between depth and ambient pressure:
- In salt water, a given depth reading corresponds to slightly higher ambient pressure.
- In fresh water, the same depth reading corresponds to slightly lower ambient pressure.
The planner uses the selected water type to accurately compute ambient pressure at each depth, which impacts decompression calculations and gas consumption estimates.
Select the water type that matches your dive site -- ocean and sea dives use salt water; lakes, quarries, and rivers use fresh water.
Altitude
Set the altitude of your dive site in meters above sea level. The default is 0 m (sea level). The planner supports altitudes up to 4000 m.
Altitude affects the surface atmospheric pressure. At higher altitudes, surface pressure is lower, which means:
- The pressure ratio between surface and depth increases, making a given depth "feel" deeper from a decompression standpoint.
- No-decompression limits (NDLs) are shorter at altitude.
- Decompression stops may be longer or require additional stops compared to the same dive at sea level.
The planner adjusts all calculations -- decompression schedule, gas consumption, and MOD -- to account for the reduced surface pressure at the specified altitude.
Altitude diving significantly changes decompression requirements. A dive that is within no-decompression limits at sea level may require mandatory decompression stops at altitude. Always ensure you have appropriate training and experience before diving at altitude, and use the planner's altitude setting to get accurate decompression schedules for your dive site.
Typical configurations
| Dive site | Water type | Altitude |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean reef | Salt water | 0 m |
| Coastal quarry | Fresh water | 0 m |
| Mountain lake (1500 m) | Fresh water | 1500 m |
| High-altitude lake (3000 m) | Fresh water | 3000 m |
| Inland sea / salt lake | Salt water | Varies |