CHAPTER 5 — UNDERSTANDING CONSERVATISM SETTINGS
Martin Gomez Aug 11, 2026
CHAPTER 5 — UNDERSTANDING CONSERVATISM SETTINGS
Understanding Your Dive Computer — Part 5
Your dive computer may allow you to adjust how conservatively it applies its decompression algorithm.
Depending on the manufacturer, you may see settings such as:
MORE CONSERVATIVE • STANDARD • LESS CONSERVATIVE
or adjustments such as:
Personal Settings • Safety Levels • Gradient Factors
But what does making a dive computer “more conservative” actually mean?
1. WHAT IS A CONSERVATISM SETTING?
A conservatism setting changes how your dive computer applies its mathematical decompression model.
Depending on the computer and algorithm, a more conservative setting may result in:
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Shorter NDLs
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Earlier decompression obligations
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Longer calculated decompression
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Modified ascent guidance
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Additional safety margins within the model
The exact effect depends on the manufacturer, algorithm, and implementation.
More conservative does not mean the computer knows more about your body.
It simply means the mathematical model is being applied with different limits or parameters.
2. MORE CONSERVATIVE
Imagine your computer has three settings:
