How does a dive computer aid in avoiding decompression sickness?

A dive computer plays a crucial role in helping divers avoid decompression sickness by calculating nitrogen absorption. During a dive, as a diver goes deeper, the pressure increases, which leads to a higher absorption of nitrogen from the breathing gas into the body's tissues. This absorption is affected by depth and time spent at that depth.

The dive computer continuously monitors these factors and uses algorithms to compute the amount of nitrogen the diver has absorbed, taking into account the different depths and duration of dives. By doing this, it can determine safe ascent rates and necessary stop times, ensuring the diver ascends slowly enough to allow the nitrogen to be safely released from the body, thereby minimizing the risk of decompression sickness.

While tracking air supply, monitoring heart rate, and ensuring correct buoyancy are essential aspects of safe diving, they do not directly address the calculation of nitrogen levels in the body, which is critical in preventing decompression sickness.