Dive computers, the software is not certified
Ref. 25-022/CMAS/TC - 12 August 2025
The software is not certified
The dive computers display a reference to ‘CE’ certification in compliance with Regulation (EU) 2016/425 and standard EN 13319.
This does not concern the software, only the pressure and time measurement.
The software is not certified; it is created under the sole responsibility of the manufacturer.
Depending on the manufacturer, different choices of calculations may therefore be made.
These choices should be indicated in the instructions so that the consumer is fully informed, but this is generally not the case.
This explains why dive computer calculations, even when manufacturers claim to use the same set of parameters (e.g. ZH-L 16 C), can be very different from one another.
This does not concern the software, only the pressure and time measurement.
The software is not certified; it is created under the sole responsibility of the manufacturer.
Depending on the manufacturer, different choices of calculations may therefore be made.
These choices should be indicated in the instructions so that the consumer is fully informed, but this is generally not the case.
This explains why dive computer calculations, even when manufacturers claim to use the same set of parameters (e.g. ZH-L 16 C), can be very different from one another.
This is what standard EN 13319 says in his public abstract
“This standard specifies functional and safety requirements for depth gauges, depth gauge features of other instruments, and both depth and time measurement features of other instruments. This standard is not applicable to any information displayed to the user besides depth and time. Any information on decompression obligations displayed by equipment covered by this standard is explicitly excluded from its scope. (...)”
Other standards
To the best of our knowledge, compliance with other standards around the world relates to the risk of interference (e.g. United States - Federal Communications Commission (FCC) or Canada - RSS 210) and does not concern software programming.
CMAS recommendations
- Teach this information to all levels of divers.
- Remind divers that a computer is only a ‘desaturation aid’.
- Remind divers that desaturation is not an exact science and that it is necessary to go beyond the instruction manuals for the computers and take a solid training course on desaturation procedures and the limits of dive computers.
- All autonomous divers must be able to go beyond the instructions of their computer when they consider it necessary according to the conditions in which the dive took place.
- CMAS does not recommend choosing (or setting up) machines based on the logic of offering the fewest possible stops or the longest no-stop times. More info: click here.
