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Getting started

This page walks you through building your first dive plan in AeroPlus Deco — from a blank app to a complete runtime schedule.

Open the app

Visit sjjan.github.io/aeroplus-deco in any modern browser. Nothing to install yet — the app runs entirely in the browser.

The first time you open it, you'll see an empty Plan 1 with the default settings: open-circuit mode, ZHL-16C-GF, GF 50/75, fresh water, sea level, metric units.

Working in feet and psi?

Switch Settings → Units to imperial before you start and every field below will ask for imperial values instead. See Units.

Install as a home-screen app

Once you're using AeroPlus Deco regularly, install it to your phone or laptop so it opens like a native app and works offline. See Install as app.

Build a quick plan

We'll plan a typical recreational tech dive: 40 m for 20 minutes, on air with 50 % nitrox for deco.

Step 1 — Add your bottom gas

In the Gas & cylinders card, tap + Add. The cylinder modal opens with Bottom gas selected. Enter:

Field Value
O₂ % 21
He % 0
Size (ℓ) 12.0
Fill (bar) 200

Tap Save cylinder. Air (21/0) is now your bottom gas.

Step 2 — Add your deco gas

Tap + Add again. This time, select Deco gas at the top, then:

Field Value
O₂ % 50
He % 0
Size (ℓ) 11.1
Fill (bar) 232

Tap Save cylinder. The deco gas appears in the list with a checked box — it will be used automatically when the algorithm reaches its MOD on ascent.

Step 3 — Add a dive segment

In the Dive profile card, tap + Add. Enter:

Field Value
Depth (m) 40
Bottom time (min) 20

The Gas dropdown will already have your bottom gas selected. Tap Save segment.

Step 4 — Calculate

Tap the big blue Calculate dive plan button.

In a fraction of a second, the Deco plan card appears with:

  • A dive profile chart showing depth, GF ceiling, and average depth over time
  • A GF99 chart showing tissue saturation through ascent
  • A runtime schedule listing every depth-time-gas combination
  • A gas plan showing per-cylinder usage and rock-bottom reserves
  • CNS / OTU oxygen-exposure totals
  • Any warnings at the top (e.g. gas density, gas shortfall)

Reading the output at a glance

Three numbers tell you the most about the dive at a glance:

  • Total deco time — sum of all stop durations
  • TTS at ascent start — how long it'll take to surface from the deepest point
  • Deepest ceiling — the deepest depth your tissues will tolerate (the first GF Low stop)

For a full walkthrough of every card and chart, see Reading the output.

What to do next

  • Tune your gradient factors. Defaults are conservative. Read Gradient factors and consider the Andy Davis method for setting GF Low on OC.
  • Plan a multi-level dive. Add more segments below the first — each can be at a different depth. See Dive profile.
  • Save a contingency plan. Toggle Deeper +3 m and Longer +3 min to see how the deco changes if you go over.
  • Share with a buddy. Use the share menu to send a link your buddy can open in any browser without installing anything. See Sharing & backup.

Cross-check, every time

No matter how clean a plan looks in the app, always verify it against a second source — another planning tool, a dive computer simulator, or your instructor. Decompression involves real risk and a single off-by-one in your gas mix or depth entry can move the plan into dangerous territory.