What is essential for tracking dive profiles and ensuring safety during a dive?

Tracking dive profiles and ensuring safety during a dive primarily involves monitoring depth, time underwater, and the overall dive profiles. This information is crucial for divers since it helps to avoid issues related to decompression sickness, also known as "the bends," which can occur when divers ascend too quickly after spending time at various depths.

Depth is vital as it directly impacts the ambient pressure experienced by the diver, which in turn influences the nitrogen absorption in the body. Time underwater is equally important because it determines how long the diver has been exposed to pressure, affecting the safe ascent and decompression stops required to allow safely releasing excess nitrogen from the body. Additionally, an accurate dive profile allows divers to plan their movements underwater, manage their air supply, and ensure they are not exceeding safe limits.

While the diver's feelings can provide subjective feedback about their experience and comfort, and underwater current conditions are important for planning the dive, they do not replace the need for precise tracking of depth and time to maintain safety throughout the dive.