Dive Computer Suggestions

[don Francisco]

I agree with richard.

There's always the tendency to buy the latest and greatest & if you have tons of dough laying around loose you might want to do the same. I tend to be tighter with my dollars and buy only the features I will definitely use.

You're buying the computer to track NDL's and can easily continue to use your mechaincl SPG for managing your air. Interestingly many folks that buy wireless air integrated computers are uncomfortable about reliability and end up using traditional SPG's as backup.

You want the basic computer functions, easy to read face, simple menu path, a planning mode, and probably should have Nitrox capability, since even if not using Nitrox now, this will be the first added feature you're likely to need during the next few years. (If more technical diving is definitely in your future, you'll want other features like gas change capability).

Otherwise unless you know you'll want specific features soon you're best off keeping things simple for now.

My favorite no frills value computer is the Suunto Gekko. It's a very reliable unit with most or all of what you need and not much else. It lacks a simulation mode, but few people use this feature anyway. You can shop it and other similar computers and spend less than $300.00.

 

[Papa_Bear]

Two things you should never skimp on: 1. a Custom Wetsuit or a Drysuit and 2. A good computer! Get the Oceanic Data Pro Plus II and you will have years of safe diving! You can rent everything else!

 

[ligersandtions]

While I dive an air integrated computer, I do also dive with a back-up SPG. I find the redundancy nice, but I also find the simplicity of looking in one place for all things nice as well. You'll need to figure out what's important to you, as that varies with each diver. I can tell you the things that I find important, but ultimately it's up to you.

I like that mine is a wrist-mounted computer because I always know where it is and it will never drag on the reef, get in my way, or be elusive in any way. I like that it's Nitrox compatible....though I haven't used it for Nitrox yet, it's nice to have that option in the future. I like that it tells me how much air time I have left or NDL time I have left, depending on which is the limiting factor (though I don't completely rely on the air time, but just use it as a judge and compare it to what I would expect, based on my normal and working air consumption rates). I like that I can download all my dives and look at my dive profile on the computer.

I don't like that it only tells me bottom time in minutes (I prefer to do deep stops in addition to the 15 foot safety stops and I can only guesstimate how long I've been there). I don't like that you can't view what time it is when you are in dive mode (if the captain says be back on the boat at 3:30 and I can't remember exactly what time it was when I got in the water, I have to cut my dive short to be safe). I don't like that it doesn't tell me what temperature the water is while in dive mode (or anything other than the coldest temperature in my log, unless I download it to my computer).

You need to figure out what options you want and what you NEED. Then you'll have to figure out which computer fits all or most of your criteria. If I had known all the things I don't like about this computer before I bought it, I probably would have searched more to find one that had more of the things I wanted. If you're curious, I dive with an Atom 2.0, and I like it for the most part....but there are things that I don't like as well.

 

[Rhone Man]

Everyone has different views - personally I am not a fan of air integrated computers, but I don't knock those who are. If I was buying a new dive computer on a budget right now I would probably go for the Suunto Vytec. I don't think there are many non-nitrox computers left, but if there are, then buying one is probably a false economy. You really want nitrox - that is the way the world is turning.

 

[NudeDiver]

While I dive an air integrated computer, I do also dive with a back-up SPG.....

Quality post.

I find the redundancy nice, but I also find the simplicity of looking in one place for all things nice as well.

That's one thing I like as well - and as a previous poster and you point out - the bottom time estimate based on actual air consumption is rather slick.

I don't like that you can't view what time it is when you are in dive mode

Are you sure? On mine (Cobra and Vytec), it's not on the main screen, but if you push the right hand button on the face, it will tell you the time for a few seconds and then go back to the previous display. Your Atom might have a similar feature on it.

I don't like that it doesn't tell me what temperature the water is while in dive mode

I can't swear, but I think that same function above also displays the temp.

Good post on what you do and don't like about your particular computer. I'll continue on that front

I have a Vytec and a Cobra.

I don't like the fact that my first Cobra mysteriously died after only 89 dives.

I don't like that these computers have a very limited light on them - I think the max is 3 minutes or something. I'd prefer much longer.

I find the menus complex to operate. The "menu engineer" should definitely be fired.

I don't like the fact that the silly USB cable for these things was $110 and the software is not Mac compatible.

I don't like that I you can't modify the conservatism with the Cobra like you can the Vytec.

I don't like that they have such limited memory (about 2 hours of data recording on a 1s interval - about 10 hours on a 5 second interval).

I DO like having my air pressure and other info all in one place.
I DO like the bottom time remaining based on actual air consumption.
I DO like that they are Nitrox compatible.
I DO like the "quick release" on the Cobra.
I DO like the wireless transmitter on the Vytec and have had no issues with it.
I DO like that I can easily put them into "metric" mode.
I DO like large display on both (compared to a watch-style).

I guess that's all for now

 

[halocline]

Another vote for the gekko, or an oceanic/aeris simple non-ai wrist model like the XR2. Is it really worth spending hundreds so that you don't have to look at your SPG? Not to me. Plus, if you're a new diver, and the AI quits, you're going to be unexpectedly left with no dive data-none. For a new diver that could be pretty scary.

Just another of the dive industry's classic solutions in search of a problem.

 

[NudeDiver]

Is it really worth spending hundreds so that you don't have to look at your SPG?

Yes.

Plus, if you're a new diver, and the AI quits, you're going to be unexpectedly left with no dive data-none.

If your SPG quits, you can be left with no data too. What? You mean an SPG is considered very reliable? Huh. Typically, so are dive computers...

Just another of the dive industry's classic solutions in search of a problem.

A technique first invented by government..... dive industry certainly has no lock on it

 

[jeckyll]

To the OP: You know, there are some basic arguments so see a lot on SB. AI vs non-AI computers has been discussed many times before.

IMO, and I'm biased, nitrox capable, user replaceable battery, good warranty and easy to read are key items. To _me_ AI is fairly useless. I dive with a SPG that has both BAR and PSI because at the end of the day, different dive buddies may have been trained in different ways and if you need to know how much gas your buddy has left (and you do!) you can always have them show the SPG and it doesn't get much clearer than that. It's harder to do that with just an AI computer.

Basic problems should be solved with basic solutions. IMO

However, you go, make sure _you_ are happy with the solution and that it will work for you and your buddies

 

[ncchuck]

a computer with Air Integration (reads tank pressure) is pretty expensive and you may end up not using that feature sometime down the road

I don't understand this statement. Why would someone not need or want this feature in the future. I've owned 4 computer and all have had AI (air integration). In some rare circumstances I use a separate pressure guage (when instructing for instance) but I highly recommend this feature. I'd even wait to get one if money is an issue. I now use a Sherwood Wisdom and find it to be the easiest to use of any. I have owned a hoseless computer in the past and just find them not reliable and I've had to swap out computers for many divers because of problems.

Good luck with your choice.

 

[Blackwood]

If your SPG quits, you can be left with no data too. What? You mean an SPG is considered very reliable? Huh. Typically, so are dive computers...

What I presume he means is that if you have AI and don't have a backup SPG, all your eggs are in one basket. If you lose the computer, you lose depth, time and gas info.

On the other hand, carrying an SPG allows you to retain gas info in the event of a computer failure.