Will Air Integration in dive computers replace the SPG?

[Eric Sedletzky]

I haven't read all the responses, I just skimmed, so I don't know if anybody has defined AI and wireless AI - two different things.
I wouldn't be interested in straight AI because there would still be a hose involved, even though the hose goes to a computer module. The whole point for me would be to get rid of the hose and the analog compass if I could get everything in one unit on my wrist, sounds pretty cool to me. My modern minimalist relenting thoughts always look for ways to limit the physical amount of gear down to a minimum so this would be perfect for me.
I'd be interested in AI wireless if I knew they were reliable enough. I guess I trust my truck and traffic on the road well enough to not worry too much about it even though that's probably 10 times riskier and prone to fail (either my truck somehow or the actions of another driver on the road that I have absolutely no control over) than a computer.
As for cost, what does a decent analog SPG, hose, decent compass, and a non AI wireless computer cost all together? A wireless computer may not be that much more than the aggregate of all those other components. Certainly a lot less clutter with one unit.
For my simple recreational dive profiles even if a AI wireless computer failed it wouldn't be a big deal to me, I'd just come up. I don't push NDL's (or gas reserves) so I could just make a direct no stop ascent to the top and follow my smallest bubbles for an indication of speed. Do they even teach that anymore? or maybe I should ask, does anybody taking OW water even pay attention to such trivial details anymore?

 

[stuartv]

I haven't read all the responses, I just skimmed, so I don't know if anybody has defined AI and wireless AI - two different things.

This thread has pretty much treated "AI" as referring to or synonymous with "WAI" (for purposes of this conversation).

 

[lowviz]

Blowing through safety stops quickly? Never in this life. ... It's a good time to think, to plan, to observe the changing surface, the interplay of light and shadow, micro life in the water column, on a rope if it's present, practice buoyancy control, daydream, listen to the sea noises, so many things. ...

*sigh*

Brielle does that to me. Quarries DON'T!

A simple frameshift solved my problems even more so than a catholic "hold out your hand" ascent algorithm. Last "stop" was spent in absolute total fascination over a stupid terebellid worm. Try that at Dutch!

 

[CuzzA]

I haven't read all the responses, I just skimmed, so I don't know if anybody has defined AI and wireless AI - two different things.
I wouldn't be interested in straight AI because there would still be a hose involved, even though the hose goes to a computer module. The whole point for me would be to get rid of the hose and the analog compass if I could get everything in one unit on my wrist, sounds pretty cool to me. My modern minimalist relenting thoughts always look for ways to limit the physical amount of gear down to a minimum so this would be perfect for me.
I'd be interested in AI wireless if I knew they were reliable enough. I guess I trust my truck and traffic on the road well enough to not worry too much about it even though that's probably 10 times riskier and prone to fail (either my truck somehow or the actions of another driver on the road that I have absolutely no control over) than a computer.
As for cost, what does a decent analog SPG, hose, decent compass, and a non AI wireless computer cost all together? A wireless computer may not be that much more than the aggregate of all those other components. Certainly a lot less clutter with one unit.
For my simple recreational dive profiles even if a AI wireless computer failed it wouldn't be a big deal to me, I'd just come up. I don't push NDL's (or gas reserves) so I could just make a direct no stop ascent to the top and follow my smallest bubbles for an indication of speed. Do they even teach that anymore? or maybe I should ask, does anybody taking OW water even pay attention to such trivial details anymore?

My apologies. I should have stated wireless AI from the beginning. Eric, I would imagine you would enjoy eliminating all of those items from your console. Having experience with both setups the simple wrist integration is very streamlined and at the end of the day likely costs about the same as all of those pieces of equipment you mentioned being purchased seperately.

Based on this thread I've heard more stories of failed SPG's than failed transmitters and most of the failures that have been reported are battery issues and not the transmitters themselves. Personally, at this point I feel comfortable removing my SPG and leaving it on the boat. Especially considering mine is past the point of a higher risk of failure due to being new and untested. Atleast per the "bath tub curve" posted earlier.

 

[The Chairman]

most of the failures that have been reported are battery issues and not the transmitters themselves.

I actually bought rechargeable CR2 batteries because of this. Two in my transmitters and two on the charger. I'm going to change them out every two dives, so I never have to worry about them dying during the dive. OtT? I'm sure. But I don't mind making sure that I have the juice to go the distance. It takes more effort to lace my shoes than to change those batteries.

 

[stuartv]

I actually bought rechargeable CR2 batteries because of this. Two in my transmitters and two on the charger. I'm going to change them out every two dives, so I never have to worry about them dying during the dive. OtT? I'm sure. But I don't mind making sure that I have the juice to go the distance. It takes more effort to lace my shoes than to change those batteries.

The CR2 is what my transmitter uses, too. Mine is over a year old now (and was a NOS unit when I bought it, so no idea how old the battery in it really is) and when I last checked it (3 weeks ago, I think), the computer still showed the transmitter battery as good. They are spec'ed to last for 300 dive hours (in my transmitter, anyway) and I've done something like 60 (very rough guess) hours on it.

Changing that battery out every 2 dives seems like somewhere between 10 and 100 times more often than necessary (at least, if you used regular CR2s, instead of rechargeables). Opening and closing the transmitter battery compartment that often, when the design spec is probably for it to be opened maybe 10 times during the lifetime of the transmitter, seems like you are significantly increasing your chances for an O-ring or other mechanical failure that leads to water leaking into the battery compartment.

My computer's manual claims that the computer will alert me when the transmitter battery is low. I am pretty confident that if I get in the water with a transmitter battery that hasn't tripped the Low alarm yet, and it trips while I'm in the water, the transmitter will last plenty long enough for me to not just finish that dive but finish that whole dive day. And it seems much more likely that it will signal low the first time I turn it on after sitting for a week or more. Either way, I have a spare CR2 in my reg bag to pop in whenever it happens. And, at this point, I'm planning to keep using the original battery until it does show as Low or die. I want to see for myself that the computer works like the manual says (or not). I am only using it on Rec dives at this point, so no big deal (to me) if it dies during a dive. I'm going to Hawaii in April. If it hasn't died by then, I probably will put a new battery in just to be sure it has no effect on my diving there.

 

[Bennno]

Without the AI, I would have to check my SPG and then do some mental arithmetic to satisfy myself that the gas left is more than enough. The typical dive I'm talking about is somewhere around 110'.

What arithmetic? You hit turn pressure and you turn. There is nothing to calculate.

 

[agilis]

*sigh*

Brielle does that to me. Quarries DON'T!

A simple frameshift solved my problems even more so than a catholic "hold out your hand" ascent algorithm. Last "stop" was spent in absolute total fascination over a stupid terebellid worm. Try that at Dutch!

Dutch is too cold. I've become a warm water only diver. I haven't dived in fresh water for years and years.

Once, during a final safety stop on a mooring rope in Jamaica's Bloody Bay after a deep 150' dive, I spotted a tiny A.scriptus file fish, brilliant in blue and orange, about an inch long, trying to conceal itself in the thin string algae growing out of the manila strands. It had probably settled there just after its drifting larval stage. As close to the surface as we were it glowed in the wavering lines of sun like a jewel.

Not a big deal, I suppose, but that memory has stuck with me, still vivid after decades.

 

[stuartv]

What arithmetic? You hit turn pressure and you turn. There is nothing to calculate.

1) As I said before, my normal dive plan (for that particular type of dive) is to hit my NDL well before I am down to any turn pressure. During the dive, I like to check and confirm that I will indeed hit my NDL before I get low enough to hit a TP.

2) I often like to have an idea of the time I have left (whether I'm turning based on NDL or tank pressure) so that I can time my tour to be back at an anchor line before I run out of time (NDL or tank pressure).

Either way, it's a matter of arithmetic to figure out how much time my remaining gas gives me. And, like I said, I'd rather depend on a computer for that arithmetic that my own math skills at 110fsw (and I am pretty darn good at both math and arithmetic).

 

[Kevrumbo]

. . .

Either way, it's a matter of arithmetic to figure out how much time my remaining gas gives me. And, like I said, I'd rather depend on a computer for that arithmetic that my own math skills at 110fsw (and I am pretty darn good at both math and arithmetic).

What's hard about the arithmetic? (If you're so narc'd that you can't perform simple subtraction then you should consider aborting the dive).

110'/33m, I consume 40bar in five minutes out of a single AL80/11L tank. If my SPG shows a greater delta than 40bar consumption expected in that five minutes, then I have a leak somewhere (or are exerting breathing harder more than usual) --and would consider aborting the dive.

If you need AI to help you figure this out then so be it . . . point is with rote experience & number of dives over time, you really don't need to use this "training wheel aid" anymore. An analog SPG will do just fine.