Air integrated or no?

[Bigbella]

Great - but your prior reply to me on AI can now come right back to you:

“Your faultless record with SPG’s just recalls an old saying among motorcyclists: there are those who have been down and those who will go down . . .”

Ah, but I carry electronics as well and am not solely dependent upon an SPG -- just preaching the gospel of redundancy.

I don't think that I've aborted a dive in the twenty-first century, due to anything crapping out; wasn't ever required of me . . .

 

[Cheizz]

Just leaving this out here:

 

[shark_za]

We are talking about getting a tank pressure reading here. Nothing more nothing less. People make it sound like the world is ending.

The electronics involved are no more complicated than the mechanics in an SPG after so many years of manufacture.
You can ignore all the complaints about battery life of someones Teric because we are not talking about that component of the system, only the AI part. You will have some form of computer with you; get one that uses a PPS Tx and you like the computer, who cares if its a Shearwater, Aqualung or Oceanic. Saying you must stay clear of AI because someones Teric has issues is stupid.
These PPS transmitters are rock solid, a few miliseconds every 5 seconds of transmission can sometimes clash (if you are very near another one and the timing is just so unlucky).
Shearwaters new one even randomises the transmission time to avoid these clashes.

Say 100ms in a 5 second cycle, you have 2% chance of a clash if the transmission range overlaps (range is like 2m max).
On the boat it may clash, if you are 2m away from the other guy underwater it will work. Ignore all complains about clashing and not getting the signal, its a stupid excuse to avoid AI.

Change batteries and you will cover the only real difference between an analogue and a digital guage. They need fresh batteries or they dont work. The PPS uses a CR2 cell that is readily available and about as easy as changing your TV remote. (ok maybe a little more complex, like 10 seconds more).

If a SPG OR Tx breaks you know how much you had at the last check and can surface and replace it for the next dive. With another transmitter or analogue SPG, who cares as the consequences and risk levels are exactly the same. The only difference is cost, $400 for a Tx and $100 for a SPG. I have a Tx and an analogue spare in my bag.

Avoid Suunto and you will be happy with your cool gadget.

 

[Belzelbub]

I've never really considered air integrated before. Back in the day they were outside of my budget + even though I have always been a "gadget" guy it seemed like necessary and too complicated stuff...more failure prone for no real advantage, especially the wireless wrist mounted ones

Maybe when they were first introduced there were higher failure rates, but that was a long time ago. I currently have 3 transmitters in the family. They've been very reliable. I've had one that failed, but this did not happen during a dive. I had just bought it and saw it did not work. I have had SPGs fail underwater, and I much prefer the failure mode of the transmitter. NO COMMS is pretty clear there is a problem. A stuck needle is less clear.

But now I'm wondering...what real advantages do you see with diving your air integrated computer.
Much easier and obvious display of your SAC/RMV rate...which I suppose is a little interesting knowledge for future planning...but not really necessary.
What else?

Everything in one spot is one of the key benefits. I also don't need to record my start and stop pressure in my dive log. You don't necessarily need AI to calculate SAC/RMV, it just makes it easier. Additionally, with Subsurface (others maybe as well) the pressure line is colored to indicate higher and lower breathing rates during the dive, which can be useful for after dive analysis.

Most AI computers will also include a Gas Time Remaning calculation, which can be useful.

and how reliable are they? Are they sometimes a hassle to get the sensor to sync up when on the boat scrambling to gear up before the dive?

Very reliable. It takes a couple of seconds to show the pressure on the computer, and it doesn't seem to be an issue. But, this might be dependent on the manufacturer. I use Shearwater and Oceanic computers with PPS transmitters. The PPS version seems to be very reliable, I've also heard good things about the Swift. Most complaints I've seen seem to revolve around other brands (one in particular.)

Do most folks still also rig a SPG as a backup?

Some do, some don't. I don't. As I mentioned, I find them very reliable. I do bring an SPG in my save a dive bag, but don't bring that on the dive with me.

 

[Cheizz]

Most complaints I've seen seem to revolve around other brands (one in particular.)

Which brand?

 

[NothingClever]

We are talking about getting a tank pressure reading here. Nothing more nothing less. People make it sound like the world is ending.

@shark_za

You just don’t get it.

It’s bigger than the world. The fate of the entire Universe hangs in the balance and you can’t just roll in here and glibly assert that people shouldn’t over-complicate things. Who wins this battle is akin to Thanos getting the last Infinity stone.

You need to get with the program here on ScubaBoard. The future of mankind and the entire solar system are at stake in these very forums.

Sheesh…some people.

 

[NothingClever]

Just leaving this out here:

Signal pressure gauge?

I think Woody’s spent too much time studying bongs.

 

[Belzelbub]

Which brand?

Most complaints I've seen involve Suunto transmitters. Not sure why exactly, that's just what I've noticed.

The PPS transmitters seem quite simple. They turn on with pressure, and turn off when pressure drops low enough. Some of the other brands have sleep modes where it will go to sleep to save battery if pressure doesn't change after a while. Seems like a solution in search of a problem to me as the batteries last plenty long.

Electronics failures (apart from battery) tend to happen when the unit is turned on, so sleep modes, etc. are additional points for a failure to occur.

 

[Cheizz]

Ah. Never had that problem with my Suunto (Eon Core). Sold it now, upgraded to a Ratio iX3M2. Some features in both hardware and software that I like better.

 

[scubadada]

If you dive long enough/enough dives, you will eventually have some equipment malfunctions or failures, this is true of dive computers and transmitters.

From 2002-2010, I dived an Oceanic hosed AI computer, a Pro Plus 2. It never malfunctioned while I used it. My daughter has used it since 2010. In 2016, the pressure sensor failed, and it was replaced by Oceanic for $175. She still dives this computer without problem.

I have dived an Oceanic VT3 AI computer from 2010 to today, 1814 dives, 1915 hours, without a problem, I have dived with a backup computer and a backup SPG this entire time. The backup computers have changed over time, a Cochran EMC-14, Oceanic Geo 2, Dive Rite Nitek Q and, since 2019, a Shearwater Teric. I run the VT3 and the Teric off a single PPS transmitter.

Since 2010, I have used by backup SPG on just 17 dives, 0.94%. Six of these were my fault*. I have never missed a dive or a series of dives due to AI failure.
2 dives, VT3 battery dead*
2 dives, transmitter battery dead*
5 dives, transmitter failure, hardware failure, replaced by Oceanic for $120 in 2017
2 dives, transmitter not installed on reg set used*
1 dive, loaned reg set due to 1st stage malfunction.
5 dives transmitter failure, over pressure valve failure, flood, replaced by Oceanic/Huish for $120 in 2022

I have had a few problems with my Teric (black screen, transmitter antenna failure x2) and simply used the VT3

I have had a few minor SPG leaks and replaced the spool. I carry a few in my save a dive kit.

Nothing is perfect. You can be prepared, at whatever level you are comfortable with.