Entry-level Computer with a depth alarm and conservative algorithm

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What is the point of a depth alarm?

I'm not Nitrox certified, but my understanding is that if diving on Nitrox, there's a Maximum Operating Depth (MOD) that needs to be observed. A Depth Alarm is a way to have the dive computer warn the diver that the depth has been reached.
 
From the current Suunto Zoop Novo manual:

Depth alarm at 30m but you can also turn it off or change it to another depth.
Deepstop when you dive deeper then 20m but you can also turn it off.

I agree that both ideas might have some risks and probably not worth the slight more safety or in case of the deepstop, maybe even counterproductive.
 
There appears to be some confusion regarding alarms. Many dive computers have both a depth alarm and a separate alarm that notifies you when you are near and/or when you exceed the MOD of your nitrox mix.

The depth alarm is set for the maximal depth of a dive. In general, I agree with @rongoodman, and wonder about the utility of this alarm. Divers should monitor their depth and be aware of limits before an alarm goes off. Of course, there is no reason that the depth alarm could not be set for the MOD of your nitrox mix. I guess this would be the way to alert you to your MOD if you were diving air for a nitrox mix. The computer's pO2 alarm for MOD would not be functional in this case.

The MOD alarm signals you when you are near and/or exceed the MOD for the nitrox mix your computer is set at. For example, if my Oceanic computer is set for a pO2 of 1.4, I will get a warning at 1.2 and then the alarm at 1.4. The set point for this alarm is also adjustable, in my case, between 1.2 and 1.6.
 
I'm not Nitrox certified, but my understanding is that if diving on Nitrox, there's a Maximum Operating Depth (MOD) that needs to be observed. A Depth Alarm is a way to have the dive computer warn the diver that the depth has been reached.

a computer that has audio alarms will also alarm for PO2 limits when in nitrox mode.

OP you can also consider getting an oceanic computer and dive it in the Z+ algorithm. Should you ever want it to be more liberal you can set it to DSAT. The models I use have audio alarms. I turn them all off as they are my backup computers though and I don’t usually like alarms.
 
I'm not Nitrox certified, but my understanding is that if diving on Nitrox, there's a Maximum Operating Depth (MOD) that needs to be observed. A Depth Alarm is a way to have the dive computer warn the diver that the depth has been reached.

No, PO2 alarm is different and I don't think there's a nitrox-capable computer that doesn't have it. Max depth alarm is an optional feature that only exist on some computers, presumably because it's not really that useful IRL.
 
Thank you so much for all the very helpful comments !
I´m buying the Suunto just for the sake of having all options but questioning the idea of nitrox on air setting now even more and going to ask this topic plus deep stop during the theory lessons.

"Deep stop" on a no-stop dive does nothing except slow down your ascent. (Some of them started calling it "profile-dependent intermediate stop" to avoid the "bad deep stop" rep.)

When diving nitrox on air setting, the computer will not track your O2 toxicity correctly. It shouldn't be a problem on a single isolated dive, but is a bad idea on a multi-day multi-dive trip. Personally I'd take skin bends back on the boat over a CNS seizure at depth any day.

(Edit: a problem on a single isolated dive would be overshooting your MOD and not having PO2 alarm since the computer thinks you're on air.)
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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