A New Multi Gas AI Comp and Backup required

[Diving Dubai]

A question for the Teks (and manufacturers) out there.

I've just completed my Accelerated Deco course and dived the dives on tables. I'm ready to trade up to a multi gas comp. In the future when I (and my girlfriend who's also just done the course) feel ready - and of course when the club tek instructors also feel ready, we will be diving the Energy Determination which is 85m to the sea bed. However most of the time we enjoy mooching about sub 30m looking at the pretty stuff.

So we're looking for a multi gas full size that is great at both. We want AI so we can see each others gas too (we obviously also have analogue console tank pressure gauges.

Have spent a lot of time looking at the Liquivision Lynx, and while we like it we are wondering what other alternatives are out there that people recommend?

Secondly - What is recommended as a redundant back up comp? If we're going for the Linx I guess a Kaen makes sense as it is similar and uses the same batteries and chargers etc - but what is the opinion of those regularly going deep.

Manufacturers question. I realise this site is US & Canada centric but I live in Dubai and go to UK regularly - so can I get the products shipped here from your websites (thinking Lynx here) or does the fact I'm not US prevent me from gettign my hands on any certain products...

Over to the guys that know

 

[rongoodman]

Why do you want to see each others gas? If you're both trained in deco procedures and contemplating 85 meter dives, I'd think you could trust each other to manage their own gas. If you like Liquivison, you could buy a pair of Xeos for what the Lynx and transmitter would cost, or a a pair of Shearwater Petrels for not much more.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

For what you plan, I think the Lynx is still a very new model yet to be proven. It looks like a wonderful computer and once it is established with a record for extreme reliability I will be looking at it myself, but I am not an "early adopter" for new technology on what are truly life-endangering dives without something absolutely bulletproof.

The Liquivision X1 and the Shearwaters have impeccable reputations. The Xeo has been around awhile and I have not seen complaints. The Lynx and its transmitter are "just getting wet" and are not yet proven, especially the transmitter. I am not knocking it, at all, just saying to wait a while on that. Also, at those depths, trimix should be in the equation and the Lynx is not a trimix computer. All of this is assuming you want to use the computer to govern the dive as opposed to just being your bottom timer and depth gauge.

Seeing each other's gas is, I think, a fantastic reduncancy and safety feature to your spgs. Trusting your buddy is great, but the unexpected can happen and one buddy be placed in a situation where their gas consumption is higher, something that is worth knowing with a convenient glance at your wrist. As a mostly rec diver I think the Lynx has great promise. But, for your dives, maybe not now.

The Uwatec Galileos also offer buddy gas monitoring, but you have to be very close (2 meters) for that to work, and those computers are far less popular with tech divers, for some reason.

 

[mathauck0814]

I dive a Petrel, backed up by a Petrel, backed up by the two petrels on each of the members on my dive team backed up by tables cut in our wet notes.

 

[Diving Dubai]

Why do you want to see each others gas? If you're both trained in deco procedures and contemplating 85 meter dives, I'd think you could trust each other to manage their own gas.

Your are right, and we do trust each other, however it's a feature we would both like - more on the Rec side when we're mooching and we can see each others gas consumption against our own. We are into the habit of always checking each other's air so we know what the other has left. Given that a number of AI comps offer this feature we would like it.

Thanks for the suggestions of the others I'll have a good look

---------- Post added June 7th, 2013 at 09:45 PM ----------

Re Trimix... It's prohibitively expensive to get helium in quantities (so the teks tell me) in the UAE indeed quite a few of our teks run rebreathers and have used trimix costs as part of that equation. I have to say rebreathers aren't even on my radar, they seen as though they're a box of tricks just waiting to kill or maim the unwary or complacent

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

I dive a Petrel, backed up by a Petrel, backed up by the two petrels on each of the members on my dive team backed up by tables cut in our wet notes.

NOW you're talkin'!

 

[Scared Silly]

For many years I dove with a computer that utilized an AI transmitter. I really like being able to see it all at once. The best part was the getting my SAC rate (but that can be computed).

I recently moved over to a Petrel and use just my SPG. When checking my depth I would simply look at my SPG at the same time. So for rec dives no big deal.

However, when doing deco dives using an AI computer with additional cylinders the issue I found annoying is that when on a deco bottle the computer logging did seem to like that gas was not being used. I never chased the issue (i.e. computer issue or the third-party logging software). The computer was accurate it was just a AI logging issue.

So take the AI desire with a grain of salt.

My back up is depth timer and tables.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

Buy a pair of Petrels for each of you and be done with it.