According to my Uwatec Aladdin Pro, I'm Dead

[drbill]

I've been diving a Uwatec Aladdin Pro for about 8 years now. I like the computer, BUT....

I was diving the Marine Room in La Jolla this weekend with friends when I noticed my computer was flashing constantly (I couldn't hear the aidble beeping but my dive buddy said it went off continuously). When I looked at it, I was at about 70 ft descending to a maximum depth of 102. I was only about 10 min into the dive, but when I reached max depth my CNS O-2 percentage was about 150%

I knew I wasn't dead or suffering ox-tox. I figured the freaking computer had somehow reset my gas mix (I dive only air). I had not touched the computer, so if it had re-set the mix, it did so entirely on its own. When I surfaced, I found I had been diving with the computer set to 50% O-2.

Fortunately I've been diving enough decades to know the computer was screwed up and just continued my dive on a very conservative non-deco profile.

Now the freaking Aladdin Pro has re-set itself 2 or 3 times before without any help from me. It usually just increases the mix to something between 24% and 32%. This time the increase was outrageous.

The computer never did this to me before I had a new battery installed at the factory about a year ago.

Anyone else out there have similar experiences with the Aladdin Pro or other Uwatec computers?

 

[nereas]

So how does it feel to be dead? I almost found out a couple of times myself, and then I changed my diving habits to become ultra conservative. This however for me means NOT diving air at any time, since air is never the best mix for anything, except scrubbing the bottoms of boats in the marina.

 

[almitywife]

about 6 months ago i borrowed hubbys old aladin air x and about 10min/45ft into the dive it started beeping at me and went into deco

ive always disliked it so never used it again and i think its still sitting in the lockup

 

[TheAce]

Anyone else out there have similar experiences with the Aladdin Pro or other Uwatec computers?

Never ever happened to me...

Does the o2% changed during the dive while underwater? If yes, that is very strange and shouldn't happen. Send the puter to UWATEC they'll fix it/replace it for sure.

 

[ilander]

Hi Bill,

I've been having a similar problem with my smart Z...it woudl start beeping and you couldnt get it to do anything. Once it started it woudl just toggle back and forth between modeson its own. It would usually do this until it dried for a few hours...Uwatec said I likely had water under the contacts and it was bridging the connection. Could be the same thing and on yours and it's bridging the contacts to reset the O2%.

Hope this helps.

 

[Dan Watkins]

I don't have this particular computer, but there is a feature on some dive computers that will automatically set your FO2 to 50% for and 21% (air) for Nitrogen loading as a saftey precaution to provide you the worst possible dive condition (O2 limiting depth, Nitro limiting bottom time). This forces you to set your FO2% before each dive.

If you are just diving air, then this precaution is overkill. My computer has the option to disable this feature, yours might too?

 

[drbill]

I did over 1,000 dives on this computer without this happening. Then, after the factory replaced my battery, I started having occasional (let's say 1% of my dives) problems like this with it. Much as I like the computer (when it functions properly), I may never buy another Uwatec as I've heard similar problems from owners with this and other Uwatec models. It's a shame.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

We just had this happen with my husband's Orca Pilot (I know, probably never heard of one). We compared our deco countdown numbers and I had 19 while he had 35. Turns out his had set itself to 33% and you have to go through a whole sequence of button pushes, two buttons at a time, to make the change. Weird part was that was the one dive on the trip I did on nitrox but I left my computer set to air since that's what hubby was diving. His computer set itself to the exact mix I was diving....very very strange.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[drbill]

Hubby's computer must be telepathic. I still have an Orca Skinny Dipper although I don't use it.

Changing gas mixes on my computer is also a multi-button, multi-step process. Heck, I didn't know my computer was smart enough to do it by itself. I assumed it would always need my help!

Hope you two enjoyed your dives in La Jolla. Sorry I couldn't make it that weekend.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Hubby's computer must be telepathic. I still have an Orca Skinny Dipper although I don't use it.

Changing gas mixes on my computer is also a multi-button, multi-step process. Heck, I didn't know my computer was smart enough to do it by itself. I assumed it would always need my help!

Hope you two enjoyed your dives in La Jolla. Sorry I couldn't make it that weekend.

La Jolla? That happened in Tobermory.

We're invading Catalina for the November Wrinkles meeting Hope you'll be around, I have a hug for you :blinking:
Ber :lilbunny: