The best bang for the buck is Hollis DG03 at $250. Plus $100 for the USB cable. The cheapest is a Mares Puck @ $150 ($50 cable) or a Cressi Leonardo @ $250 with the cable. Either of those have a better feature set than the Zoop (they have gauge mode -- no you cannot turn a yellow Zoop into a gauge later, you need a Zoop Novo for that), and DG03 has all the features you'll likely need for quite some time.
Advice on first dive computer (Suunto Zoop?)
- Thread starter filmguy123
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The best bang for the buck is Hollis DG03 at $250. Plus $100 for the USB cable. The cheapest is a Mares Puck @ $150 ($50 cable) or a Cressi Leonardo @ $250 with the cable. Either of those have a better feature set than the Zoop (they have gauge mode -- no you cannot turn a yellow Zoop into a gauge later, you need a Zoop Novo for that), and DG03 has all the features you'll likely need for quite some time.
I meant go pro as in scuba professional (Divemaster and above).
I think even if you take all the specialty courses, you will have to pay to get the Master Diver c-card.
I think even if you take all the specialty courses, you will have to pay to get the Master Diver c-card.
outofofficebrb
HARRO HUNNAYYY
Hi--I'm running on a Suunto Vyper Air. I haven't had an issue with how conservative it is. When I dive, I usually do 3-4 tanks in one day and it hasn't posed a problem, even on air but I try to dive nitrox when I can since it makes me feel better with multiple dives plus energy levels considered before/after diving. Of course, that would also make it less of an issue in itself. My dives are often 3-4 tanks, often for 3-5 consecutive days. While I know a lot of people have problems with how conservative it is, I have not had to sit out on a dive. With that said, surface intervals, depth and length of dives also are at play here. I'm happy with my choice and don't regret it.
OP
filmguy123
Contributor
Good to know.
Perhaps the conservative estimates aren't too much except for the more advanced divers?
It's just too bad there's not a way to manually dial down the algorithim.
The new Suunto Zoop Novo looks very appealing even though it's a bit more. I see *VERY* little on the Hollis DG03 which makes me nervous. The Cressi looks appealing too, except that it doesn't seem as prevalent as the Suunto and is only slightly less conservative?
If I am open to the $330 price point of the Novo (+ cable), are there any better alternatives I should be looking at in that price range (perhaps from Oceanic?). Or would the Novo still be a top bet for me?
Perhaps the conservative estimates aren't too much except for the more advanced divers?
It's just too bad there's not a way to manually dial down the algorithim.
The new Suunto Zoop Novo looks very appealing even though it's a bit more. I see *VERY* little on the Hollis DG03 which makes me nervous. The Cressi looks appealing too, except that it doesn't seem as prevalent as the Suunto and is only slightly less conservative?
If I am open to the $330 price point of the Novo (+ cable), are there any better alternatives I should be looking at in that price range (perhaps from Oceanic?). Or would the Novo still be a top bet for me?
Mares Puck Pro, motioned above as an option
http://www.leisurepro.com/p-mrspp/mares-puck-pro-wrist-computer
I have just come back from a holiday where part of the time we were doing four dives a day on a liveaboard, the nearest chamber was 700 miles away.
My buddy and I were diving in a group of 3 or 4 with a guide. The 4th was sometimes diving in another group but the 3rd and guide were with us for 14 dives. The 3rd was on air, we were on nitrox, the guide was usually on air. The 3rd diver was new and diving a Zoop, the guide a Suunto D series of some sort. I was diving a Zoop set to air and a HelO2 set to my actual mix. The divers were mostly 55 to 65 minutes, the longest 94 minutes. I and my buddy were using 100cuft cylinders.
Only once did we get close to the NDL of the Zoop on air, it was the third dive of the day. We simply moved up the reef. I had 30 minutes NDL on the HelO2 at that point.
Scubaboard convention has it that Suunto computers are too conservative. That is not my experience unless helium is involved.
My buddy and I were diving in a group of 3 or 4 with a guide. The 4th was sometimes diving in another group but the 3rd and guide were with us for 14 dives. The 3rd was on air, we were on nitrox, the guide was usually on air. The 3rd diver was new and diving a Zoop, the guide a Suunto D series of some sort. I was diving a Zoop set to air and a HelO2 set to my actual mix. The divers were mostly 55 to 65 minutes, the longest 94 minutes. I and my buddy were using 100cuft cylinders.
Only once did we get close to the NDL of the Zoop on air, it was the third dive of the day. We simply moved up the reef. I had 30 minutes NDL on the HelO2 at that point.
Scubaboard convention has it that Suunto computers are too conservative. That is not my experience unless helium is involved.
@KenGordon. Dive profiles with only time but no depth is pretty useless in order to find out if a computor is liberal or not. Can you add this information?
I never dived with a Suunto, but with a Cressi leonardo. I used to dive with Uwatec Pro. Last year, I was diving in French Polynesia. 2 dives a day. You are diving in passes in order to look for sharks. This means that you go down to 30-40 m and stay put until you enter into deco. Then you let go and finish the dive in shallow depth before you do you deco/safety stop. The "problem" with my Leonardo was that while I was at 10 to 5 m, the leonardo was adding deco time while other computors - mostly Uwatec/scubapro - were reducing the deco time. The fact that your deco reduces at shallow depth is NORMAL, the contrary is NOT NORMAL. So on each dive I had some extra minutes to stay at 3m for deco while others could theretically already end the dive.
When I talked to the owner of the dive center his words were clear: We see hundreds of divers every year, so we can compare computor behaviours. Cressi Leonardo is know for that, some others are like that. The worst are the Suuntos.
The bottom of this? I do not belive that the Suuntos or the Cressis are bad computors. Simply, I know that they are not designed for MY type of diving. Therefore I sold it a year ago and bought a Uwated 2G. I am happy with the later one
I never dived with a Suunto, but with a Cressi leonardo. I used to dive with Uwatec Pro. Last year, I was diving in French Polynesia. 2 dives a day. You are diving in passes in order to look for sharks. This means that you go down to 30-40 m and stay put until you enter into deco. Then you let go and finish the dive in shallow depth before you do you deco/safety stop. The "problem" with my Leonardo was that while I was at 10 to 5 m, the leonardo was adding deco time while other computors - mostly Uwatec/scubapro - were reducing the deco time. The fact that your deco reduces at shallow depth is NORMAL, the contrary is NOT NORMAL. So on each dive I had some extra minutes to stay at 3m for deco while others could theretically already end the dive.
When I talked to the owner of the dive center his words were clear: We see hundreds of divers every year, so we can compare computor behaviours. Cressi Leonardo is know for that, some others are like that. The worst are the Suuntos.
The bottom of this? I do not belive that the Suuntos or the Cressis are bad computors. Simply, I know that they are not designed for MY type of diving. Therefore I sold it a year ago and bought a Uwated 2G. I am happy with the later one
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My point is that the computer was not the limiting factor for ACTUAL dives. There were 14 altogether, ranging from 32m to 14m max, average depths in the 18m ro 10m range. Some, most maybe, involved some significant current.
Usually gas is the limiting factor, sometimes cold, sometime the need to urinate. The computer isn't the number one issue.
Adelaar Cruises
Contributor
We use the Suunto Zoop for rentals and issue them to our dive guides. We've found them to be conservative but safe, easy to read, easy to program and very reliable (w/over 600 dives on mine). Our dive guides do 3-4 dives a day or about 75 dives a month. There is the odd guest diving air, but they are primarily used with nitrox. Of course we are not doing deco or technical dive plans, and we average 80-90' (24-27m) max and 1 hour dives.
All in all for a starter, that you can use as a back up later, we think it's a reliable product.
Cheers!
All in all for a starter, that you can use as a back up later, we think it's a reliable product.
Cheers!
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