Affordable Dive Computers

[NitroxSam]

Terics are great but are like $1100.00. I think the OP wants a cheaper option. I second the Shearwater Peregrin. About half the price of the Teric.

 

[inquis]

pretending like you can’t enjoy diving safely with tables, while saving money, is misleading.

While that's perfectly true for square-profile dives, a typical multi-level profile violates table NDLs. If the site is conducive to multi-level dives, it may be difficult finding a buddy willing to be on your timeline.

 

[Marie13]

While that's perfectly true for square-profile dives, a typical multi-level profile violates table NDLs. If the site is conducive to multi-level dives, it may be difficult finding a buddy willing to be on your timeline.

And how many tropical dive ops are going to allow someone to dive tables? I keep reading here that many require computers.

 

[shark_za]

When my family hit the Red Sea this year we will all carry extra computers, the cost per dive is irrelevant when we get so few chances like this.
They demand you dive on a computer so they dont have to keep track of anyone.
Not diving for a day will really mess the plans up should anything happen to one.
All other issues you can fix with a few spares and a toolkit.

 

[bradlw]

I'm looking forward with curiosity to seeing how my kids are taught about computers in an OW diver class.
Seems like the idea that these computer indications are NOT some absolute certain fact seems to be lost. Seems like a little perspective is needed. I mean, as far as I can tell, things haven't changed during my hiatus anyway....

the algorithms while based on science and research are still just a collection of estimates. Factors of safety are applied to various calculations. Data is collected on some unknown refresh interval, additional factors of safety are applied, etc.... and ultimately some 'suggested' dive time/depth limits are displayed to some rounded resolution.
The idea that these things are so absolutely gospel and necessary is a bit funny to this old school diver.

I'm not saying that the indications and practices should be ignored, and I'm not encouraging diving without computers, etc....
but you've gotta realize these are just "approximates" or best guesses. If you blow the limit by a minute it's not a definite that you will get DCS.... nor is missing the limit by 5 minutes a definite that you will not.
Yes even diving a computer is sort of like Star Trek Engineering....going where no man has gone before.

Coming at this from my perspective of an old school diver who didn't dive a computer till sometime after OW certification, I can see the OP's concern being an reasonable consideration say on a liveaboard trip doing 6 or 8 dives per day...maybe with different buddies and very different individual profiles...yeah that's a complicated thing to compare notes and extrapolate
but on a typical vacation trip doing 2 or 4 controlled chartered dives a day that are probably relatively shallow, time limited, and with sufficient surface intervals...that yes, can all be completed safely without computer at all.... then loosing a computer is not really that big of a deal. You should be able to figure out how to add padding to a surface interval or even skip one dive for added safety factor to get back on track.

So my 2 cents.... I'm in the camp with others who suggest buying a decent computer....doesn't have to be a high dollar one but one that you like and fits your needs. Dive with it. Failure is yes possible, but unlikely for a long while..... later, a few months or a year later...whatever...when you can afford it, buy a second computer...maybe even a low end one...then dive both for backup.

And I'll add this... I used to dive with a computer and a bottom timer (or old school gauges and a watch). If the computer fails mid dive, I at least had some data available to monitor my depth, times, ascent rates, etc... That's what I would do in the time before you can afford to buy your second computer....dive teh gauge and timer as a back-up. Having double computers certainly adds to that same logic of redundancy but if you can't afford it, it's ok.... thousands of people dive everyday successfully with a single computer

 

[NitroxSam]

And how many tropical dive ops are going to allow someone to dive tables? I keep reading here that many require computers.

Yes. Seems to be pretty standard down here in FLA.

 

[Marie13]

I was not taught tables in my SDI OW class. They require computers from the very beginning. I laugh at the OW classes which pretend computers don’t exist, force people to learn tables, and then students never use tables again. Why not just teach the way they’ll dive from the beginning? The only table I use is the nitrox one to determine mod/PPO2 for recreational dives. Why do math if you don’t have to? (I hate math)

 

[tridacna]

I was not taught tables in my SDI OW class. They require computers from the very beginning. I laugh at the OW classes which pretend computers don’t exist, force people to learn tables, and then students never use tables again. Why not just teach the way they’ll dive from the beginning? The only table I use is the nitrox one to determine mod/PPO2 for recreational dives. Why do math if you don’t have to? (I hate math)

Your computer will do that for you too.

 

[rongoodman]

Coming at this from my perspective of an old school diver who didn't dive a computer till sometime after OW certification, I can see the OP's concern being an reasonable consideration say on a liveaboard trip doing 6 or 8 dives per day...maybe with different buddies and very different individual profiles...yeah that's a complicated thing to compare notes and extrapolate
but on a typical vacation trip doing 2 or 4 controlled chartered dives a day that are probably relatively shallow, time limited, and with sufficient surface intervals...that yes, can all be completed safely without computer at all.... then loosing a computer is not really that big of a deal. You should be able to figure out how to add padding to a surface interval or even skip one dive for added safety factor to get back on track.

I've never heard of a liveaboard doing more than five dives a day, and every one that I've ever been on requires the use of a dive computer. I will say that after multiple trips doing every dive while watching the Shearwater tissue loading graphs, having one fail mid-trip wouldn't worry me all that much. Except for the slowest compartments with their minimal gas load, all compartments are clear every morning.

 

[NitroxSam]

I was not taught tables in my SDI OW class. They require computers from the very beginning. I laugh at the OW classes which pretend computers don’t exist, force people to learn tables, and then students never use tables again. Why not just teach the way they’ll dive from the beginning? The only table I use is the nitrox one to determine mod/PPO2 for recreational dives. Why do math if you don’t have to? (I hate math)

Same experience here with NAUI OW. My instructor told us he had to teach tables, but after we got certified we were unlikely to use them. He was right. I can still do tables, but I've been diving computers since day one.