AI computer for new diver

[Alex Ouroboros]

Suunto - no wonder your experience was crappy.

I don’t use SPG at all. Shearwater transmitters only. No issues.

But the OP says he has a suunto for his daughter…

 

[KenE]

You will get lots of opinions here, the choice is yours. Nothing wrong with either choice, you and I both dove the Suuntos without issues, your daughter can too. I do suggest keeping the gauge initially through training so she know what it is and then let her decide to remove or keep it. You won't get a majority answer here. Some will say keep it and other will say to get rid of it, but it is an individual choice, so let your daughter decide. I personally would not spend money on a new computer until I was sure she was going to stick with diving. Just my 2 psi.

 

[Belzelbub]

As I have recently upgraded to a Tern TX I was going to give her my old Suunto D4i with AI but was wondering whether this is a no-no for new divers and dive training. She will have a console with compass/pressure and Zoop Novo attached. Just curious whether it's a good idea or whether I should just leave the AI computer for eBay! Thanks.

AI for a young diver is no problem whatsoever. Depending on the particular computer, it may actually be better. Both my daughters use AI computers. They did their training with an SPG, but as soon as I had enough transmitters, I converted their gear to AI. My first computer was actually a hosed AI console. I've been using wrist mount AI computers since.

An AI computer can (depending on the model) also provide alerts, or gas time remaining info, which could be useful for a new diver. Provided they understand that information and it's not information overload. Some may also have alarms to alert them if gas gets too low. A diver should not rely on that, but it can be a good reminder for a new diver. Additionally, with an AI computer, you have all the information at one glance. With a wrist mount AI, you always know right where it is without searching. Another bonus is that it's easy to track SAC rate in a log, and even how it varies at different points of the dive.

My only concern would be on the Suunto. I've just never been a fan of them, especially the AI ones. However, as you've been using it you know the limitations, so as long as you are fine with this computer, it should be fine for your daughter.

Obviously you don’t rely on transmitter for tank pressure, in my experience they were never 100% reliable so as long as she has a console gauge as backup I don’t see a problem, hell, young folks are better suited to technology than we are

Mine have all been reliable. More reliable than some SPGs I've used. I've had SPGs fail underwater, but never had a transmitter fail underwater. Not all transmitters are the same. Mine are PPS transmitters, which are fairly simple, robust, and reliable. I see you've used Suunto transmitters, so that may be the issue.

 

[Alex Ouroboros]

AI for a young diver is no problem whatsoever. Depending on the particular computer, it may actually be better. Both my daughters use AI computers. They did their training with an SPG, but as soon as I had enough transmitters, I converted their gear to AI. My first computer was actually a hosed AI console. I've been using wrist mount AI computers since.

An AI computer can (depending on the model) also provide alerts, or gas time remaining info, which could be useful for a new diver. Provided they understand that information and it's not information overload. Some may also have alarms to alert them if gas gets too low. A diver should not rely on that, but it can be a good reminder for a new diver. Additionally, with an AI computer, you have all the information at one glance. With a wrist mount AI, you always know right where it is without searching. Another bonus is that it's easy to track SAC rate in a log, and even how it varies at different points of the dive.

My only concern would be on the Suunto. I've just never been a fan of them, especially the AI ones. However, as you've been using it you know the limitations, so as long as you are fine with this computer, it should be fine for your daughter.

Mine have all been reliable. More reliable than some SPGs I've used. I've had SPGs fail underwater, but never had a transmitter fail underwater. Not all transmitters are the same. Mine are PPS transmitters, which are fairly simple, robust, and reliable. I see you've used Suunto transmitters, so that may be the issue.

Thought the suunto transmitters were quite unreliable, (found out the hard way when I suddenly had “ERRR” where the pressure should be, about halfway in to a dive at 30m in the sea) after that I persisted with it but only on the twinset and on the 1,st stage that didn’t have the gauge on, hence I’d dive with both,
I’ve never had an spg fail but then I only use brass singular gauges on good quality hoses, I’m not against transmitters or technology some didn’t get the joke where I was simply implying young people seem to mesh with it immediately, and little harm can be done on a NDD if your sole transmitter packs up,
I’m purely giving my opinion.

 

[Belzelbub]

Thought the suunto transmitters were quite unreliable, (found out the hard way when I suddenly had “ERRR” where the pressure should be, about halfway in to a dive at 30m in the sea) after that I persisted with it but only on the twinset and on the 1,st stage that didn’t have the gauge on, hence I’d dive with both,
I’ve never had an spg fail but then I only use brass singular gauges on good quality hoses, I’m not against transmitters or technology some didn’t get the joke where I was simply implying young people seem to mesh with it immediately, and little harm can be done on a NDD if your sole transmitter packs up,
I’m purely giving my opinion.

Yep. Didn't get the British humor.

For sure, the very early iterations of AI transmitters were quite problematic. Most more recent iterations have been much more reliable. Suunto seems to have stuck with the nostalgia for some reason and they haven't fixed as quick as some others. Not all, but almost every complaint about problem transmitters seem to be about Suunto. Not at all saying that others don't have issues, they just seem less frequent.

I've had an SPG fail underwater and the failure mode sucked. It stuck at a pressure and wouldn't go lower. Conversely, I've also had a transmitter fail, but out of the water. My computer flashed "No Comms". While the SPG failure could have gone unnoticed, especially for a new diver, the transmitter failure was quite clear. Usually the transmitter will fail on startup unless the battery dies, but if that happens, the No Comms is again more clear.

 

[boulderjohn]

This response will likely seem bipolar.

I personally do not use AI, but that is because I have non-AI computers (2 Shearwaters) and don't feel the need to pay for new computers--I never come close to running out of air, so an occasional glance at the spg is not a big deal for me.

When I was a new diver, I bought a Suunto with AI (direct hose--not a transmitter). I think it was really good for me as a new diver. The fact that every time I looked at my computer I saw how much time I had left in my dive helped me learn (informally) my SAC rate. I saw how changing my depth even a few feet impacted that remaining time. So I am voting less, and I vote yes with greater enthusiasm if it were not a Suunto.

 

[Alex Ouroboros]

This response will likely seem bipolar.

I personally do not use AI, but that is because I have non-AI computers (2 Shearwaters) and don't feel the need to pay for new computers--I never come close to running out of air, so an occasional glance at the spg is not a big deal for me.

When I was a new diver, I bought a Suunto with AI (direct hose--not a transmitter). I think it was really good for me as a new diver. The fact that every time I looked at my computer I saw how much time I had left in my dive helped me learn (informally) my SAC rate. I saw how changing my depth even a few feet impacted that remaining time. So I am voting less, and I vote yes with greater enthusiasm if it were not a Suunto.

This response will likely seem bipolar.

I personally do not use AI, but that is because I have non-AI computers (2 Shearwaters) and don't feel the need to pay for new computers--I never come close to running out of air, so an occasional glance at the spg is not a big deal for me.

When I was a new diver, I bought a Suunto with AI (direct hose--not a transmitter). I think it was really good for me as a new diver. The fact that every time I looked at my computer I saw how much time I had left in my dive helped me learn (informally) my SAC rate. I saw how changing my depth even a few feet impacted that remaining time. So I am voting less, and I vote yes with greater enthusiasm if it were not a Suunto.

Actually I forgot about the whole post dive download and ease of calculating SAC rates with these things, and in reply to both last msgs, my experiences were with the early suunto transmitter so before the one with the white label on,,,

 

[Belzelbub]

When I was a new diver, I bought a Suunto with AI (direct hose--not a transmitter). I think it was really good for me as a new diver. The fact that every time I looked at my computer I saw how much time I had left in my dive helped me learn (informally) my SAC rate. I saw how changing my depth even a few feet impacted that remaining time. So I am voting less, and I vote yes with greater enthusiasm if it were not a Suunto.

Not bipolar. And my thoughts as well.

I see a great deal of benefit for a new diver to use AI. Having all the information in one place is one less thing to check. This can also be accomplished by a puck computer in a console, but then you have a bulky console and at times, the console may not be where they think it is. Wrist mount AI solves this. Everything is in one place, and my wrist is always at hand (heh.)

I wouldn't say I need AI, but I do like having it. I might have gone a similar path as you if my first DC hadn't been an Oceanic Pro Plus 2. When it died, I needed something else, and Oceanic had a 20% discount on a new computer if I trade in the old one. Shop also matched online prices. I found a less than MSRP price, and got 20% off on top of that. Certainly removed the sting of buying a wrist mount computer with transmitter, so when it came time to get a Shearwater, I already had the transmitter that worked with it.

 

[GreggS]

I used Suuntos for a few years and the only time I had a "failure" was on our second dive in Fiji in 2019. The signal would drop in and out for the last half of the dive, but it never entirely went out. I changed the battery after the dive and all was well. The biggest thing about Suunto AI is that each transmitter has multiple radio frequencies that you have to match with the computer. I've had mine to lose the frequency that I had it connected to before a dive and I'd have to go thru the different ones before it would find one it would connect to. I never had it to lose frequency connection during a dive, but I can see how it could be a possibility.

Not to long after that trip, I bought a great deal on an Oceanic OCi computer with transmitter which operates on the PPS system. I used it until I bought a Peregrine TX this year, but I still put the OCi in my BCD pocket to use as a backup just in the unlikely event that the Peregrine TX goes out. But I really don't expect that to happen.

 

[34109411]

Do you have any experience with Shearwater transmitters?

Lots of folks tech dive with just transmitters these days.

i agree the benefit to have AI (transmitter) is to get rid of one hose. Having a AI and a console is bit of an of an overkill. If a problem will arise with AI i will end the dive.