Atom 3.1 or O

[Yoda-X]

My mission is to find a great dive computer / watch with integrated air before Christmas. Have been looking at the Oceanic Atom 3.1 and the OCI. Or???

Would really appreciate

1) any real world feedback on either of these models
2) other recommendations that would be a better choice

i would like something that can be comfortably worn every day as a watch, but also a good computer. I am a recreation diver and don't intend to do any tech.

Yoda

 

[marcushall]

My son and I have been using the Atom 3.0 for a year now.. I got a good deal on them, about $600 each with transmitter. Although we have about 20 dives on them, we did replace the batteries in each. I think that they were sitting on the shelf for several years, so it doesn't seem unreasonable.

Overall, we have been pretty pleased with them. It took us a while to sort out exactly what it was telling us in various situations, but now that we are used to it, it seems pretty obvious.

Without paying reasonable attention, I cannot hear the alarm. I have pretty decent hearing still, but it certainly isn't loud enough to get my attention. The Atom 3.1 does have the buddy check where I can check the air in my son's tank, which I find pretty useful for my piece of mind. I think that there is some patent infringement with this and it was removed for the Atom 3.1 (which seems to be otherwise identical to the 3.0).

Display is easy enough to read, despite being watch sized. But it is comfortable enough to wear all day, so the "thought experiment" involving forgetting your primary dive computer would be pretty hard to imagine.

We have never had any issues with communication failure from the transmitter. I do wish that there was some way to turn the transmitter on manually (it only activates by pressure), just so that I can check the battery condition at home before getting set up for a dive.

Overall, I'm quite happy with my purchase.

 

[tbone1004]

I would hold out right now. AUP *Hollis/Oceanic/Aeris* also owns Pelagic Pressure Systems *makes the computers*, and recently sold it to Aqualung. There has been no announcement of how this will change things on the AUP side or if it will, but I'd hold off until that has settled down.

If you really want AI, I'd spend the extra money and get the Seabear H3. It'll be a few hundred bucks more than the Oceanics, but the screen quality is MUCH nicer and it's a better computer overall. Transmitters haven't been released yet, but they're coming the first week of November at DEMA

 

[scubadada]

I would hold out right now. AUP *Hollis/Oceanic/Aeris* also owns Pelagic Pressure Systems *makes the computers*, and recently sold it to Aqualung. There has been no announcement of how this will change things on the AUP side or if it will, but I'd hold off until that has settled down.

If you really want AI, I'd spend the extra money and get the Seabear H3. It'll be a few hundred bucks more than the Oceanics, but the screen quality is MUCH nicer and it's a better computer overall. Transmitters haven't been released yet, but they're coming the first week of November at DEMA

See reply form Oceanic regarding sale of PPS to Aqua Lung: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/oceanic/512049-pelagic-pressure-systems-acquistion-aqua-lung.html

 

[tbone1004]

See reply form Oceanic regarding sale of PPS to Aqua Lung: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/oceanic/512049-pelagic-pressure-systems-acquistion-aqua-lung.html

nifty, doesn't change my recommendation though. H3 is only a few hundred bucks more right now for a lot more functionality, and they will likely have a Black Friday deal going on with a transmitter....

 

[stuartv]

I have the Atom 3.0 w/transmitter. I have 40 dives on it and like it a LOT.

I have not had any trouble with losing the tank pressure display during a dive.

The Atom 3.0 and 3.1 are identical except that the 3.1 has the Buddy Check feature removed due to a patent infringement lawsuit. If you search around here, you can find a post from an exec at Oceanic that posted that info.

I've had my Atom since December and, just last week, found that Oceanic makes a "dome cover" for the computer that covers the entire display, including the bezel. And the dome seems to magnify the display a bit under water, which makes it even easier to read. The computer comes with just a flat screen protector that only covers the actual display itself, but does not cover the bezel at all. I got one and used it last weekend diving off the Outer Banks. I like my computer even more now.

As someone else already said, the alarm is not very loud. I hear it sometimes, but there are other times where I think it sounded and I didn't notice. AFAIK, I've only had it give me alarms to warn me when my depth exceeds 1.2ATA ppO2 when I'm diving Nitrox. It's set for a "limit" of 1.4 ATA and as a result I think it beeps a warning when you exceed 1.2.

My local dive shop was clearancing the Atom 3.0 for $550, with the transmitter and data cable, when I bought mine. If you can find a deal like that, I don't see why you'd hold out to spend twice as much for a SeaBear H3 with transmitter. I am looking to buy an H3 when the AI transmitter comes out, but that's because I have started Tech training. If I were sticking to only Rec diving, I would be perfectly happy to continue with the Atom as my main computer.

I looked at the OCi and the OC1 and I just couldn't see (ME) paying the extra for either of those over what the Atom gives you. An electronic compass? Thanks, I'm taking a real compass anyway. Titanium? Don't care. I'm going to put a protective cover over it, whatever it is, which means it's not going to look very swanky for just casual wear.

I thought I would be very careful and never scratch my computer on anything. But, a couple of tank swaps while on board a dive boat in choppy water showed me that, sooner or later, my computer was going to get scratched by a tank next to the one I'm mounting my BC on.