Atomic Cobalt or Oceanic ProPlus 2.1 ??

[phillybob]

The Cobalt costs twice as much as the ProPlus 2.1. May be something to consider. I like my VT3.

 

[RonR]

The Cobalt costs twice as much as the ProPlus 2.1. May be something to consider. I like my VT3.

They're really not all that comparable, other than both being consoles with large displays. Not sure how the $ work out once you add the QD fitting, compass, and download kit ($300? discounts?)- all of which are included with the Cobalt- but I'm sure the Cobalt ends up being at least a couple of hundred more.

The original poster asked for comparisons, so:
The Cobalt is color, and inherently always bright (OLED screen), vs. Pro Plus 2.1 segment based LCD with intermittent backlight. Will you dive at night or in dim water? Though both are easy to read, the OLED display is a hands down winner in dim light.

Cobalt has a graphic, menu driven natural language interface.

Cobalt has a digital compass, so the overall package might be a bit smaller.

Cobalt has an onboard dive log that holds about 600 hours of detailed dive profiles that you can view graphically, vs. 24 dives without the detailed viewing- although "up to 150" dives are held in memory for downloading. It's a different approach that relies more on PC downloading to keep your dive log.

Cobalt lets you view no-stop times as a list, and add surface time or change the gas to predict no-stop times, a kind of calculator function.

Cobalt (as mentioned above) has 3 gas capability, vs. 1 gas.

The Cobalt has a full featured graphic dive planning tool that truly can replace desktop software, including predicting gas requirements.

The Cobalt uses a rechargeable battery, vs. a user changeable disposable.

So the Cobalt has more features (these would be the main differences), but at a price. Whether those added features or the different interface are worth the cost to you or not is your call- both these computers are solid functional products that will do the job, but they are not exactly apples and apples. I would strongly recommend spending some hands on time with both, seeing how they operate, to help make your decision.

Then just enjoy diving!

 

[ctp43]

RonR,
Thanks for the details. I appreciate the feedback. The product sounds great and should be a nice tool for someone like me who has plenty of other things to focus on besides deciphering the computer while diving. I'm sure that will be less of an issue with more experience but my wife is also a newbie so I've got to watch out for her also. My only real hedging was due to the relatively high pricing which is really only an issue because I'll be buying two of whatever I choose. At least it sounds like the Cobalt is something my wife won't need help from me to use. That's worth a couple of hundred right there.

 

[phillybob]

Like 'fdog' said earlier, if you're working three gases, you won't be using either one of these computers. And the info it gives can't be all that because of it being hosed. I'm not a fan of the rechargeable battery. More flexibility with a user replaceable and when the rechargeable does die, I bet it'll cost an arm and a leg to replace. And finally, price. The Cobalt is $1200. You can get the 2.1. from L.P. (I KNOW, I KNOW !! But they ARE now an authorized Oceanic dealer.) with all the bells and whistles (Q.D. compass) for $699. The Cobalt does look cool, though, but for $500...

 

[Downing]

RonR,
Thanks for the details. I appreciate the feedback. The product sounds great and should be a nice tool for someone like me who has plenty of other things to focus on besides deciphering the computer while diving. I'm sure that will be less of an issue with more experience but my wife is also a newbie so I've got to watch out for her also. My only real hedging was due to the relatively high pricing which is really only an issue because I'll be buying two of whatever I choose. At least it sounds like the Cobalt is something my wife won't need help from me to use. That's worth a couple of hundred right there.

Definitely a factor to consider.

My wife and I both started out using an Oceanic computer/SPG/compass console. We were reasonably happy with this setup, but I decided I wanted an air integrated computer a few years ago and picked up a Suunto Cobra2. My wife took a look at the Cobra but stuck with her Oceanic.

But when I brought my Cobalt home, she played with it for about two minutes and decided it was time for an upgrade.

So now we have two.

 

[Hatul]

I see Dive Right in Scuba is selling the Cobalt at a discount. You can save a cent. Tanks god there is competition.

Adam

 

[nelsonrl]

They're really not all that comparable, other than both being consoles with large displays. Not sure how the $ work out once you add the QD fitting, compass, and download kit ($300? discounts?)- all of which are included with the Cobalt- but I'm sure the Cobalt ends up being at least a couple of hundred more.

The original poster asked for comparisons, so:
The Cobalt is color, and inherently always bright (OLED screen), vs. Pro Plus 2.1 segment based LCD with intermittent backlight. Will you dive at night or in dim water? Though both are easy to read, the OLED display is a hands down winner in dim light.
........
.........

Thanks for a comparison that pointed out what your computer does without disparaging the competition. I am in sales and one of the things my company drives into my pointy little head is to sell the advantages of my product, do not disparage the competition. Excellent job.

Now, get that wrist model out the door would you! I am waiting.

 

[Downing]

I see Dive Right in Scuba is selling the Cobalt at a discount. You can save a cent. Tanks god there is competition.

Adam

I hear you.

Dive Pro, which runs banner ads here on ScubaBoard, discounts the Cobalt by a whopping $525. The only problem is that they first inflate the list price to $1,725, then take the discount so you actually pay only [insert drum roll here] $1,200.

Which is the actual list price everywhere else.

Just doesn't seem right somehow...

 

[BoltSnap]

Are Atomic products sold on the internet by legitimate dealers? Are they highly discounted?

 

[Captain12Pk]

I haven't read the manual for the Cobalt yet. I'm curious how you switch gases on a computer connected by hose to your reg.

Ron

Edit: After looking at the manual online, I discovered the Colbalt supports up to three gas mixes, but only provides estimated gas time remaining on one, the primary. The others will not have gas time remaining displayed.

I thought with multi gas support, one would have to move the computer to another reg set underwater, and I was wondering how you could do this with a computer attached by a hose. I thought that maybe they had a way to switch underwater.

Silly me.

When they come out with a wrist mounted computer with that display, I could be tempted to get one.

If you're doing a dive that requires three gasses, you won't need a computer to tell you how much gas you have.