Best Computer for the money

[llqwyd]

i know that you may prefer air integrated, but the best way to go for the money that you wish to spend ($500) is probably not going to be integrated. one of the best computer/watches i have come across is the cressi edy. reasonably priced, easy to use and very reliable. i have over 500 dives on mine and it still looks and works as though it were brand-new. also has cool free-dive features.

best of luck

 

[joe27march]

Wow, I know I am new to the board (and a little new to diving), but how long will it take before we run out of original questions and have to repeat a question. Personally, I was about to ask the same question, but have been doing a little research.

 

[joe27march]

P.S. Thank you to all the guys that remember what it was like to be new, and are willing to help.

 

[skippy31]

I've never personally been a fan of air integrated computers. That feature ads complexity to the computer and does not really provide much value to the end user. A good analog pressure gauge works very well and is extremely reliably. You'll learn to be able to have a very good idea of how much air you have left in terms of time pretty quickly after using a standard pressure gauge. Also if you get into technical diving the air integrated feature becomes even less desirable.

In terms of the computer portion I would suggest going for one that supports both Nitrox and Gauge Mode. Gauge mode is very useful again if you get into technical diving and choose to dive tables. There are a large number of computers on the market with these features...

In terms of things to look for, you want the display to be easy to read, and the computer to be easy to use. If you plan to use it for deco then TTS (total time to surface) is an extremely nice thing to have. Having a computer that only shows you that you have 3 minutes at 30 feet can be annoying especially if you did not pre-plan your deco (a bad idea).

One thing I found particularly annoying on a previous computer I owned (Mares M1) was the fact that it forced you to do the safety stops between 14 and 16 feet to get credit for them. Now it's not that I can't hold a stop in that range, but in some cases because of the bottom features I'd much rather be at a slightly different depth. Sometimes that's 20 feet, and other times it's 10 feet. Of course we do stops at 15 feet as well. My current computer allows anything between 10 and 20 feet.

Another issue I had with the M1 was the optical download interface. I found it to be very finicky. I now prefer a straight electrical interface on my computers.

I've been diving the Beuchat Voyager lately and have been very, very satisfied with it. I use gauge mode a lot, but have used it in Nitrox mode for about 30-40 dives. I've probably got 120 dives on the Beuchat to date, and am very satisfied with it. The download interface has also proved to be very reliable and easy to use.

The Beuchat Voyager is available in our shop here:

https://www.scubageek.ca/main/index...ger-Nitrox-Dive-Computer/flypage-ask.tpl.html

We also carry the Liquivision X1 for the big spenders

Mat.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

I am also kinda new to scuba bord also, (not enough posts to put up a link yet). The best bang for the buck I have saw lateley is the Mared M2 at scubatoys.com, it is a nitrox computer and for under $150 with the scubaboard discount I dont think you can find a better computer for twice the price. The M2 has one cool feature if you do alot of might diving, you can keep the backlight on constant and it takes common aaa batteries that you can find anywhare. I wish I could justify spending $150 on another computer just so I can have the backlight feature.

 

[CalgaryDF]

I have used the Oceanic Veo 250, and while my experience with it is limited (<20 dives), I have been happy with it so far. It is easy to read and use underwater, and is easy to review and plan dives on the surface.

 

[Gamehunter]

I think there have been some great advice as always from fellow SB members. My 2 cents would be to look at the Suunto Vyper Air. As stated it may be hard to get into a air integrated unit but if you choose a computer that has the capability of upgrade you can always make that choice further down the road. The hoseless models are excellent now days and I have used them in 7 knot currents without failure. Another point I would like to make is to look at the people that you will be diving with and what the are using. I dive with divers that use Suunto products and I use to use Oceanic computer but I would not get the benefit of longer bottom times because their computer would turn the dive. So if others around you are using computers that give you longer bottom times and you buy a computer that shortens their bottom time you may find yourself selling that computer to accommodate dive partners. I once turned a dive with a buddy on a charter who was diving an Oceanic and he was not happy with my Suunto computer.

 

[VladC]

The nice thing about air-integrated computer is that it shows you nice SAC rate graph when you download dive data (not that you can't calculate it yourself). It also shows you how much gas time you have left during the dive, but as I discovered this might be inaccurate in case of Suunto Cobra2 (algorithm uses unrealistic assumptions, and this actually freaked me out a couple of times in the beginning).
The major drawback - just as Mat mentioned - if you go in more advanced diving, this feature becomes non-desirable. One of the reasons why I'm buying Aladin tec2.
Also, make sure that computer you choose will not lock you out for "violations" or at least have the user reset option. Adjustable conservatism level is also a good feature.

Just my 2 psi from personal experience.

Vlad

 

[DiverKKC]

a few things you might want to look for when deciding (based solely on my own experiences);

-ease of reading information (some of the smaller watch styles aren't the easiest to read at depth).
-nitrox compatible (you'll want it later).
-user changeable batteries
-good backlighting/illumination. Having to shine your dive light on your computer while night/low light diving is a little inconvenient, and can be a bit blinding until your eyes readjust.
-water activation...one less thing to worry about. I have seen divers forget to manually turn theirs on until they're at 80 feet...whoops.
-ease of retrieving relevant data. What do you want to make sure is on the main screen and doesn't require searching for? For most it is your no-decompression limit, ascent rate, O2 limit if on nitrox. There's a ton of other retrievable info (water temp, elapsed dive time, max depth, etc.) Just make sure what you want is where you can see it easily.
-personally, I like having audible alarms. I have a tendency to push my ascent rate a little if ascending from decent depth (much more careful last 30 feet) and being reminded when not looking at my computer is nice.
-PC downloadle isn't a must, but a great way to keep your logged dives.

A few of the more affordable computers my friends like are the Cressi Archimedes, DiveRite Nitek Duo, and the Suunto Gekko (although a few have griped about Suunto's extra conservative algorithm). My personal experience has been with the Oceanic Veo 250, which I love. It has all the relevant data in an easy to read format, diver replaceable batteries, audible alarms, allows for a slew of diver set safety features, an owner's manual that explains the computer's capabilites in an easy to read format, and it is a computer that you could grow into; it's nitrox compatible and has a ton of features, many of which you won't initially use. The price varies if you want your computer in a console with a compass and SPG (if not integrated), or a wrist with just the computer. I have the quick disconnect 3-gauge console, which new was around $600, but I just bought a lightly used one for a friend for $300...mint condition.

Once you find a computer you think you may want, go to the manufacturer's website and look over the specs/capabilities of that computer. I also find it helpful to download the owner's manual while there to review the computer's operations. You also may want to come back to ScubaBoard, type the computer of interests name in the search engine, and see what others have to say on that specific one.

I know, it's kinda like asking what flavor ice cream you want when there are hundreds of choices...where to begin, right? Just find what features are most important to you, which computers offer that and are in your price range, read the manufacturer's specs (and maybe even browse the manual), then come back here, type that computer in the thread search, and see what others have to say. You'll eventually narrow it down and make a good choice.

Hope this helps a little. Happy Diving.

Kevin

 

[Tiptopperoo]

I am absolutely going to say do not buy air integrated. By all means get a computer with the feature, but the extra cost for a transmitter is not worth it. It's a gimmick, and of very little value when you are diving. Air time remaining is fairly useless, and you should be diving with a backup SPG in case of transmitter failure anyway. So why pay 300euros more just to not have to look at an SPG?

I personally like Suunto computers, though a lot of the other brands I have not seen (Diverite, Zeagle etc.) The big 3 where I have worked have been (in order) Suunto, Oceanic then UWATEC. Suuntos have a great build quality, and there wrist mounts are beautiful, they also offer a nice variety of features across there range. I don't like Oceanics for exactly the opposite reasons. There build quality seems poor ( I had to warranty an Atom 2.0 3 times, then as Oceanic "just didn't know what the problem was" I asked for my money back and bought a Suunto) The Uwatecs seem good but are quite chunky. The Terra seems like an excellent computer for the money.

However at the end of the day, look at a computers features an ignore the AI to begin with. A Suunto Gecko has everything most divers need, including Nitrox and Gauge mode. You can set the conservative factor to 50% if you want to be less conservative and have longer bottom times. I myself am looking at a Vyper Air right now because of the gas switch, but no way am I buying the transmitter!

Please don't get sucked into AI, its a gimmick! A good brass and glass pressure gauge will last a lifetime, and never fail you! Learn to dive off an SPG and you will become a better diver!

Hope this helps you somewhat!
Dave