BEST dive watch for around $1000 WHY?

[NudeDiver]

Just curious why you want to have a dive computer that doubles as a watch. Yeah, sure, it looks nice - no doubt. But given that you can get a pretty nice dive watch for $200 or less, and an AI computer that you can download from for $500 or less, that's $700 or less if you split it into two devices. So, using your $1000 price tag, that's a $300 premium you're paying, for what amounts to looks - pretty much. Given the smaller display of a watch style computer and the opportunity to damage or lose it in daily use, that premium price comes with additional disadvantages as well. Anyway - unless you've just got money to burn, you might want to consider two devices and spend the money saved on diving

Just a thought.

 

[Damselfish]

I tend to agree. I think a watch style dive computer, besides being more expensive than separate devices, is a bad compromise for many people. It may be harder to read underwater than a larger puck type. And harder to operate underwater, especially if you are in cold water wearing gloves, but even if you're not. I don't think most look as good as pretty much any regular modestly priced watch. And unless you dive alot, you're possibly risking your expensive dive computer on a daily basis for no good reason.

I suspect some people want to wear one of these because they think they look cool, but I don't think that's a great criteria for choosing a dive computer - and may not look as cool to other people as they think either. Now for some people they make practical sense, and for others if they realize the tradeoffs and still want one, whatever. But if you hadn't thought about the tradeoffs, you might want to. They exist because they make more money for the companies that market them because people will buy them, not because they're generally twice as good a solution as something costing half as much

 

[Marxous]

okay , so you're right maybe its not the best idea. Admitting that then, how much do people enjoy air integration? It is like a 'must have' or do people generally not even use it??

Thanks all, your crituques are most welcome and appreciated.

 

[fnfalman]

okay , so you're right maybe its not the best idea. Admitting that then, how much do people enjoy air integration? It is like a 'must have' or do people generally not even use it??

Thanks all, your crituques are most welcome and appreciated.

Air integration isn't a "must have" just like even a regular computer isn't a "must have". It's a nice-to-have feature. Air integration gives you air time remaining (how much bottom time you have left taken into account of your air consumption rate). Non AI computers will give you bottom time remaining based on how long you've been down at what depth and calculate nitrogen & oxygen saturations. AI computer also do nitrogen & oxygen saturation calculations but also add in your air consumption as well, and it lets you know what currently governs your bottom time - air left in the tank, nitrogen saturation or oxygen saturation.

Both of my computers; console (Sherwood Wisdom II) and wrist (Aeris Elite T3) have air integrations. But if they were to conk out, I wouldn't hesitate slapping on the depth gauge, SPG, dive watch, break out the dive tables and go at it. My bottom time will be less because I'm going off the tables and dive a square profile, but I'm still diving. The loss of an extra five or ten minutes of water time isn't that big of a deal.

Also, it isn't a "bad idea" to have a watch style dive computer. The question is can you afford it? If you can afford it and want it, then go for it. Nothing wrong with it. If you were to travel, you can pack your bulk items with the luggage but carry the regulator setup (1st stage, 2nd stage, octo, transmitter) as carry-on baggage and have the dive computer on your wrist. It tells time and it's right there on your wrist. All of your costly equipment are within your reach while your BC, wetsuit, etc., are in the luggage and may be subject to thievery.

I personally don't care for the watch style computer because of the small displays and I don't care for the digital watch look of the 1970s and 1980s. But that's my subjective preferences.

 

[BabyDuck]

i have a non-air-integrated watch-style computer, a nitek duo. i've used it as a watch for years & like it as a watch & a computer. i paid less than $300 for it.

 

[NudeDiver]

okay , so you're right maybe its not the best idea. Admitting that then, how much do people enjoy air integration? It is like a 'must have' or do people generally not even use it??

I enjoy my AI very much. It's not a 'must have' - but it is a 'very nice to have' unless you're just hell bent on being a 'purist' of one variety or another. I really like having the 'estimated time remaining' based on actual air consumption. It's likely to be far more accurate and useful than any math I work out in my head, even under the worst of circumstances.

Lots of people hate AI - view it as a crutch, or some other bad thing. Don't listen to them. These people also probably hate automatic transmissions, power steering and anti-lock brakes.

Also, remember that AI does not mean wireless (an assumption that many on here seem to want to make). You can get AI with or without a transmitter.

All of that said, I use a wireless AI computer as my primary and a hosed AI computer as my backup. Works just fine.

Good luck!
ND

 

[Damselfish]

Air integration obviously isn't a "must have" since lots of people dive just fine without it. For that matter computers aren't a must have, though for my diving it would be a real pain not to use one. If you want AI go for it, just realize it's a nice toy not something you can't live without. If someone is trying to save money it's a good thing to skip.

Personally I've never been interested in AI enough to bother. I like toys as much as anyone but for whatever reason I've always been content with pretty basic computers. But, I do dive with 2 of them as I like to have a backup. 2 basic computers do me more good than one fancy one.

 

[gclaudiu]

What about Suunto D6 or even D4? Same interface like D9, much cheaper (I paid 240 pounds on my D4) but no air integration nor compass (for D4)... Or why not Xtender from ScubaPro? They have few models which looks quite good and smaller in size then D4/D6/D9 ;-)

 

[Marxous]

I still do not know what im going to purchase.. in all i think what im looking for is best value. I go diving regularly, once every one or two weeks, so for features which other divers think are functional in the sense that they use them very often, i dont mind paying an extra few dollars. I like the suunto D series, but maybe everyone's right. They're flashy, but overpriced... why not go for a puck and seperate watch instead, and save a few dollars!?

 

[fnfalman]

I still do not know what im going to purchase.. in all i think what im looking for is best value. I go diving regularly, once every one or two weeks, so for features which other divers think are functional in the sense that they use them very often, i dont mind paying an extra few dollars. I like the suunto D series, but maybe everyone's right. They're flashy, but overpriced... why not go for a puck and seperate watch instead, and save a few dollars!?

So, now you must decide whether or not you'd want air integration or non-air integration computer.

Then you'll have to decide whether or not you want a puck or a console.

Then you'll have to decide which dive watch to go with. I can't impress on you how nice it is to have a mechanical watch that is independent of battery or electronics (solar cell in Citizen Eco Drive or Kinetic self-charger cell in Seiko). A mechanical watch with backup depth&pressure gauges console coupled with the dive tables WILL GUARANTEE you that you won't miss a dive.

Remember Murphy's Laws in that when things go wrong, they will and in the worst possible ways. I always dive with a backup watch. On a two-days liveaboard dive trip, I packed redundancy everything, to include an extra set of regulators, extra mask, fin straps, SPG w/ wristwatch. After the first two dives, my dive computer decided to show low battery. No biggie, unscrewed the computer console and whipped out the SPG console, strapped on the watch. Good to go...for one more dive and then my watch decided that it wants to run out of battery too. A lady diver lended me her spare bottom timer for the rest of the two days.

I went to the dive store and got the battery replaced in my dive comp. I went on line and bought me a cheap Seiko automatic watch. The dive tables & SPG console stay in the save-a-dive kit along with the various doodads.

Also, most importantly, if you were to get a puck dive comp, then you should go to the DeepSeaSupply (DSS) forum here on Scubaboard (listed under Vendors Forums) and see if they make a bungie mount for your puck. Most pucks come from the factory with the rubber watch straps, which work great most of the time until one of the spring bars that hold the straps to the casing decided to give way and next thing you know Davy Jones had just added your dive comp to his locker stash. Bungie mount doesn't fail unless you consciously cut the bungie strings.

Same thing with your watch strap. Chances are the stainless steel bracelet/elastic strap isn't long enough to go over your wetsuit/drysuit and not to mention the spring bar failure. So get yourself a Maratac Zulu watch band. They make them up to 17-inches long in order to accomodate dry suit. Or if you're a tropic diver, they make them in standard 11.5-inches length. The only way you would lose your watch is if both spring bars were to break. The Zulu strap will retain your watch if one spring bar is broken. The factory watch strap/bracelet will not do that.

The Zulu straps and the bungie mounts are dirt cheap and ensure that your critical gears stay where they are suppose to be - your wrist/forearm.