Best First Dive Comp under $700?

[dmaziuk]

DJ above you suggests a Zoop which is a properly useless paperweight and no offense to anyone who has bought one, but they really just aren't good computers especially for the amount they charge for the bloody things, same with the Leonardo.

Nitpick: Leonardo does have the gauge mode (to 120m; interestingly, both n2ition and geo2 list only 100m in "either" mode). I bought ours for $188/ea 3 years ago, the $250 MSRP was never the going price. Today I'd've bought the n2ition of course.

Along these lines, couple of months back a few places were selling off their stock of Aeirs Mantas for $199/ea with feature list identical to Geo 2 except I think for upgradeable firmware. So the only way I'd pay $399 for that feature set now is if $200 of that were "store credit" not money. 'Coz I know $200 is the going price for it.

 

[eelnoraa]

....
I am sure it is a great computer and would make recreational divers very happy. A big part of it's feature set is for tech divers and that is part of it's price tag. He did mention a budget restriction.
...

To me the biggest attraction of Petrel is the screen. If I were to spend $700 on a computer, it will be crazy to go with one of those casio screen computer. I do think $700 is expansive for a DC, but it seems all other options with a color OLED/LCD screen costs about the same or more. Most of other options are only rec DC only. The additional capability of Pretel is just a bonus

 

[tbone1004]

The N2itiion has the most ridiculously conservative algorithm that it may make the Suunto RBGM look liberal. I own one, could not tolerate diving it. Otherwise, it is a perfectly good dive computer...

I will hold out for an AI Petrel, "build it and they will come" tbone, you really do know everything, don't you?

Don't take my word for it, take the owner of the companies word for it. You're talking a minimum 2 year developmental cycle to design the transmitters and the receiver and make it work, costs many thousands of dollars, it doesn't fit into their target market which is CCR, and the owner of the bloody company said they aren't looking into it. Don't listen to me, listen to him. If you don't like it, ask him, but don't be surprised when he gives the same answer he gave in November.

regarding the leonardo, my issue with it is single button, single gas. Useful in gauge mode, but I'd rather have a computer that can do O2 deco.

 

[scubadada]

Don't take my word for it, take the owner of the companies word for it. You're talking a minimum 2 year developmental cycle to design the transmitters and the receiver and make it work, costs many thousands of dollars, it doesn't fit into their target market which is CCR, and the owner of the bloody company said they aren't looking into it. Don't listen to me, listen to him. If you don't like it, ask him, but don't be surprised when he gives the same answer he gave in November.

regarding the leonardo, my issue with it is single button, single gas. Useful in gauge mode, but I'd rather have a computer that can do O2 deco.

I'll hold out, my VT3 is still going strong, nearly 5 years, more than 500 dives, battery #3

 

[ronscuba]

...... There are three computers on the market right now that make sense, any other computer you list I can shoot more holes in any justification for it you may have than a trigger happy machine gun. .......

Only 3 ?

I understand having a strong opinion and the thread starter did ask for the "best", but computers out there other than your 3, are not useless or require special justification for buying them.

Owning and using high quality equipment is a joy all by itself, but for many, gear is just tools used towards the greater goal of seeing and/or interacting with things underwater.


---------- Post added June 8th, 2015 at 04:15 PM ----------

To me the biggest attraction of Petrel is the screen. If I were to spend $700 on a computer, it will be crazy to go with one of those casio screen computer. I do think $700 is expansive for a DC, but it seems all other options with a color OLED/LCD screen costs about the same or more. Most of other options are only rec DC only. The additional capability of Pretel is just a bonus

Understood.

Shearwater is probably not interested, but if they offered a Petrel Recreational only computer, priced competitively around $450-$500, it would probably do well.

 

[tbone1004]

Best is best bang for buck. Other computers have value and are worth looking at, but the three in that thread are pretty bulletproof for justification. There's plenty out there in the $300-$500 realm that are worth looking at, but it's tough to justify any of them with the N2ition at $180, and the DG03 at $250... Same with anything about $500, it's tough to compare them to the Petrel.

Agreed on a rec only computer, but we have to remember that Shearwater is strange, similar to Deep Sea Supply, Underwater Light Dude, etc. They have a very pointed target, and for Shearwater that is CCR, the standalone computers came out as an easy knockdown from the Fischer connectors, but their target market is still CCR divers, it just so happens that a simple GUI change makes the Petrel the best recreational computer on the market especially at the $750 it is going for right now.

 

[dmaziuk]

regarding the leonardo, my issue with it is single button, single gas. Useful in gauge mode, but I'd rather have a computer that can do O2 deco.

Yep. It's a pure rec setup: nitrox to 50%, algorithm depth to 40m, nothing else. Like I said, today I'd've gone for that aeris manta or the n2ition even though I don't plan on going below 40m or using > 21% oxygen anytime soon. One button isn't an issue for rec. diving: it's not like you need to program for 3 different mixes and type in complicated gas-switching commands mid-dive. The only time I need the button underwater is to turn on the backlight at night.

---------- Post added June 8th, 2015 at 03:44 PM ----------

Shearwater is probably not interested, but if they offered a Petrel Recreational only computer, priced competitively around $450-$500, it would probably do well.

It's called ostc sport and if you catch the euro on a bad day you may have the price right, too.

 

[eelnoraa]

...Shearwater is probably not interested, but if they offered a Petrel Recreational only computer, priced competitively around $450-$500, it would probably do well.

I wish this can happen too. In fact, if I can custom feature a DC, I would take these:
1. a Color screen. Preferrable LCD over OLED for brightness, battery life and longivity
2. feature a recreation dive algorithem, air + rec nitrox, so that it can be a loaner or I can use it on repetitive dive trip
3. gauge mode,
4. dive time elapse show in hr:min:ss.
5. does average depth with reset capability
6. resettable timer
7. customizable on what to display on the screen.

Uwatec 2G does almost everything right except for the extra lousy screen, small text, low contrast. If it has screen of VT3, I would be much happier. Although it is not customizable on what info to display, it does pretty decent job of show the most important dive information.

VT3, on the other hand, has a much more decent readable screen, but it doesn't do #4-#6. It would have been OK but I think AUP/Pelogic computers do very poor in choosing what info to display in all their dive modes. VT3 has 3 row of display. This is how AUP/Pelogic use it:

- Main Dive screen, 1st row: EMPTY (WTF, such a waste of real estate). 2nd row: tank pressure and dive time. 3rd row: time remaining and current depth.
- Alt Dive Screen 1, 1st row: day of the week (WTF). 2nd row: temperature. 3rd row: time of day (also WTF, but not as bad as day of the week).
- Alt Dive Screen 2: 1st row: which transmitter it is connecting to. 2nd row: tank pressure and dive time. 3rd row: time remaining and max depth.
- Alt Dive Screen 3: 1st row: Gas number (1 2 or 3). 2nd row: PO2. 3rd row: FO2 and current depth.
- Gauge mode, 1st row: "GAUG" (WTF). If I set my computer to gauge mode, I already know it is in gauge mode. This is another example of waste. 2nd raw: tank pressure and dive time. 3rd tow: current depth on right side only.

It is still a good computer, very reliable, does the job. But just with a little thought from an actual diver, this can be a much better DC.

 

[ronscuba]

I wish this can happen too. In fact, if I can custom feature a DC, I would take these:
1. a Color screen. Preferrable LCD over OLED for brightness, battery life and longivity
2. feature a recreation dive algorithem, air + rec nitrox, so that it can be a loaner or I can use it on repetitive dive trip
3. gauge mode,
4. dive time elapse show in hr:min:ss.
5. does average depth with reset feature.
6. resettable timer
7. customizable on what to display on the screen.

Uwatec 2G does almost everything right except for the extra lousy screen, small text, low contrast. If it has screen of VT3, I would be much happier. Although it doesn't have customizable info to display, it does pretty decent job of show the most important dive information.

VT3 has a much more decent readable screen, but it doesn't do 4-6. And I think AUP/Pelogic computer does very poor in choosing what info to display in all their dive mode. VT3 has 3 row of display. This is how AUP/Pelogic use it:

- In Main Dive screen, 1st row: EMPTY (WTF), what a waste of real estate. 2nd row: tank pressure and dive time. 3rd row: time remaining and current depth.
- In Alt Dive Screen 1, 1st row:day of the week (WTF). 2nd row: temperature. 3rd row: time of day (also WTF, but not as bad as day of the week).
- In Alt Dive Screen 2: 1st row: which transmitter it is connecting to. 2nd row: tank pressure and dive time. 3rd row: time remaining and max depth.
- In Alt Dive Screen 3: 1st row: Gas number (1 2 or 3). 2nd row: PO2. 3rd row: FO2 and current depth.
- In gauge mode, 1st row: "GAUG" (WTF). If I set my computer to gauge mode, I already know it is in gauge mode. This is another example of waste. 2nd raw: tank pressure and dive time. 3rd tow: current depth on right side only.

It is still a good computer, very reliable, does the job. But just with a little thought from an actual diver, this can be a much better DC.

Is the VT3 the Oceanic predecessor to the VT4 ? If so, what do you think about the VT 4.1 ? It's going for $700 right now with transmitter.

 

[lowviz]

... it does pretty decent job of show the most important dive information.
... very poor in choosing what info to display ... what a waste of real estate. ... but not as bad as day of the week ... I already know it is in gauge mode. This is another example of waste. ... But just with a little thought from an actual diver, this can be a much better DC.

GUI developers/implementers: How many times do you need to hear this?

A big bright display and a USER CUSTOMIZABLE presentation of the same old tired information.

Shearwater got the closest to this and they are eating everyone else's lunch.

Some body want to do something similar on the rec side WHERE ALL THE MONEY IS?