buying a new dive computer

[ohdot]

Hey Gang
I apologize if this is one of those questions asked to many times. I have been reading and researching but still am not positive which route to go. I am a recreational diver certified about 20 years ago life and growing up interrupted diving for a few years and am now back at it. Just simple dives great lakes and ponds no excessive depths and both cold and warm water. I seem to keep coming back to a shearwater but I know it has been said that an atomic cobalt 2 may be better suited for rec. I appreciate all input I am happy diving without but I guess its one of those things I just have to have.

 

[Zeagle Eagle]

What is your question? We will be happy to help.

 

[scubadada]

Do some reading about decompression algorithms and buy a computer with one you will be happy with. Do you want AI or not? Do you want a wrist computer or a console? Many basic questions

 

[dmaziuk]

I seem to keep coming back to a shearwater but I know it has been said that an atomic cobalt 2 may be better suited for rec.

Well since you're aiming for colour screen and ~$1K budget, the choices are console with air, wrist mount with air, wrist mount without air. Or H3: wrist mount, almost watch-sized, air available Real Soon Now(tm). Algorithm shouldn't make any appreciable difference for simple dives.

 

[scubadada]

Algorithm shouldn't make any appreciable difference for simple dives.

For you, no, for me, yes

 

[dmaziuk]

Really? What'd you dive, dsat? Also define "simple dive".

 

[The Chairman]

Most of the PDCs now-a-days can accommodate your style of diving. Nothing wrong with any of the Shearwaters and they came out with the Perdix which is for rec diving. Me? I dive Hollis VT-3 and The Oceanic VTX.

 

[RonR]

Well, as one of the Cobalt’s original developers I could be considered biased, but really they are both great choices, and both companies have stellar support. The Cobalt had teething problems with the case design early on, but those are behind us now. Shearwater is rock solid and run by great people. The Cobalt was designed and conceived as a computer for recreational divers, while Shearwater was first created for technical and rebreather diving. But I don’t think there is any reason to say that Shearwater’s computers are not also great recreational computers. The comments about Cobalt being more suitable for recreational diving probably refer to features like air integration and audible alerts that the Shearwater doesn’t have. For those eventually headed into technical diving these “recreational” features may be negatives. What matters to you is for you to decide.

Your principle choice is between a wrist mount or a console, and air integration or not. There are many strongly held opinions on both these subjects, and these threads often devolve into almost religious battles between partisans- to AI or not seems particularly contentious.

My take is that it comes down to personal preference and style of diving. Many divers prefer having their computer on their wrist, particularly if their hands are often occupied (photographers). Others of us do activities while diving (reaching back in holes…) that make having anything on our wrists a bad idea. Personally, I have no problem checking a conveniently clipped off console, and I like having all of the information- decompression, compass, depth, pressure- in one location, visible at one glance or with a single motion, so I tend to prefer air integration over a separate SPG. I like single hose simplicity, and after 45 years diving I’m no longer doing any dives that would put me in peril if my single gas gauge flaked out. If I did do that kind of diving, I would definitely add a backup, whatever system I used. Air integration allows you to view data in your dive log showing your gas consumption rate (SCF/M) at any point in the dive or overall, which can be a learning tool. And it allows the computer to display a calculated gas time remaining at depth based on 1) your current breathing rate and 2) allowing enough gas for surfacing safely, which can be another useful bit of data in recreational diving. For many recreational dives, gas is a limiting factor, rather than NDL’s, air integration lets you see both- though it's always a good idea to keep your own mental calculations going rather than relying solely on an instrument that can fail.

For other divers, particularly technical divers using multiple tanks, air integration starts to make less sense, or none at all. And experienced divers who dive a lot and plan their dives are likely to have a good sense of their gas consumption and much less need to check gauges than less experienced divers. For them, features like low gas alerts and rapid accent alarms are irritations, not positives, and gas time remaining calculations would be impossible to make meaningful.

One thing to look at with any computer is the user interface- is it easy for you to figure out without a manual. If, like many recreational divers, you dive infrequently, a user interface that is easy to operate may be worth a lot. I’ve seen divers go entire trips with a crippled computer when neither they or anyone else on the trip could figure out how to change settings. I think both Shearwater and Cobalt get high marks here.

I’m assuming that you have other dive gear sorted out? I always advise new or returning divers to pay most attention to gear where fit matters- suits for cold water, for instance. Dive computers are evolving rapidly, and there will always be something better coming down the road.

Good luck!

Ron

 

[ohdot]

Thanks for the above help I really have no knowledge when it comes to PDCs so that's why I thought I would ask here. I really don't have any preference to wrist or console, AI would be nice but not a deal breaker. I do have all of my gear and am just looking for something that works well I can use with my clumsy fingers and I can still enjoy my dive. Recharge or a battery I can change myself are also a +. I have no preference to any name so I will also check out the others mentioned. again thank you for your help!

 

[Zeagle Eagle]

I am a warm water recreational diver now, so take that into account. I use a Cobalt 2 on my chest an Oceanic Atom on my wrist and my mask is an Oceanic Data Mask. I love my Cobalt.