buying a new dive computer

[ohdot]

Great info I will check the link out today. Freewillow that has crossed my mind

 

[stuartv]

For your type of diving a simple computor @ less than 300 $ is perfect. Spend ypur remaining $ 700 on airplane in order to go diving in nice places.

I know there are LOTS of people who don't feel the same way as I do, but I'd rather have all my own gear and dive in my local quarry than use rental gear and take a 1 week trip to the Caribbean.

 

[Freewillow]

@stuartv. Where did you read that I told him NOT to buy a computor? I just said that a basic computor @ 300 $ would do the job.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba.]

Many people suggest that for many and perhaps most dives, a very basic and inexpensive computer is all that is needed. It is a very defensible position. There are many good choices in that range. Here are a few:

http://www.diverightinscuba.com/divecomputers-c-16.html?price=200-380

 

[stuartv]

@stuartv. Where did you read that I told him NOT to buy a computor? I just said that a basic computor @ 300 $ would do the job.

I didn't. My apologies. I made an unfounded extrapolation.

 

[Centrals]

Many people suggest that for many and perhaps most dives, a very basic and inexpensive computer is all that is needed. It is a very defensible position. There are many good choices in that range. Here are a few:

http://www.diverightinscuba.com/divecomputers-c-16.html?price=200-380

LP even has some under $200.00 and they are perfectly good for recreational diving. I bought a Oceanic Veo 180 for $150.00 not too long ago and it is fine.

 

[dmaziuk]

Yes, really. My last 1046 dives used the DSAT decompression algorithm, how about you? Most of my dives within recreational limits are simple, and solo, dives, how about you?

It wasn't meant to sounded derisive. I meant if one is used to DSAT, then a, say, Zoop's numbers may look noticeably different to them. Zoop's algorithm is known to penalize for fast ascents, short SIs and SIs. If that's what one routinely does on one's simple dives, Zoop's numbers will get really different quite fast.

If you don't "game" one computer against another, you should see NDL differences of several minutes. I personally don't really care -- yes, really -- about having 3 more minutes of NDL on any given dive.

I've been vacation diving with a Cressi Leonardo. I have seen its NDL come down from 99 once when I got down to the sand between two reefs on one of Bonaire's sites, I forget which one. That was around 25m down on the 6th day of 2-3-4 tanks/day diving. Our simple dives are usually limited by air rather than by recreational limits. Our ascents are the way leonardo likes 'em: slow down, spend more time at safety stop, take an hour or more SI. So far I have not felt limited by cressi's "conservative" algorithm, I don't believe any first-time user should necessarily be.

For many first time dive computer buyers wrist vs. console and AI vs. non-AI are two obvious choices. Many first time buyers are completely unaware of decompression algorithms and differences between them. Some end up with computers running algorithms they are unhappy with. This is simply another variable that should be taken into account in one's computer purchase.

Oh come on. Nobody even understands RGBM, you're seriously suggesting a first-time buyer can make an informed decision between what's running inside a Zoop and whatever "PZ+" is?

That is why I think the algorithm should be way down the list of criteria for the first dive computer.

 

[scubadada]

LP even has some under $200.00 and they are perfectly good for recreational diving. I bought a Oceanic Veo 180 for $150.00 not too long ago and it is fine.

LP actually has very good current prices for Oceanic Veo 2, Veo 3, Geo 2, all would make great 1st computers

 

[scubadada]

It wasn't meant to sounded derisive. I meant if one is used to DSAT, then a, say, Zoop's numbers may look noticeably different to them. Zoop's algorithm is known to penalize for fast ascents, short SIs and SIs. If that's what one routinely does on one's simple dives, Zoop's numbers will get really different quite fast.

If you don't "game" one computer against another, you should see NDL differences of several minutes. I personally don't really care -- yes, really -- about having 3 more minutes of NDL on any given dive.

I've been vacation diving with a Cressi Leonardo. I have seen its NDL come down from 99 once when I got down to the sand between two reefs on one of Bonaire's sites, I forget which one. That was around 25m down on the 6th day of 2-3-4 tanks/day diving. Our simple dives are usually limited by air rather than by recreational limits. Our ascents are the way leonardo likes 'em: slow down, spend more time at safety stop, take an hour or more SI. So far I have not felt limited by cressi's "conservative" algorithm, I don't believe any first-time user should necessarily be.



Oh come on. Nobody even understands RGBM, you're seriously suggesting a first-time buyer can make an informed decision between what's running inside a Zoop and whatever "PZ+" is?

That is why I think the algorithm should be way down the list of criteria for the first dive computer.

We obviously disagree on some topics and clearly dive differently. You may be limited by your gas, whereas, I am not infrequently limited by NDL. There are probably significant differences in our gas consumption and the dives we do.

I believe consumers should make informed decisions, in this case, a basic understanding of decompression algorithms is a part of that process

 

[gopbroek]

LP actually has very good current prices for Oceanic Veo 2, Veo 3, Geo 2, all would make great 1st computers

Here is the orphaned (entire product line discontinued but still supported and warrantied by Oceanic) Aeris equivalent of the VEO 3.0 for $199.

http://www.amazon.com/Aeris-Compute...TF8&qid=1453718082&sr=8-1&keywords=Aeris+a300

The Oceanic (and the now discontinued Aeris line) offer a dual Algorithm option on many of their more recent computers, this IMO is an big advantage. While not as precise and user adjustable as a top end unit with Gradient Factors it does allow for a simple selections of 'liberal' (DSAT) or 'conservative' (PZ+). For myself with the warm water low stress drift dives in Cozumel, NDL becomes an issue and I like using the DSAT algorithm. The PZ+ algorithm is available if I wished to change to a less liberal algorithm.