Choosing a Basic Wrist Computer

[Angelo Farina]

I am quite happy of my Cressi Leonardo. Same usage as you.
Paid 99 eur on Amazon Prime Day.
I was so happy thst I bought other two, for my wife and my son.

 

[boulderjohn]

For what you describe as your diving needs, any computer will work. Don't get hung up on brands. I suggest that the most important element you should be looking for is the ability for you to change batteries yourself easily. You don't want to find out on an annual dive trip that you have to send your computer out for a new battery.

 

[Belzelbub]

I am a very casual, occasional, shallow, warm water rec diver (air only) diving only a few times a year. I’m perfectly satisfied with the old Matrix, but I “need” something newer. To be used as described, would there be any advantage to buying the Tern, or could I get by just as well for half the money with the Zoop or Aqua Lung i100?

Sure. There are some advantages. Just depends on whether they are important to you. I wouldn't spend any money on a Suunto computer. Same for Aqualung, though for different reasons. Aqualung concerns are more around the company's financial status.

The best value "entry level" dive computer in my experience is the Oceanic VEO 4.0. It will have everything you will need plus more, except for air integration and compass. Their price is competitive.

I'd agree with this. I've got several different Oceanics at home, and they've been great.

So this would be the ones I would compare. Oceanic Vet 4.0 and Tern.
Tern gives you a color screen, rechargeable battery, Buhlmann ZHL-16 algorithm with customizable conservatism..
Veo gives you dual algorithm (DSAT, PZ+), User replaceable battery (you need the tool, though).

For your diving, either would be fine, so I'd probably base it most on if you want a color screen or if grayscale is fine.

 

[Landau]

Make sure you get a computer that you can read easily. The large, lit color screens like on the Peregrine are much easier to read than smaller monochrome screens.

If you have perfect close vision and youthful eyes you can ignore the above.

 

[Green Frog]

To find your Matrix, buy a new computer as soon as possible. You’ll find the old one soon thereafter. Peregrine is the easy button here.

You know me so well! Have you been in my house, Litefoot? It sure sounds like it. I’ve even gone so far as to set up with a digital depth gauge (AL/USD puck type) and borrowed another computer, but that elusive Matrix is still hiding and keeping my logbook folio somewhere. I’m not quite ready to give up and buy another, but I’m close. Of course I could put new batteries in my Orca Marathon (“Skinny Dipper”) I guess.

 

[andrespp]

The best value "entry level" dive computer in my experience is the Oceanic VEO 4.0. It will have everything you will need plus more, except for air integration and compass. Their price is competitive.

I have been using them when teaching my students how to use dive computers in my entry level courses and they are great (replaced Suunto computers).

Check: VEO 4.0 - Oceanic Worldwide

I wouldn't buy a Suunto Zoop or AquaLung anything at this point.

Could not agree more. In addition it has double deco algorithm , so it is user choice to select the one that better fits his diving profile .

 

[heftysmurf]

Might be an unpopular opinion as I see a love/hate here for the Apple Watch Ultra. Add to this, the fact I'm just guppy new diver so please know my opinion might be irrelevant.

I've owned an AWU already and for me, it makes sense to use it for the time being until I feel like I need something more advanced. Sure, it requires a subscription but I got my subscription during Black Friday for something like $50.

I too am relatively warm, shallowish diver and for right now, it's filling the need. This is only a solid use case if you own an Apple Watch Ultra or have an Apple Watch and want to upgrade to the Ultra.

My own experience: The app is decent on the phone and a nifty place I can log dives. I get a hiccup here and there with changing the name of the dive and there's some other quirks I've sent to Huish that it'd be cool to see.

The app on the watch is pretty good for what I need. Time, depth, compass, water temp, NDL, alarms for too fast ascent, alarm for safety stop, and I'm sure pretty conservative so as not to get sued. It's super bright and easy to read even deep(ish) at 60 or a smidge deeper.

Complaints that are minimal: I'll get an alarm and I'll see too fast ascent in my app if my arm goes above my head for any reason. Post dive info in the phone app isn't accurate for minor things, i.e., starting tank pressure and ending tank pressure uses a sliding bar so my fat fingers can't get it precise. Doesn't have an average depth as a metric. Will have other pertinent info and you can move your fingers over the dive profile and you can give it a good guesstimate.

Again, my typing could be moot if you don't have an AW or AWU already!

 

[PatW]

I have used loaner computers when mine went south at dive resorts. They are generally basic wrist mounted. Anymore, they all handle nitrox and do fine, They are not air integrated but I dive with a pressure gauge anyway so that is no big deal.
The basic Zoop is just fine. Right now I am diving with a high end computer and the Apple Watch dive computer. Interestingly enough they both come up pretty much the same on deco time through 3 dives. The main drawback of using 2 computers is they tend to vary most widely on safety stops (where they start counting), do they reset if you dip below 19’ or is it 20’? Do they penalize you and so on. But once I get that down it works fine.

 

[Chavodel8en]

For what you describe as your diving needs, any computer will work. Don't get hung up on brands. I suggest that the most important element you should be looking for is the ability for you to change batteries yourself easily. You don't want to find out on an annual dive trip that you have to send your computer out for a new battery.

Maybe I am just inept, but I have had bad luck changing batteries myself, and for that reason, I paid a little extra to get a rechargeable Deep 6 Excursion, $350. I understand that this DC can also support more technical dives, but I mainly got it for the rechargeability - its the cheapest with that feature.

 

[revise]

Do you already have your everyday smartwatch? If not, how about you consider using your dive computer as your everyday smartwatch. Personally, I'm using my Garmin Descent G1 as my everyday watch. When I go diving, I can also use it as my dive computer. It's like killing two birds with one stone. You can look into other smartwatch + dive computer such as other Garmin Descent Series or Apple Watch Ultra. The main reason that I chose G1 is because my wrist is tiny, even Mk2s looks huge on my arm.

Agree, I really really like my G1 Descent. Sounds like it is overkill for what OP wants/needs, but it also has a digital compass, surface GPS to mark entry/exit points, and same algorithm the Shearwaters use which is nice when diving with a bunch of Shearwater users. Has great battery life. Love the Dive app that logs my dives automatically and I can add notes/equipment/etc. Also has a whole bunch of other features I don't use (you can do something with your golf game if you have one??). It is greyscale which I was concerned about pre-purchase but have been happy with it.