seeker
Registered
With an interest in deep wreck diving and a limited budget, am I better off spending $1,000.00 +- on a Cobra, or buying a Vyper and a pony bottle set up. Is air integration worth paying for?
Cobra vs Vyper
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Hey Seeker,
I love my Cobra. The only improvement would be to make the numbers a tad bit bigger. Air integration makes tracking you rate of breathing very easy, and Dive recording becomes far more automatic.
I love my Cobra. The only improvement would be to make the numbers a tad bit bigger. Air integration makes tracking you rate of breathing very easy, and Dive recording becomes far more automatic.
TexasMike
Contributor
Seeker...first off..
H O W D Y ! ! ! and welcome to ScubaBoard. Hopefully you will find this group to be as warm, supportive, and wacky as I have found.
Where are you in your dive training? I too am working toward learning to penetrate wrecks. However, I am not certified for wrecks just yet, but will be taking the classes in the next few weeks in anticipation of diving on the wrecks off of North Carolina.
Currently I am packing a Genesis ReACT and have found it to be more than capable for all my diving profiles to date, both fresh and salt. There are several here who use Cobras and Vypers, so I too am looking forward to the responses.
In regards to Air Integration, I do see the benefits of having such a system for recreational dives, but am on the fence when it comes to technical diving (such as entering shipwrecks). My plan is to learn all I can about gear from my instructors and ask good questions when appropriate.
Again, welcome to the board and we look forward to your participation!
H O W D Y ! ! ! and welcome to ScubaBoard. Hopefully you will find this group to be as warm, supportive, and wacky as I have found.
Where are you in your dive training? I too am working toward learning to penetrate wrecks. However, I am not certified for wrecks just yet, but will be taking the classes in the next few weeks in anticipation of diving on the wrecks off of North Carolina.
Currently I am packing a Genesis ReACT and have found it to be more than capable for all my diving profiles to date, both fresh and salt. There are several here who use Cobras and Vypers, so I too am looking forward to the responses.
In regards to Air Integration, I do see the benefits of having such a system for recreational dives, but am on the fence when it comes to technical diving (such as entering shipwrecks). My plan is to learn all I can about gear from my instructors and ask good questions when appropriate.
Again, welcome to the board and we look forward to your participation!
Hey TexasMike, I have advanced open water with a deep diving
specialty and want to complete 4 more specialties. cavern,navigator,drysuit,and wreck. I will be taking rescue diver course this fall. Many wrecks in Lake Ontario and St Lawrence Seaway fall in 70'-120' range. Seeems like it might be worth giving up air integration and spending saved dollars for a pony set up.Ask five experts at LDS get five different opinions all based on what they all use which usualy is what they sell.
specialty and want to complete 4 more specialties. cavern,navigator,drysuit,and wreck. I will be taking rescue diver course this fall. Many wrecks in Lake Ontario and St Lawrence Seaway fall in 70'-120' range. Seeems like it might be worth giving up air integration and spending saved dollars for a pony set up.Ask five experts at LDS get five different opinions all based on what they all use which usualy is what they sell.
Hey Seeker,
I would rather spend all I need to on the very best equipment and add on gradually, then buy something that will not meet my needs in the future. I have both the Cobra AND a pony bottle. I got the Cobra first, and waited for the pony. I am glad I did, but your mileage may vary!
I would rather spend all I need to on the very best equipment and add on gradually, then buy something that will not meet my needs in the future. I have both the Cobra AND a pony bottle. I got the Cobra first, and waited for the pony. I am glad I did, but your mileage may vary!
TexasMike
Contributor
Seeker....there are some good divers on this board from your neck of the woods who dive the same areas as you. Be sure to look for them and seek out their input.
Warhammer
Guest
I have both a Vyper and a Cobra, well actually the Vyper is my lovely wife's but she lets me borrow it from time to time 
. I usually carry both on any dive that she doesn't do, that's most of them, and to tell you the truth I rely mainly on the Vyper. I still check my air via the Cobra, but the Vyper is my main squeeze, well except for my lovely wife of course. Anyway, I find that the wrsit-mounted Vyper is just handier. Checking the BTs and what have you is just so much simplier for me via the wrist mounted computer. But all that being said, I also love the air intergration and all the data it keeps up with for you. It's nice to be able to just hook it up to a PC and see your starting and ending pressure, how much air you used, and what your SAC was for that dive. It will also tell you how much air you used without hooking it up to a PC and you can figure the SAC from there, if you don't have the interface. If I had to give 1 of them up, it would be a hard choice. You could always buy both and put the pony purchase off even longer.:all:
. I usually carry both on any dive that she doesn't do, that's most of them, and to tell you the truth I rely mainly on the Vyper. I still check my air via the Cobra, but the Vyper is my main squeeze, well except for my lovely wife of course. Anyway, I find that the wrsit-mounted Vyper is just handier. Checking the BTs and what have you is just so much simplier for me via the wrist mounted computer. But all that being said, I also love the air intergration and all the data it keeps up with for you. It's nice to be able to just hook it up to a PC and see your starting and ending pressure, how much air you used, and what your SAC was for that dive. It will also tell you how much air you used without hooking it up to a PC and you can figure the SAC from there, if you don't have the interface. If I had to give 1 of them up, it would be a hard choice. You could always buy both and put the pony purchase off even longer.:all:
large_diver
Contributor
I'll put in one vote for the Vyper -- mainly based on how I use it. I was weighing the same decision this past spring -- Cobra or Vyper -- Air-Integrated or not? I finally went with the Vyper because having a wrist-mounted unit was more important to me than AI (and I did't want the issues that go with a wrist-mounted AI unit).
Why wrist-mount -- I tried to think about my dives to date and how I use a computer....especially when multi-tasking -- such as during night dives or during free ascents/descents to/from deeper depths or a free ascent/descent during a night dive......
For me, the wrist mount was the way to go. I like being able to look at my computer (right wrist) and have my left hand free to manipulate my BC inflator/dump.
That being said, I also have to agree that you should pick the computer set-up that's right for you without bringing the pony into it. Better to pick the computer that works for you than to skimp to afford the pony and then be disatisfied that you compromised. The $$$ issue is there for all of us, making choices like these difficult.
Hope this helps - good luck.
Why wrist-mount -- I tried to think about my dives to date and how I use a computer....especially when multi-tasking -- such as during night dives or during free ascents/descents to/from deeper depths or a free ascent/descent during a night dive......
For me, the wrist mount was the way to go. I like being able to look at my computer (right wrist) and have my left hand free to manipulate my BC inflator/dump.
That being said, I also have to agree that you should pick the computer set-up that's right for you without bringing the pony into it. Better to pick the computer that works for you than to skimp to afford the pony and then be disatisfied that you compromised. The $$$ issue is there for all of us, making choices like these difficult.
Hope this helps - good luck.
I went ahead and bought the Cobra mainly because I thought I would regret it later and I know I'll end buying the pony set up anyway. I don't know why I continue to try and set a budget for this sport.I agree with large-diver on the wrist mount being more functional and will probaly buy a suunto mosquito at some point. Thanks everyone for the help.
Yo, Seeker man...
Don't feel like you won't second guess yourself either. I sure did, and I HATE wrist mounted stuff!
:tease:
Don't feel like you won't second guess yourself either. I sure did, and I HATE wrist mounted stuff!
:tease:
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