computer or no computer?

[diverdowndude]

I learned to dive before there were SPG's let alone computers or Dive Planning software available. I have had several computers in the last twenty years. the technology just gets better and better... BUT always have a back up timer or some other means of keeping track of your dive "just in case."

My first computer was a 90's Suunto. It was very easy to use and I could download the dives to my desktop/laptop. I love computers and have never had one fail during a dive, I have had to change batteries on the surface intervals on several occasions.

I had the opportunity to act as a safety diver for a OW class last month The entire class used recreational computers for all dives without any means to track a dive had a computer fail which I don't quite agree with for the reasons discussed by me and others in this thread. A computer is a handy tool but like all tools it can and may fail without warning.

Congratulations on your OW card Darian.... You started out as a pollywog now your a frog!!

 

[Rhone Man]

A computer is a cheap and reliable backup plan; just don't abdicate your brain.

People who usually describe newer technology (can we even call dive computers 'new' any more?) as "useless" rather than "not developed yet" are usually Luddites. I have heard similar things said with other new innovations over the years, like BCDs and alternate second stages. Guess what - they are here to stay.

 

[DiveNav]

...I am new to the scuba world and I just got my PADI card in the mail the other day. .....

Congratulations

...... I have most of my gear and I was thinking of getting a wrist mount computer. ....

Last time we surveyed the market there were 37 wrist dive computers

...... I have a buddy that is a tec diver and says that computers are useless and fail all the time. .....

the working principles of a dive computer are exactly the same of any other computer .... a clock unit, a fast processor, an arithmetic unit, some memory, a bit of firmware and a bit of ancillary hardware ...... ask your buddy if he uses paper and pen only, walks only and starts the fire striking 2 stones ....

Alberto (aka eDiver)

 

[DevonDiver]

I have a buddy that is a tec diver and says that computers are useless and fail all the time.

Hi Darian

Your buddy is either incorrect, or you have possibly understood him out of context.

Modern dive computers are very reliable and offer an invaluable tool to the recreational diver. In addition to extending potential dive time (through multi-level, real-time, calculation of nitrogen loading), they provide an accurate and convenient display of critical dive information in one location.

The overwhelming majority of experienced recreational divers use a dive computer for those reasons.

 

[CPH]

I used Suunto's when I forst started diving but went over to Uwatec and Galileo's. Been almost perfect. My old Uwatec Aladin Pro failed on a dive but you just abort the dive, continue to the surface with your buddy and all is well. That was just a battery that needed replacing.
The Galileo I hace now has been 100%. but I still use the Uwatec for friends and trainees.

 

[PfcAJ]

I say save your money. Buy a bottom timer (like the Uwatec Digital Depth Gauge, frequently found for 100-150 bucks used) and use the rest of your money to go diving.

I stopped using a computer years ago and haven't looked back since. I wish I had spent all that money on diving or gear I actually needed.

 

[TSandM]

Although PfcAJ and I dive the same system, I disagree with him. The Aladin Tech 2G is a very nice computer and that is an excellent price on it (I sold my used one for that much!) A plain old Uwatec bottom timer will likely cost you that much.

Getting a wrist unit, I think, is a splendid idea. Having your information on your wrist, where you can reference it frequently without having to change your position in the water, will make learning good buoyancy control easier.

Anything electric or electronic that you take into the water can fail. Most of the time, gauges fail by simply not working, but sometimes they do more interesting things (like the gauge I had that did repeated 200 foot bounce dives all by itself, all night in the motel room). What is important is that you not simply cede all responsibility for understanding your dive to the device on your wrist, because if you do that, you will never know if it is feeding you nonsense. No dive should be done without any planning at all -- you should always have a projected maximum depth, maximum dive time, and some idea of the shape of the profile (whether it is a square profile on a wreck, or a sloping, multi-leveled shore dive profile, for example). If you know those parameters in advance, you should be able to use your computer, or a set of tables if you still have them, to get a sense for what your no-decompression time on the dive SHOULD be (realizing that tables will be quite a bit more conservative than a computer, since they assume the entire dive is done at maximum depth). If your pre-planning says you have a 30 minute bottom time, and your computer is saying you need to surface after 5, or that you have 100, something is probably wrong with the gauge, and you should double-check with your buddy and probably cut the dive short.

There are those of us who no longer use a computer in computer mode -- in other words, we don't use no-decompression information from the device. But it took us all time to learn the skills to do that. As a new diver, you're going to be heavily loaded with the mechanical part of diving -- maintaining buoyancy control and working all your equipment -- and you are, in my opinion, far better off with a gauge that isn't distracted than you are depending on your own brain entirely to keep your dive parameters reasonable, so long as you are diligent about PARTICIPATING in the dive planning and monitoring process.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Plus 3 or 4 on the Tec 2G.

I still use mine in gauge mode as a back up/bottom timer on trimix dives. Unlike the Uwatec bottom timer I used to use (and the Parkway version before it) it is downloadable and offers more functionality on other types of non-technical diving.

For the price you can't really go wrong and it will serve you well as a recreational computer through technical diving at the Advanced Nitrox/Deco Procedures level and then even beyond as a bottom timer. And unlike the Uwatec bottom timer, the battery is user replaceable so it is not a throw away item after 5-7 years.

In short, unlike most computers suitable for entry level OW diving in that price range, you won't out grow the Tec 2G like you would most of the others.

That said, I do agree at the technical diving level you should not be riding a computer, but rather planning the dive and diving pre-cut tables, using a computer, if any, only as a backup or as a means to abort the dive early. For example, we recently missed a wreck in a 4 kt current and rather than staying at 210 ft for a full 30 minutes and/or doing the longer deco schedule, it made sense to call the dive and do the much shorter deco actually required on the (backup for the dive) computer. Similarly, if the weather turns south in a hurry or the boat needs to get underway in a hurry due to an injured diver, a properly configured or utilized computer can give you the option of getting out of the water in mimimum time with an acceptably low DCS risk.

 

[Rogersea]

I will give you my opinion based solely on recreational diving,

I dove without a computer for almost 30 years and never had an issue, I used tables and a watch and manually planned Multi-Level Dives for a couple of decades.

Since switching to a computer I find that I am able to enjoy slightly more bottom, and despite the fact that I always try to ascend slowly from every dive my computer warns me if I am exceeding the 1 ft per second or 18M per minute rule. I would purchase an inexpensive computer with Nitrox functionality and the ability to interface with your PC or Apple computer, to help keep a good log.....

You can spend under $350.00 for an entry level computer that will/should give you several years of use before you might feel the need to upgrade.

My computer is the Veo 250 (discontinued) and I have never had a failure after 1500 dives(I have replaced the battery several times)

 

[Firemedic0822]

Wow.....this place is great. What an awesome community we have here. Thank you for all of your input on the computers. I ordered the Aladen tec 2 yesterday. I should have it in a couple of days. I was off on the price $277 delivered is not bad I think. Thanks again everyone!