I was brought up on tables - in my case, the original BSAC tables that were especially penal towards repeat dives. The year our club bought its first RIB, we dived on the 1st November 1987 on Wolf Rock, some 10 miles off the Cornish coast. One of our pairs had one of the first modern dive computers in the UK, the Suunto SME, and we were amazed that their dive was twice as long as ours on tables - because it gave credit for the time not spent at maximum depth. Tables assuming a square dive profile.
I bought the same computer at the Easter Dive show the next year, at a reduced show price - £250. I think the only competitor at the time was the Uwatec Aladdin? I used it for many years & probably still have it somewhere. I've dived with Suunto computers ever since, albeit rarely the latest model. Adjusted for inflation, they are much cheaper now.
I currently have an air integrated Suunto Cobra - replacing SPG on the HP hose, not a transmitter. And a Vyper as a backup.
In fact, due to a cock up (kit left at our holiday house...), I've just bought a couple of computers secondhand as we're off to Indonesia next week. A Vyper & a Zoop - £50 each, plus a new battery.
Good, simple to use computers, easy to read, conservative, but not overly so. Simple to change the battery with care - although with some you have to remove one arm of the strap. The battery is a CR2450, the O ring an 026.
BUT, Suunto computers of that sort of vintage have a well known depth sensor issue - it can fail. Normally what happens is that after a dive, the sensor gets stuck, registering some shallow depth. At this point they are junk. However, familiarity & low acquisition cost win out.
For the diving you describe, any of Gecko, Vyper, Zoop would be fine; Cobra if you have your own regulator.
To add balance, my son loves his Cressi Leonardo.....
Regardless of what you choose, please get a computer of some description!
