Divecomputer what to get?

[inkkend]

Hey

I'm right now looking around to buy me a computer as i'm going to do my IDC soon (before i was just fine with my 20bucks casio watch and tables) so why i'm doing a thread? there is so much choice and i have no idea what i want to buy... i'm probably gonna do a lot of dives with it in the foreseable future (up to 5 a day) - price range is up to 500 bucks i would say, could be a bit more. nice would be if i could change the battery myself but isn't that much of a must. should be with EANx setting (one gas is fine though).

how long does they serve me? 5-10 years? better to just buy me a d4i and spend some money on the computer since its gonna be a working tool or buy me the cheapest I can find? I kinda like watches but doesn't really matter (I still have my casio watch ).

so any thing that is standing out as be just better in prize/money ratio as the others or something that is just better?


BR and thanx a lot

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Oceanic Veo 180 Air/Nitrox Wrist Dive Computer at LeisurePro

You don't need anything more than this. I have a veo 200 which is essentially the same computer. It's now ten years old and still works. Do not buy a computer that you can't replace the battery in yourself. Murphy's Law will insure that the battery will die when you are nowhere near a place to have a shop do it. I don't use the Veo much since I bought my Predator but it sometimes sees use as a back up or loaner to students.

 

[jonhoodpms]

Check out the Oceanic pro plus 3 - simple operation, easy to see, 3 gases.

 

[C Dub]

Hi inkkend,

I just went through the research and buying process for a computer, and I started put with the same parameters as you. I ended up increasing the budget to get a Shearwater Petrel. besides reading all of the discussions on this particular forum for the past year, I also searched the entire scubaboard for posts containing "petrel". Very enlightening to see the huge amount of positives from not only the owners, but many who lust for one.

 

[drrich2]

Rather than say 'pick this one,' let me suggest some basic questions.

1.) Does glancing at your wrist and getting dive time, NDL, and if air-integrated tank pressure (and perhaps estimated gas time remaining) appeal to you? Would you pay more for this? If not, get a console, but be warned a lot of people like wrist units.

2.) If you answered yes to #1, and you want to see tank pressure when you look at your wrist, then you're looking at air integrated. On wrist units, costs some money. But can be nice. And if you get a wrist unit without A.I., you'll need an SPG and be checking it periodically anyway.

3.) Do you want your computer to log your dives (e.g.: depth, duration) and be able to download that to your home computer? This can be a nice perk. Some computers have PC download capability.

4.) If you answered yes to 3.), do you want it to also log your starting & ending tank pressures & calculate your SAC? If so, you want air integrated.

5.) Are you willing to accept a used or prior generation computer to get what you want at a given price point?

The DG3 at Dive Gear Express would let you buy a capable wrist unit, add a wireless transmitter later. For a console, the ProPlus 3 someone else recommended is a fine choice.

Richard.

 

[Dsix36]

Hi inkkend,

I just went through the research and buying process for a computer, and I started put with the same parameters as you. I ended up increasing the budget to get a Shearwater Petrel. besides reading all of the discussions on this particular forum for the past year, I also searched the entire scubaboard for posts containing "petrel". Very enlightening to see the huge amount of positives from not only the owners, but many who lust for one.

I gotta agree. Shearwaters just rock. It might ber a bit more $$ than you planned, but you get more than you pay for with them. You will never have to worry about buying a new one just to upgrade if your diving advances either.

 

[BRT]

Oceanic Veo 180 Air/Nitrox Wrist Dive Computer at LeisurePro

You don't need anything more than this. I have a veo 200 which is essentially the same computer. It's now ten years old and still works. Do not buy a computer that you can't replace the battery in yourself. Murphy's Law will insure that the battery will die when you are nowhere near a place to have a shop do it. I don't use the Veo much since I bought my Predator but it sometimes sees use as a back up or loaner to students.

If you step up to the Veo 250 you get 2 buttons which is a little quicker to set up. I agree to not buy a computer you cannot replace the battery in. The Veos need a special tool. The older Oceanics used a coin. Simple!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

You don't actually need a special tool. I've changed mine with a pair of fine jawed needle nose pliers. It is quite easy to do.

 

[robertarak]

You don't actually need a special tool. I've changed mine with a pair of fine jawed needle nose pliers. It is quite easy to do.

That's a special tool.

 

[CptTightPants21]

I dive with a Geo 2 and absolutely love it. You can go with the Veo 3.0 if you want to get basically the same computer in puck form. You can pick them up from Leisure Pro for ~$300 you just need to email them and negotiate (or wait until there is a sale).

The Geo 2 will take you all the way to Trimix, at which point you will upgrade for a Trimix compute and use the Geo 2 in gauge mode as back up. For me, the air integrated computers are just too pricey for what you get, and the Geo 2 is that perfect middle ground between price and quality of dive computer.