Dream gear

[freewillie]

I sorta of know what I want to do, but thought I'd get some objective opinions.

For simplicity sake I've come into small amount money and can spend significant amount on scuba gear. All with wife's approval no less.

I've had my eye on Atomic regs for a while, but since the new T3 is out I'm already on wait list once it comes out.

The problem is the computer. I wanted a wireless AI wrist computer but the Aeris brands at my LDS won't come out until end of the year. I was going to get a cheap SPG and use my current computer but was thinking maybe I could get an AI hose computer and give it to my daughter when I upgrade to wireless.

Im on the fence. The frugal side says its a waste of money. The extravagant side says go for it, it will give my daughter top line dive computer without Mom blowing a gasket about the cost.

 

[Griffo]

If AI was really a requirement, I'd be checking out the Liquivision Lynx. Liquivision : Scuba : Lynx


Personally though i'd prefer a brass and glass SPG and a HW OSTC3 heinrichsweikamp

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Shearwater Petrel. Last computer you or your daughter will ever need. Forget the AI. Just something else to fail. SPG fails and floods you end the dive and replace it for 70 bucks. transmitter fails and god forbid floods several hundred bucks. Not worth it. IMO

 

[dmoore19]

If it is what you want maybe you could rent one and try it out to be sure.

For me I started out with the console computer and analog SPG. I was trying to reduce costs and I had read here about the evils of AI. I went diving and saw the others had AI and nobody had any problems. I wanted it so I traded my original console for a Cobra 3. Despite the warnings of failure I read here I still wanted the hoseless AI. So I traded and got a computer with hoseless AI. I bought a SPG that I carry in my mesh bag in case of a failure of the transmitter or computer. If my AI fails, I simply surface, put the SPG on and go back to diving. I have yet to have any problems with the hoseless AI despite warnings of failure time and again. I suppose the moral of the story is get what you want, consider the possible short comings and plan for it. In the end, if I had gotten what I wanted to start with it would have saved me money. I also have a backup computer that I keep with me, it is not AI so if I am on a trip and the AI ceases to function, I can continue diving.

 

[scubadivingsteve]

You have a computer now, how many times have you gotten close to deco? Did you still have plenty of air or did you end the dive because of deco obligations? Most of us recreational divers with a Al 80 have air limited dives. AI consoles and wrist computers are good for us that want to recreationally dive. They have made us lazy, and I top the list, but it is for sport and if I'm on vacation I want to relax and do easy dives. Do you ever go on dive vacations? A few days in Cozumel sucks if your only computer fails and you sit out a day or more. Backup your computer with something, another computer or a SPG and depth gauge and well kept logbooks or both. AI computers are great but they can and do fail. However if you have ever even read a tech diving article and it intrigued you even a little. Buy a Shearwater like Jim said because you will get one eventually, I'm saving for mine now.

 

[PeterNBiddle]

I was hot on AI as well so i bought the VEO 3.0 console to start out. When I decided to give that to my partner well I bought another VEO 3.0, thinking I was getting a wireless AI system when I wasn't. Doh!

Rather then send it back I dove with it with a HOG SPG and now I'm pretty gosh darn happy. The only thing I'd rather have right now is something in a proper watch form factor.

 

[gizmo1972]

how about a D6i with transmitter BUT you should still have an SPG clipped in tight just incase and the D6i wil be a nice conservative computer for your daughter ! win win situation!!!

 

[Dr. Lecter]

Cobalt if you like console and want AI, Petrel otherwise.

 

[TSandM]

I agree with the recommendation for the Lynx. The OLED display is just plain amazing for night or limited visibility dives (completely negates the need to shine your light on your computer to read it). The transmitter works quite well and if your dive buddy has one, too, you can watch his gas as well.

There are cheaper options, but if you want a top-of-the-line AI dive computer that you simply won't outgrow, this one rocks.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

The OLED display is just plain amazing for night or limited visibility dives (completely negates the need to shine your light on your computer to read it).

I don't think this kind of performance is only obtained with OLED anymore. Out of the X1, Cobalt, Predator, and Petrel I've used, none have required any kind of light to read the computer and the brightest and most crisply legible of them all is the LCD Petrel. As for the Lynx, some of the functions look neat but the OP had better be make sure to try and love the tap interface and giant [-] narwhale horn[/-] tank transmitter before dropping any money on it. If the OP likes the tap interface, doesn't mind the Buick on their first stage, and thinks the fun but not stake your life on it remote tank reading and nav features are worth the extra $500-$1000, the Lynx is probably a good bet. Otherwise, the Petrel is simpler, easier to read, backed by better support, and cheaper at $950.