Entry Level Dive Comp

[dmaziuk]

So basically, instead of buying a $180 computer, you can buy a $130 bottom timer and a pressure gauge and slate to write down your depth and re-solve the Shreiner equation every couple of minutes instead of, you know, looking at the fishes and stuff. Because "you are the computer" and it saves you a whole lot of fifty bucks -- but only for recreational diving.

Because for technical diving, where you pre-planned all your depths and times and stops and wrote it all down on your slate before you splashed, for that you need an expensive dive computer.

Did I miss anything?

 

[ls1dreams]

If you’re trained and understand tables and algorithms which suit your type of diving, buy a bottom timer for 130$ and get a slate to write your info down. It is so much simpler and cheaper than having to faff around while listening to an incredibly annoying beeping noise when you’re at 30 m for more than like 10mins...

If you’re untrained in tables, waste your money and get an expensive computer. Obviously if you’re diving serious technical diving, you will need an expensive computer and for rebreather dives you need a rebreather computer but apart from that, don’t bother you don’t need it.

Every computer should obey the diver not the other way around, some people listen to whatever it says and are way too dependent on it, oh clean your hair, therefore you must go to the shower....

I wish as divers we could put in our info into the computer and it served us, not us serving the computers needs.

A timer alone is silly to me. You can get mares puck full computers for $150. Infinitely easy to simply look at an NDL time on the computer rather than trying to keep track of dive time, depth, surface time, and re-running all the tables. Especially for a beginner.

 

[EireDiver606]

Yes yes I’m silly.

This is what the most experienced divers with 4000+ dives mostly in cold water with 1000+ “technical” dives teach cimpletelubg the most aggressive dives ever performed for eg: WKPP.

Maybe I’m phrasing it wrong but if you think you need a computer to dive you are simply wrong.
It’s optional. It’s definitely good to have one I don’t dusageee. But not knowing the tables yourself is not optional. I think it’s lazy the way people just completely rely on computers. I’m probably not even half their age and I have more sense to know my tables.

All I’m saying is what people a lot more qualified teach so whatever you tell your PADI open water students or whatever, you can tell them but not me. **Not PADI specifically**

You dive however way you like and spend loads of money on gear you don’t need to add to your Christmas tree look and get 1kg boltsnap because you’re “cold water” diving.

I like to be in control of my computer not the other way around.
The computer should listen to your decisions and your judgements.

 

[BoltSnap]

Yes yes I’m silly.

This is what the most experienced divers with 4000+ dives mostly in cold water with 1000+ “technical” dives teach cimpletelubg the most aggressive dives ever performed for eg: WKPP.

Maybe I’m phrasing it wrong but if you think you need a computer to dive you are simply wrong.
It’s optional. It’s definitely good to have one I don’t dusageee. But not knowing the tables yourself is not optional. I think it’s lazy the way people just completely rely on computers. I’m probably not even half their age and I have more sense to know my tables.

All I’m saying is what people a lot more qualified teach so whatever you tell your PADI open water students or whatever, you can tell them but not me. **Not PADI specifically**

You dive however way you like and spend loads of money on gear you don’t need to add to your Christmas tree look and get 1kg boltsnap because you’re “cold water” diving.

I like to be in control of my computer not the other way around.
The computer should listen to your decisions and your judgements.

People don't "need" cars, they can walk or use a donkey. People don't "need" calculators, they can use an abacus. God forbid we use technology or modern conveniences to make our life easier, more convenient or more enjoyable.

BTW, divers need to know and understand "decompression theory" more than know "tables."

If you think that you can use tables and dive computers at the same time to arrive to the same result, you know or understand neither. In recreational diving, you either use the tables or use dive computers. The line of thinking that you can use dive tables on the same dive/dive day with a dive computer and expect some sort of correlation between the limits set by the two is wrong and only shows lack of understanding. The divergence of information shown by dive computers and dive tables increases as there is more "multi-level" in the dive.

 

[scubadada]

Multilevel diving, good luck with your tables, I'll have a longer, better dive than you.

 

[JohnnyC]

Yes yes I’m silly.

This is what the most experienced divers with 4000+ dives mostly in cold water with 1000+ “technical” dives teach cimpletelubg the most aggressive dives ever performed for eg: WKPP.

Maybe I’m phrasing it wrong but if you think you need a computer to dive you are simply wrong.
It’s optional. It’s definitely good to have one I don’t dusageee. But not knowing the tables yourself is not optional. I think it’s lazy the way people just completely rely on computers. I’m probably not even half their age and I have more sense to know my tables.

All I’m saying is what people a lot more qualified teach so whatever you tell your PADI open water students or whatever, you can tell them but not me. **Not PADI specifically**

You dive however way you like and spend loads of money on gear you don’t need to add to your Christmas tree look and get 1kg boltsnap because you’re “cold water” diving.

I like to be in control of my computer not the other way around.
The computer should listen to your decisions and your judgements.

Do you have 4000+ dives in cold water with 1000+ technical dives? Are you a WKPP diver?

Because I know a couple. You know what's interesting, they dive with Shearwaters. In computer mode. Even for recreational dives. I'll be sure to tell them that you think they're just wasting their money.

Recreational multi-level diving is much easier and more enjoyable with a computer. I say that as a technical/CCR/cave diver who knows all about calculating decompression on-the-fly. I dive with a computer, I have tables for backup. "Not knowing tables is not optional" is ridiculous in a recreational context. You know what I do when I dive recreationally? I use my computer.

To put it in perspective, the only agency that actually uses the term DIR anymore is UTD. And they certainly don't do a whole lot of stuff "right." The latest decompression studies quite sufficiently prove that the idea of a human running decompression calculations as taught the "DIR way," is in fact, more dangerous than a computer running a modern algorithm.

It is absolutely beneficial to understand tables and their use. To say that purchasing a computer for recreational diving is a waste of money is schoolyard stupid.

 

[Centrals]

I must be really stupid to pay someone to teach me how to use the "Wheel" to plan a multilevel dive(PADI specialty course).
I can plan it with the "Table"! Far out.

 

[ajduplessis]

I don't know the Cressi, but like and have dived the Zoop.

 

[dmaziuk]

I don't know the Cressi, but like and have dived the Zoop.

I believe the linked Zoop is the old model with no gauge mode. Leonardo has gauge mode, and that was one of the reasons I chose it over Zoop back when. Otherwise they're pretty similar, about the only significant difference is the number of buttons.

However now you also have Mares Pucks and the "version 1" i300s on closeout. Either of them is a bit more computer for the money. Today I'd choose either over Zoop or Leonardo and i300 over the Puck.

 

[scubadada]

@Lateralus

Oceanic puck, Veo 2, is currently on sale for $240. Oceanic watch, Geo 2, for $280. Both are dual algorithm, running DSAT and PZ+. You would need a cable for either to download to your computer. The 4 computers listed by dmaziuk would also require cables for download.