For recreational diving, I use a Petrel 2, a wristwatch style computer with wireless air integration, and a Tech compass from Dive Gear Express that is bungee mounted onto the back of my hand. No physical SPG.
Diving with 2 computers ensures that if the Petrel dies, I don't have to abort the dive. If the other dies, then I lose my tank pressure readout, in which case protocol would be to end the dive. That's obviously no worse than diving with only one computer and having it die. But, if I have at least one working computer and I have only lost my tank pressure readout (or whole computer that displays tank pressure), it becomes a judgment call on ending the dive. I know my gas consumption rate pretty well, so for normal recreational dives, there are a lot of times where I would not end the dive because I know I will run out of NDL way before I get low on gas.
Plus, if one computer dies, the other still has my tissue loading information, so I can safely proceed to do my next dive without having to resort to tables and the potentially reduced bottom time that results from having to plan that way.
In the case that the transmitter dies, I would fix it after the dive or swap it off my 1st stage in favor of an actual SPG. In over a year with my wireless air integration I have never had a single problem with it. But, I have had a brand new brass and glass SPG unscrew itself from the end of its HP hose after about 6 dives.
My Petrel 2 has a compass, but if I get in the water knowing I will want to use a compass I take the dedicated compass. Holding the Petrel directly out in front of me to follow the compass is not as comfortable as reading off the compass on the back of my hand, which is mounted at a bit of an angle so my forearm can be at a 45 degree to my body, instead of 90 degrees.
I don't like stuff hanging off me or my rig, so I would not go with any kind of console and that's why, for normal single tank recreational dives, I don't even have an SPG hanging down and clipped to my waist. My 1st stage only has 3 hoses coming off it - the BC inflator and the 2 2nd stage regulators.
But, that's just me and I've only been diving for a little over a year, so take my opinions for what you think they might be worth.
