First Dive Computer

[scrane]

Have you personally found that your diving is restricted by Suunto? As a new diver it is likely that he will be limited by gas consumption. My own experience is that even on liveaboards it is not an issue. Reputable operators will make sure surface intervals are adequate and make Nitrox available. Both these mitigations improve safety whichever computer you use.

No, but I have had a Zoop lock itself out for a week of 3 x day diving while being used as backup for an Oceanic.
During the short period the Suunto was functioning I was impressed with the disparity in NDLs between the console mounted Zoop and the VEO2.
You can make most liberal computers more conservative, but you can't make a conservative computer more liberal.

 

[outofofficebrb]

No, but I have had a Zoop lock itself out for a week of 3 x day diving while being used as backup for an Oceanic.
During the short period the Suunto was functioning I was impressed with the disparity in NDLs between the console mounted Zoop and the VEO2.
You can make most liberal computers more conservative, but you can't make a conservative computer more liberal.

This is why I chose an algorithm that is the same or more liberal than my primary. If the Zoop were a primary and the Veo was a backup it would not have locked out unless something was ignored.

I used to have a Vyper Air with Zoop backup. I just got a Perdix and am now using a Veo 2 as my backup.

 

[Lorenzoid]

@KenGordon , my experience is the same as yours. I've had a Suunto Vyper Air and a Zoop backup over the period of a little more than 100 dives. Most of my diving is vacation diving on resorts, or most often on liveaboards doing at least 7 days at a time, 4-5 dives a day. There are times when I've had to shallow up slightly, but the surface intervals and options of nitrox, along with what there actually is to see at what depths, it has been fine. I haven't had to sit out on a dive or miss out on anything given Suunto's RGBM. They're fine and yes, they are conservative compared to other algorithms like Oceanic's Geo 2 using DSAT which is one of the most liberal. They haven't impeded on my diving or my buddy's, or my group's.

They definitely don't like sawtooth zigzag profile dives and they punish you for those. They also punish you for blowing ascent rates and skipping safety stops...but I think those are all things that you should avoid anyway. Sometimes, conservatism is good. Just because you can dive to a liberal computer doesn't mean you should given your experience, physical condition, health, water temps, etc.

I would, however, suggest the OP get the Geo 2. It makes an excellent backup should the OP decide to get another computer one day. I generally like to use a more liberal computer as a backup or at the very least have it match my primary. The Suunto may find itself in a more difficult position to act as a backup if the OP decides to upgrade to a much more liberal computer one day. It's also quite user friendly to replace batteries...It saves some money in the long run.

Exactly. For vacation diving, a Suunto is fine. Divemasters at resorts and on liveaboards all over the world routinely use Suuntos. They don't want to see their clients injured, and a lot of these places aren't near recompression chambers, so they include generous surface intervals and otherwise encourage what some who don't do "vacation diving" would consider conservative practices. Suuntos work fine for this kind of diving--the kind of diving most people get into diving to do.

 

[stuartv]

Have you personally found that your diving is restricted by Suunto? As a new diver it is likely that he will be limited by gas consumption.

For how long? 10 dives? 20?

It's not that hard and lots of people don't take that long before their gas is outlasting their NDL. I'm a fairly big, not-especially-in-shape guy and I think it was dive 30-something for me where I was consistently back on the boat with plenty of gas left after hitting a very liberal (DSAT) NDL.

Should the OP buy a computer now and then a more liberal computer in 30 dives, when his gas starts outlasting his NDL?

 

[KenGordon]

No, but I have had a Zoop lock itself out for a week of 3 x day diving while being used as backup for an Oceanic.
During the short period the Suunto was functioning I was impressed with the disparity in NDLs between the console mounted Zoop and the VEO2.
You can make most liberal computers more conservative, but you can't make a conservative computer more liberal.

So you ignored the Suunto going into deco, did not do the stops and it locked you out? Did you read the manual? Why not do the stops?

How far into deco was the Suunto? Would staying with in the NDL of it have made a significant difference? How much gas did you have?

 

[scubadada]

Cressi and Suunto have a conservative RGBM deco algorithm. Cosmiq has a very conservative proprietary variant of Buhlmann ZH-L16C. Buy a computer with a deco algorithm that will satisfy your current and future diving

 

[KenGordon]

For how long? 10 dives? 20?

It's not that hard and lots of people don't take that long before their gas is outlasting their NDL. I'm a fairly big, not-especially-in-shape guy and I think it was dive 30-something for me where I was consistently back on the boat with plenty of gas left after hitting a very liberal (DSAT) NDL.

Should the OP buy a computer now and then a more liberal computer in 30 dives, when his gas starts outlasting his NDL?

Forever. I dive with a lot of people with Suunto computers, some who have been diving for 30 or 40 years. They either do the stops or dive a sensible gas. They are using 15l cylinders for a first dive with 2700l usable, rather than 1700 with an Ali 80.

Unlike you, I have actually done liveaboards diving four times a day using Suunto computers and not had a problem. I have done a 3 dives a day southern Red Sea liveaboard (no night dives due to bitey beasties) with a buddy on a twinset and not got into more than a minute of deco at the end of an 80 minute dive.

How do I manage this amazing feat? I dive the correct gas, I start deep and get shallower, I don’t behave like a yo-yo, I have reasonable surface intervals. These are the behaviours encouraged to avoid getting hurt.

Most of the time I see people getting into deco in a surprising way it is because they did an up the NDL first dive and then had too short a surface interval while diving air. Don’t do that, it will hurt eventually.

For a 30m dive the (table, time to safety stop) NDL changes from 20 minutes to 28 minutes using 32% rather than 21%. That dwarfs the differences in algorithm. Chose the op with Nitrox and the op that runs the day for the benefit of the divers, not squeezing in two sets of customers.

 

[dmaziuk]

Buy a computer with a deco algorithm that will satisfy your current and future diving

Yep. The one with One True Algorithm and a well calibrated very accurate crystal ball.

 

[KenGordon]

Yep. The one with One True Algorithm and a well calibrated very accurate crystal ball.

By the argument put forward by some above he should save the money and just dive the gas he has and not worry about a computer. I feel like that in places like Cozumel. One of the 40 years of diving blokes I know likes to say “you can’t get bent on a 12” - (a 12 is about 100 cu ft).

 

[dmaziuk]

By the argument put forward by some above he should save the money and just dive the gas he has and not worry about a computer. I feel like that in places like Cozumel. One of the 40 years of diving blokes I know likes to say “you can’t get bent on a 12” - (a 12 is about 100 cu ft).

Well he did say he wants to get inside some wrecks. That's the kind of dives that should be planned IMO, and if you have a plan then all you need is a depth gauge and a watch.

And a backup plan.