The i100 is a very basic "Puck" style computer. The i200 is more advanced in a watch style.
I have sold the i100 to quite a lot of Jr. Divers who just want the basics and go dive.
First Dive Computer
- Thread starter Dan Jenkinson
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I have sold the i100 to quite a lot of Jr. Divers who just want the basics and go dive.
Jonny Wishbone
Contributor
Yeah just looking at them in comparison the i100 does appear a bit bigger in size and the i200 looks more like a watch. They both handle 2 gases up to 100%, both use diverlog and have computer interface. same warranty. comparing their features I was trying to understand what was so different to justify $150 more other than the i200 being more like a watch and having a LED.
I can't speak for them, but I sometimes get into these discussions because there is the potential for new SB'ers to see these comments that I perceive as Suunto-bashing (or Cressi-bashing) and get the impression that there is something wrong with these computers. I generally agree with your suggestion to get a computer that fits one's present and future needs, though I'm not sure one can predict what one's future needs might be. Most divers get into diving to see coral reefs, with a nearby wreck thrown in now and then for variety, and a large number of them stop diving after a few years. Sure, some divers, especially the ones who gravitate to SB, quickly get into more challenging diving. If a new diver comes here and asks if Suunto is a good choice for that sort of diving, I would say yes. As I pointed out above, not only we vacation divers but also professional divemasters all over the world who guide us vacation divers have no problem using Suuntos. Over the years my wife and I have had no problems and never felt limited by the D4, Cobra and Zoops we have used. There's nothing "wrong" with Suunto. If someone likes a Suunto model for whatever reason, then I would not let its reputation for conservatism be the deciding factor against it. Not all "educated" divers shun Suuntos. While some new divers have a clear vision of getting into more challenging diving within their first couple of years--maybe they live in the Carolinas or want to spearfish in Florida or whatever--the rest may not even get an itch to learn more advanced diving for several years, by which time the diver may feel it's time to replace whatever computer they bought with a newer model.
One poster above mentioned that he believes Suunto's quality may have gone down in the past 20 years, so that's certainly something to think about. Our Suuntos never had a problem--the oldest was bought around 13 years ago and is still going strong. My wife's Petrel had to be serviced, though. I love my Shearwater, but I made a lot of good diving memories with the Suunto D4, which I still use as a backup computer on vacations.
Craig's insistence on "educated algorithm" and NDL numbers being the key to everyone's "future diving needs" gets a bit old.
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^^ That.
I think worse than that, these posts create the impression that bigger NDL numbers are somehow "good". To me that signals "a confusion of ideas I am not able rightly to apprehend" (to quote the inventor of the computer).
More bottom time is bad. We get that. No education on algorithms and NDLs. We get that that is on your agenda, too.
Thanks.
I like bottom time and knowledge. You go, @scubadada!
Just buy whatever computer has the most liberal algorithm (i.e., maximum bottom time), regardless of any other criteria that may be important to you, even if the others still give you ENOUGH bottom time, because there's never "enough" bottom time. (sarcasm)
Heck, skip the computer and stay down as long as you like to, then you have unlimited NDL...
(i hope everyone understand that this is not a serious suggestion)
If you're after education, why do you consistently neglect to tell the whole story? E.g. mention that creators of DSAT stated it's not suitable for 6 tanks/day? -- Which you can do if you follow the numbers to the letter. Why do you omit the part where if something makes you overstay the NDL, you ought to have sufficient gas to complete your deco? -- So if you intend to go for "more bottom time", you should include gas planning, your RMV, and "better bent than drowned" into your risk analysis. This is aimed at people asking about their first computer, they are probably new at this and likely not aware of just how much difference there is between "more bottom time" for a single 3-tank day and "more bottom time" for 7 days straight. Do you ever mention that in your educational posts?
In my book education is when you try to give them the full picture. When you don't, that's more like brainwashing.
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