First Dive Computer

[Blackcrusader]

You're highly entertaining today. Have you paid attention to how many people wear Apple Watches these days? Those things can go in a swimming pool for laps and that's about it. Pretty much everyone else uses their smartphone in place of a watch. Maybe Boomers have those deep rated watches.

Levity is a good thing.
I do not know one person who owns an apple watch. I am sure some do.
Regardless they are not most people which is what I wrote.

 

[lowwall]

Brand new to forum and still a OW diver trainee. I’ve actively studying gear and accessories and from what I’ve learned dive computers are becoming almost a necessity.

I want to get a dive computer as one of my first pieces of equipment. I wear an iWatch daily. I use it’s activity features. I golf and like the golf gpa the watch provides.

Will it make sense to spend the $1500 for the MK2i to make it a complete package?

Is the air integration the way to go? I like it can monitor 2 tanks since my 10yo daughter will be going for her Jr OW along with me.

Am I crazy considering such an extreme purchase? (Question from the Queen)

Glad to be apart of this forum and appreciate all of the help in my new adventure.

Thanks

The Shearwater Teric is far better dive computer than the Garmin if you are looking at something in that size and price range. On the other hand, the Garmin is a far better advanced fitness watch.

But if you are happy with the features of your Apple Watch, then I'd suggest sticking with that and getting a dedicated dive computer.

If you want all the bells and whistles and don't have any trouble paying for it, the Teric is unbeatable in a watch-sized computer. But you are looking at $1150 for just the watch, $1545 if you want the transmitter to make it AI.

A more reasonable option for both you and your daughter would be Oceanic Geo 4.0 for $400. It has everything you actually need in a dive computer, an excellent record of reliability, and is pretty stylish for a DC. The one luxury feature is a Bluetooth connection to a app which lets you download your dives for easy logging. This is very nice for new divers since maintaining logs manually gets old fast and a lot of us end up abandoning the attempt.

There is a middle ground of the Shearwater Peregrine for $600. It's non-AI like the Geo, but has a really nice color screen and a superior user interface. One potential drawback is that it's quite a bit larger, you'll need to decide if the form factor works for you.

 

[brsnow]

The Shearwater Teric is far better dive computer than the Garmin if you are looking at something in that size and price range. On the other hand, the Garmin is a far better advanced fitness watch.

But if you are happy with the features of your Apple Watch, then I'd suggest sticking with that and getting a dedicated dive computer.

If you want all the bells and whistles and don't have any trouble paying for it, the Teric is unbeatable in a watch-sized computer. But you are looking at $1150 for just the watch, $1545 if you want the transmitter to make it AI.

A more reasonable option for both you and your daughter would be Oceanic Geo 4.0 for $400. It has everything you actually need in a dive computer, an excellent record of reliability, and is pretty stylish for a DC. The one luxury feature is a Bluetooth connection to a app which lets you download your dives for easy logging. This is very nice for new divers since maintaining logs manually gets old fast and a lot of us end up abandoning the attempt.

There is a middle ground of the Shearwater Peregrine for $600. It's non-AI like the Geo, but has a really nice color screen and a superior user interface. One potential drawback is that it's quite a bit larger, you'll need to decide if the form factor works for you.

What makes the Teric far better? The battery?

 

[lowwall]

What makes the Teric far better? The battery?

Screen is easier to read underwater, more intuitive interface for diving, better features for diving (SurfGF), better compass, compatible with non-proprietary transmitters, company more responsive to and more focused on divers.

Everyone I've talked to or read posts from who chose the Descent over the Teric did it for its above-water features, not because they thought it was a superior dive computer.

There doesn't seem to be an exact Teric vs. Descent Mk2 thread here, but you can read this one over at reddit .

 

[jmcgilroy]

Ask 100 divers and get 100 different answers on this one.... My only comment was the issue of monitoring your daughter's air...simply ask her (via hand signals) and she should know the answer without looking. Do it often...force her into a good habit.

 

[Joneill]

Levity is a good thing.
I do not know one person who owns an apple watch. I am sure some do.
Regardless they are not most people which is what I wrote.

The majority of people I know and see out and about do not wear a watch at all - they use their ever present cell phones as their time pieces.

 

[Blackcrusader]

The majority of people I know and see out and about do not wear a watch at all - they use their ever present cell phones as their time pieces.

I have never worn a watch. Cellphones people do bring along on dives as well.

 

[Joneill]

I have never worn a watch. Cellphones people do bring along on dives as well.

Hmmm… I’ve never seen anyone bring a cell phone on an actual dive… plenty of dive computers, but no phones…

Regardless, my point was in dispute of your claim that “Most people already own watches that are rated to 100m depth”.

 

[Joneill]

double post - deleted

 

[Dody]

Brand new to forum and still a OW diver trainee. I’ve actively studying gear and accessories and from what I’ve learned dive computers are becoming almost a necessity.

I want to get a dive computer as one of my first pieces of equipment. I wear an iWatch daily. I use it’s activity features. I golf and like the golf gpa the watch provides.

Will it make sense to spend the $1500 for the MK2i to make it a complete package?

Is the air integration the way to go? I like it can monitor 2 tanks since my 10yo daughter will be going for her Jr OW along with me.

Am I crazy considering such an extreme purchase? (Question from the Queen)

Glad to be apart of this forum and appreciate all of the help in my new adventure.

Thanks

Does it make sense to purchase the Mk2i like I did? No. It was impulsive. It is an overkill for a new diver. You won’t use half of the features of the DC if you don’t do technical diving. Does it look nice and is it nice even when you are not diving? Hell yes. Should you buy it? Only if you are a geek, a watch collector, if you want to do technical diving soon and if money is not a problem. Don’t forget that you will have to add a T1 for both you and your daughter. That’s another 800$. The MK2i is way superior to the Apple watch for leisure activities even though I don’t play golf and you can install the Garmin app on your iPhone.
It is not a rational purchase for a new diver though.