First Dive Computer

[lowwall]

I guess my hangup with AI vs Non-AI is the on the fly time at depth computation. Again. Being new.. no experience with how that all plus out. Is that feature WORTH the AI?

Knowing how many minutes of gas you have left at a particular depth is not a compelling feature. How do you think you would use this information?

Belzebub nailed the real advantages of AI.
Having all the information I need in one spot, and being able to remove one hose are the main benefits for me. Next would be the real-time logging of consumption throughout the dive. Post dive, I can see where my consumption went up or down at various points of the dive.

 

[Dody]

I like your honesty about it being an impulse buy! Now that I’ve done research and took all of your comments into account…. I’m going to base my purchase on whether AI is the way to go.

With the release of the G1 and it being similar to the Instinct (which a lot of my friends have and LOVE) I have to consider if AI is right for me as a brand new diver or non-AI and a mechanical SPG is the way to go.

If I went with the G1 the money savings would get me a nice all-in-one reg set like the Dive Rite XT advanced AND a dive computer AND still have money left over. I could get the same setup for my daughter and we’d be both on same page as dive buddies.

I guess my hangup with AI vs Non-AI is the on the fly time at depth computation. Again. Being new.. no experience with how that all plus out. Is that feature WORTH the AI?

I have never used the AI feature. Never purchased the T1. I really loved the idea of having air pressure and time remaining on my DC. However, even with AI, I would keep my SPG.

 

[Subcooled]

from what I’ve learned dive computers are becoming almost a necessity.

Not a necessity but a commodity.

If you carry a single tank only, and your maximum depth will be 60 feet, average 30 feet, then your risk of decompression sickness is minimal. Really really small.

Just control your ascent speed (to not burst a lung) and stop for a while at depths of X, Y and Z - and you will be fine. If you do 30 such dives in a row, then yes, you will need a dive computer. But for one dive per week, dive tables are cheap and golden. You would need a depth gauge, though. I am sure you can count seconds in your head.

I want to get a dive computer as one of my first pieces of equipment.

Not a bad choice. Please choose one that allows you to upload dive data to your computer. Nitrox and gauge modes are recommended, too.

I wear an iWatch daily.

Sounds expensive.

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

For what reason?
You could get a Shearwater tec computer for less. Or a Divecomputer.eu.

Is the air integration the way to go?

Do you want a computer to monitor a resourse that determines your life and death?
Or would you like to do that yourself?
Now think.

Am I crazy considering such an extreme purchase?

Yes you are, that is an irrational idea. There are many things that you could use the money on to improve your security.

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

We were new divers once. Many questions. It is our turn to help now, though.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Knowing how many minutes of gas you have left at a particular depth is not a compelling feature. How do you think you would use this information?

My Cressi Digi 2 Console SPG shows time left to 50 bar / 750 psi so if someone thought they wanted to make sure they could extend the dive time they would come shallower to increase the time. For some people knowing this they can adjust their depth. So if I was at 30m depth on a square dive profile I would know how much time I have left to 50 bar. For a new diver knowing how much time to 50 bar they can plan to come shallower if they are wanting to ensure they have a 60 minute dive time including safety stop.

 

[Blackcrusader]

I like your honesty about it being an impulse buy! Now that I’ve done research and took all of your comments into account…. I’m going to base my purchase on whether AI is the way to go. With the release of the G1 and it being similar to the Instinct (which a lot of my friends have and LOVE) I have to consider if AI is right for me as a brand new diver or non-AI and a mechanical SPG is the way to go.

If I went with the G1 the money savings would get me a nice all-in-one reg set like the Dive Rite XT advanced AND a dive computer AND still have money left over. I could get the same setup for my daughter and we’d be both on same page as dive buddies. I guess my hangup with AI vs Non-AI is the on the fly time at depth computation. Again. Being new.. no experience with how that all plus out. Is that feature WORTH the AI?

If money is no object then spend what you want. I do recreational diving ( for me that includes deco dives ) and I dive using the Shearwater Perdix AI. I do not use the transmitter. I do have a Cressi Digital SPG which is not a DC it is a console but does show time left to 50 bar from any point on the dive. I also have an analogue spg which I keep with me as a back up as I did not throw it away when I bought the Cressi. I love the large digital display it gives me. A non powered spg is also fine. Cressi is quite compact but shows all the things I need which is depth, bar/psi. Range is where it shows time to 50 bar.

There is nothing wrong with having good equipment if money is not an issue. So you can buy a Perdix AI and not buy the transmitter until you thought knowing your gas consumption on screen is important. In any case you can also enter tank size starting and ending pressures in diving log or in the shearwater desktop and know you consumption rate. I do not need to know what it is on the dive but some people want that. My son bought a second hand DC when he started diving and it was fine for him. He does not dive as much as I do. Having a transmitter and knowing sac rate on a dive is important for people doing deep deco dives for me it is not important doing no stop recreational dives. It's fun to have but not essential

 

[stiebs]

I like your honesty about it being an impulse buy! Now that I’ve done research and took all of your comments into account…. I’m going to base my purchase on whether AI is the way to go.

With the release of the G1 and it being similar to the Instinct (which a lot of my friends have and LOVE) I have to consider if AI is right for me as a brand new diver or non-AI and a mechanical SPG is the way to go.

If I went with the G1 the money savings would get me a nice all-in-one reg set like the Dive Rite XT advanced AND a dive computer AND still have money left over. I could get the same setup for my daughter and we’d be both on same page as dive buddies.

I guess my hangup with AI vs Non-AI is the on the fly time at depth computation. Again. Being new.. no experience with how that all plus out. Is that feature WORTH the AI?

I've had my Mk2i for almost a year and half, and I don't regret one cent of the cost of it nor the two T1 transmitters I bought with it. Although having said that, it is not the right choice for everyone.

For a watch, the screen is great. But if I didn't have prescription lenses in my mask, I wouldn't be able to read it. That goes for any watch sized dive computer. For that reason, I wouldn't even consider a watch sized dive computer if I wasn't going to wear it as an every day watch. And for that reason, there is IMO no other option that comes close to the diving and non-diving capability the Garmins give you.

AI comes down to how much you value the convenience and curiosity. I find it very convenient to see my depth, time and gas with a single glance to my wrist, without having to unclip my SPG. Also very handy to have my buddy's gas (if I'm diving with my partner or daughter using a second set of my regs)

I'm also a data nut, so love having the graph of gas consumption on my dive profile - doesn't really provide a lot of actual value, but its a scratch for my curiosity itch.

It is a pain though that Garmin went it alone on the sonar transmitter - it means that if I want to share gas info both ways with my dive buddy, there is only one computer they can use - another Mk2i. It would be nice to see other options in the Garmin lineup that are also compatible with the T1. And knowing Garmin's hold on their universe, I see it highly unlikely that they will ever share their T1 protocols to encourage compatibility with other manufacturers.

 

[Neilwood]

I like your honesty about it being an impulse buy! Now that I’ve done research and took all of your comments into account…. I’m going to base my purchase on whether AI is the way to go.

With the release of the G1 and it being similar to the Instinct (which a lot of my friends have and LOVE) I have to consider if AI is right for me as a brand new diver or non-AI and a mechanical SPG is the way to go.

If I went with the G1 the money savings would get me a nice all-in-one reg set like the Dive Rite XT advanced AND a dive computer AND still have money left over. I could get the same setup for my daughter and we’d be both on same page as dive buddies.

I guess my hangup with AI vs Non-AI is the on the fly time at depth computation. Again. Being new.. no experience with how that all plus out. Is that feature WORTH the AI?

I personally have AI (Shearwater Perdix + AI) and love it. Having TTS (time to surface) isn't a huge consideration but having all the info on my wrist (NDL, gas remaining, depth) is amazing and very useful. No matter what I am doing during the dive (holding a line, running an DSMB etc), all I need is to flick my wrist and I can see all the info I ever need.

I have also made the choice to remove my SPG - after dozens of dives with it and not even one flicker of a disconnect (as well as doing a fair bit of research with far more expereinced divers than me), I decided that having two gas readouts was superfluous. I do keep the SPG in my dive bag so I can switch it out if there is ever an issue with the AI.

 

[Hoag]

Recently, I went through a similar process except that I was looking for a back-up DC. I had narrowed my choices down to basically four that I saw as viable options:

• Garmin Descent MK2S
• Garmin Descent MK2i
• Shearwater Peregrine and
• Shearwater Teric

Throughout the thread, I discuss what I saw as the Pros & Cons of each option and how I came to my ultimate conclusion. Keep in mind that what was the right choice for me (as a back-up) may not be the right choice for you to buy as a primary DC.

I honestly don't know whether my thought process will help you or if it will only "muddy the waters", but here it is if you want to read it.

IMHO, given that you want to use it as much more than "only" a DC, I don't think that a Garmin Descent MK2i is a bad choice, but only you will be able to determine if it is the right choice.

 

[brsnow]

The internet leads to overthinking, just get a computer and go dive. The nuances work themselves out overtime. I get it though hard to not get caught up in the research. Just remember much of what you read is being supplied by people who have never actually used the products you are asking about.

 

[Hoag]

The internet leads to overthinking, just get a computer and go dive. The nuances work themselves out overtime. I get it though hard to not get caught up in the research. Just remember much of what you read is being supplied by people who have never actually used the products you are asking about.

The term that I like for the phenomenon which you describe is "Analysis Paralysis". Extreme cases can be refered to as "Over-Analysis Paralysis".