First Dive Computer

[DAJ]

Dive computers provide convenience and while they are a great option, they are not required in order to complete a safe dive. I’m one of the older divers that came into diving when horse collars and J valves were considered high-tech. There were many problems with earlier dive computers and that’s probably why many seasoned divers tend to avoid them and stick to basic equipment for routine NDL dives. While I use all the modern advancements in diving as far as equipment is concerned, I can just as easily do any dive with minimal gear that many contemporary divers may not consider applicable in 2022.

If I was starting out today and wanted a computer, I would buy the best one I could afford. Buying something that might be considered good enough for a beginning diver might also be considered a waste of money if they will most likely upgrade to a better option within a year or two of the initial purchase. If you can afford it, go nuts and get what you want. I don’t assume anyone’s budget because you never know what their definition of expensive might be.

My only recommendation is that whatever you decide to go with, have a backup plan in case it fails. Chances are, it won’t fail at home while you are messing with it or in the parking lot getting your gear on. It’s going to **** the bed at the most inconvenient time imaginable. The best way to be a safe and competent diver is to be self sufficient. If a piece of your gear goes down, you should be able to adjust without impacting others. As an old SAR guy, I double and triple up on a number of things but that’s just how I am accustomed to diving. Find what works best for you and your dive buddy but always have a plan B as the statistics in diving are filled with those that set themselves up for failure with only one option.

 

[Blackcrusader]

That is if GF are applicable and important for you, technical diving. But for the average recreational diver, or even the advanced recreational diver, it is irrelevant. You can start with the least expensive version of Ratio's computers and upgrade your license to the higher version, with more features, as your needs increase without having to buy a new dive computer and having to spend the money from day one like you do with other brands.

What is your definition of an advanced recreational diver? For NDL recreational diving knowing the GF setting does make a difference for multiple dives a day over a period of say 10 - 12 straight diving days. Some may prefer to use a more conservative GF setting. I have dive buddies with Shearwater DC's so we all set to the same GF for our dives. I would agree most recreational divers just let the DC show them NDL time and do not worry about gas planning. I've never seen a gas plan done for recreational dives it's just basically follow the guide who will bring divers up to shallower depths once they get to 75 bar.

I have planned a square profile dive to 15m depth for 75 minutes on Nitrox 32% for my first dive in May. Keeps me within NDL limits. Then I will do a 10 minute safety stop at 5m and another 5 minutes at 3m depth. I would agree that most recreational divers would not know their RMV / sac rate so planning a dive like this you might say is for an advanced recreational diver. I can do this dive on an AL 80 and still finish with more than the 50 bar reserve most dive shops want you to finish a dive with. Some are ok with 40 bar or less.

It is really only since I bought my Perdix AI that I really started to log gas pressures so I could find out what my sac rate is. It's not critical for most recreational divers. However with the places I do dive with I will ask to dive to 50 bar not being time limited. So those places will put me with a guide who can do those dives with me. I have one buddy who is also about the same on air as I am. Maybe he uses 10 - 15 bar more on the same dive. Very few recreational divers match this although I have dived with some small women who are great on gas consumption as well. I plan on doing 40 dives on Nitrox 32% and have a dive time of 75 minutes for each dive so I can know average sac rate for that vacation. I will do the same on a following vacation in Bali before doing my TDI Advanced Nitrox & Deco course later on in the year.

 

[BoltSnap]

What is your definition of an advanced recreational diver?

Somebody who has the courage, wisdom and experience to know their limits and dive within the limits and knows when to call a dive and to not go diving when there is something outside their capability or not safe/right in their judgement.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Somebody who has the courage, wisdom and experience to know their limits and dive within the limits and knows when to call a dive and to not go diving when there is something outside their capability or not safe/right in their judgement.

That's just common sense lol We already have one member who posted she wasn't comfortable about planned dives with her husband.

---

---

A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

This thread is in New Divers. It's not in Technical Diving, and it's not in the Pub. Be helpful.

---

 

[Adobo]

You think AI isn’t a thing in tech diving??? good day sir.

So, coming back to this thread since the AI for tech diving thread has had several days to have people weigh in...

I will amend my statement slightly. For tech diving, AI is far from a necessity. Some divers like it for backgas as it gives them the convenience of seeing how much they have left on their wrist while others (such as me) do not see any utility in having AI for backgas.

So far as I can see from the other thread, most people stick with SPGs on their deco/stage bottles.

All that is neither here nor there because this OP didn't make mention of tech diving.

For new divers, I would still not recommend the Teric. Its an expensive computer that gives the new diver very little additional utility over something like a peregrine.

Note: I missed your insights on tec diving and AI in that thread. Did you not reply in that thread or did I just not see your reply?

 

[Adobo]

They have the best customer service because they have had a lot of practice at it. The teric has had nothing but problems since its release, just read the posts on here about it. Good customer service doesn't do you any good on a dive boat in the middle of the ocean. They are one of the better dive computers, certainly not the best. Ratio dive computers are just as good. Ratio Dive Computers - iX3M [Pro] Easy

Oh, lordy. I have a peregrine. I hope I don't ever have need of shearwater's customer service.

 

[Adobo]

Dive computers provide convenience and while they are a great option, they are not required in order to complete a safe dive. I’m one of the older divers that came into diving when horse collars and J valves were considered high-tech. There were many problems with earlier dive computers and that’s probably why many seasoned divers tend to avoid them and stick to basic equipment for routine NDL dives. While I use all the modern advancements in diving as far as equipment is concerned, I can just as easily do any dive with minimal gear that many contemporary divers may not consider applicable in 2022.

They are most definitely not required to complete a recreational dive. Heck, I know a segment of the dive population that regularly do advanced trimix dives and significant bottom times in fairly deep cave and do so using their computers in gauge mode. Effectively, they are using depth gauge/bottom timers.

My read on the pro computer people is that they don't necessarily understand that planning a dive using tables is a diametrically opposed approach to planning an executing a dive than riding a computer. If your mindset is, do whatever dive you want to do and the dive ends when either you are at min gas or your computer says you are low on NDL time, then of course, it only makes sense to get a computer. It makes sense to be thinking about the latest advances and what algorithms are being used and margins of safety and even air integration.

But if your mindset is to plan your dive and execute accordingly, the info the computer gives you beyond depth and time is largely superfluous.

If I was starting out today and wanted a computer, I would buy the best one I could afford. Buying something that might be considered good enough for a beginning diver might also be considered a waste of money if they will most likely upgrade to a better option within a year or two of the initial purchase. If you can afford it, go nuts and get what you want. I don’t assume anyone’s budget because you never know what their definition of expensive might be.

I appreciate the idea of not buying something that you know will go obsolete. Problem is, everything else they are buying will potentially be obsolete, especially if they move to tech diving.

My observation is, a lot of people touting the benefits of computers talk about 3 gas, multi level, blah blah blah. Yet comparatively few ever need to take advantage of such capabilities. And honestly, there are tech diving agencies that teach how to execute advanced tech dives without these advanced computer features.

For a new diver, there are so many other expenses, I would hesitate to recommend a piece of gear that has tons of features they don't need or will never use.

 

[tursiops]

But if your mindset is to plan your dive and execute accordingly, the info the computer gives you beyond depth and time is largely superfluous.

This is a seriously flawed piece of advice for today's typical recreational divers doing repetitive (maybe 3 or 4, even 5 dives a day) recreational dives on dive trips to the Caribbean and around the world. You are NOT typically in charge of your own dive, so any planning you do goes out the window as soon as you hit the water and the dive guide takes off. Max depth and total time are about the only constraints, but the rate of N2 accumulation is totally dependent on your profile -- which will not be square -- and thus your next dive is quite dependent on the previous. dive. This is the kind of advice that comes from old-school training with tables and single dives each day, and is carried on today in the tech diving community because of the nature of the diving. There is a reason the SDI changed to computer-only open-water training and the other agencies are also supportive of it. Use of the computer allows more time in the water, more safely. There is a reason that resorts like Little Cayman provide a loaner computer free-of-charge to its guests. Any "what computer to buy?" advice needs to take into account today's recreational divers and how they dive.

 

[Alaskan Scuba Dude]

Casio G-Shock Frogman GWF-D1000 Hands-On: The Ultimate Diving Tool Watch | aBlogtoWatch

Hands-on review & original photos from Baselworld 2016 of the Casio G-Shock Frogman GWF-D1000 watch with price, specs, & analysis.

www.ablogtowatch.com

 

[Adobo]

This is a seriously flawed piece of advice for today's typical recreational divers doing repetitive (maybe 3 or 4, even 5 dives a day) recreational dives on dive trips to the Caribbean and around the world. You are NOT typically in charge of your own dive, so any planning you do goes out the window as soon as you hit the water and the dive guide takes off. Max depth and total time are about the only constraints, but the rate of N2 accumulation is totally dependent on your profile -- which will not be square -- and thus your next dive is quite dependent on the previous. dive. This is the kind of advice that comes from old-school training with tables and single dives each day, and is carried on today in the tech diving community because of the nature of the diving. There is a reason the SDI changed to computer-only open-water training and the other agencies are also supportive of it. Use of the computer allows more time in the water, more safely. There is a reason that resorts like Little Cayman provide a loaner computer free-of-charge to its guests. Any "what computer to buy?" advice needs to take into account today's recreational divers and how they dive.

Two thoughts here:
1). I concede that on tourist boats, they expect you to use a computer to track your NDL. And dive masters will ask about it
2). The notion that you cannot dive two or three dives on a boat per day using tables is absurd. Did a three day live aboard to the channel islands this way. Did 4 diving days in Hawaii with my kid this way. On this point though, that is neither here nor there since the bit you quoted was not so called "advice" I was giving to a new diver. It was commentary back to an experienced dive who claims to have been diving since the horse collar bc days.

Nice try though, mischaracterizing my post. Better luck next time.