Galileo Sol v.s. Suunto D9 ?

[YiNYaNg]

YouTube - Diving the Northwest!

its an awesome computer!

What's that other dive computer you got on your left arm in the video? I've seen that HUD one before but forgot what it's called.

 

[ajduplessis]

I have a D9. I have never had issues with the wireless air integration, and my eye are good, thus no need for a 46" LCD tv on my arm. On night dives you will be diving with a torch, not sure why you would want the backlight on continuously, it reduces battery life. I also use my D9 as a dress watch on land.

If I was in the market for a dive computer I would consider the oceanic OC1, or buy a VR3 ($$$$$) and get the best there is.

 

[DiveNav]

.....If I was in the market for a dive computer I would consider the oceanic OC1, or buy a VR3 ($$$$$) and get the best there is.

here a look at the OC1 in deco mode


Alberto (aka eDiver)

 

[Guy Alcala]

Wow, that looks great! I'd definitely give it a close look if I was buying today. I won't trade in my Sol but I might end up with the Icon if I was starting over.

I've looked at played with the Galileo and the Icon in a store. The color makes the Icon very easy to read, lots more contrast than the Galileos. The compass display is similar but even better than the Galileo's, a full 180 deg. arc instead of 150 or so. In addition, directly below the bearing readout they give you the actual degrees off the set bearing instead of the Galileo's segmented arrows. And the color contour maps provide excellent definition compared to the Galileo's much lower res in B&W.

I still prefer the Galileo's (and Uwatecs' in general) display layout, which to me is the best scan pattern with the info I most want, depth and dive time, in the largest font and on the same line. I though the Mares was less intuitive. And the Mares has a rechargeable battery, which may or may not be an issue (I'm sure the color display eats a lot of juice).

Guy (still using an old Suunto Favor, but someday. . . )

 

[DiverLaura]

it is actually the APECS primary controller for my Megalodon Rebreather (have the shearwater Meg) The HUD and a shearwater is the secondary integrated as part of the rebreather (though for this dive the shearwater was clipped off so the UEMIS would have a place on my arm)

What's that other dive computer you got on your left arm in the video? I've seen that HUD one before but forgot what it's called.

 

[DiverLaura]

For night dives and video dives that OLED is actually very helpful. I don't like to have to stop what i'm doing (filming or whatever) to turn the backlight on, or blind my silly self by shining my light on the device to see it without activating the backlight. If i'm running the vid, i'm generally not running a second torch just to shine on my computer so i can see it. OLED solved these issues

With the big video lights, i basically can't see anything else if i'm in front of or behind the lens.

I have a D9. I have never had issues with the wireless air integration, and my eye are good, thus no need for a 46" LCD tv on my arm. On night dives you will be diving with a torch, not sure why you would want the backlight on continuously, it reduces battery life. I also use my D9 as a dress watch on land.

If I was in the market for a dive computer I would consider the oceanic OC1, or buy a VR3 ($$$$$) and get the best there is.

 

[CompuDude]

IMHO... if you are a recreational diver, don't worry about the Liquivision. When you start looking at the Liquivision, you get even more confused. You are going to compare the VRX VR3 Shearwater....
If I were you, I won't consider a D9 just for the fact that it is not user replaceable battery. Both Luna and Sol are excellent DC but they are very technical computer. First I think you should decide what type of diving you going to do. Will you occasionally do deco dive? will you do multi-gas gas switch during dive? Are you diving both open circuit and close circuit? or you are just an average diver, dive recreational and do you travel a lot?
As you've mentioned earlier, you want to spend $1500 and no-deco dive only, I will pick up a Suunto Cobra3 as the primary then an Oceanic Geo as a backup. Unless you've changed your mind after all these discussion.

I agree with you on the Liquivision... a purely recreational diver won't be happy with it. For the technical diver, it's excellent.

I disagree 100% with the Galileo Sol/Luna. They are excellent recreational computers with large, easy-to-read displays, an excellent track record, and they are VERY easy to use and understand... far more than most other recreational computers on the market, because the large display enables notifications and instructions to be displayed in plain English (or your language odf choice) rather than obscure icons and incomprehensible abbreviations.

I'm not a fan of the Suunto D9 (or most other Suunto's for that matter). The algorithm is too conservative, and the display is too small. I have good eyes, but that doesn't mean it's not easier to see everything at a glance on a bigger screen. If you're looking for a watch for topside use, buy a watch. If you want a computer, buy a computer that works best underwater.

The Oceanic OC1 is more interesting, but ONLY if you really MUST have a tiny computer that doubles as a watch. (I'd rather just wear an actual watch... and for the guy who complained above about having to stow it away, what on earth does he do with the rest of his scuba gear, wear it around town?)

The only serious competition (at this high end recreational level) to the Galileo Sol, IMO, is the new Uemis Zurich. It doesn't have the track record (or strength of ScubaPro's backing), but the display is gorgeous, and it's otherwise comparable to the Galileo's in many ways.

 

[Matt S.]

I have a D9. I have never had issues with the wireless air integration, and my eye are good, thus no need for a 46" LCD tv on my arm. On night dives you will be diving with a torch, not sure why you would want the backlight on continuously, it reduces battery life. I also use my D9 as a dress watch on land.

If I was in the market for a dive computer I would consider the oceanic OC1, or buy a VR3 ($$$$$) and get the best there is.

My eyes are fine but I can read the bigger Galileo screen at a glance, when it is at arm's length. I want to keep my arms in front of me and my light forward and not wave it around, since that's a buddy communication issue.

And leaving the backlight on and running the battery down faster isn't a big deal when you can change the battery yourself.

Clearly you like your D9, but I am very glad my D6 is in the scuba toolbox as a backup! To each his own.

The Uemis Zurich looks very cool indeed but I am leery of getting something where all the support is overseas. Not that I wouldn't if it was the right product for me, but local support would be the tiebreaker. Of course, in my experience Scubapro's support stinks anyway, so maybe my next computer will be the Uemis Zurich anyway.

In retrospect I wish I had remembered to list it, it's probably a lot better for the OP than the techie-oriented Liquivision, VR3, or Shearwaters.

Now when is that big-ass GPS system coming out that was announced at DEMA? Maybe I need another giant screen on my left arm to balance out the Galileo.

 

[PADIinstructor]

for no deco diving if you want wireless go for the oceanic Atom 2.0

 

[ijdod]

for no deco diving if you want wireless go for the oceanic Atom 2.0

What does it offer that any other hoseless AI computer doesn't?