Good Dive computer that scales to tech diving?

[Imla]

Get a computer with a gaugemode, and make sure it has the possibility to use a stopwatch with a secondcounter.

 

[boulderjohn]

If I were in your position, I would forget about all of this for now. Just go on diving with your Zoop and work on improving your skills. When you are ready for technical diving, research long and hard and then find the instructor and agency with which you want to do your training. Once you have done that, ask your instructor this question.

The odds are that your instructor will not have you using a computer for at least the earliest part of training. What happens after that really depends upon the instructor and agency:

• Some will never, ever want you to use a compute at all.
• Some will want you to preplan your dives using a software program and only use a computer for backup.
• Some will want you using the computer as your primary tool but having the software version on hand for backup.

I know instructors in all three camps.

You are probably years away from needing such a computer, so it makes no sense to me to purchase a computer now. If when you have gotten your training and decided a computer is the way to go, there will be new models available to you that don't even exist now, and your instructor may be able to get you a good deal on one.

 

[Rick Murchison]

What John says here has lots of merit; I add my vote to it
Rick

If I were in your position, I would forget about all of this for now. Just go on diving with your Zoop and work on improving your skills. When you are ready for technical diving, research long and hard and then find the instructor and agency with which you want to do your training. Once you have done that, ask your instructor this question.

The odds are that your instructor will not have you using a computer for at least the earliest part of training. What happens after that really depends upon the instructor and agency:

• Some will never, ever want you to use a compute at all.
• Some will want you to preplan your dives using a software program and only use a computer for backup.
• Some will want you using the computer as your primary tool but having the software version on hand for backup.

I know instructors in all three camps.

You are probably years away from needing such a computer, so it makes no sense to me to purchase a computer now. If when you have gotten your training and decided a computer is the way to go, there will be new models available to you that don't even exist now, and your instructor may be able to get you a good deal on one.

 

[aprivetera]

I made a similar decision when buying my computer. With many of the computers I looked at, there is a big jump in price and quality when you go for the tech versus non tech computer. In my case, i was looking at the D4i and D6i, because my local dive group all uses Suunto. I ended up going with the D4i mainly because I did not have an interest in technical diving, but if I went in the future it could atleast be a very pretty timer. I decided against the D6i because I did not feel ready for the jump to technical diving (not to mention the $ for all the new gear) and the extra money for a compass feature could be used towards a real compass and better scuba gear.

It is up to you to decide how you feel and what your budget is. I felt the D4i was a nice computer for recreational diving and could be a backup for technical in the future. But if you are seriously considering technical and have the dough, then go for a better computer. A technical computer can always be used for recreational diving.

 

[waterpirate]

Tech gear and equipment is a ever evolveing moveing target, as well as the theory behind it. I would not buy anything tech now, with plans to use it later. Buy and dive your experiance level now, by the time you get around to deciding if tech is for you or not, I gaurantee that there will be a new computer flavor of the month. How about you buy a bottom timer to back up your zoop, and call it done for now?
Eric

 

[eelnoraa]

Recreation dive intended computer without a gauge mode, such as Suunto D4, is NOT a good choice for technical dive backup at all. If you run D4 on a tech dive, it will dive you some ridiculous deco stops, then lock you out for a period of time. What you really want is a computer that does at least air/nitrox and have gauge mode. So in guage mode, it will be your backup timers for tech dive.

Having the above said, I want to ask in what aspect you are feeling your Zoop is limiting at this moment? If not, then use it until you get into tech, then get a good computer at that time. For rec profile, I see no reason to replace your zoop.

 

[Hostage]

I like what you guys are saying. I will hold off on getting any tech computers for now.

 

[down4fun]

I agree with Boulderjohn.

You are very early in your dive career. So go out get some dives and experience to prepare you for technical training (and that is not meant in a condescending way, it's just honest) . Work on skills, trim, buoyancy, multi tasking while holding buoyancy. These things will all make your tech training easier. It helps if you can find a buddy headed in the same direction that doesn't mind dedicating a dive to hanging out in the sand and practicing skills. Secondly, when you do your early tech training they will probably have you cutting tables and diving a bottom timer or your current computer in gauge mode. Some never move on from this and always dive tables. Even if you do plan to go on to a deco computer having a base of dives done on tables provides you some important knowledge and experience. You learn what the deco curve and approximate tables are for a dive based on time and depth. Should your deco computer ever crap out during a dive and in some catastrophic event you have lost your back up tables, you know in your mind basically what you deco should look like, enough to probably get yourself out of the water safely. By the time you have done all that and are reading to commit to a deco computer there will be new "toys" on the market. Dive computers are changing and advancing every year. And who know's by then you may be toying with the idea of a rebreather and now you need a computer that can incorporate that too.
Enjoy the journey.

 

[tomfcrist]

I'd say for the current price you can't go wrong with a used predator. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned that option yet. So many divers are switching from predator to petrel that the market is wide open. I have seen them on this board and on ebay from 500-700$, and that's with vpm unlocked. There is nothing wrong with the predator, but some folks are gadget whores and have to own the newest model of everything.....which turns into a great deal for the rest of us.

 

[rongoodman]

As mentioned, gauge mode is important. I also think having a choice of a couple of the standard deco models, as well as the ability to update your software, is important. Shearwater will give you Buhlmann GF and VPM, the Liquivsion X1 has Buhlmann GF and VPM too, and the Xeo has Buhlmann or full RGBM from a third party developer. The Liquivision Kaon doesn't do He, but has the nice OLED display and a subset(three predefined GFs) of Buhmann.