Hoseless vs non-integrated Watch computer

[halocline]

I am in the market for a new dive computer. I would like to go with the "watch" format but am deciding if it is worth the extra cost to get the hoseless pressure integration vs just a stand alone computer watch and use my existing hose for pressure. I know you want to have pressure redundancy but is the extra money for the information that the transmission gives you worth it?

How do you know that you want to have "pressure redundancy?" Technical divers in very dangerous places like caves use one SPG, at least with manifolded doubles. A regular old SPG is very reliable and once you get some dive experience you will learn that you only need to check tank pressure a few times during the dive. You check time/depth data much more frequently. To me, AI is definitely not worth the money, but to each his own.

 

[stuartv]

How do you know that you want to have "pressure redundancy?"

It seems to be a pretty popular opinion on SB that people using hoseless AI should have "pressure redundancy". But, that people using an SPG do not need "pressure redundancy".

Also, it may not be popular at all on SB, but IRL I have seen a few doubles rigs now that have a hoseless AI transmitter mounted on them. Of all the doubles rigs I've seen, in person, at a dive site, about to be used or just used, it seems like roughly half.

 

[dmaziuk]

Right, also, what do you mean by "watch"? Actual watch size like aeris manta or H3? Or wrist-mount as opposed to console-mount?

I wouldn't put eon steel into any of those categories, really, I think it's more of a "you're selling this for how much?" kind of dive computer.

 

[Diving Dubai]

I wouldn't put eon steel into any of those categories, really, I think it's more of a "you're selling this for how much?" kind of dive computer.

i brought 2 Eon's one for wife. Currently each have two transmitters each. Never happier excellent computer. All the negative feed backs of it have been from non owners or users. Enough said.


to the OP I use AI together with sons for personal reasons and preferences. The convenience is great when your checking depth, time, ascent etc to see tank pressure too. It's down to a personal choice and affordability.

99% of the against AI opinions are either personal predudice of complete BS.

 

[stuartv]

i brought 2 Eon's one for wife. Currently each have two transmitters each. Never happier excellent computer. All the negative feed backs of it have been from non owners or users. Enough said.

I was diving with a guy on Saturday who had an Eon Steel. It was on loan to him for him to evaluate for someone, so he was using it as a backup. He'd at least been diving with it the day before. The only comment he made to me was "it is quite, ummm, conservative."

 

[Dhboner]

i brought 2 Eon's one for wife. Currently each have two transmitters each. Never happier excellent computer. All the negative feed backs of it have been from non owners or users. Enough said.


to the OP I use AI together with sons for personal reasons and preferences. The convenience is great when your checking depth, time, ascent etc to see tank pressure too. It's down to a personal choice and affordability.

99% of the against AI opinions are either personal predudice of complete BS.

I understand and respect your right to have an opinion on an equipment choice and it seems you are very happy with yours but to characterize criticisms of AI computers as prejudice or complete BS is nonsense. You have made a choice and I won't ask you to defend it but there are a lot of divers who have logged thousands of dives often in difficult environments who will not use an AI computer. There is no point filling up these pages with their reasoning (you can search and find dozens of threads on the issue) but I can assure you the decision to use a standard SPG to keep track of gas supply is not based on either prejudice or complete BS and it is disingenuous to suggest otherwise.

 

[dmaziuk]

I can assure you the decision to use a standard SPG to keep track of gas supply is not based on either prejudice or complete BS and it is disingenuous to suggest otherwise.

I don't believe it's 99%, but most SB posts criticising AI for "link failures", "failure points", etc. are close enough to BS to qualify as "repurposed bovine waste". There's also plenty of reasonable posts.

I have no doubt eon steel is a perfectly good computer. As I've no doubt delta tan FFs are perfectly good fins. My problem with these products is that on the bang for the buck scale they're very heavy on the buck side. Way too heavy for my bank account.

 

[Centrals]

A AI computer probably can buy two cheapies + spg.
I dive with one(+ BT) or two computers nowdays after suffering computer failure twice in separate occasions. As far as I am concern, there is no need for the spg redundancy but absolutely necessary for the computer.
I just bought a discontinued Oceanic Veo 180 on line as my back up. It is nitrox compatible, user battery replaceable and depth gauge mode. What else do I need? Last another 18yrs like my old Uwatec Aladin Pro did!!!!!!
I also do tec dive(not too long deco) and TWO Uwatec Bottom Timers are all I need. Retail price is well under US$300.00 for two!!

 

[dmaziuk]

A AI computer probably can buy two cheapies + spg.

Well, that's the thing about dg03: if you're in the US of A, the computer itself is cheaper than the zoop. In fact it's only $50 more than recent "cheapie" aeris closeouts: manta, a300. The transmitter is not cheap, but you don't have to buy it right away. Or at all.

 

[stuartv]

Well, that's the thing about dg03:

Another thing is that, at least I, personally, would never consider the DG03 to be a "watch computer". More of a wrist puck.