Ideal Computer for the Missus.

[D4n]

Guys,

Myself and the Missus are fairly new to diving and are just purchasing all our equipment, I'm looking at getting the Suunto D9tx for myself but is there any dive computers out there for women or ideal for women, she is only 5ft 2 she dose not want a massive computer on her arm.

Any advise will be appreciated

Cheers.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

There are no computers on the dive market that are "ideal" for women. The deco algorithms used by the computers apply to both men and women. Some computers are smaller than others...which may fit better on a smaller wrist.

We're going to need more information in order to give you some decent recommendations.

Budget?
Gas compatibility? (air only, nitrox, trimix)
Type of diving? (OW recreational, technical, etc.)
Level of conservatism?
Gauge mode? (ability to use as a simple bottom timer)
Easy to read? (some older divers prefer bigger numbers)
Backlight? (can be nice for night or deep dives)
Easy to use? (some computers are more "intuitive" to use than others)
Robust? (some makes/models don't have very good service track records)
User-replaceable battery? (can save you lots of money over the years -- ask owners of the Suunto Stinger how much they pay for battery replacement)
PC downloadable? (some people prefer dive computers that play nice with their home/work personal computers)
Can be worn as a wristwatch? (might be important for some people)
Gauge or wrist-mounted?
Air-integrated or not? If air-integrated, hoseless or hose-connected? (price: non-air-integrated < air-integrated hose-connected < air-integrated hoseless)
Manufacturer has good customer service reputation?

For most people, budgetary concerns will direct the purchasing decision.

Honestly, a beginner diver with an eye for practicality and value would probably settle on a nitrox-capable, non-air-integrated computer in the $200-$400 range. Among wrist-mounted computers, I'd recommend taking a look at the Suunto Zoop, Oceanic Geo, and Aladin 2G.

 

[Insta-Gator]

If you're 'fairly new' to diving, my advise would be to be sure the computer is in a console with her SPG or you get her an AI computer. This will minimize task loading of having to look at both a non-AI wrist computer and the SPG. I've always dove a console and still do, even though it is AI.

This past weekend was my first trip into a cavern. I can see why cavern/cave/wreck divers prefer a wrist computer. But for open water, a console is just fine.

 

[freewillie]

I'm assuming that you are interested in a wrist mount computer. If you are going for a smaller size you are probably looking at a watch style computer. Try DiveNav and go through their computer selection section that will give you menu to help select a watch style brand. You can then indicate price, air integration, etc.

If you are looking at a Suunto then you might want to consider getting her a watch style Suunto to keep the algorithms similar. If you get a conservative computer (which Suunto is) and a more liberal computer of another brand you might find yourself being put into deco mode before your wife's computer does, or find a computer for her that allows you to choose either conservative v more liberal dive tables (such as Oceanic).

 

[Bubbletrubble]

If you are looking at a Suunto then you might want to consider getting her a watch style Suunto to keep the algorithms similar. If you get a conservative computer (which Suunto is) and a more liberal computer of another brand you might find yourself being put into deco mode before your wife's computer does, or find a computer for her that allows you to choose either conservative v more liberal dive tables (such as Oceanic).

@freewillie: Honestly, it's not a big deal to buddy up with someone who has a dive computer that utilizes a different deco algorithm. The buddy team should be communicating during the dive and doing a profile that's OK with the more conservative computer anyway. I always use a Suunto computer, and I've done many, many dives with buddies who had Sherwood, Oceanic, and Aeris computers. Another strategy the team can take is to have the diver with the more liberal computer set it to be more conservative. Easy fix.

It can be helpful to go with the same brand dive computer if: (1) you want to share the same PC download cable and (2) you are called upon to help out your buddy adjust the settings on his/her computer.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

As Bubbletrouble said, it's no big deal if you use different computers. My wife dives with a console-mounted Aeris XR1-NX. I dive with the same computer as my backup. My primary is a Suunto Stinger (and yes, the battery swaps are a huge pain). When you get right down to it, the difference in NDL is not really all that much. And it's not difficult to simply follow the more conservative computer.
I'm hoping the Scuba Capsule pans out. If it does, my wife and I will both likely be upgrading to those. But in the mean time, we'll be fine with differing brands.

 

[D4n]

Cheers guys for all the recommendations, As for the budget we don't really have one we dont mind paying as long as it dose what it says it can do, she would rather have the wrist mounted computer. With trimix again cheers guys.

 

[hongrace]

Not try to be rude or offensive. But if what your wife wants is a trimix computer, she would have known which one to get, or narrowed down to a couple of models.

 

[scubadada]

Hi D4n,

Given your small number of dives, why do you and your wife want or need trimix computers? One would think that a good nitrox computer, I assume you are both certified, would be sufficient. There are many, many perfectly adequate computers to meet your needs, including many smaller watch styles that may meet your wife's needs. It might be easiest to have computers with the same decompression algorithm so that you both know approximately how much NDL time you have. Suunto is at the conservative end of the spectrum whereas Oceanic and other Pelagic Pressure Systems computers are closer to the liberal end of the spectrum. I happen to have an Oceanic VT3 as my primary computer and a Geo 2 (very nice smaller wrist computer) as a backup. Everyone else in my family uses a Pro Plus 2 console.

Best of luck in your computer shopping.

Good diving, Craig

 

[TSandM]

If budget is no issue, and you want a small, neat, wrist-mounted computer, I'd highly recommend the Liquivision X1. It's what I have (5'4", 120lbs, small boned). I love the size of the thing, yet the display is both bright and large. It will do air, Nitrox or trimix, although I believe that neither deco program available for it is really ideal for no-deco diving.

Liquivision also has a new recreational dive computer that has just come out, the Lynx. This will be less expensive than the X1, and has a color display, but I'd wait a bit before buying one, because its fellow units have had some problems with battery life.

If you don't really need trimix, it looks as though the Suunto D4 and Suunto Vector are both fairly small wrist-mounted units.