Is a Dive Computer necessary?

[diversteve]

Jack's Diving Locker on Kona rents Suunto Zoops so you could try b4 you buy. I suspect that's where you got the $8.50 from.

Maui Dreams Dive Co. in Kihei does also.

Some boat operators will give you one of theirs if you don't have one - they want to track you also.

 

[Nemrod]

No, you do not need a computer, dove for decades without one as they did not exist. Do you think people did not SCUBA dive prior to digital circuits?

However, you will need a depth gauge (hard to find now) and a watch or bottom timer. The empty "canister" in the photo is actually a sealed container to put a non-water resistant watch in. Good dive watches were expensive in the 50s and 60s but a Timex could be had for five dollars. Cut the lugs off and put it in the case.

For the price of a good watch and depth gauge you could get a simple wrist computer.

Consoles are so 80s.


N

 

[Carter21]

A computer rental is $8.50 and yes they require it. We went through our tables but didn't really learn to use it... I'm sure I can learn before I take my trip in a couple months. But is a computer the smarter way to go? I don't 100% know if I'll be diving regularly so the decision is difficult. This will be my first few dives after certification. And I am worried about deco times and accent rate mostly. What to do...

 

[dmoore19]

It appears that the answer to the question is Yes and No. Is it a requirement for a safe dive? No, tables and a timer will suffice. Is it a requirement on some boats? Yes, from what I have read there are several dive operators that require you to have a computer. If you want to dive with them then you need a computer.

Personally I wouldn't want to dive without a computer, I also have a backup. It would be a good idea to work the tables so you know them and how they work. But the most common diver has some model of a dive computer.

 

[Carter21]

OK. Going to use a computer but do I rent or buy? $10 extra every guided tour or $300? I just want to feel like I'm making a solid decision.

 

[dmoore19]

My suggestion would be to spend the $300 and learn to use the computer and understand what it is telling you before you dive with it. I know when you buy and Oceanic computer you get access to a video training course that is much better than trying to sort through the manual. But the manual can also be helpful. www.divecomputertraining.com

 

[Rich Keller]

OK. Going to use a computer but do I rent or buy? $10 extra every guided tour or $300? I just want to feel like I'm making a solid decision.

The solid decision is to know the tables weather you use a computer or not. If you must have one to dive with this op then I am sure you could find one cheap on ebay or craigs list. Then put in the time needed to fully understand how it works before you get in the water with it.

 

[boulderjohn]

OK. Going to use a computer but do I rent or buy? $10 extra every guided tour or $300? I just want to feel like I'm making a solid decision.

I just told you that I bought my first computer in the late 1990s. I paid $800 for it then. That is probably the equivalent of $1,500 in today's dollars--maybe more. I just sold it to a friend for a very good price. It works as well now as it did then, and the algorithm on which its decompression model is based is still used by that brand of computer today. I had not used it for some time, but I could have used it continually all those years without an issue. How much would that $800 be on an annual or per dive basis?

The price of computers has come down considerably since then, and what you can get in a computer has gone up. A $300 computer today can do anything you need for recreational diving. It can last you a lifetime of diving if you want it to. By coincidence, I just spent $800 for another computer. I think this one is the best computer on the market today. It is far, far superior to the one I spent $800 ago back when I first started diving.

The advantage of buying a computer is that you can take the time to understand how it truly works and all it can do for you. You will only have time to learn the very basics with a rental computer. Will you truly understand how to use it for things like dive planning and emergency decompression? Will you understand its log book features?

So what if you decide after this coming vacation that diving is not for you? Are you out $300 for a computer you will never use again? Well, that is what eBay is for. In fact, you will probably find more than a few such computers on sale for good prices there right now.

In summary, I would only rent a computer if I were really sure I would not be diving much--if at all--after this trip. I was sure that was the story for me when I got certified. I did it for a specific upcoming trip, and I did it figuring that I might do a couple of dives on a vacation every few years. That plan went out the window very quickly--I was almost instantly hooked, and 1,000 dives later I can look back at my naiveté and laugh.

 

[dmoore19]

You could also contact the dive op, find out what computer is rented. then go to the divecomputertraining.com website pay the nominal fee of +/-$10.00 and see how to use it and understand it. It's just a suggestion, it may or may not suit your needs.

 

[C Dub]

I did my OW class using both the tables and the online computer, and did the practice problems with both. After finishing the class, the first thing I bought was a computer. I consider it a primary safety item. You ought to get one.