Is Shearwater Perdix AI too much computer for me?

[Kevrumbo]

 

[Skulmoski]

As a recreational diver, I first bought an entry level computer and used that for a year. Then I bought a mid-range computer and used it for a year and a half. I then bought the Perdix (non-AI since it was not yet available).

I would have been better off just buying the Perdix and not going through the upgrade path.

Get one! You will be very satisfied!

GJS

 

[RayfromTX]

As a recreational diver, I first bought an entry level computer and used that for a year. Then I bought a mid-range computer and used it for a year and a half. I then bought the Perdix (non-AI since it was not yet available).

I would have been better off just buying the Perdix and not going through the upgrade path.

Get one! You will be very satisfied!

GJS

That was the logical argument that my wife used to convince me to just get one in the first place. That was wise counsel.

 

[Neilwood]

I bought a Cressi Giotto when I passed my OW. Did everything I wanted at the time and had a backlight which should be ok.

Did a few dives in less than crystal clear waters (welcome to UK diving) and came to realise that the backlight was pretty good but needed a button held while putting it on and then it shuts off after 20(?) secs. So during an ascent while trying to hold my inflator and trying to keep track of my depth it became a bit of an issue.

Got some money out of a house sale and was looking at alternatives. EON (proprietary algorithm) Mares Icon etc all looked great but Shearwater brought out the Perdix AI just before I was about to buy.

Bought it and realised on my first dive that if it had been available I would have found the money to buy that as my first and only DC. Screen is bright enough to read, buttons are easy to use, all the important information is there or available in a couple of touches, the text is easy to read at a glance due to the size and font. Not that huge either and uses a normal battery which can be changed out in 5 mins during a trip if needed.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Ever since Shearwater added the Recreational Nitrox Mode (see Kevrumbo's post above) to what had been thought of as a purely "technical" dive computer, the Shearwater line has been perfectly suitable for all divers. As others have said, the only conceivable factor that could make a Shearwater "too much computer" for someone would be cost.

 

[stuartv]

I have a Perdix AI and an Atom 3.0 (for all practical purposes, identical to the Atom 3.1), with transmitters for both (I have 2 transmitters and both computers work with both transmitters).

Having both, if I were going on the dives you (the OP) are talking about, I would take the Atom (and my Seabear H3). I do technical diving and, for tech dives, I take the Perdix and my H3. If I didn't start tech diving, I would not have bought the (Petrel 2 which I since replaced with the) Perdix.

The Atom is easily readable in the conditions you're talking about. And the wristwatch form factor is nicer.

That said, they are both great computers (in my opinion). If the Perdix were wristwatch sized (like my Atom and my H3), it would be the perfect computer.

I am not making any mention of cost because, to me, only you, the OP, can decide what things are "worth" to you. What is "not worth it" to someone else has nothing to do with what it is worth to you. You're the only one here (AFAIK) that knows your financial situation.

ps. The Perdix AI is not "too much" for anyone. It has more than most divers need, but that doesn't mean it is "too much". The extra capabilities do not make it harder to use.

pps. I would definitely consider an Atom, but I would not consider the Aqualung version of it. The Atom has 2 algorithms. The Aqualung only has 1 algorithm. I prefer to use the algorithm that the Atom has which the Aqualung does not have.

 

[Clark Fletcher]

Hi All,

I'm totally overwhelmed by the choice in dive computers. I am replacing an Aeris Atmos AI to go to a wrist mount.

I definitely want -
- Wrist mounted
- Air integrated
- Nitrox
- Easy user changeable battery
- Easy to read and understand on a dive - (even if I accidently go into deco, will I be able to understand the stops it is telling me to make?)
- Safety stop count down

I was looking at the Oceanic Atom 3.1 and then the Aqualung i450t. Reading here it seems like Shearwater is the preferred choice, but I am a strictly recreational diver with no tech desires and I dive on 3 trips a year - 2 warm and one Channel Islands (CA) live-aboard.

Thanks!

That is exactly what I was looking for in a dive computer. And, my current computer (an Amphos Air) does all that. However, if I had gotten a chance to test a Perdix AI earlier, I would have bought the Perdix. Primarily because it's a bit easier to read than my Amphos Air (IMHO).

The long-term plan for me is to buy a Perdix AI and place my Amphos Air in a backup roll. The good news for me is that the Amphos Air transmitter is compatible with the Perdix AI so I won't have to purchase another transmitter.

In my opinion, just because a computer has features you may never use doesn't mean it's too much computer. I simply means that you're ensured of having enough features to meets your needs without having to go out later and buy another computer. Says he who is getting ready to do exactly that.

I'm assuming here that you're referring to the Perdix as opposed to the Petrel since, to my knowledge, there isn't an AI version of the Petrel. I never got that far in my research of the Petrel as it was a bit large for my tastes.

Hope this helps.

 

[Joneill]

The Atom is easily readable in the conditions you're talking about. And the wristwatch form factor is nicer.

If the Perdix were wristwatch sized (like my Atom and my H3), it would be the perfect computer.

I, for one, don't like the wristwatch size - I much prefer the Perdix form factor. It's a little larger, but it fits the wrist quite well and you get a MUCH nicer, more legible and customizable display. To each his own, but I like it so much I kept my Perdix as a backup to my Perdix AI and wear both - quite comfortable:

 

[stuartv]

I, for one, don't like the wristwatch size - I much prefer the Perdix form factor. It's a little larger, but it fits the wrist quite well and you get a MUCH nicer, more legible and customizable display. To each his own, but I like it so much I kept my Perdix as a backup to my Perdix AI and wear both - quite comfortable:

View attachment 427427

Nothing wrong with that, at all!

For recreational dives, I have found that I don't look at my computer that much (even with it showing my tank pressure also). And, on recreational dives, the viz is generally good enough that I can read the Atom just fine without even using the back light. So, for those dives, I like the smaller form factor. It doesn't catch on my harness straps like a Perdix can, when donning/doffing my BCD. I'm also less likely to hit it on stuff or scratch it during a dive.

Now, if the OP had expressed any desire to get more into diving than the 3 trips per year that were mentioned, then my initial response might have been a bit different.

 

[jd950]

I like wristwatch size, but I also dive a night a fair bit and really like having a computer that is readable without pressing buttons, especially since I am usually either pushing a large camera around or carrying a lionfish spear and zookeeper. Plus, my eyes aren't what they once were and large bright numerals are nice. As Stuart said above, I only look at the computer from time to time while diving, but still...

My wife's computer recently had a stroke and needed replacement; she got a Perdix as well and she likes dive computers pretty basic, so I would not worry too much about its complexity. It can be set up to be quite basic if that is what you need.

It can get caught on straps and bump into stuff sometimes, so requires a bit more awareness of its size.