Life expectancy of dive computers?

[BDSC]

I've been diving Sherwood Wisdoms for several years now. I have one, the wife has one, and I carry one as a back-up in case we need an extra. Have never needed the spare on a trip but I have loaned it out several time when others did. Best computer I have owned to date.

 

[RTee]

I have a Suunto Vyper that has over 550 dives and is on its third battery. My wife has similar dive computer, has probably 400 dives or so and is on its second battery (and we always carry spare batteries when we go away). Both are still going strong.

 

[S Fogarty]

Don’t buy a Analox ATA. The company sucks. Mine quit 4 months after I purchased it. Took 10 months of emails and phone calls to finally get a reply.
I’m still out. Buy any other brand.

 

[carono6333]

I've got three Aladin Pros that were still going strong but now need a battery change. My Suunto stinger has lasted me for years and years... the guys i bought it from said it appears to be lasting an unusually long time, as many are failing now.

 

[michael-fisch]

I've got three Aladin Pros that were still going strong but now need a battery change. My Suunto stinger has lasted me for years and years... the guys i bought it from said it appears to be lasting an unusually long time, as many are failing now.

View attachment 502101

Nice, 3x 1st generation Uwatec Aladin Pros and still with the original straps. Swap the battery yourself (please don't grap the wrong end of the soldering iron as I did once) and occasionally replace the O-Ring. Those computers have been going since at least 1993 when Uwatec switched to the 2nd generation with a less agressive Algorithim and a larger screen.
The only thing I didn't like was the depth display deeper than 100M, it would not display deeper than 99.9 and I'm not sure if deeper depths were being integrated in the (Air) deco calculations.

Michael

 

[BlueTrin]

My d4i depth sensor died on its second day of diving, in my first day diving in Malta.

Suunto repaired it but I had to wait to come back to the UK to get it repaired.

 

[Foothills]

I have been diving a pair of DR Nitek Duos for about 15 years (800+ dives on them) and they are finally giving up the ghost. I treat them roughly (just pitch them in my gear bin), and they are scratched and battered to hell. I just bought a Shearwater Perdix, which I love, but I am still running the Duos as back-up until I can spring for another Perdix.

 

[scubadada]

I have been diving a pair of DR Nitek Duos for about 15 years (800+ dives on them) and they are finally giving up the ghost. I treat them roughly (just pitch them in my gear bin), and they are scratched and battered to hell. I just bought a Shearwater Perdix, which I love, but I am still running the Duos as back-up until I can spring for another Perdix.

The Duo is very conservative, what GFs do you dive to match it?

 

[JamesBon92007]

I recently got my first computer, an AquaLung i300. It was from a friend and it was only about 9 months old with probably less than 50 dives on it. When I got it home I discovered that it was stuck on 6 feet and still counting the dive time. AquaLung replaced it under warranty and said it was the pressure sensor that failed. So far I've had it on about a dozen or so dives and it's OK but I rinse it very thoroughly after each day of diving. I still bring a depth gauge and my watch and decompression and NDL tables, just in case. I've never had a watch or depth gauge fail while diving and I've used some really cheap dive watches. Recently I removed my analog bottom timer and I'm thinking about putting it back. It works even if I forget to wind it (will go about 8-10 dives on one winding). It's somewhere around 30 years old and never needs batteries. When I first started looking at computers I found a used one for $15 that was oil-filled. That eradicated some of my fears but it led me to make the false assumption that most computers were oil filled. I missed my chance for that one but the one I got wasn't a whole lot more than that

I think the idea of dive computers is really cool, especially for multi-level diving, but I've always had doubts about putting electronics in salt water, under pressure. Heck, the electronics that I have that don't go underwater aren't all that reliable. I'm sure that some are better than others but I'm not ready to spend a ton of money on one--I managed without for 49 years.

 

[Foothills]

The Duo is very conservative, what GFs do you dive to match it?

Right now 40/75, but I haven't decided if that will be my "normal" GF. I am only a dozen dives in on the Perdix, and getting a feel for how the GF plays out with altitude & cold compared to my "normal" expectations with the Duo.