Liquivision vs. Shearwater dive computers

[AtRanger]

I have a Liquidvision X1 and it worked very well for several years. Then I began having battery issues; the computer would not hold a charge. So I shipped it back to Liquidvision for repair. I cost $100 and took a little over a month. I just used the computer on a dive trip and it still won't hold a charge. I'm heading for Shearwater!

 

[griffon]

One of my take aways from the lynx was don't by dive computers that use a proprietary battery or don't have a serious rechargeable bat (like the cobalt, get week reiterative diving) and even that bat should preferable be user replaceable. User replaceable battery was my rule after the d9 (shudder).
I'm intrigued by there single AA bat .


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[greatlakeswreckdiver]

I looked long and hard at both companies offerings. Went with a Shearwater Petrel and super happy. It is easy to program and had a bluetooth interface - no special adapters. The buttons are easy to use with gloved hands. I think the only sell point the Liquivision has at this point is if you want air integration they have the Lynx. Although I was not impressed by the size of the sending unit they use (personal observation).

Sounds like Bare has bought Liquivision so I can imagine they will be a well backed company but my vote is for Shearwater. Really like that they came out with a Recreational mode for the Petrel but I think I am going to put it back into technical mode as I got used to how it looked that way. Nice to have that option either way. Shearwater really listens to their users.

 

[griffon]

Oh hmm no air, wireless transmitter option for the Shearwater, deal breaker for me? No intergrated compass either. I get it's a different target audience mostly though. Like the screen layout a lot, and the emphases on assent rate control.
I really liked my Liquid vision Lynx as first but I'm super frustred with the compass, and have had a pretty high fail rate (both computer and transmitter have failed on my once). I was hopping for changes/fixes coming from them but it's been slow going. The battery situation for the Lynx is also not very good IMO, so I would hesiated to recommend them.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

The SW NERD has a very nice integrated compass with waypoints, and I wouldn't be surprised to see that feature make it into a future generation of Petrels. I hope and expect to never see AI in the standard SW offerings, though.

 

[vancouverdiver]

I've had the LV Xen and Xeo, and while I thought they were great when I got it, realize that the Petrel wins hands down. Before you buy a Xen or Xeo, have a look at the battery holder and the wires. Go to their manual on the website and read the paragraph on changing the battery. It is extremely important that you be very careful when you change the battery and not put any stress on the wires. While exercising caution, after 2 years 5 months, the wires became disconnected with the circuit board under the potting gel. LV CAN'T repair the unit, rendering it useless and I was SOL. As the unit chews up batteries like crazy, this is a big issue. This is a huge huge weakness in the LV design. So with a dead Xeo, I followed all my dive buddies and went with a Petrel. Uses a simple cheap double AA battery, and the screen is easier to read underwater than the LV - and especially easier to read on the surface in bright sunshine. Honestly, I can't think of any advantages that the LV has over the Petrel. PS: I have LV batteries, rechargeables, charger, and interface for sale. PM me if you are interested or look at craigslist Vancouver BC. By the way, do a search on SB for LV's and Shearwaters for sale and it seems there is a lot of LV's people are unloading.

 

[rivers]

I've got a liquivision xen. No issues with it so to speak and I get around 50-60 hours of dive time before I need to replace the battery. I only dive with a bottom timer, so I see no point in shelling out for a computer with functions I'm personally not going to use. If shearwater had a bottom timer, I probably would have taken a good look at one of those as well. As it was, my choices were an xdeep black or a xen. And we all know how easy it is to get your hands on a black...

 

[Oldbear]

I have and love the Petrel. I also and love the Atomic Cobalt for rec diving. Many times I will will wear the Petrel when on a rec dive with the Cobalt. The reason I bring up the recreational Atomic Cobalt is that Atomic's parent company bought LiquidVison and I wonder what cross technologies will be shared. Atomic has been working on a wrist computer for a while but it is still in development.

 

[griffon]

Yeah I'm hopeful they will incorporate the buddy finder stuff. The rest of the atomic design, particularly ui, trumps LV IMO, at least for the lynx vs cobalt compare. If petal had air integration option I would be pretty keen on that.


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[johngayle]

petrel all the way!