Looking to buy a dive computer

[DiveNav]

The ongoing 'A.I. is cool vs. A.I. is crap' debate may endure as long as ScubaBoard does.......

I call that progress ...... Few years ago the raging debate was table vs dive computers

Alberto (aka eDiver)

 

[dmaziuk]

I call that progress ...... Few years ago the raging debate was table vs dive computers

Sooo... has anyone tried doing wired AI? Wet connector would be a bit of a pain to get right, but you could

• clip the sensor on short hose to the inflator hose: have it near your neck and easy to connect on that end,
• route the wire under your wetsuit sleeve,
• run the power from the main unit and not care about sensor battery or air pressure turn on/off,
• never lose the link or auto-pair with a wrong transmitter,
• not attract the wrong kind of marine life with your RF noise,
• and so on.

Doing multiple bottles would be a problem, of course, though if you could daisy-chain the connector and run serial comms protocol, that would help to some extent...
Just wondering...

 

[Carl_F]

+1 for the Oceanic Atom. Never had a problem with the WAI.

I also have a Predator for those tech dives. But the SEABEAR H3 is cool, can be one of those computers you don't take off, and the thing I've seen most touted by those who got it is the ability to personalize the main screen with an animated GIF. Now THAT is an important feature!!

 

[stuartv]

Sooo... has anyone tried doing wired AI?

All that, just so you can use a wrist computer instead of having a console computer with a HP hose running to it (or instead of using wireless/hoseless)?

My wireless AI has been totally reliable, for me. I never heard of anyone complaining that their AI transmitter attracted unwanted marine life attention. Is that for real?

Having a wire attaching me to my tank does not sound like anything I'd want, even if it actually had any advantages. Some rescue scenarios involve shucking your rig in a hurry. I wouldn't want an extra wire to have to disconnect.

The transmitter battery is a once per year maintenance item and it turns on and off automatically when you connect your 1st stage to the tank and turn on the tank valve. I.e. it is not an issue, to me.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

In a rescue scenario I would not disconnect the wire. I'd rip the damn thing out or cut it. Same as I'd never mess with buckles. I'm using my eezy cut or shears. I don't want AI because it's really not necessary. Know your sac, plan the dive, use gas matching, and dive the plan. If one accidentally forgets and messes up so that a low air alarm becomes something they need, they probably shouldn't be diving to begin with.

 

[stuartv]

I don't want AI because it's really not necessary. Know your sac, plan the dive, use gas matching, and dive the plan. If one accidentally forgets and messes up so that a low air alarm becomes something they need, they probably shouldn't be diving to begin with.

And if one messes up and a helmet becomes something one needs, one probably shouldn't be riding a motorcycle to begin with. Right. Please don't get me wrong or put words in my mouth. I'm not trying to say that people SHOULD have that low gas alarm on their computer. I'm just saying that the logic that dismisses it ("if you need that, you shouldn't dive") seems faulty to me. Nobody that I've seen, including myself, is saying that it is a necessity. I'm just saying that having that alarm has no downside (that I can see) and could (possibly, maybe) come in handy for someone, someday.

I don't need AI, either. But I do need a pressure gauge. And, so far, my wireless AI has been more reliable than my brass and glass SPG. I got a brand new, preassembled regulator set (including SPG) 2 or 3 months ago, for use with doubles. My third day of diving with it, I assembled my rig and turned my gas on. Everything seemed good and I started to walk a few steps away from it when I heard the tell-tale pop and hiss. The SPG had been gradually coming unscrewed from the HP hose and had finally gotten loose enough that an o-ring on the spool extruded. I am REALLY glad it happened on land and not when I was in the water. And glad I had a spare o-ring on hand for the spool, so I fixed it and went diving. In contrast, my WAI transmitter has never missed a beat. And the WAI transmitter does not have a hose that could get caught on anything or get cut or rupture. WAI is one threaded connection and one o-ring. I.e. it's one failure point. The SPG has, what 3 O-rings? 1 at the 1st stage and 2 on the spool? Plus 2 threaded connections. So, at least 2 failure points, if not 3. And it's a greater entanglement hazard, when clipped to my left waist D-ring, than my WAI. I'm just sayin'...

 

[John A Lewis]

If one accidentally forgets and messes up so that a low air alarm becomes something they need, they probably shouldn't be diving to begin with.

Fully agree here; while it's nice to have something 'just in case', if you are dependent on it you need to consider carefully why you are doing this.

 

[doctormike]

And if one messes up and a helmet becomes something one needs, one probably shouldn't be riding a motorcycle to begin with..

You use this analogy a lot. The difference between a helmet and a low gas alarm is that motorcycle accidents frequently happen through no fault of the rider, while it's hard to see how a well trained diver would unknowingly run OOG because of someone else actions...

Right. Please don't get me wrong or put words in my mouth. I'm not trying to say that people SHOULD have that low gas alarm on their computer. I'm just saying that the logic that dismisses it ("if you need that, you shouldn't dive") seems faulty to me. Nobody that I've seen, including myself, is saying that it is a necessity. I'm just saying that having that alarm has no downside (that I can see) and could (possibly, maybe) come in handy for someone, someday.

This is sort of beating a dead horse, but you and I both like doing that, so why not! Let me take a crack at explaining the aversion that many people have to low gas alarms, in non-judgmental terms.

Telling a new diver that this option is beneficial (no downside, some upside) is bad from a training and mindset point of view. The very fact that it exists suggests that it is acceptable to dive while offloading a task that is central to ANY type of diving (gas planning and monitoring) to an electronic device. It sends a message to the new diver that it's OK not to be 100% sure of your gas supply because this gadget has your back.

So that's it. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm overthinking this. I don't expect you to agree with me, and it's certainly your right no draw your own opinions on the matter. It's just that since we know you are pursuing technical training, you might want to at least consider an opinion that I'm guessing most technical instructors share.

 

[packrat12]

.... And, so far, my wireless AI has been more reliable than my brass and glass SPG....The SPG had been gradually coming unscrewed from the HP hose and had finally gotten loose enough that an o-ring on the spool extruded.... In contrast, my WAI transmitter has never missed a beat. And the WAI transmitter does not have a hose that could get caught on anything or get cut or rupture...

This is a not a failure of the SPG. Maintenance - maybe, due diligence - probably but not a failure of the SPG. Even though you received your gear fully assembled, it is up to you to check it out and then regularly check it out/maintain it. I will often replace O-rings seats when I get new gear as they are often flattened or damaged. When I am cleaning my gear, I am checking for loose components, leaks and wear after every dive day. I have replaced several airspools this year due to worn O-rings. As you gain experience diving you will understand that each component can fail in its own way. The SPG has airspools, hoses and connections. The Wireless transmitter can fail to sync, the battery can unexpectedly die, the seat can come loose or have the o-ring fail, the unit can flood, damaged by a hard hit on the boat, you can forget your wrist computer... etc. This can happen during the dive which can cost your entire dive day. I have several SPGs that have been in near constant use for over 20 years and have 100's to 1000's of dives on them. I have had a handful of failures related including 1 hose burst and a number of airspool replacements. Only the hose burst could have cost a dive out of 20 years. You have at least 19 years more on the wireless transmitter to know if it is as reliable - hint it is not. Before you get too comfortable on the 1 failure point, a couple of months ago, the manifold on my doubles leaked and lost 1 tank of air! This was only a few months after service even. The o-rings, which were to be replaced, were shot. The key here is you must maintain your gear in association with your LDS and not purely depend on them!

 

[buddhasummer]

Ive never had an SPG unscrew from a hose in over 15 years and somewhere approaching 2000 dives. If you check your gear before you dive, pre dive check, you would have probably noticed the loose hose. Your SPG coming loose was not a fault of the SPG/hose. If your SPG was your sole source you might be more inclined to check it before each dive. If a hundred people say something and I'm saying something different I usually re think my position. You like AI, cool, many do not and many experienced divers have given sound reasons why they do not. Listing O rings as failure points is, IMO, reaching, if you want to start counting O rings as potential failures then you have a lot of potential failures. I disagree with your statement that there is no downside to AI, I think there is, I think it "can" and I'm sure in some cases does, lead to complacency and laziness which is dangerous. Trying to advocate or imply that in some way AI makes diving safer or is more reliable than a simple SPG is a little spurious.