Looking to buy new computer! What do you recommend?

[morganne95]

Hello! I am looking to purchase a new dive computer. I currently have a Suunto Vyper. I plan on starting my intro/level 1 cave courses so I would like something to use for caving. I was looking at the Nitex Q and heard good reviews from friends and online. Wanting to get other opinions before I set cash down! Thanks!

 

[Dr. Lecter]

Petrel

/thread

 

[uncfnp]

Ok, after fighting a losing battle and owning multiple dive computers, I finally broke down and bought a Petrel 2 during my Into to Cave course about 2 weeks ago. It is a beautifully designed and amazingly user friendly advanced DC. And available at a really good price right now. I got mine through Cave Adventurers.

 

[buddhasummer]

I've owned numerous computers over the years and currently dive a Petrel. It's been reliable, simple to use and I've received stellar customer service from Shearwater, nothing related to issues just general operational questions, I also asked where I could source spare battery O rings and instead of pointing me in the right direction to buy some they simply asked for my address and within10 days recieved an envelope containing some O rings over here in Japan. I've since discovered the O ring is the same as a tank O ring, cleaver thinking. I wholeheartedly recommend.

 

[kwinter]

I plan on starting my intro/level 1 cave courses so I would like something to use for caving.

I am not aware of any feature of any computer that is specific to cave diving. Will you be using more than one gas? Will you be using trimix? Will you ever dive a rebreather? These are the functions that help decide what to look for in a computer. Other than something known to be durable in case you find yourself smashing up against the cave, or a very bright display to help you through the lights-out drills (which really ticks off some instructors), I don't think cave diving should enter into the equation.

The folks at Subgravity have just put together a little comparison chart. https://www.sub-gravity.com/comparison-chart/

 

[decompression]

Petrel 2.....


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[Scott]

I have a two month old Petrel 2 that I throughly enjoyed diving with in Roatan last week.
I was also pretty impressed with the Sub Gravity H3 my wife was sporting on her wrist.


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[doctormike]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say Petrel.

Even if you never do deco or CCR, it's extremely well built, incredibly readable, has user replaceable AA batteries that you can get anywhere, and their customer service is fantastic.

 

[ajduplessis]

I you have not purchased a Petrel yet, you can do so now.

 

[jboneng]

this won't come as any surprise, I recommend the petrel/petrel 2.
As I wrote in an another thread:

"For me, what makes the petrel the top of the line, is that it have all that I am looking for in a computer, a nice bright, easy to read screen, crucial in bad viz condition that I do a lot of, it has a user interface that is very intuitive, a easily obtainable and replaceable battery, is one of the most rugged computers out there, no unnecessary gimmicks, no proprietary cable for data transfer, but uses a standard Bluetooth connection, a known, trusted and transparent algorithm, that is easy to fine tune based on the dive you are planning, a good dive planner that makes planning dives with decompression obligation easy (no need to start multideco on a laptop, no need to bring the ipad whit you on the boat), supports gauge mode, easy to update firmware and supports multiple algorithms making it easy to match other computers or planning tools. Of course there are other computers that have those features too, but I feel that the petrel have the best all round execution and implementation.

You are right in that the petrel and other computers in its class use more battery, and you need to change the battery more often (one battery in a petrel last for around 30 dives), but the petrel, at least, uses standard AA batteries that you can buy anywhere, and the battery replacement is easy, just open the battery compartment pop the battery in and close the compartment. If you require a wireless air integration, then the petrel is not the way to go, since the petrel doesn't support it."