Mares Puck Pro vs Suunto Zoop

[Chris Richardson]

I understand that the Zoop (Novo?) does not have back lighting/self-illumination whereas the Puck Pro does: is this actually the case? Supposedly, too, the Zoop is irreparable if it goes wrong (l have one that sadly can't be fixed :'( ): is a Puck Pro any better on the repair front? Cheers

 

[d^2b]

My zoop novo has a button activated backlight. Personally I think 4 buttons are much better than one, for navigation, but it's obviously a personal thing. I have my issues with the north american service company (Huish), but if I was in Europe I'd consider another Suunto, at least if I couldn't stretch to $450 and a shearwater peregrine.

Edit: someone mentioned deep stops, and the zoop nove certainly does support them if you want. 60s at half your max depth. Whether you want them or not is a complicated question, but for no-decompression dives it seems like they are more defensible than for deco dives.

 

[Jake 10]

I had rent Mares PUG and it served it's purpose, although I agree with others that the one button is cumbersome at times. I now own a Zoop Novo and it tells me all I need to know during a recreational dive.

 

[Zef]

OP, my opinion about the 2 computers you are considering is that it is a toss up.

Your thoughts about navigating the computers menu underwater with one button is unfounded, as this is fairly unnecessary to do.

Is the Suunto computer you are considering a Zoop or Zoop Novo?

The older Zoop has a glow-in-the-dark display, the Zoop Novo has a backlight. I have Vypers and Vyper Airs in my arsenal all which have backlights and I will tell you that I would prefer the glow in the dark display. If there is enough ambient light that a torch is not needed then the backlight is moot, and when a torch is needed I would much rather have the non-battery draining glow in the dark feature instead of a backlight.

My recommendation would be a Zoop/Zoop Novo with a bungee mount with flaps....the button flaps greatly facilitate pressing buttons with gloves, and the bungee mount compensates for suit compression as one descends...I hated wearing my computer strap tight on the surface so that it would not be too loose at depth. Bungee mount is the way to go in my opinion:

Suunto bungee mount for zoop:

Suunto bungee mount and protective boot for Zoop Novo:

-Z

 

[Cdncoldwater]

I own and dive both, the Mares is my 2nd for solo diving. They are both good rec computers but the Mares has a short strap so hard to fit on a dry suit with dry gloves and my zoop novo gives a graph profile so it is more detailed for review but the buttons are a pain with gloves. All that being said, I plan to replace my Mares soon with either a Shearwater Peragin or another zoop novo.

 

[David Novo]

2. Puck Pro has bottom timer mode, Zoop doesn't because they want you to pay more and get a Vyper.

Suunto Zoop Novo has gauge mode.

I own one and have rented a Puck while my dive computer was to be repaired.

I did not like the single button on Puck and prefer the 4 buttons on Zoop Novo.
A good feature of Puck is that it actually shows your ascent rate in m/min.

If I was buying a new dive computer now, I would not choose any of these because both have RGBM which is too conservative, specially on repetitive dives;

I have no experience with Puck Pro.