MARES Puck Pro

[loady]

I had to chance to dive both the mares puck pro and suunto zoop novo, at the same time on 17 dives.
I was on nitrox, from 28-32% O2.
That's what the boat provided.
The mares has three algorithms from more liberal to more conservative. I found that on all three, I had much less no decompression time then on the Suunto. With both computers set to the same mix and both on my arm each dive the mares was reading up to 25 min. Less time no deco time. That's strange because I've read that Suunto has a very strict conservative algorithm. Is this normal? Should I send the mares in for an evaluation?

 

[partha]

No, that's fairly normal. While the Suunto is conservative I think you'll find that the Mares algorithm is one of the most conservative.

 

[dmaziuk]

With both computers set to the same mix and both on my arm each dive the mares was reading up to 25 min. Less time no deco time.

Really? On every dive? At every point?

No, that's fairly normal. While the Suunto is conservative I think you'll find that the Mares algorithm is one of the most conservative.

I doubt 25 minutes falls within "conservative", esp. when zoop is the baseline. Even if they relaxed their limits in the novo.

 

[DaddyJr]

I have the Mares Icon HD as my primary computer, and use the puck pro (air integrated) for my students.

The single button interface isn't the best, but the computer itself is rugged and clear to read.

I have the "old" icon HD - not the Icon HD black (stupid naming system). The easiest way to identify it is that mine is the non-air integrated one, so no transmitter.

Love it - had it since...2012 or 2013. No idea on battery cost, as I never have had to replace it. It charges off a standard USB cable. A full charge on the computer lasts around 20-30 dives.

The only maintenance it's had is the regular firmware updates and I replaced the screen protector (used a standard mobile phone one, cut to shape).

I myself am in search for a dive computer and the Mares Icon HD is on my shortlist. In pictures and videos it seems quite large? Is it heavy? Is it cumbersome when putting on or removing your BCD? Also if you don't pair it with a transmitter, does the tank/air pressure info still show on the screen?

 

[Rred]

Can we get a larger context here?
When you say "the Mares has 25 min more no deco time" are you saying that the Mares is saying your no-deco time, the amount of bottom time you can spend with no decompression stop, is 25 minutes LONGER than the Suunto says?

That would make the Mares more liberal, not more conservative. And in terms of context, is the Mares saying you can stay down for 45 minutes, versus 20 on the Suunto? Or 4 hours versus 3:40 on the Suunto?

25 minutes more than....how many total was each computer saying you had?

Are you sure both computer had the "personal factor" set to zero? That the Suunto didn't have a +1 or +2 factor set, and that the same mod 1.6 or 1.4 was set on both, if EAN was being used? Both were set for all the same gas mix, etc?

And how do either one of those numbers compare to using a "new" PADI or USN dive table? (If you wore a wetsuit, that's also a factor, that places you in cold water compensation for the tables as well.)

Without a context, that much difference is disturbing--but not really meaningful. (Well, except for reminding us that like Will Rogers said, the only good computer is a dead computer.)

 

[dmaziuk]

He said "what the boat provided". Wanna bet they forgot to reset one or both, and they had different loading from prior users?

 

[Rred]

What, these cheap low end computers don't have a built-in EEG monitor, that tells them which diver they have been moved to? They really allow gross manual errors like that?

 

[dmaziuk]

it's the DNA sampler. Works perfectly fine as long as the computer touches bare skin. On top of neoprene: not so much.