My Scubapro Luna -*$&@

[jringold]

So I bought my wife and I both a Scubapro Luna last Christmas. I went through the Dive Nav course (it was for the Sol but 98% of the course applies to the Luna as well). By the way, this was an excellent course. So we did the PADI refresh course a few weeks ago and my Luna went bat crap! It told me I was OOA wen I know I had used less than 10% of my talk. It was giving alarms left and right. This was a pool dive – this unit has not yet seen OW yet. So the shop did a pressure test on it and it failed big time. Off to SP it goes. Since my beautiful spouse has the same one, I thought it might be a good idea to get it checked too. Guess what. After a few minutes of testing it failed as well. So now both of them are back at SP. SP has determined the transmitters on both are bad. Even worse, the x-mitters are back-ordered. And worse than that, we have a trip planned in three weeks.


This soft of blows because I have not read anything like this happening to these computers and the fact that two had the same issue (maybe they are from the same manufacturing lot…..)


Of course SP is repairing them at no charge, but I really want our computers for our first OW trip since we were certified. A part of me is now somewhat apprehensive depending on them when we hit OW. I have $2K cash outlay on these and really don’t want to buy two more of a different brand,


Just wondering if anyone else has had SP Luna issues.

 

[Doc]

If your profile is correct, being newly certified, it's a bit unusual to go out and throw down a pair of these as a first computer. That said, whatever or whoever propelled you to buy these HAL2000 compatible units should have also recommended for you to also buy something along the line of a Mares Puck as a secondary/backup unit, a very common and practical thing to do. For a couple of hundred bucks, you'll likely have the Puck in your pocket throughout your entire dive career, the Luna Gallileo, not so likely.

The dive shop that sold you these should hand you a pair of Loaner Lunas for your upcoming trip. Or at least whatever the top line of their rental stable is.

Should you you rely on them when they get fixed and returned? No. Rely on them with a reference to your backup computer. Same for any computer, it's a simple insurance that might maybe possibly (with a .0002% chance to) save your life, but for sure will save your trip when "your only computer" goes, as you infer, nuttier than squirrel poop.

in the mean time, maybe buy yourselves a couple of Pucks. Even by using these cheap boxes... The likelihood is quite high that you'll live through your upcoming dive trip, unless, like I said, your profile is wrong and you'll be using Heliox Mix at Stingray City.

Buy a pair of SPGs while you're at it.

 

[diversteve]

Where's your trip? It's likely you can rent computers for $10-15/day from the dive operator(s) if yours don't show up in time.

 

[jringold]

Hey Doc - I'm hoping that when you refer to these as HAL2000 that that is a term of endearment and not that I have blown a wad of cash on technology that is old as sin! I'm not on great terms on the LDS where I purchased our stuff (long story) so we have moved to a different LDS - but these guys are totally taking care of us. I'll look into the puck as you recommended. I'm not totally sure if I have enough ports on my reg for an SPG - need to check that. I have the SP MK21. Hooked up is the LPI for the BCD/AIR2, the S560 and the HP port for the Luna transmitter. All I know is that my AMEX card is racking up the Delta Skymiles since I started this hobby!

Steve, great idea on renting one. Obviously I'd rather use my own gear but that would at least save the trip if I had to go that route.

Take care!

 

[Doc]

Practice using that Air2 and also that of your buddy's. Do it in the water. Do it a lot. There's nothing inherently wrong with them, you and your buddy just have to understand well how they are used. My permanent lifetime dive-buddy has a lot of skills, but using an Air2 under stress simply is not one of them. I replaced hers and only use mine for select dives. I did this because I like her, I can't get another one at my age and demeanor, and she still gets carded, albeit by idiots, but it makes her feel pretty good.

The HAL2000 comment was meant as a reference to any very useful ultra high tech widget that also has the capacity that it may just some day decide to kill you when it realizes it is sentient and is fed-up with diving in pools. I have an iPhone like that and I'm keeping an eye on the Tesla in the garage. Can't be too careful. I have a Glock and a S&W Revolver. Hedge your bets.

Today's tip from the Department of Redundancy Department:
As you further delineate your equipment selection, you have undoubtedly gone to the more technologically advanced (and dependent) choices. This is in no way a bad thing, but such requires redundancy.

Go find a spare port for an SPG. If there isn't, one of your shops (for sure the one that sold you the gear) will sell you a siamese T fitting. That's yet another failure point, but arguably preferable to going without an actual SPG. Purists (those who have partaken of the Kool Aid) might insist that it be sans-rubber jacket, just a brass cased gauge, but I myself just buy whatever.

Such Kool-Aid drinkers will be highly critical of whatever equipment choices you made. That's what they do, it makes them feel better in their choices (Psych 101). Just put on your split fins and giant stride in.

"Screw you guys, I'm goin' diving", -Jacques Cartman

Ask NASA, or maybe just remember the sage Burt Reynolds (back when Lonnie was really smokin'):



Truer words never spoken.

 

[halocline]

I bet you're pretty popular at your local dive shop if you bought 2 insanely expensive computers and 2 (probably) expensive jacket BCs with air2s attached. I'm pretty sure your MK21 has 2 HP ports, by the way.

This sort of situation is powerful motivation for the dive shop to keep churning out students

If you had been certified by an independent instructor, not at a shop where their primary goal is to sell gear to new students, you might have received the very smart advice to not spend thousands of dollars on dive computers as brand new divers.

See if your shop will take them back, get a glass/brass SPG for each regulator, without a big clunky boot, on a 24" hose, although that might be a challenge at a typical recreational dive shop. Then get a SIMPLE wrist computer, if you want, it's really not necessary as a new student, but they can help you dive safely (ascent rate alarm). ALL dive computers, even the cheapest air-only pucks, basically do what you need, which is provide dive time, depth, and N2 loading data, and have an alarm if you start coming up too fast.

All the other 'features' on the luna and sol are really more benefit to the dive shop selling them, not the diver. Oh well, live and learn. I'm not trying to harsh your mellow....but you might consider taking gear advice from the dive shop with a BIG grain of salt.

 

[abyss_scuba]

If you had been certified by an independent instructor, not at a shop where their primary goal is to sell gear to new students, you might have received the very smart advice to not spend thousands of dollars on dive computers as brand new divers.


​I call total bs. Would this have been any different if bought from a independent? NO but it is very popular to bash a dive shop on SB, which does not help the op in any way at all.Lets try to help instead of trying to point the fickle finger of blame.

To the op don't freak out, yes you spent good money but at least you can take care of this BEFORE your trip. What has the dive shop offered? Do they have loaners, will they expedite the repair? Keep us posted.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Sell the LUNA's and if you really need to lay out that much cash for computers buy a couple of Petrels and a SPG and hose to go with them. Then with the change you can go have a couple nice dinners. You'll have the best computers on the market with the best service in the industry and full bellies.

I would never recommend a new diver buy a $1000 dollar computer. You can get an Oceanic Veo 180 from Leisure Pro for less than 180 bucks right now. My first computer was a Veo and did what I needed it to do up until now. Ten years later. I do have a Predator for my tech dives and for my old eyes. The Veo will do everything a new diver needs including nitrox and you can change your own battery.

I'm tempted to buy a couple of them myself for classes but know that something else is coming at a better price shortly for recreational divers so I'm waiting.

Normally I recommend new divers rent gear for awhile until it makes sense to buy their own. Then I don't show them the most expensive items first. I ask what they actually would like to spend and try to work with that. Scare tactics and BS about how that 800 dollar reg is so much better than the 250 dollar one are just demonstrations of greed.

 

[LowDrag]

My wife and I are newer divers to and both have Luna's. We started with Subgear XP-10's and I wish I had gone for the Luna first rather than spend the additional money. One thing I do plan to do is add a couple of pucks to our gear. It is just a good idea. Good luck with your Luna's, we love ours and enjoy your trip.

 

[Bison]

I bet you're pretty popular at your local dive shop if you bought 2 insanely expensive computers and 2 (probably) expensive jacket BCs with air2s attached. I'm pretty sure your MK21 has 2 HP ports, by the way.

This sort of situation is powerful motivation for the dive shop to keep churning out students

If you had been certified by an independent instructor, not at a shop where their primary goal is to sell gear to new students, you might have received the very smart advice to not spend thousands of dollars on dive computers as brand new divers.

See if your shop will take them back, get a glass/brass SPG for each regulator, without a big clunky boot, on a 24" hose, although that might be a challenge at a typical recreational dive shop. Then get a SIMPLE wrist computer, if you want, it's really not necessary as a new student, but they can help you dive safely (ascent rate alarm). ALL dive computers, even the cheapest air-only pucks, basically do what you need, which is provide dive time, depth, and N2 loading data, and have an alarm if you start coming up too fast.

All the other 'features' on the luna and sol are really more benefit to the dive shop selling them, not the diver. Oh well, live and learn. I'm not trying to harsh your mellow....but you might consider taking gear advice from the dive shop with a BIG grain of salt.

This poster is spot on. This is what I experienced at my local dive shop when I was newly certified. Live and learn.