Needing help..would love some direction

[zdawgnight]

Hello everyone. I am looking for some help. I am a very novice diver with 4 dives under my belt and am looking to get a dive computer. I am sure this has been brought up many times before and I can assure you that I am doing as much research as i can but I am a bit overwhelmed. I just recently went on a trip to go diving and I experienced one of the most unfortunate accidents of my life. One of the divers passed away and it has definitely rattled me pretty good. I was one of the few who was helping to give cpr so it made it a bit more real than my fiance and a friend who accompanied me that day. The point of my story is that I feel the need to be as safe as possible and am hoping that a high quality dive computer would give me some sense of comfort for my next attempts and throughout my diving experiences. I am wanting a dc that is incredibly reliable above all, relatively simple to use, and wrist mounted so I could use it as a watch. I got into diving because I love coral reefs so I dont think I will be getting into to much expert territory. I also like the thought of eventually training to use nitrox as well. Any suggestions are welcome Id also be interested to hear what you guys and girls think about getting bc's, regulators etc. Thanks!

 

[aquaregia]

My condolences for your experience.

It's my opinion that a dive computer alone won't make diving any safer. I can't speak to your experience, but I'd recommend spending the money on training rather than equipment. Your brain will protect you better than gadgetry.

 

[zdawgnight]

I am planning to take a bunch of classes as well but I would also like the comfort i think a dive computer could give me.

 

[aquaregia]

Alright. One-button computers are extremely frustrating to use, skip those. Most modern computer's have fairly complex UIs. I'd put priority into finding one with a good UI because if you find it difficult to operate dive planning mode you could find yourself ending up not properly planning your dives. I use a Aladin Pro Nitrox from the mid 90s over my fairly new Suunto because the UI is easier.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Sorry to hear that the diver who received CPR didn't have a good outcome. It's wonderful that you were able to help out. Everyone who dives should be CPR-certified. I highly recommend taking a rescue dive class once you get more experience (50-100 dives?).

With regard to a dive computer keeping you safe, I had the same sentiments as aquaregia. Some naive divers are under the impression that a computer keeps them safe. That's a fallacy. Computers just make multi-level diving more convenient. For the vast majority of recreational OW dives, you only need one simple computer (although some compelling arguments can be made for carrying a backup computer as well, e.g., you're on a multi-day liveaboard vacation where you wouldn't want to sit out any dives). Every now and then, it would be prudent to check your depth, time, and NDL readings against your buddy's computer. Trust the dive computer readings...but verify them.

So, you're looking for a reliable, nitrox-capable, wristwatch-style dive computer, eh?
First of all, you might want to re-think the idea of wearing the computer as a wristwatch on land. It sounds like a good idea, but think about it. Do you really want to be abusing your dive computer on a daily basis as you bang it against stuff in your everyday life? I don't. Even though my Suunto Mosquito is a wristwatch-style computer, I only wear it when I dive. It's been very reliable with absolutely minimal maintenance. After every saltwater dive, I rinse/soak it in fresh water for 15-30 minutes. Over 300+ dives, the only "repair" I've ever had to do is replace the battery.

A simple, reliable wrist-mounted dive computer that I can recommend is the Suunto Zoop. My girlfriend owns the Suunto Gekko, it's predecessor which is essentially identical. It's nitrox-capable, easy-to-use, legible, PC-downloadable, and has a user-replaceable battery. It doesn't have a backlight function, but it does have a phosphorescent display which you can charge up with a dive light. In many ways, the phosphorescent display is actually better than a backlight since the glow persists for quite some time and it doesn't eat into battery life at all. If you do 50-75 dives per year, you can expect the Zoop's battery to last approx. 3 years. Recently, I saw the Zoop on sale at a local Suunto authorized dealer for $225. That's a pretty good deal for a simple nitrox-capable computer. Be forewarned, however, that the Zoop is larger than a wristwatch. You won't be wearing the Zoop topside on a daily basis.

The Aladin Tec 2G is another nitrox-capable computer I would take a look at. It costs a little more than the Zoop, but it comes with more features (gauge mode, 2-gas dives, etc.). It is a wristwatch-style computer, if that's important to you.

Hope this helps.

 

[TSandM]

You know, it's a very arguable point as to whether a dive computer can improve your safety. If you think about it, the most conservative way to manage your dives, from a decompression standpoint, is with tables. Tables assume you spend the whole dive at your maximum depth and "charge" you for that, whereas a computer constantly calculates your nitrogen loading, and gives you "credit" for parts of the dive spent shallower. In practice, this means that the tables are overly conservative for any but the most square profile dives, whereas a computer is bringing you much closer to your true no-deco limit.

Air-integrated computers which calculate "remaining air time" might add something to safety for novice divers, but I think checking your pressure every five minutes will essentially tell you the same thing -- after all, if you've used half of your tank in 10 minutes, it seems pretty obvious that you won't be making a 40 minute dive! Ascent rate indicators seem like a great idea, too, but ascent rate can be controlled far more easily by simply watching depth and time. If I'm at 30 feet at 26 minutes into the dive, and 20 feet at 27, I'm ascending at 10 feet per minute. Even my narcosis-prone brain can do those kinds of calculations.

I don't think owning a dive computer is a bad idea, mind you; I just don't think it's going to improve your safety very much. What keeps you safe is planning your dive to make sure it's within your personal limits and that you have enough gas to do it, and executing the dive with reliable skills and responsible monitoring.

 

[DevonDiver]

Dive computers are a wonderful resources, providing the diver continues to apply their proper training and safe diving practices once they use one. Many don't......

Most entry level dive computers will provide air and nitrox diving capability, along with ascent rate, no-fly and emergency decompression information. They permit the most flexibility in taking advantage of multi-level dive profiles, which results in considerably extended dive times compared to table dictated profiles.

My personal recommendation as a first computer would be the Suunto 'Zoop' (or older model 'Gekko'). It's quite economical, has a conservative algorythm and provides all the functions that an open-water, recreational diver might need. If you want additional features, look higher up the range.

 

[Zen1300]

I'll echo the above. I'm a new diver as well. I bought a computer, not so much for safety, but for having that information at hand and to help with dive planning in the future as I progressed into the sport of diving. But here are some things I experienced on my first dives with it. Note that these were training dives with an instructor that were at shallow depths.

I find the UI to be not too difficult on my computer. However, once in the water (I was only able to test it at the bottom of a pool before diving), it was difficult for me to look at the computer and pay attention to what I was doing - the multi-tasking skill was difficult for me. I had no problems looking at my watch or SPG at all. I had the computer on my left wrist.

I had set audible warnings to go off if I went below a certain depth, or ascended faster than acceptable. I never heard them, likely because I was wearing a hood. I did look at the face of the computer as I ascended and noticed the visual alarm and slowed down. I found that I couldn't see the computer while ascending and having my hand raised and holding my BCD release valve. There is definitely a placement and coordination issue that I need to figure out.

I suggest that whatever you get, practice with it on land, but then do some shallow safe dives practice computer operations with all your gear on.

Some computers also have online simulations here. May even be worth looking there to see some of them before you buy.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I understand the stress of having a person die in close proximity. I helped pull a drowning victim from a pond when I was 10, half a century later I can still visualize his face, the feel of his skin, etc...
Do keep in mind though, many people die while diving because it is a physical activity and in the water where rescue is slow, not due to the actual dive. I really work hard to keep the separate when reading the A&I forums.

As for the computer, there are lots of reasons to get one (safety is arguable) and the price on the one-button wrist computer is pretty close to a watch + depth gauge. The one button computers are simple to use, just not real flexible. If you go the one button rout and later decide to go tech, then it becomes a backup. Whatever you do though, buy one that support nitrox to 40%. Also, if you want down load capabilities, consider the cost of the cables before you decide.

 

[aquaregia]

Despite my generally fairly low opinion of dive computer features, I quite like an audible ascent rate alarm. Although I can usually feel a rapid ascent in my ears before my computer starts buzzing (it's set to 30fpm, all depths), the time I'm likely to ascend too fast is when I'm not looking at the computer, so the alarm brings my attention back. Visual ascent rate warnings are sort of silly, IMHO. If I can see a warning, I can see my depth.