Nerd or Standalone computer

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

I have heard some divers state that the NERD is "distracting" because all the data is "in your face" all the time and the data changes frequently/constantly. True that the HUD is in your face also but when the light pattern stays constant with a constant PO2 you don't "see it" and is less distracting. When the HUD light pattern changes with a change in PO2 it gets your attention.

This makes sense to me and is one reason I have avoided a NERD. YMMV.

 

[Caveeagle]

I have heard some divers state that the NERD is "distracting" because all the data is "in your face" all the time and the data changes frequently/constantly. True that the HUD is in your face also but when the light pattern stays constant with a constant PO2 you don't "see it" and is less distracting. When the HUD light pattern changes with a change in PO2 it gets your attention.

This makes sense to me and is one reason I have avoided a NERD. YMMV.

maybe it’s just me, but I sort of had the opposite experience. I found the blinking patterns to sort of just ‘blend’ In as sort of visual background noise. With the Nerd2, I get a better snapshot of data at a quick glance.

@tbone1004 i have thought about adapting a poseidon BOV to my O2ptima ever since I saw that Paul Heinerth had dove it that way a while back. I have yet to find a decent deal on the poseidon unit, or I might have done that already.

 

[tbone1004]

maybe it’s just me, but I sort of had the opposite experience. I found the blinking patterns to sort of just ‘blend’ In as sort of visual background noise. With the Nerd2, I get a better snapshot of data at a quick glance.

@tbone1004 i have thought about adapting a poseidon BOV to my O2ptima ever since I saw that Paul Heinerth had dove it that way a while back. I have yet to find a decent deal on the poseidon unit, or I might have done that already.

He stole his off of his MkVI and went back and forth with it. I can't remember if he had the t-pieces adapted or bought the adapters from Tecme to go to normal hoses, but it was the first time that I saw one on another unit as well but that was ~10 years ago....

 

[tbone1004]

I have heard some divers state that the NERD is "distracting" because all the data is "in your face" all the time and the data changes frequently/constantly. True that the HUD is in your face also but when the light pattern stays constant with a constant PO2 you don't "see it" and is less distracting. When the HUD light pattern changes with a change in PO2 it gets your attention.

This makes sense to me and is one reason I have avoided a NERD. YMMV.

once they let dealers buy the 4-pin connectors, I'll be switching my sidemount unit over. For me the real benefit is getting rid of the wire on my arm which is slightly more annoying on the sidemount units than it is on the backmount units.

 

[kensuf]

I have heard some divers state that the NERD is "distracting" because all the data is "in your face" all the time and the data changes frequently/constantly. True that the HUD is in your face also but when the light pattern stays constant with a constant PO2 you don't "see it" and is less distracting. When the HUD light pattern changes with a change in PO2 it gets your attention.

This makes sense to me and is one reason I have avoided a NERD. YMMV.

I'm that guy. I had a NERD for a week and dumped it.

 

[stuartv]

I have heard some divers state that the NERD is "distracting" because all the data is "in your face" all the time and the data changes frequently/constantly. True that the HUD is in your face also but when the light pattern stays constant with a constant PO2 you don't "see it" and is less distracting. When the HUD light pattern changes with a change in PO2 it gets your attention.

This makes sense to me and is one reason I have avoided a NERD. YMMV.

I feel the same way about the NERD. Once I got used to it, it just faded into the background. But, when a the pO2 gets too high (for example) and values on the display turn red, then it grabs my attention. Similar if one pO2 gets off from the others and voting logic votes one out. Things change colors and grab my attention. During normal operation, values change (pO2, depth, time, etc.). But, they stay the same color, so I don't really "see" them, unless I look at/for them.

Before I got the NERD, I had a HUD on my DSV, my controller on my left arm, and a Predator monitor (on a Fischer cable) on my right arm. I definitely like not having that second wire and unit on my right arm. I also like having gotten rid of the Fischer cable connection (now having the NERD with the 4-pin connector).

 

[broncobowsher]

3 years ago when I got my rEvo I was going through the order form. When the NERD was offered I thought to myself I will never spend that money to upgrade later. Good overtime that year, I got it.

At first I wasn't that happy with it. But it was what I had. Switched sides to the other eye and back. I had to tweak the bracket, and tweak and tweak. Figure my cable routing so it is just right. Now I love it. Giving up after only a week is too soon. You never got a chance to get it dialed in.

It is not my controller, that is on my right wrist. The NERD is on my left eye. Right eye dominate. I can look out the corner of my right eye at the Petrel on my wrist or the corner of my left eye at the NERD. I find myself using the NERD as the primary dive computer. The Petrel does its own thing, just check in from time to time and make sure everything matches.

As Stuart mentions, it is a non-issue but when the red starts flashing you DO see it. Not that I am in habit of making flashing red by accident, but I do it on purpose for cell checking. Now that I have the NERD dialed in, I love it.

 

[Wibble]

One thing I really like about a Nerd is the compass. If you're in crappy visibility it's perfectly feasible to fly on instruments only (like our local diving lake with a silty bottom after it's been stirred up by other divers and you want to swim out to a platform / "attraction").

With it being right in your line of sight you can really sort out your direction and depth, plus count the fin strokes for distance.

Personally I really like having all that info to hand. Occasionally refer to the Petrel on the wrist, but mainly use the Nerd.

 

[nadwidny]

I just switched to a Meg a couple weeks ago after12 years with a KISS classic, the last 4 or 5 with a Nerd. I ordered the Meg last fall with just the Nerd 2 and no HUD as I liked the Nerd on my Classic a lot and saw no point to the HUD as I had one on my KISS when I bought it back in 2008 and thought all the blinking lights were stupid and incomprehensible.

However during my crossover course and because of my experience with an incident I had happen to me last November I'm rethinking my choice. At the end of the class I ordered the HUD. I'm going to dive both for a while and see what I prefer. Both systems have their plusses and both have their drawbacks.

 

[Wibble]

However during my crossover course and because of my experience with an incident I had happen to me last November I'm rethinking my choice. At the end of the class I ordered the HUD. I'm going to dive both for a while and see what I prefer. Both systems have their plusses and both have their drawbacks.

What happened for you to come to that conclusion? How do you summarise the pros and cons of each?