New Diver Looking At Suunto Zoop Or Geo 2.0

[SF Brent]

I'm a new diver with 20 dives under my belt and am looking to get my first real piece of dive equipment, a dive computer.

I'm looking at both the suunto zoop and the oceanic geo 2.0. My main question is about the conservativeness of the zoop. As a purely rec diver who's time is limited mainly by my air at this point, will the zoop negatively affect my dives. I do plan on going on liveaboards with a few dives per day but my profiles are usually square and not that deep, 60ft max.

I'm not nitrox certified yet but that is a possibility down the line. Any suggestions between the two watches would be appreciated. Open to other suggestions as well but would like to stay below $400.

 

[Agility]

I'd have a look at the Zoop novo, it offers a backlight for the display, useful during night dives.
The Suunto RGBM is used by thousands of divers every day, it penalizes short surface intervals and too fast or too slow ascents. Make sure to understand the display in different situations as the zoop shows deco obligation and NDL at the same place of the display, the difference is in the symbols.
For a comparison of dive algorithms in real life situations look at A sense of algorithm from 2009.

 

[scubadada]

SF Brent,

I have been diving a Geo 2 as backup to my VT3 for 5 years, over 600 dives. It's been perfectly reliable, simple battery changes, easy to read. It runs liberal DSAT (basis for PADI RDP) and middle of the road PZ+ (Buhlmann ZHL-16C variant). I have no personal experience with Suunto computers and their proprietary RGBM decompression algorithm.

See the recent SB thread, New Diver, New Computer , for a discussion of decompression algorithms for recreational diving. The ScubaLab computer testing from 2014 is valuable information regarding the effect of multiple dives per day.

As you are a newer diver, I would imagine that your air consumption will improve with more experience and improvement in technique and NDL may become a more important factor. I would generally recommend nitrox certification early in the game for most divers. Certification can be done entirely on line and then go into your LDS to analyze a couple of tanks and get your cert.

Good diving, Craig

 

[stuartv]

So you want to buy a new computer?

Like Craig said, air may be limiting you now. But, if you go on a liveaboard, you're going to improve quickly. You'll likely start outlasting your NDLs before too long - at least, if you start doing deeper dives. Dives less than 60' have such long NDLs, that air will likely be your limiting factor there, for a long time. Especially if the dives are closer to 40' where your NDL is reeeaallly long.

My thought is always to buy something that you think will still meet your needs in a couple of years, not just meet your needs today. Especially when you're new, your needs are likely to evolve quickly.

 

[fmerkel]

I'm a new diver with 20 dives under my belt and am looking to get my first real piece of dive equipment, a dive computer.

First "real" piece of dive equipment? Get something useful, like a regulator. As a newbie limited by high air consumption and short bottom times a computer is one of the last things you should consider buying. Spend your money on classes, more diving, and upping your experience level.

Newbies seem to think a computer will make them a better diver and safer somehow, which it won't. That's something you need to learn.

 

[Sonnylynnvick75]

Fmerkel does make a pretty good point. Invest in your basic personal gear such as Regs or a BC to acclimate yourself to consistently using the same gear. While diving see if you can rent a dive computer from your LDS. I.E. my LDS rents Suunto zoops which I like. I've never use the oceanic but I like the zoop and love my Suunto Vyper. If you're deadset on a computer over other primary gear, I recommend the Suunto but I cant say anything against the Oceanic as I've never used it.

 

[stuartv]

Really, there are good reasons for anyone, even a new diver, to have their own computer, regs, and BCD. I wanted a computer as my first purchase. But the thought of breathing through rental regs that someone else had probably vomited through at some point in the past was enough for me to get my own reg set as soon as I finished my OW training.

 

[scubadada]

Get a reasonable 1st computer, get nitrox certified, and dive, dive, dive

 

[fmerkel]

In the NW (Puget Sound) enthusiastic newbies throw a few thousand $$ at a top line reg, BC, and computer. Having spent all their money they cheap out and get a wet suit and AL tank. Then they freeze their butt off for awhile on 20-30" dives, and quit at the 90%+ level. Been watching it for 20 years. The LAST thing they 'need' is a computer. You can't rack up enough time on a single short shallow dive to even be concerned about N2. What they NEED is a drysuit so they can actually dive comfortably and stay in the sport if they actually like it.

I also disagree with Nitrox as a first 'urgent' consideration. Somehow....just somehow, people got along without it for a bunch of decades just fine. I seldom use it unless I'm on a multiple dive vacation. Once again, short shallow (newbie) dives simply do not require it. Once your bottom times go up, and you are doing multiple dives/day, or going on a vacation where that is going to happen, then you start seriously looking at Nitrox and a computer.

 

[stuartv]

I also disagree with Nitrox as a first 'urgent' consideration.

I wouldn't bother actually using Nitrox for dives with a 60' floor. But, the class is good education. No downside to taking it (beyond cost, and you should shop around on that. There is a BIG disparity in pricing for the Nitrox class among shops around here). And the card is good to have. Better to already have it than get to the point where you are considering a 100' dive and want to use Nitrox but you haven't gotten the card yet. Put the tool in your kit, so to speak, even if you don't see an immediate need for it. Like I said, it's good education to have. And it only takes one evening in a classroom.