New Diver Looking At Suunto Zoop Or Geo 2.0

[stuartv]

So no one complains that the the Petral's Buhlmann GF ZHL-16C algorithm is too conservative but you see a lot of complaints that the Suunto's Zoop is. I just do not see it based on the NDL planners' data from above. After 60' the Zoop is more liberal.

You didn't say what GF you were using on the Petrel, but I bet it wasn't 95/95.

When I do NDL dives, I did not use my Petrel as my primary computer (when I had the Petrel) and I don't use my H3, now. I use my Atom as my primary computer for NDL dives - because it is not so conservative. And I generally set the GF on my tech computer to 95/95 when doing NDL dives, so that it will more closely match my Atom.

I think the main reason you don't see people complaining about how conservative a Petrel is is because most people that use them are tech divers and aren't so concerned about having NDL times getting limited by their computer. And the few Rec divers who are using them likely have a tech bias and feel good about having their NDLs be more conservative, so they don't complain either.

So, consider yourself to have heard one complaint. If I were using a Petrel for Rec diving, and using any kind of "normal" GF setting on the Petrel (e.g. 30/70), I would definitely feel like it was needlessly conservative. From the data I've seen on the Zoop, I feel the same way about it. More conservative than I would want.

 

[Nicole Chan]

I have a similar question. I don't know how the suunto being conservative would affect me at this point in the diving that i do. Newbie here too but got the basic equipment handed down to me by a family member and i like them so i guess i'm covered in that area. Considering the vyper or the geo 2 but i can't really tell the difference between the two. They currently sell for the same price locally except the vyper comes with the usb cable and the geo 2 does not. I'm planning to take the advance ow certification in about a month.

 

[Willar]

Suunto are generally considered the most conservative computers on the market. This means they will reduce your Non Decompression Limit time quicker than other computers. You would see this most on repetitive dives over several days by having reduced NDL time compared to your buddy diving a more liberal computer. The time difference may be slight or several minutes. If you dive the Suunto and your buddy dives something less conservative, you may have to shorten the dive where your buddy still has time left (which I hear happens frequently with Suunto).

The Oceanic Geo 2.0 has more settings to allow you to adjust your conservative factor which will likely allow more bottom time on repetitive dives. When I dive with both a Suunto and Geo 2.0 I find the first day there is little difference but on repetitive dives, and especially repetitive deep dives, the Suunto will shorten NDL times faster than the Geo. And, as I move shallower, the Geo will add NDL time faster than the Suunto.

Some people feel the Suunto being more conservative is a good thing in that it reduces the chances of decompression sickness, some people think Suunto are too conservative and want a computer that will give them longer bottom times on repetitive dives. I dove the Suunto because, as a new diver, my local shop recommended it. When I added the Geo as a backup and comparison computer, I found the Geo shows more NDL time on repetitive dives. I always follow the more conservative computer but am thinking about retiring the Suunto and just using the Geo as I like the Geo better for several reasons.

The Vyper is a very good computer and so is the Geo. You may want to dive the same computer as your buddy so you match bottom times as much as possible. It's a personal choice with no one right answer.

 

[scubadada]

Suunto are generally considered the most conservative computers on the market...

I think that award goes to Cressi. All RGBM algorithms are not created equal. Cressi appears to be the most conservative, Suunto and Mares middle of the road, Atomic Aquatics quite liberal

 

[Willar]

Thank you for that input. I have no experience with Cressi and had not heard that so it's good to know.

 

[dmaziuk]

Thank you for that input. I have no experience with Cressi and had not heard that so it's good to know.

Of course both of us the actual Cressi users on this forum claim we've never been limited by that alleged scary conservative "algorithm"... Remember: you heard this in the Internet so it must be true,

 

[Steve_C]

I dive with two computers. One is an old Aeris Atmos. The other is a Suunto Zoop. I usually stay within NDL on the Suunto and always clear both computers. My observations are that yes the Suunto is more conservative. No, it would not make that much difference for many dives especially newer divers.

Example Last Saturday we were diving two shallow flatish wrecks in 63 ft of water. So sort of square profiles in that depth varied from 63 to 55 during the dive. I was diving 31%. Dive one was 55 minutes TT, There was a 45 minute SI maybe a bit less. Dive 2 was 44 minutes TT. At the end of the bottom time on dive 2 my Suunto was at 4 min of NDL. My Aeris was at 23 minutes. Everybody else was back up on the boat except for one other diver, who was now my buddy, who had a tec computer of some flavor and was in doubles diving Nitrox 31% also. He said later his NDL was within a minute or two of mine.

Point is that I spent as much time at depth as anybody else on the boat and more than most.

I will add that knowing that the Suunto is more conservative and having information from a more liberal computer, I feel very comfortable riding the NDL on the Suunto.

 

[dmaziuk]

They currently sell for the same price locally except the vyper comes with the usb cable and the geo 2 does not.

If you plan on downloading your dives into a dive log program, then that cable is ~$100US difference right there. If you don't plan on doing that ever, then the main difference is watch vs. puck size.

 

[scubadada]

Of course both of us the actual Cressi users on this forum claim we've never been limited by that alleged scary conservative "algorithm"... Remember: you heard this in the Internet so it must be true,

Of course there is objective evidence that has been debated recently. Some of us are evidence driven and some of us go with the anecdotal. New Diver, New Computer

The only real way to tell is to dive them side by side. Let me know the next time you're in SE FL, we can dive together and do our own testing. I'm moving back to the US from Switzerland and will be at my home in FL much more of the time.

 

[stuartv]

Of course both of us the actual Cressi users on this forum claim we've never been limited by that alleged scary conservative "algorithm"... Remember: you heard this in the Internet so it must be true,

I can't remember if I posted in this thread or not, but I know I have posted it before.

I was diving last Halloween weekend with a buddy that had a Cressi Giotto. Her computer consistently ended our dives when my Oceanic still had NDL time left. We only did 2 dives per day, for 2 days, so it was generally only a couple of minutes shorter, or so. But, when you are diving a wreck at 110' and only get 20-ish minutes anyway, 2 minutes is 10% of your bottom time!

I do understand that people doing consistently shallower dives are not likely to have an issue with the NDL on almost any computer.