No idea on how to decide on a Dive Computer
- Thread starter MacDuyver
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A point of view from a cheap dude, if you buy a good cheap computer and it serves you well you are money ahead but if you find it lacking you can sell it, usually for about 20 to 30 % of what you paid, if you buy a popular brand, like Shearwater and decide to sell it you’ll likely get 75 to 85% of your money back.
The algorithm doesn't bother me, that's personal preference. In fact I switched my perdix to pretty conservative.
It's the quality control, lack of admitting issues, and piss poor costumer service that turned me away from suunto.
It's the quality control, lack of admitting issues, and piss poor costumer service that turned me away from suunto.
Ross19966
Contributor
I thought the limit was $500. Still not that far off for a better DC.
One has to account for inflation and cost of living, so $500 is OK.
Prior to my tech diving I used Suuntos and still own an old Vyper that I purchased in 2004 when I did my Nitrox course and then a Vytec when I was looking for something that could switch gases.
Both are still functioning and occasionally lend them to other divers who may need one if they're own computer battery dies or whatever.
My daughter occasionally borrows them if she has more than one student for OW as she only has one spare which is a 10+ year old Zoop that has never missed a beat.
Both are still functioning and occasionally lend them to other divers who may need one if they're own computer battery dies or whatever.
My daughter occasionally borrows them if she has more than one student for OW as she only has one spare which is a 10+ year old Zoop that has never missed a beat.
GreggS
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Many posts have been made in this thread. I hope we haven't lost the OP, @MacDuyver who has not posted since the day he started the conversation.
Quite a few of the comments have been made regarding the decompression algorithm. The only information readily available to compare algorithms are the first, clean dives off the computer's NDL planner. The algorithms handle repetitive dives differently, that information is not easy to come by.
I have been diving an Oceanic computer running DSAT since 2002, a few over 2.200 dives. I started diving Buhlmann on my backup computer in 2016, a little less than 1,100 dives. To illustrate the complexity, DSAT and Buhlmann handle first dives and repetitive dives differently. DSAT tends to be more liberal on first dives, especially when deeper. Buhlmann becomes relatively more liberal on repetitive dives, especially when shallower. I have posted on this previously.
For some divers, the decompression algorithm is not terribly important because their dives are usually controlled by gas use rather than by NDL. There is a long and detailed thread on SB discussing average gas consumption and factors influencing it Average Gas Consumption For divers with better gas consumption, the decompression algorithm may become more important, as their dives are controlled by the NDL.
Following, I will post first, clean dive NDLs for air, 32%, and 36% for the three decompression algorithms on my computers. Oceanic computers run two algorithms, DSAT and PZ+. As you will see, the NDL range can vary quite significantly for different algorithms. I would encourage others to run the NDL planners on their computers for a comparison. I have never dived a Scubapro computer, many run a proprietary version of Buhlmann. I have also never dived a computer running one of the RGBM algorithms (Cressi, Mares, Suunto). From my reading and experience with divers using a RGBM computer, I believe these computer's first, clean dive is relatively liberal, at least moderate or middle of the road. Repetitive dives seem to be more conservative, and the computers may penalize for some dive practices. Though I have no way to confirm, I have heard that short surface intervals, fast ascents, reverse profiles, and sawtooth profiles may affect the NDL of the repetitive dive. It has always been my impression that computers that "lock out", do so mainly for missed decompression stops, and not for more minor violations. My Oceanic VT3 would lock me out in violation gauge mode for 24 hours if I skipped decompression stops. My Shearwater Teric would advise me of my omission but would not lock me out. About 5% of my dives are light deco, I have never been locked out of a dive computer. I dive my VT3 running DSAT and my Teric running a GF high of 95. For no stop dives, the more conservative computer controls the dive. For deco dives I clear one or both computers as dictated.
DSAT C and PZ+ C both include the conservative factor
Quite a few of the comments have been made regarding the decompression algorithm. The only information readily available to compare algorithms are the first, clean dives off the computer's NDL planner. The algorithms handle repetitive dives differently, that information is not easy to come by.
I have been diving an Oceanic computer running DSAT since 2002, a few over 2.200 dives. I started diving Buhlmann on my backup computer in 2016, a little less than 1,100 dives. To illustrate the complexity, DSAT and Buhlmann handle first dives and repetitive dives differently. DSAT tends to be more liberal on first dives, especially when deeper. Buhlmann becomes relatively more liberal on repetitive dives, especially when shallower. I have posted on this previously.
For some divers, the decompression algorithm is not terribly important because their dives are usually controlled by gas use rather than by NDL. There is a long and detailed thread on SB discussing average gas consumption and factors influencing it Average Gas Consumption For divers with better gas consumption, the decompression algorithm may become more important, as their dives are controlled by the NDL.
Following, I will post first, clean dive NDLs for air, 32%, and 36% for the three decompression algorithms on my computers. Oceanic computers run two algorithms, DSAT and PZ+. As you will see, the NDL range can vary quite significantly for different algorithms. I would encourage others to run the NDL planners on their computers for a comparison. I have never dived a Scubapro computer, many run a proprietary version of Buhlmann. I have also never dived a computer running one of the RGBM algorithms (Cressi, Mares, Suunto). From my reading and experience with divers using a RGBM computer, I believe these computer's first, clean dive is relatively liberal, at least moderate or middle of the road. Repetitive dives seem to be more conservative, and the computers may penalize for some dive practices. Though I have no way to confirm, I have heard that short surface intervals, fast ascents, reverse profiles, and sawtooth profiles may affect the NDL of the repetitive dive. It has always been my impression that computers that "lock out", do so mainly for missed decompression stops, and not for more minor violations. My Oceanic VT3 would lock me out in violation gauge mode for 24 hours if I skipped decompression stops. My Shearwater Teric would advise me of my omission but would not lock me out. About 5% of my dives are light deco, I have never been locked out of a dive computer. I dive my VT3 running DSAT and my Teric running a GF high of 95. For no stop dives, the more conservative computer controls the dive. For deco dives I clear one or both computers as dictated.
DSAT C and PZ+ C both include the conservative factor
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