Oceanic and Great Customer Service

[mjh]

I have been diving with Oceanic computers for over 14yrs and major factor is their great customer service. I will not bore you with the details but have been diving with a Data Trans Plus, AI, hoseless computer. On a couple of occasions there have been problems w/the computer, every time Oceanic has fixed it promptly and at no to very minimum charge. Due to their quality product and service I bought my wife a Pro Plus 2 and a VEO as a back up.

After a recent issue with my Data Trans I called them and spoke with a gentleman in their service department. After going thru the issues they made right by providing me with a new Pro Plus 2 for what I consider a nominal fee.

This is why we own 3 Oceanic computers! IMHO they have a great product and fantastic customer service.

 

[IndigoBlue]

Is there a lot of fixing, with these computers?

As an instructor, I will recommend to students to try to acquire a dive computer of some sort as one of their first purchases, even before their regs or their exposure suit.

Our store used to carry Oceanic products, including computers, but the owner decided a couple of years ago to ditch them due to the numerous problems the computers were having. He won't go back to them, not now.

In all fairness, the main strength of Oceanic is that they are more affordable than the more expensive other brands. But this fixing thing, that you have mentioned, maybe that is part of the result of their pricing and workmanship. So on the pro-side, almost everyone could afford an Oceanic dive computer. But to the contrary, will it require a lot of fixing, do you think?

Oceanic also makes a great pair of low-cut ankle boots for warm-water tropical scuba. I own a pair of those, and so does my wife. But that is the only thing that I own that says Oceanic on it.

 

[glbirch]

Well, I have to agree that Oceanic has given me good customer service. I've sent my dive computer to them twice now, and each time they have replaced it without question or delay. On the down side of course, I'm now on my third computer in two years. I just wish they would tell my what's failing on them. I ask, but they never say.

 

[mjh]

The only Oceanic computer I have had any issues with is the Data Trans Plus, AI, Hoseless. My computer was about 4yrs old. The main issue I and others I have met diving are:

1. The transmitter. Sometimes the computer would not pick up the signal at all or it would cut out during a dive putting the computer into gauge mode for remainder of dive. (Please note, during any dive sometimes the airpressure reading would be lost but you just bring your wrist towards the transmitter and it would pick it up again)
2. Transmitter and Strobes. Many who are into photography have experienced that when using strobes it disrupts the air pressure signal. I have heard this has been a problem with ALL hoseless computers. Oceanic says that the new Transmitter is much improved and solved this problem and is usable with older models.
3. Problems with the computer “booting up”. One refurb provided sometimes would not start up. You would press the button to get it going and it would just read “Too Deep”.
4. Wrist Mounted Computers in General. I liked the concept of dropping a hose from my set-up and having the computer on my wrist. The majority of my diving is in a drysuit with a dryglove system and I personally found mounting the computer over my suit w/gloves etc, to be problematic. For Tropical diving I loved the hoseless, wrist set up and would recommend it.

I am sure the new generation of hoseless computers have solved most of these issues. Once again, I like the “concept” of hoseless computer but I admit to doing a lot of solo diving and photography, so I have chosen to continue with an Oceanic AI computer but with a hose.

Again, I believe Oceanic makes a great product and their customer service is excellent.

FYI: I had a Mares Tutor, good little computer but when it had a problem and we sent it in... took them 6mths to tell us they couldn’t fix it, offered no other solutions and will not send the computer back!

 

[falcon]

I am glad all of you have had good luck with their service, because I have had just the opposite. I am an instructor, and several years ago during the middle of our peak teaching season, my computer went down. I sent it in, explained that I was needed it back ASAP and would even pay air shipping to get it back quicker. Two months later, at the end of the diving season in our location, the computer was returned to me and there was no explanation as to why it had taken so long.