Oceanic OC1 Wireless Air Integrated or Atomic Cobalt Console

[rad21]

I just had to face this same decision. To me it comes down to a preference of Console or Wrist. For recreational divers these are the sexiest computers on the market and if your anything like me the subtle style points are important. After much deliberation i've decided on the OC1. The Cobalt is great and looks beautiful but I really cant see myself without a wrist computer. Its really a personal decision I feel that they are both great. Good luck with your decision

It definitely is a personal decision. I don't like having a clunky computer (or anything) strapped to my wrist. In fact, I only wear a watch occasionally and it is a lightweight, thin one.
When I used a wrist dive computer, I found myself removing it whenever I got back on the boat because I hated the feeling of the weight on my wrist. Of course, when I got ready for the next dive, there was more than one time that I left the wrist computer sitting on the boat:depressed: For the past 5 years I have been using an AI console that I secure with a retractable lanyard to keep it from dragging around. It is always attached to my first stage so there is no way to leave it on the boat. I will probably purchase the Cobalt in 2011.

 

[drrich2]

I'm surprised to hear the Oceanic VT3 is hard to program, as my Pro Plus II's are also Oceanic's and are quite easy to figure out.

It's not so much that it's hard to program a VT3, but you need to know what you're doing, and if you almost no clue, figuring it out by fiddling with it could be arduous. And my impression of the Oceanic Worldwide manual is rather negative; I've noticed some other postings on this forum that criticize their manuals for being difficult, although many people like their computers (& that's all I've bought so far).

It sounds like the Cobalt could be figured out without pouring through a difficult, technically dense manual to find out what button combo.s get it in the right mode, then cycle through the options. For someone who gets in a dive trip maybe once or twice per year & doesn't remember trip-to-trip how to work his computer, that is a compelling advantage. Whether Atomic can work that interface on a wrist unit we shall see someday, perhaps.

Richard.

 

[Kern]

It sounds like the Cobalt could be figured out without pouring through a difficult, technically dense manual to find out what button combo.s get it in the right mode, then cycle through the options. For someone who gets in a dive trip maybe once or twice per year & doesn't remember trip-to-trip how to work his computer, that is a compelling advantage. Whether Atomic can work that interface on a wrist unit we shall see someday, perhaps.

Richard.

As there are already several wrist mounts that use hierarchical drop down menus, I'm sure Atomic will manage too.

 

[HowardE]

I've used the OC1 for hundreds of dives since I got it last year. I've had no problems with the sync, and I'm still on the original batteries. I've been extremely happy with the ease of use on the OC1, and dive it on almost every dive, either as my only pressure gauge (on easy recreational dives), on technical dives as a backup, and on hard hat dives I use it on my EGS bottle.

 

[Dgsmith]

I went from the Aeris elite T3 to the Atomic Cobalt. I took it for a week to Bonair in Dec. about a week after I recieved it. You do not need a manual. It is a very intuitive Dive computer. Lot of compliments after showing it around. Took my nitrox course while at Bonair and the instructor asked if I brought my manual. I said no but said it can't be to hard. After I changed % in a few seconds I think she started drooling. I liked my wireless but this is a whole lot better in every way.

 

[Daveo957]

Cobalt review
NOLA DIVER: Atomic Aquatics First Dive Computer

 

[RonR]

Yeah, you're most likely in for a long wait for a wrist model of the Cobalt.!

Well, speaking up here as the original designers of the Cobalt, I can say we have been working on the wrist mount electronics and software for some time- in part alongside the console, though the decision was made to put the console out first. Don't get too pessimistic about timing. Atomic first publicly showed the Cobalt at DEMA in '09, anticipating a late Spring 2010 release. We weren't actually able to start shipping until late October. The delay was a disappointment, but Atomic is pretty conservative when it comes to making sure things are well and truly tested before they start selling them.

That said, bringing out the wrist mount models involves migrating an existing system over to a different configuration, nowhere near as complex as starting from scratch. It won't take nearly as long.

But the Cobalt wrist mount will not be a watch style computer, it will have the full sized screen, so it will remain quite a different device from the OC1, and not something you would wear for daily use!

Like others here have said, it comes down to wrist vs. console. I wouldn't worry too much about loss of synch- if it were a huge problem wrist AI computers would not be nearly as popular as they are.

 

[chris514scott]

So which one of these two would be better if i plan on getting into technical diving? I like that the Atomic looks easier but if the OC1 will do more then I just need to get my but in gear and learn it. Thank you for any help.

 

[HowardE]

I only can speak from the OC1, but for technical diving... Get a technical diving computer. Don't use a recreational dive computer for tech diving... Unless you're just using it as a backup timer and possibly backup pressure gauge.

I HAVE used the OC1 for tech dives, and the deco is reasonable, but different. A lot more time at the shallow stops.. less deeper stops. Also the thing I did like was (since i have 2 transmitters) a transmitter on my back gas, and one on my deco bottle.

 

[DiveNav]

....... I like that the Atomic looks easier but if the OC1 .....

The OC1 is not that difficult at all .... plus, according to Oceanic website, you will get a FREE online class (tons of videos with how-to examples, quizzes and final test) if you register your dive computer with them.

Alberto (aka eDiver)