opinions on air integrated computers?

[mills705]

Hi,
as you can see im new and not too experiened. However this is changing as Im not entering the sea and lakes more and more and a computer is looking immenent as a purchase for me.

My dad dives and he owns the vyper air and I have used this on land only and find it to be a great computer and love the layout and way that it functions. So im leaning towards this. Obviously this has the air intergration. I was wondering what the feedback was like? My dad does not have it intergrated.

I think and would anticipate that looking at the computer is alot easier than looking at your console all the time, after all its just a flick of the wrist away?

What would you guys suggest?
Obviously there is the D9 but this is out of my price range currently at over 1000 and the vyper air being 600ish with the intergration.

 

[Skunky]

I use the vyper air and it works great for me. I have heard issues where multiple people are wearing the vyper and the AI will link up with other peoples tank but I have not run into this issue. If it does happen you can always tell it to resync with another code.

 

[*dave*]

I look at air integration kinda like gas mileage computers for your vehicle. At first, it seems pretty cool, but I find I'm doing the calcs in my head anyway. At best, it confirms what I should already know. At worst, it can give bad data... like my Excursion once did when it reported I had 80+ mile to empty as I sat on the side of the road with no fuel.

AI can make it easy to track your SCR, but it's very easy to do that without AI. Additionally, AI will add $150-$300 to the cost of a comparable computer without AI.

Hi,
as you can see im new and not too experiened. However this is changing as Im not entering the sea and lakes more and more and a computer is looking immenent as a purchase for me.

My dad dives and he owns the vyper air and I have used this on land only and find it to be a great computer and love the layout and way that it functions. So im leaning towards this. Obviously this has the air intergration. I was wondering what the feedback was like? My dad does not have it intergrated.

I think and would anticipate that looking at the computer is alot easier than looking at your console all the time, after all its just a flick of the wrist away?

What would you guys suggest?
Obviously there is the D9 but this is out of my price range currently at over 1000 and the vyper air being 600ish with the intergration.

 

[tstormdiver]

I have both a Vyper Air & A Helo2 that operate off the same transmitter on my recreational regulator. I also have a small 2" SPG, just in case of transmitter failure (plus it was already there & doesn't cause that much extra drag). When technical diving I do not use a transmitter, just the computers, one as a primary & one as a back- up. I like them both, as they both operate very similarly.

 

[Damselfish]

AI is perhaps a fun feature but if you're concerned about cost it's a good thing to skip.

Believe it or not, once you get more experience you will probably find you don't look at your air pressure as much as the other info, or necessarily at the same time, so having a SPG on a hose is not inconvenient like you might think. You'll get so you pretty much know your pressure pretty close without looking as often. (I like to guess before I look and see how close I am.)

 

[BigHarryDiver]

I use the Suunto Vytec which is air integrated. I agree with the others that if you are on a budget, your Pounds would be better spent on other stuff and not the AI transmitter. I've on occasion had issues with the transmitter loosing sync with the Vytec. Normally only happens when I walk to far away from the transmitter while wandering around the boat and has never happened during a dive. If you decide to spend the big money, be sure to also get the PC download cable so you can transfer you dives to your PC.


Just my 2 cents worth..

 

[mills705]

AI is perhaps a fun feature but if you're concerned about cost it's a good thing to skip.

Believe it or not, once you get more experience you will probably find you don't look at your air pressure as much as the other info, or necessarily at the same time, so having a SPG on a hose is not inconvenient like you might think. You'll get so you pretty much know your pressure pretty close without looking as often. (I like to guess before I look and see how close I am.)

Price is not an issue, the d9 is top of the line for sunnoto. The vyper air does the same thing just its in a larger case and for that you get a discount.
I know the spg will come to me the more i use it. Just getting used to diving more recreactionally rather than with an instructor!

Cheers for that, ill go back to the dive centre and see his opinion on it. I may use my dads vyper air next time i go out and see if i like it.

 

[mills705]

I use the Suunto Vytec which is air integrated. I agree with the others that if you are on a budget, your Pounds would be better spent on other stuff and not the AI transmitter. I've on occasion had issues with the transmitter loosing sync with the Vytec. Normally only happens when I walk to far away from the transmitter while wandering around the boat and has never happened during a dive. If you decide to spend the big money, be sure to also get the PC download cable so you can transfer you dives to your PC.


Just my 2 cents worth..

I have everything apart from a computer now basically. Well a dry suit.
In the uk the vyper air goes for £349 with the transmitter 200 on top of. The d9 is then 1,000 for the computer and transmitter.
Now the d9 is just a wristwatch style computer that is what you are paying the extra money for.
I have not heard one bad thing about the vyper air, just wondering on the transmitter!

 

[paddler3d]

If you going to be diving in cold waters, get yourself a computer that you can manipulate with gloves on.

Also, get one with user replaceable batteries.

When I'm working in class, I wear my wife's rig. Traditional primary, octo, back inflate BC and she has an Aries Elite which is AI. I've taken her rig on real dives. I do like the AI computer. It will give you a lot of info, which can be good and can be bad. You just need to remember to check and replace the battery in your transmitter, so one extra battery, but no big deal.

Personally I normally dive a BP/W combo with a simple computer and a 2" SPG. With time and experience I find I look more at my time vs. my air. I look at the SPG to confirm what is in my head.

6 one way, half dozen the other.

Seriously though, make sure you can get one that will work with gloves and your future dry suit. Here in the US there is a manufacture called Deep Sea Supply and Tobin makes a lot of boots for various computers so that you can bungee mount them. These are good money.

https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?category=instruments

 

[idocsteve]

If you going to be diving in cold waters, get yourself a computer that you can manipulate with gloves on.

I dive with an Oceanic VT Pro wrist mounted AI computer. I use heavy 5 or 7mm gloves and it's difficult if not impossible to navigate the menus with those gloves on, but there isn't a need to do so...because all the information I need is displayed on the main screen.

About the only button I might press during the dive is the "backlight" button, and that's fairly easy, even with the gloves on. I'm sure that's by design.

I'd imagine most computers are manufactured with that in mind.