@oppo
Like you, I'm looking at DMT but my training is with BSAC which like CMAS has different depth limits fro rec diving than do the commercial organisations.
Most computers from the Low end into the Mid point, won't like dives beyond 40m as they're aimed at the rec market which considers anything past 40m technical diving.
When you are "working" or guiding as a DM, there is a lot to be said for having the same computer as the guests. As often they won't be looking at their NDL (especially if on a rented computer) and following the guide. It's no help if you have NDL time left but they are in deco.
On my comp I can adjust the conservatism so it's pretty much in line with the guests, however if I'm engaged in 40m + dives it holds it's own there too. In my case it's and Eon Steel but that's not in your range.
I would suggest you look at the
OSTC sport. It's close to the price of a D4i and should give you the best of both worlds. It uses Bühlmann ZH-L16 & Bühlmann ZH-L16+GF so you can adjust the conservitism to match your requirements on the day.
You won't get many recommendations for OTSC on this site as Heinrichs Weikamp refuse to sell their products in the USA. But they are very well respected products.
I see what you mean, but given the dive profiles most guests with non-Cressi computers usually get a few minutes to deco at some point on the last dive, but nothing unmaneageable in a 50 minute dive. Other DM's will have Suunto's so we'll just follow the most conservative computers, and if I do start guiding independently I can always switch to the more conservative algorithm on the Oceanic.
And I can always use the Cressi if I want a super conservative RGBM one day.
We had basically the very same problem: our Cressi computer was more conservative than the guide's, and at the time we hadn't figured out the fixed step like increments in the algorithm where you get 14 minutes at one depth and less than 6 minutes just 2 meters below....
What happened is that my wife and I ended up doing most of a last dive in Castle Rock (a great site) at 9 then 6 meters while everyone was still at 18m... Not fun - On the second trip we managed to avoid that because we knew the Cressi DC profile better and anticipated, but you have to be really careful, and really start leveling out early, especially at under 10 minutes to deco. I can't be focusing on this as much as when I'm fun diving of course, hence the need for change...
Regarding the French system and deco diving, yes it's very close to BSAC but goes a little deeper from what I figured - I think it's the "deepest" system in recreational diving worldwide, another French exception...
It's a little complicated because they split between autonomous (ie a buddy type unguided dive, up to three divers, not necessarily with a DM in the water but with a dive manager on the boat...) and "guided" (more a dive leader than in Padi DM type guiding, where the whole group has the same profile)
Level 1 / CMAS 1* is 12 m max depth autonomous and 20m guided (PE20)
Level 2 / CMAS ** is down to 20 m autonomous (PA20) and down to 40m or 60 m guided (PE40/PE60), according to training/certification
Level 3 / CMAS *** is down to 40m autonomous (PA40), 60m guided (PE60), or, according to training and certification even down to 60 m autonomous (PA60)
Level 4 , also CMAS *** is a "guide" certification, quite different to a divemaster though, same depth qualifications as level 3.
60 meters being the maximum depth on single-tank air dives, which still means (short) deco diving.
I won't be doing that many though, mostly for training or Mediterranean wrecks, it's not my priority at the moment (nor my cup of tea).
Thanks for the tip though I'll look into the comp, but I think that given the recreational deep profiles (it's still on air, so bottom time is really short after 50 m), the Oceanic algorithm should cut it. The Cressi probably wouldn't like that much though
ben
