Petrel 2

[Bigd2722]

If your reason for buying a Petrel is because you want to get into tech diving, you may want to wait until you're are into tech diving. 2 or 3 years from now, the Petrel 3 will probably be out or who knows what the preferred computer will be at that time.

I have a Petrel 2 and love it. I do not do tech diving and have no intention of getting into tech diving.

 

[NAM001]

imo you can have all the bells adnwhistles in the world but if you cant remember the button combinatons to get to them then in practice you don't have any bells or whistles. that makes a computer although less expensive , pretty costly for a integrated depth gage and watch.

Yeah from what I can tell that should standard practice with all dive computers. I believe there's a post going on right now kind of talking about that. I have noticed Shearwater has several videos and a lot of information out there. Sounds like some people think its to much computer than a beginner needs and some think it is no problem.

 

[Bubble_blower87]

imo you can have all the bells adnwhistles in the world but if you cant remember the button combinatons to get to them then in practice you don't have any bells or whistles. that makes a computer although less expensive , pretty costly for a integrated depth gage and watch.

Going to mark that as FOR on the petrel 2 side. That's what I wanted to hear. When I hear petrel I hear ease of use with buttons constantly. Didn't realize some others were so hard though.

 

[KevinNM]

They can be, if you use the full functions. I mostly just dive with my computer, then transfer the dives to the computer. I don't do planning on the computer, decompression dives, gas changes etc. I leave the computer set to nitrox 21 on air as it is easier to change the nitrox percentage vs changing to air.

The petrel is incredibly easy to see. I've been able to read it easier from 5 feet on another divers wrist than I can the one on my wrist.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

The Shearwater computers are very intuitive to use with a superb interface. Even the planning functions on the Predator (and I assume the Petrel) are fairly easy to use with no real need to read the manual if you're willing to spend 5-10 minutes playing with it.

Some people do argue that they are more than a new diver needs, and that is true, but it's harder to make a valid argument that they are too much computer. Set it up with one gas and it's a one gas computer, no harder to run than any other one gas computer. The advantage is that as you advance to Nitrox, Advanced Nitrox and deco procedures, and trimix, it will still provide all the computer function you need. So it's a buy once proposition rather than a steady trail of computers you've outgrown that will cost you a lot more in the long run.

Shearwater's support is also superb and they have an excellent history of long term support for their products.

 

[lerpy]

I just bought a Petrel2 the other day. Love it, even though I have not done a dive with it yet. Just playing with it to get used to the functions, very simple functions and some really nice features. Good dive planning function, good compass, and love that you can load everything on your computer via a Bluetooth thingy, ( dingle??) If I had to do over again, knowing I was going to continue in my diving I would just buy the Petrel upfront, rather than spend a few hundred on another computer only to upgrade.

 

[DevonDiver]

If you want to get into tech diving, buy an UWATEC bottom timer and install multideco on your laptop. That'd do you more favors in developing skillset and experience. Tech diving isn't about 'flying' a fancy computer...

If you do get a Petrel, also get a copy of Deco for Divers.

Unlike most prohibitive rec computers, a Petrel will happily let you hurt yourself...

 

[Divetech99]

I have a Petrel 2 and it's a great computer but not perfect.

The straps that came with it actually works and is much better than bungee straps. I had misgivings about the straps out of the box but liked it after using it.

The Bluetooth upload feature is terrific for instantly uploading your dive profile to your iPhone. No need to bring your laptop on dive trips.

What's not good is the compass. After calibrating, it works well for awhile but looses accuracy after a dive or two. Variance is 10 degrees or so vs a mechanical compass. Try it. Go get your Petrel now and get a mechanical compass. Compare the readings. It's off, right? But you just calibrated it on your last dive...

What's also a miss is converting the logs to the system designated unit of measure. So if your dive is on imperial the log stays imperial even if you changed the units to metric on the system setting.

Both issues are annoying but overall, it's still a great computer.

 

[Lorenzoid]

New to diving and I am looking to get a dive computer. I want the petrel 2 just because of the tech aspect which is the main reason I started diving. (I want to dive caves). Is this over kill or what guys?

I have been diving my Petrel 2 strictly in Rec Mode. I have no illusions of "needing" a "tech computer" when I begin tech training--I will learn to cut tables and use a timer like everyone should. And helium is so far in my future it isn't remotely an issue. The primary reason I bought the Petrel is that with each year my eyesight makes squinting at a tiny screen and messing with tiny buttons that much more annoying, and so I wanted a big, bright screen, big buttons, and an intuitive user interface. Of the computers with those characteristics, I chose the Petrel for Shearwater's reputation for reliability and customer service.

 

[Diver0001]

New to diving and I am looking to get a dive computer. I want the petrel 2 just because of the tech aspect which is the main reason I started diving. (I want to dive caves). Is this over kill or what guys?

The Petrel 2 is a pretty expensive computer and it will probably be somewhat dated by the time you get around to using it on the types of dives it was designed for.

If I were in your position I would be very tempted to buy a Zoop or something along those lines and the dive then bejezus out of it before either taking technical courses or investing in a technical computer. The Zoop won't be a lost investment because you'll still want a computer for vacation diving that won't make you cry if someone steals it out of your hotel room.

I'm not trying to push a Zoop, BTW, it's an example, not a recommendation.

R..

---------- Post added November 26th, 2015 at 07:11 PM ----------

If you want to get into tech diving, buy an UWATEC bottom timer and install multideco on your laptop. That'd do you more favors in developing skillset and experience. Tech diving isn't about 'flying' a fancy computer...

If you do get a Petrel, also get a copy of Deco for Divers.

Unlike most prohibitive rec computers, a Petrel will happily let you hurt yourself...

Depends on how you set it up, I guess. I regularly dive with a guy who uses a Petrel 2 on deep Nitrox based dives and it's more conservative than my Suunto. On certain dives he can have a 15 minute last stop while I have 15 minutes of total deco showing. Not only that, but my Suunto (an older model) is more conservative than my Buddy's Suunto, which is the newer RGBM model. His can sometimes clear a full 10 minutes before mine does if the dive is "big" enough. On a dive like that the Petrel would probably have us diving for 10 minutes after THAT. Kind of tips the veil of how big the differences between computers can become depending on the model and type of dive.

I know... settings, etc. but I'm talking about default settings.

Bubble_blower87, The recommendation Andy is giving you here sounds outdated with the advent of good computers but the idea BEHIND what he is saying is that you should REALLY REALLY REALLY KNOW what you are doing before using a computer for technical diving. Riding a computer (keeping it out of deco) in a recreational context can't do too much harm most of the time but in a technical context, even though the Petrel 2 is a good computer by any measure, it will still let you do stupid stuff if you set out to.... or worse, if you don't know that what you're doing is stupid.

What gets most people hurt is doing stupid stuff without knowing it's stupid. The computer can calculate your stops but you REALLY need to know how to dive before you can interpret and use that information to your optimal benefit. That's why you need skills AND experience AND training before undertaking technical dives. The computer is just a tool, but like any tool you can hurt yourself using it if you don't know how.

R..