Petrel pricing, helo2

[roverrh]

So I am trying to get into scuba. I have about a dozen and a half dives that I have done over the last couple of years. I recently purchased all my own gear and the only thing left is a handy dandy computer. I have been scanning both here and the gear exchange over on the cave diving forums for months trying to find a deal on a Petrel. Do I need it? No, but it would be nice. I was originally looking at the Hollis DG03 ($250 + DSS) but I believe the interface is the same as my father-in-law's Tusa Element 2, which drives me crazy. There is a reason they include a laminated cheat sheet with the packaging. I originally told myself no more than $400 WITH a cable, but have been trying to talk myself higher ever since. Realistically I can do it all on paper/cheat off my buddy's computer anyway and forego a computer but who would want to do that? The family has a trip planned for December for some scuba action so I can lurk in the classifieds til then or just continue with paper.

As far as future advancement is concerned I would like to get my advanced in the next 6 months or so and take a look at some wrecks. I believe there are several around the Panama City, FL area (which luckily the in-laws have a place about 1.5 hours east). Any tech diving may or may not follow.

Tooooo Long Didn't Read:
What is a realistic "cheapest price" y'all have seen on a Patrel? Recently there was a Petrel EXT listed for $800, with the plain jane version in the $700's. It seems the OBO ends with a SOLD, I just don't know what the ending price was (and I don't want to be that guy with a $400 offer :shocked2. Currently there is a Helo2 for $300 + SH w/o a cable, which seems to be a good deal and the interface is easier than most. The only grip I have read about is how conservative it is, which for me probably wouldn't matter right now. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Also, a big THANK YOU to all the members here, I have learned a lot! Hopefully one day I can contribute in the same way y'all have to me.

 

[tbone1004]

Unfortunately you're really not going to get them much below $850, unlike most dive gear, most dealers don't have a huge markup on them... I think I saw a regular one go for $750 on rebreather world
shearwater petrel - Rebreather World
There's one with a BO option. They're just not moving lower than that. You might be able to find a Nitek Q or an older Predator, but the Predator doesn't have the new Rec mode option which is actually quite nice.
best price is usually here.
Cave Adventurers - Shearwater Petrel - OC/CC - Marianna, Florida USA - Never Undersold!

DG03 is getting discontinued btw which is why the price is so low right now. DG04 is probably getting announced at DEMA in November. I can tell you now though, that they don't come up used often, and saving $100 is about the best you'll get. It's still $100, but it'll be hard to find and you'll have to snap it up fast. That one on RBW is probably your best bet, otherwise you're best off going to Cave Adventurers and getting one from Edd

 

[Scubadude_LA]

Just my 2 cents. Petrel is a great computer and the Shearwaters have very intuitive interfaces. I have a Predator and am looking for a Petrel as a backup to it. However, like mentioned above, tough to find a used one at much of a discount at this point, they are fairly new and popular with the tech crowd. Once you get one, there isn't much reason to go looking for an alternative. Great product.
I have an Aeris T3 (DG03 equiv I think) I use for recreational diving, it is a total pain to use for gas switching, etc that you would run into if you proceed to say advanced nitrox diving in the future. Useless to me for tech diving even though it has 3 gas, etc.
I totally support Shearwater, Liquivision, etc for more technical stuff.

But, if price is any concern, at your level the DG03 would be a great computer. The complexities of the interface only really rear their ugly head when you start doing advanced things.
Simple NDL or VERY light deco dives will be simple on the DG03.
The algorithm on it is not too conservative to be a pain. It is about a liberal as you want to go IMHO.
For the price you can buy the DG03, by the time you proceed to more advanced diving it could be put in gauge mode to run tables in the event of a primary computer failure on say a Petrel.
You need backup tiime and depth at that point anyway.
You may or may not consider air integration important. I do and don't. Depends on the scenario. Tech no way, rec sometimes. Adds a bit to the cost though.
At the recreational level the good thing about the air integration is that you can gain tremendous data on you RMV (gas consumption) in various scenarios and it will be in your digital logbook for reference later.
I would not even get geeked out about any BLING added to the DG04. KISS is the way to go and if you are doing that, the DG03 has as much or more than you need.

Cave Adventurers mentioned above is high on my list.

 

[jale]

Hi
Let me play the devil advocate by telling you to buy the cheapest instrument you can get (a BT and a watch are also enough) and use the money you saved to dive, dive, dive and dive
That way you are going to learn much more about diving than following a nice screen on your wrist.
Of course this is just my 2 cents.
Jale

 

[Scubadude_LA]

Hi
Let me play the devil advocate by telling you to buy the cheapest instrument you can get (a BT and a watch are also enough) and use the money you saved to dive, dive, dive and dive
That way you are going to learn much more about diving than following a nice screen on your wrist.
Of course this is just my 2 cents.
Jale

I think you meant Depth Gauge and Watch/BT ??
A bottom timer with watch for redundancy won't do much good if you don't know how deep you are
All good... I'd still spend $250 on the DG03 and get on with it.
But, can't understate what you learn doing it the totally manual way for a few dives. You will appreciate your computer much more at that point.

 

[jale]

I think you meant Depth Gauge and Watch/BT ??
A bottom timer with watch for redundancy won't do much good if you don't know how deep you are
All good... I'd still spend $250 on the DG03 and get on with it.
But, can't understate what you learn doing it the totally manual way for a few dives. You will appreciate your computer much more at that point.

Oops indeed depth gauge and watch
As for going the manual way, I would do more than a few dives. If you stick to a single s80 tanks, doing two dive a day with a good sit, frankly, who needs a computer?

 

[kelemvor]

I bought two of the regular petrel this spring at Cave Country for $750 each. The sticker said 850, I told him I'd give 750ea for two and he said okay.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

I bought two of the regular petrel this spring at Cave Country for $750 each. The sticker said 850, I told him I'd give 750ea for two and he said okay.

For a new Petrel, $850 is the lowest price you'll find advertised, but $750 or a very small bit lower is the lowest you'll get from a dealer, because that's what they're paying for them.

For a used Petrel, you can get a non-EXT version for as low as the seller's willing to go, which is generally in the $650-$750 range, citing the $850 new price. A used non-EXT Predator, which is almost as nice but bigger and using an annoying battery tray system+only SAFT 3.6v lithium batteries, can be had for $500-$700 depending on how badly the seller wants to get rid of it and what's unlocked on it.

 

[C Dub]

I'm also a newer diver. I ended up getting a Petrel, and then a DG03 to back it up. If money isn't a primary issue, you will not regret stepping up to the Petrel. If it is, the DG03 is solid, and makes a great backup in gauge mode if you go into Tech down the road.

 

[jale]

Hi
Of course you are absolutely free to do as you wish and to spend your money the way you like but I can't stop thinking you are trying to make yourself saver by thinking the more tools you have the better is.
But it is really the case?
Do you really need such a complex and expensive computer to dive when all you have to do is to plan the dive and dive the plan

I'm also a newer diver. I ended up getting a Petrel, and then a DG03 to back it up. If money isn't a primary issue, you will not regret stepping up to the Petrel. If it is, the DG03 is solid, and makes a great backup in gauge mode if you go into Tech down the road.