Petrel pricing, helo2

[victorzamora]

As others have said, get the Petrel if you can afford it and you want the absolute best. Get the DG03 if you don't need the absolute best. It's a great, solid computer. I did a lot of my training (cave and deco) with it and just recently stepped up to the Petrel. It makes a great backup even still because it's diving a very liberal algorithm (adjustable). However, it's not super user-friendly. It'll take some flipping through the manual to get it. Once you get everything set up right, it's a relative piece of cake because there's only so much you need to keep changing (for me, it's nitrox mixes).

Thanks again for all the input! Also I noticed no one mentioned the Helo2. Any reason? Seems to be a good deal at $300.

Think about it this way.....there's a reason used Petrels ($850) sell for about $700. They're fantastic in every way. There's probably a reason that a $1000 Helo2 is selling for $300. Suunto is known for its goofy algorithms that penalize you weird for weird things. The best thing about the Petrel is it runs a clean, unfettered algorithm. It runs pure Buhlmann (ZHL-16C, I believe) or pure VPM with an unlock. The reason I mention this is because it's how you do tech dives. You plan using a full-fledged algorithm and then setting your computer to the same settings and getting them to match. You can do that with the Petrel. You can't with the Helo2. The screen is also awful on it. Stay away.

As for the DiveRite Nitek Q.....stay away. The price is nice(ish) but the screen is awful. It has this weird frame stutter/tearing/drag issue if you move it at all. My policy always is go as good as it gets or as cheap as I can get away with. If you waste your money on middle-of-the-road gear, it does little more than the cheapest gear and isn't nearly as good as the nicest.

---------- Post added September 16th, 2014 at 10:44 AM ----------

I can tell you right now that you will not find a Petrel in the $600-$650 range, it's just not going to happen. You MIGHT find a predator in that price range, but you lose regular AA battery use and the Rec Nitrox mode. That post in RBW is about as cheap as you'll find one...
Black BT - Dive Right in Scuba
That with nitrox unlocked puts you in the low $600's
NiTek Q - Dive Right in Scuba
Nitek Q is rechargeable and actually is a quite nice little computer now that they have the dive logging features fixed. I'm still partial to my petrel though, but it isn't cheap and I do actually use all of the features on it....

tbone, the XDeep Black is having an unprecedented number of serious issues AND there's an absurdly long wait-list for them, and they still haven't actually properly started producing them yet. The issues range from depth sensors to temp readout to crashes/freezes of the firmware, not uploading any data correctly, their special charge/synch adapter breaking and/or failing (with no replacement parts to be seen). This is certainly one I'd stay FAR FAR away from, especially now.

The Nitek Q has the issues I mentioned above (screen taring/freezing) as well as semi- and mostly-fixed computer synching features (they're not actually fully functional).

 

[jale]

Well, multilevel diving is not incompatible with a BT and a watch...

Trouble is you may soon find it difficult to find dive buddies when you keep cutting their multi-level profile dives short.

 

[C Dub]

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

Clearly you have yet to figure out the extended bottom time benefit of a computer that tracks your profile in real time and adjusts NDL's accordingly. As compared to tables.

And of course it is a safety issue. 2 computers is no different than 2 regulators. Gotta have backup. I guess you also don't want to hear about how I plan and review my dives and SI's using the eRPMml computer thingy I got for my open water cert, because that would be a third electronic gizmo that improves safety OH THE HORROR!

 

[jale]

As I said indirectly before, what is more important to you? To have a nice computer telling you what to do or to have a basic knowledge of decompression and know what you are doing? The choice is yours and they are not incompatible but if you go directly for the computer with all the "features", you might bypass the general understanding of decompression's theories.
If you were starting riding a bike, will you go directly for the top of the range model?
A smart computer won' t make you a smart diver.

First off, HOLY CRAP!! I am stunned to see how many people have replied to this post already! Thanks! So to clear up a couple of things. As part of my kit I bought a Genesis 3 Gauge In-Line Console so the analog depth gauge is taken care of, and will remain on my rig as a back up regardless of where I go digitally. My every day digital watch is a rock solid Casio protrek rated to 100 meters. I also fully understand that the Petrel is overkill. What originally turned me on to it was the user replaceable AA battery, customer support, ease of use, and easily visible screen. PLUS, have you seen Shearwater's youtube videos? Video #1 - Introduction - Petrel Recreational Nitrox Mode - YouTube I haven't seen another company go to as much trouble to show features on a device. I totally agree with Lorenzoid's statement above. Being in the R&D field I am in, I can really appreciate a well made, thought out piece of hardware.

So I guess I will continue to watch the classifieds for a petrel in the $600 range for a while longer. If one doesn't pop up I may spring for something else. Or maybe I can cash those reward points and give the wife a nudge and wink for a gift card to go toward a nice Christmas gift. She did buy some of my kit for my birthday (who has 2 thumbs and is a lucky guy??). Until then I will just record my time and depth manually. Maybe I can finally use that Padi underwater board to plan and track everything to just increase my understanding of diving in general. Just make a fun game of it. Luckily there is a quarry 10 mins from my house here in North Georgia with really reasonable tank rental prices so in the meantime I guess I will drive the sunken boat and get more comfortable with dive planning and paper logging.

Thanks again for all the input! Also I noticed no one mentioned the Helo2. Any reason? Seems to be a good deal at $300.

 

[grf88]

Well, multilevel diving is not incompatible with a BT and a watch...

Not incompatible but very limiting unless you want to use ratio deco and keep all the calculations in your head. Have you updated your abacus yet?

 

[jale]

Hi
Clearly you have yet to make the distinction between precision and correctness

Clearly you have yet to figure out the extended bottom time benefit of a computer that tracks your profile in real time and adjusts NDL's accordingly. As compared to tables.

And of course it is a safety issue. 2 computers is no different than 2 regulators. Gotta have backup. I guess you also don't want to hear about how I plan and review my dives and SI's using the eRPMml computer thingy I got for my open water cert, because that would be a third electronic gizmo that improves safety OH THE HORROR!

---------- Post added September 16th, 2014 at 10:20 AM ----------

Don't forget that the only limiting factor is the gas you are taking with you.
My point is that is you spend your money planning-diving and planning-diving and planning-diving, you will have a better knowledge than buying a computer and diving.
But as I said, it is my personal take and I am as right as all of you to talk about it

Not incompatible but very limiting unless you want to use ratio deco and keep all the calculations in your head. Have you updated your abacus yet?

 

[grf88]

Don't forget that the only limiting factor is the gas you are taking with you.
My point is that is you spend your money planning-diving and planning-diving and planning-diving, you will have a better knowledge than buying a computer and diving.
But as I said, it is my personal take and I am as right as all of you to talk about it

The OP is an open water diver, his limiting factor will be his NDL which will be much longer on the typical multi profile OW dive using a computer than if he is using a bottom timer and tables. If you know at which depth you are going to be at each minute of the dive you can maximize your time with BT and tables but I can't remember any non deco dive that I have done where that would be the case.

 

[Lorenzoid]

. . . A dive computer is just a computer, it will be better and cheaper this time next year. If you can't read the figures on a Suunto it may be worth getting lenses fitted to your mask(if you need reading glasses, this will likely be the case). Keep it simple...

Can lenses turn my computer into a color display?

Done a few hundred baby deco dives(deep air + trimix) over 16 yrs and yet to waste any money on a dedicated tec computer. No problem in reading the small letters on Uwatec BT with my 60+ yrs old eyes.
BTW, still using the two Uwatec Aladins which I purchased back in 1996/97. Reliability is never an issue as for the battery changing then it is different story. I must learn how to do it!!!!
I like your last sentence bar the last word: The more I realize I don't need "features", the more I'm attracted to the Uwatec BT. No battery changing, no service required etc etc for over 10yrs and cost less than US$110.00. Can't be bad.

You guys have sound reasoning. No argument from me. And the OP is apparently not the type who buys a Rolex Submariner or even a Citizen when a Casio wristwatch will do just fine. My point was merely that I CAN articulate reasons why a Petrel might appeal to people who are not tec divers if they don't feel a need to be economical.

 

[kelemvor]

PLUS, have you seen Shearwater's youtube videos? Video #1 - Introduction - Petrel Recreational Nitrox Mode - YouTube I haven't seen another company go to as much trouble to show features on a device.

I was also impressed with the videos. I kind of appreciated that they just had a guy showing you the deal rather than a big production made to look like a commercial.

I was also impressed when they hooked it to the whatchamadoodle that simulated depth. Unfortunately they did not connect it to any thingamajiggers.



I like the aforementioned battery compatibility, all dc's should work that way. However, many people cite it as a cost cutting feature for end users. I find it hard to believe someone who's going to forgo the plethora of cheaper options and buy a petrel is going to have to think twice about the $10 expensive battery. It's nice if I somehow end up in a bad spot with a dead batt and no spare. It seems like a stretch for this scenerio to really play out for me. I'm not exploring new caves in a South American jungle .

 

[SanDiegoSidemount]

As others have said, get the Petrel if you can afford it and you want the absolute best. Get the DG03 if you don't need the absolute best. It's a great, solid computer. I did a lot of my training (cave and deco) with it and just recently stepped up to the Petrel. It makes a great backup even still because it's diving a very liberal algorithm (adjustable). However, it's not super user-friendly. It'll take some flipping through the manual to get it. Once you get everything set up right, it's a relative piece of cake because there's only so much you need to keep changing (for me, it's nitrox mixes).

What Victor said. At the low end, I would choose a DG03 over Uwatec simply because you can download your dives to a PC, if you care about such things. Been diving a DG03 in GAUGE mode happily for a couple of years now, while I save up for a Petrel and/or wait for the xDeep Black BT to get more stable and available. Clearance prices on DG03 are great.