Petrel pricing, helo2

[victorzamora]

So your advanced superduper US$850.00 computer is NOT going to offer me extra information over my 18yr old Aladin or a US$250.00 DG03 in rec dive.

It actually will, yes. It tells you things Aladins and DG03s don't. I own a DG03 and dove it exclusively for a year, and now I dive it and a Petrel. The Petrel does, in fact, give you more information if you call on it or set it to. Period.

BTW, both of them have alarm

One of the reasons I purchased the Petrel was because it does NOT have one. I can't stand having stuff beep at me. My DG03 beeps at me if my P02 gets above 1.2. WHY?? Don't beep at all, but if you HAVE to then don't beep until I get to 1.4. Or let me set it. Or let me turn it off. Either way, I don't want to hear that at all......much less for 20 straight minutes!

So is my 18yr old Aladin.

I wasn't responding to you with that quote, but, you're right......your Aladin is another option. If you go back and read my first post (and almost every post on the topic of computers from me) I say that the DG03 is fine for the price, and if you want minimal expense then get it. It'll do GREAT. For tech diving, you can just run it as a computer or switch it to gauge mode. Either way, it does a good job. However, if you're going to be spending good money ($500+) then you should step up to the Petrel. It's crazy to buy a Helo2 or an Aeris A300CS or the new Suunto thing that's coming out and pay $1300-$1500 for it when the $850 Petrel is superior. Cheap is fine, and you can get a great, totally functional computer for cheap. I did!! Doesn't mean the Petrel is bad, it's just another option.

In my opinion, you should take one of two routes: Cheap or Nice. If nice, spend as much as needed to buy the nicest available. If not, you'll end up upgrading later. If you go cheap, you go as cheap as you can while still reliable and having the features you NEED. Not want, not would like, NEED. A DG03 does everything you need besides Helium, and you can set it to gauge mode and run tables if that's what you want to do.

 

[roverrh]

Well, it actually CAN offer you information that your Aladin or the DG03 doesn't, but I didn't bring that up, because it's probably not relevant to the recommendation that a recreational diver use a Petrel.

If you are really interested in what I posted, and don't feel like scrolling up, I thought the Petrel was a good computer for any diver because of things like the extremely readable display, the well organized and customizable user interface, the build, the customer support, and the fact that you can get AA batteries anywhere in the world.

I'm not actually sure what you are saying. That your 18 year old Aladin is better than the Petrel? That a monochrome display is better than a color LCD display with LED backlight? That the Petrel isn't worth $850 for a recreational diver? Or that an alarm is an important feature that every computer should have?

Maybe you are just trying to soften me up to make me a lowball offer for my Petrel?

Are you softened up because if that's the case.....

 

[Lorenzoid]

One additional factor I haven't seen mentioned yet is that some OW divers intend to progress into tech. Doesn't hurt to buy what you will need once, rather than buying it twice.

That's been mentioned in many previous threads where someone was looking into their first computer, and it's the one argument that I'm not sure I fully buy into. I suspect that relatively few of those newly minted OW divers who say "I might be interested in tech someday" actually go through with it. Statistically speaking (okay I'm busted, I have no such stats--this is just my guess) most new OW divers stop diving (or stop diving as much) within a few years. There are some who progress steadily from OW into tech in just a few years and stick with it, but I think for most it is a much longer road. Maybe hundreds of OW dives later they finally dip their toe in the tech water. And while I am confident that a Shearwater is well built enough to last many years, through many software upgrades, everything has a limit, and even the mighty Petrel's hardware platform will begin to look old at some point; new products will be introduced. So it seems more reasonable to me to recommend that, absent unusual circumstances, a new OW diver get a less expensive computer to start out with.

But that doesn't change my opinion above that I can see reasons why even a new OW diver might find a Petrel attractive if they don't feel a need to be economical.

 

[Centrals]

Why would I need colour LCD display with LED backlight and user interface? They serve no purpose whatsoever in scuba diving.
What else do I need beside ascent rate, depth, elapsed time, ndl and O2 % under water?
And if need direction I will add a simple analogue compass.
And for tec dive I simply use two Uwatec BT.
As to make an offer for your Petrel, dream on it mate.

---------- Post added September 18th, 2014 at 03:22 AM ----------

One additional factor I haven't seen mentioned yet is that some OW divers intend to progress into tech. Doesn't hurt to buy what you will need once, rather than buying it twice.

But if that person decides to take up GUE courses then he would be learning to dive with BT instead of computer!!

 

[Lorenzoid]

Why would I need colour LCD display with LED backlight and user interface? They serve no purpose whatsoever in scuba diving.
What else do I need beside ascent rate, depth, elapsed time, ndl and O2 % under water? . . . .

So I might assume you are typing this from a DOS or UNIX command-line user interface computer?

 

[Centrals]

So I might assume you are typing this from a DOS or UNIX command-line user interface computer?

The Aladin will store 20 dives and as long as I up date my log book why would I need any interface whatsoever.

 

[stuartv]

Actually, the numbers suggest that cost-of-ownership is cheaper on BMWs.....including the initial purchase of the car. My dad's Merc is at >225k miles and the only thing wrong with it was a fuel pump went out at ~180k miles. My car has ~90k miles and it had a wiring issue. BFD.

I didn't say anything about M-B. Get back to me on your maintenance costs (and I mean ALL maintenance, not just repairs) when your BMW has 200K miles. My opinion: BMW USED to deserve their reputation for reliability. I'm not sure they ever deserved a reputation for having cheap cost-of-ownership, though.

 

[BugHunterNY]

Just close your eyes and swipe your card. The Petrel's worth every penny!


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[roverrh]

Just close your eyes and swipe your card. The Petrel's worth every penny!

Ohh how many times that has gotten me in trouble! I am going to figure out how to justify buying a petrel before long. Y'all might see me picking up cans on the side of the road. And truthfully the money is there I just am having a hard time justifying the price, even with all the praise y'all are providing. My wife just suggest I get a part time job for a couple of weeks, of course with a with a twinkle in her eye and a smirk on her face. Ohh how I love that woman.

Also, to add to the conversation about new divers and relying on a computer for safety. I will admit that for depths less than 30 feet I haven't worried about planning a dive. However, my father-in-law and myself did run the tables and make a plan for diving a spring over labor day weekend. Unfortunately I somehow was able to loose the BC gasket going to the inflator, so our 70 foot adventure was a bust (zeagle repair kit on the way!). With that being said we knew how deep we were going and how long we planned on staying there. Maybe that isn't the case with many beginners, but going to that depth I felt the additional steps were necessary.

 

[BugHunterNY]

Do what we all do, funnel small amounts into a secret scuba account over time. It seems like you've been hooked already... In which case, you need a scuba fund. $850 seems daunting now, just wait.

Steel tanks - $400/ea (4 minimum needed!)
Manifold and Tank bands - $300 (2 sets)
Dry Suit - $2000
Canister Light - $1000
Backup Lights - $100/ea
Reels - $100-$250 (Minimum 2)
Lift Bag - $100

Rebreather - $10,000

Not having to explain to your wife why each of these things is necessary...PRICELESS



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