Petrel vs. ????
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Buying a petrel is akin to buying a cell phone that ;has a primary purpose of making calls, not movies doesn't play games, ect. Not only is it a great computer its is intuitive to use to a degree i have never seen on any other computer. 2 years ago 30 min on the couch and i do not need a manual till i do a software download, Every function and option usable and easy to find and configure. cant figure if you want a liberal or conservative computer, well you set it for what ever you want. tech in your future. you are already there, tech computer or rec computer, its just a selection away. you wont ever regret getting one. how about support, you wont find better.
Scubadude_LA
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I think the above info on the merits of the Petrel are accurate, but many apply to other true tech computers as well.
My advice to the OP is get a less expensive computer that can be put into gauge mode but has all the frills like AI, compass, heart rate, stock tickers and social media streams now....
When the day comes that you understand the short comings of what you have, you will be able to put the frilly computer in gauge mode to back up your plan while using a sound technical computer that was actually designed to do real deco and things like adding gases during your dive and other things mentioned above in a very intuitive way while under stress (if needed). So in the end, no money wasted. With the Petrel, the engineered simplicity is a big part of what you are paying for. May or may not make sense now, but it's true.
I do own a frilly puter, and I like it for some stuff. But also have the Predator (not the Petrel but in this context same thing except recreational mode). So my experience is first hand.
Ok, we can all go to sleep now, good nite
My advice to the OP is get a less expensive computer that can be put into gauge mode but has all the frills like AI, compass, heart rate, stock tickers and social media streams now....
When the day comes that you understand the short comings of what you have, you will be able to put the frilly computer in gauge mode to back up your plan while using a sound technical computer that was actually designed to do real deco and things like adding gases during your dive and other things mentioned above in a very intuitive way while under stress (if needed). So in the end, no money wasted. With the Petrel, the engineered simplicity is a big part of what you are paying for. May or may not make sense now, but it's true.
I do own a frilly puter, and I like it for some stuff. But also have the Predator (not the Petrel but in this context same thing except recreational mode). So my experience is first hand.
Ok, we can all go to sleep now, good nite
WarrenZ
The Ultimate Bad Example
For what its worth I vote go for it if you can live without a electronic compass or air integration and want a computer that is clear easy to use and one you can grow with. Especially if you hate hearing some computer beeping and constantly wondering is that mine beeping at me for a reason the Petrel cannot beep at you to get your attention but it will rather give you a nice clear red or yellow Warning in English rather than some cryptic symbols that is harder than Chinese algebra to figure out at 140'.
I love my Petrel and I love my Cobalt...but they have distinct uses.
I love my Remington .35 Whelen rifle and I love my Browning BSS shotgun. That doesn't mean They are interchangeable.
The Petrel works great for certain types of diving and there are other computers that meet the needs of divers for other circumstances. It is about matching you preferred style of diving to the equipment. It is not making the equipment change to your style of diving.
I love my Remington .35 Whelen rifle and I love my Browning BSS shotgun. That doesn't mean They are interchangeable.
The Petrel works great for certain types of diving and there are other computers that meet the needs of divers for other circumstances. It is about matching you preferred style of diving to the equipment. It is not making the equipment change to your style of diving.
AJ
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The reason to buy a Petrel is because it does not have compass, AI, etc. It's specialized and does what it does best.
Personally, I do not like an all in one computer. I like my analog compass (specialized) on my left wrist and my computer on my right wrist. So nog desire for electronic computer integrated compass. Futrhermore, my Suunto D4i has AI. Unfortunatly it's not very reliable. I like my old fashioned gauge that does what it has to do all the time (specialized again). My next computer will be a Petrel because it is specialized. It may not do all the stuff other rec computers do, but it does best what it does. That's all I want from a computer: being there for me when I need it the most, telling me what I need to know to dive safely.
Personally, I do not like an all in one computer. I like my analog compass (specialized) on my left wrist and my computer on my right wrist. So nog desire for electronic computer integrated compass. Futrhermore, my Suunto D4i has AI. Unfortunatly it's not very reliable. I like my old fashioned gauge that does what it has to do all the time (specialized again). My next computer will be a Petrel because it is specialized. It may not do all the stuff other rec computers do, but it does best what it does. That's all I want from a computer: being there for me when I need it the most, telling me what I need to know to dive safely.
I think I would totally agree if the discussion was about the predator, (dedicated tech computer) The beauty of the petrel is that it has both tech and rec modes. And that is not to take away from the predator because they both work in both tech and rec worlds easily. The only group of divers that would not care for the shearwater's would be those depth gage and bottom timer divers. For those a watch is all they need with the manual depth gage.
WarrenZ
The Ultimate Bad Example
Remember that whatever computer you get it does not have any magical properties or any actual connection to what is going on physically inside your body it is only running a algorithm and calculating a Decompression time and stops based on its algorithm any conservation factor set and and your dive profile.
Always take into consideration your own personal DCS Risk when looking at how liberal or conservative you are with your diving and your dive computers algorithm. This Risk may vary even from dive to dive.
Always take into consideration your own personal DCS Risk when looking at how liberal or conservative you are with your diving and your dive computers algorithm. This Risk may vary even from dive to dive.
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you've seen a lot of heated opinions on the topic and the reality is that for the features it offers, there is nothing that can touch it.
This thread comes up all the time, but here's a bit of backstory. Shearwater was founded to develop rebreather electronics, one of the most critical pieces of that is the PO2 monitor and control system which is integrated into handsets. To satisfy Leon Scamahorns compulsion to have the best of the best for his products, Bruce Patridge and his team went and gave it to him. That then evolved into the Predator which was a badass, and unfortunately big ass computer. With some supply changes and just general evolution the Predator became the Petrel, it kept the same size screen, but the housing shrunk, went from requiring a funky battery to standard AA's, but maintains the same UI, the same screens, same functions everything, but it was still aimed at the CCR and advanced technical divers that demanded a computer like that for the deep OC trimix diving which is why it is offered without a Fischer connector to plug into rebreathers.
They then realized the amount of non technical divers buying them, so they wrote the software for the recreational mode, but they didn't and won't change anything about the computer to start adding things that aren't needed. Beeping is annoying and doesn't really help you, for CCR divers they have a vibration warning so they can tell it is them, but in OC you need to be monitoring your computer. Digital compasses are also pointless because while very accurate, they suck battery, and take away important info on the screen you need. You can build a small slate with a cheap walmart compass that is just as accurate as a digital one for under $20 and it is almost identical to the ones we use to survey caves, and unlike the "scuba compasses" it is actually accurate enough to allow you to hit points hundreds of yards away.
[video=youtube;x0z4T_3KjFM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0z4T_3KjFM[/video]
I'm not going to say that AI will never happen from Shearwater, because it is possible in 10 years it is reliable enough to use on CCR's, but I am about 95% confident it wont. It is also becoming less and less relevant with the popularity of sidemount because it requires 2 sensors which are $$$$ and the computer to know which one you are breathing etc. Combine that with the fact that I don't know of a single technical diver that uses it, because of the cost and reliability issues, it doesn't appeal to their core group of customers. I.e., doing a normal deep trimix dive on sidemount, you have travel bottle, two backgas bottles, minimum 2 deco bottles. No one is going to shell out for 5 AI senders especially with how unreliable they are combined with how big and fragile they are which is a problem for sidemount and slung bottles, and the fact that you still need an SPG because of the reliability issue.
So, sure you can spend less money, the DG03 is a great value right now since Dive Gear Express is selling off the last of the stock, $250 for a computer that does have AI, multi gas nitrox, and beeps at you, also has gauge mode which is nice so it won't become a paperweight if you go to more advanced diving. The DiveRite Nitek Q is currently on sale at Dive Right in Scuba, it has a digital compass, but the screen is nowhere near as nice as the petrel, the UI isn't bad, but not as clean, and the buttons are actual buttons instead of piezo so you can accidentally hit them.NiTek Q - Dive Right in Scuba
I'd recommend that over the DG03 if you are holding off on spending the money for the Petrel, at $500 it's a pretty good buy right now, and is worth it over the DG03 because you can download logs without a proprietary cable, and have the rechargeable battery instead of the weird irritating batteries the DG03 uses, and the UI is much better. It's much easier to justify $250 to $500, than it is $500-$850. The Nitek will last you a long time, but like the Porsche Boxster, the only reason you drive a Boxster is because you can't afford the 911....
The xDeep Black is also nice, but $630 for nitrox, and still doesn't have the trimix support, you're real close to Petrel money and going $630 to $850 can be justified, the Nitek is only in the running right now because it is on sale for $500.
Yes you can spend more money, the Suunto Eon Steel is what $1500 without AI transponders? But aside from AI and compass you aren't getting anything out of it, and you are then bound to Suunto's weird algorithms. You're better off buying a Petrel, and if you want AI, run a DG03 in gauge mode with AI transmitters, save yourself a few hundred bucks, and have a better overall system.
This thread comes up all the time, but here's a bit of backstory. Shearwater was founded to develop rebreather electronics, one of the most critical pieces of that is the PO2 monitor and control system which is integrated into handsets. To satisfy Leon Scamahorns compulsion to have the best of the best for his products, Bruce Patridge and his team went and gave it to him. That then evolved into the Predator which was a badass, and unfortunately big ass computer. With some supply changes and just general evolution the Predator became the Petrel, it kept the same size screen, but the housing shrunk, went from requiring a funky battery to standard AA's, but maintains the same UI, the same screens, same functions everything, but it was still aimed at the CCR and advanced technical divers that demanded a computer like that for the deep OC trimix diving which is why it is offered without a Fischer connector to plug into rebreathers.
They then realized the amount of non technical divers buying them, so they wrote the software for the recreational mode, but they didn't and won't change anything about the computer to start adding things that aren't needed. Beeping is annoying and doesn't really help you, for CCR divers they have a vibration warning so they can tell it is them, but in OC you need to be monitoring your computer. Digital compasses are also pointless because while very accurate, they suck battery, and take away important info on the screen you need. You can build a small slate with a cheap walmart compass that is just as accurate as a digital one for under $20 and it is almost identical to the ones we use to survey caves, and unlike the "scuba compasses" it is actually accurate enough to allow you to hit points hundreds of yards away.
[video=youtube;x0z4T_3KjFM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0z4T_3KjFM[/video]
I'm not going to say that AI will never happen from Shearwater, because it is possible in 10 years it is reliable enough to use on CCR's, but I am about 95% confident it wont. It is also becoming less and less relevant with the popularity of sidemount because it requires 2 sensors which are $$$$ and the computer to know which one you are breathing etc. Combine that with the fact that I don't know of a single technical diver that uses it, because of the cost and reliability issues, it doesn't appeal to their core group of customers. I.e., doing a normal deep trimix dive on sidemount, you have travel bottle, two backgas bottles, minimum 2 deco bottles. No one is going to shell out for 5 AI senders especially with how unreliable they are combined with how big and fragile they are which is a problem for sidemount and slung bottles, and the fact that you still need an SPG because of the reliability issue.
So, sure you can spend less money, the DG03 is a great value right now since Dive Gear Express is selling off the last of the stock, $250 for a computer that does have AI, multi gas nitrox, and beeps at you, also has gauge mode which is nice so it won't become a paperweight if you go to more advanced diving. The DiveRite Nitek Q is currently on sale at Dive Right in Scuba, it has a digital compass, but the screen is nowhere near as nice as the petrel, the UI isn't bad, but not as clean, and the buttons are actual buttons instead of piezo so you can accidentally hit them.NiTek Q - Dive Right in Scuba
I'd recommend that over the DG03 if you are holding off on spending the money for the Petrel, at $500 it's a pretty good buy right now, and is worth it over the DG03 because you can download logs without a proprietary cable, and have the rechargeable battery instead of the weird irritating batteries the DG03 uses, and the UI is much better. It's much easier to justify $250 to $500, than it is $500-$850. The Nitek will last you a long time, but like the Porsche Boxster, the only reason you drive a Boxster is because you can't afford the 911....
The xDeep Black is also nice, but $630 for nitrox, and still doesn't have the trimix support, you're real close to Petrel money and going $630 to $850 can be justified, the Nitek is only in the running right now because it is on sale for $500.
Yes you can spend more money, the Suunto Eon Steel is what $1500 without AI transponders? But aside from AI and compass you aren't getting anything out of it, and you are then bound to Suunto's weird algorithms. You're better off buying a Petrel, and if you want AI, run a DG03 in gauge mode with AI transmitters, save yourself a few hundred bucks, and have a better overall system.
I asked this question because the Petrel has such good reviews. I will never tech diver or use tri mix. I am a recreational diver that uses air right now but will be changing over to nitrox. I get that the Petrel is an amazing computer and is the best at what it does but is it necessary for what I will be doing. I don't go deeper then 120 feet and to be honest I can't see my self doing that. So for what I am doing is this the best option for me. I don't care about the money just what is needed for my style
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