Petrel

[Dr. Lecter]

The early Petrels shipped with bungee adaptor strips that went through the case's slots and allowed for much thicker bungee cord. Unfortunately, they were fiber-reinforced rubber and the holes in each end of the strips wound up stretching out a bit too easily resulting in the knot popping through unless you were using ultra-huge bungee. Rather than find a workable solution, I believe SW just stopped including any adaptor strip. However, thin strips of kydex work extremely well I've found.

 

[buddhasummer]

The early Petrels shipped with bungee adaptor strips that went through the case's slots and allowed for much thicker bungee cord. Unfortunately, they were fiber-reinforced rubber and the holes in each end of the strips wound up stretching out a bit too easily resulting in the knot popping through unless you were using ultra-huge bungee. Rather than find a workable solution, I believe SW just stopped including any adaptor strip. However, thin strips of kydex work extremely well I've found.

Cheers, I'll see if I can find some kydex. Is kydex a generic name? I imagine finding it over here might prove problematic, many things are.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

Cheers, I'll see if I can find some kydex. Is kydex a generic name? I imagine finding it over here might prove problematic, many things are.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kydex

eBay tends to have a plentiful assortment of sheets and scraps - the trick is getting one thin enough to be flexible and fit the Petrel's case.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I wish the casing were thinner / more attractive. When worn in some positions, the thickness of the casing gets in the way when doing valve drills.

The strap could do with some improvements. I found the stock straps very difficult to use. I put on bungees but it is not exactly "supported" by the product (and limits the size of bungee to quite a thin one, not extremely comfortable), and bungees are not easily adjusted when moving between rash guards and dry suits with a glove ring system.

Well, okay, thinner would of course be better. I would think the thickness (or height) is limited by the battery compartment. And I love that AA battery. My old computer is a Suunto with some weird battery that isn't readily user-replaceable. The first time I changed my Petrel battery--which took all of five seconds--my face broke out in a huge grin. I was practically giddy with happiness over that one feature. A single old-fashioned AA battery in a compartment with a screw top--I love it!

 

[buddhasummer]

Well, okay, thinner would of course be better. I would think the thickness (or height) is limited by the battery compartment. And I love that AA battery. My old computer is a Suunto with some weird battery that isn't readily user-replaceable. The first time I changed my Petrel battery--which took all of five seconds--my face broke out in a huge grin. I was practically giddy with happiness over that one feature. A single old-fashioned AA battery in a compartment with a screw top--I love it!

Maybe apples to oranges as I have no idea as to internal "brain" sizes but the HW Sport and OTC 3 both use AA batteries and they are much thinner so I don't think it's the battery.

 

[uncfnp]

I would also love a lower profile and weight but not at the risk of making it less robust. I like that it is so resistant to damage and I am more than willing to put up with a little extra case if that's what it takes.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Maybe apples to oranges as I have no idea as to internal "brain" sizes but the HW Sport and OTC 3 both use AA batteries and they are much thinner so I don't think it's the battery.

I would also love a lower profile and weight but not at the risk of making it less robust. I like that it is so resistant to damage and I am more than willing to put up with a little extra case if that's what it takes.

Are the HW and OTC as mechanically robust as the Petrel? I don't have any idea, but as uncfnp said ....

 

[Water Boy76]

Hroark, if you have seen waterboys other posts you would know that it was said very sarcastically and was not meant to be humorous.... Read the other computer threads he's been involved in and it'll make sense, it was meant as a rather passive aggressive jab at that suggestion, not his signature

Yet with almost every post in this thread praising sheerwaters my point is being proven.... So is it sarcasm?
I'll admit my style is a bit rough, but it's all in fun. I rather like Tbone

 

[ronscuba]

Yet with almost every post in this thread praising sheerwaters my point is being proven.... So is it sarcasm?
I'll admit my style is a bit rough, but it's all in fun. I rather like Tbone

I get it. I made a similar post in another thread recommending buying 2 petrels. Some people got the joke, others didn't.

It's not the praise of the petrel, it's the attitude towards all the other computers out there. Especially AI and AI hoseless computers. Some of the posts seem like pro petrel and anti everything else. Reminds me of BP/W posts.

 

[tbone1004]

well there is a reason for both of those things. When one computer checks basically all of the boxes except one and is a better value, you have to justify that one single component as the cost differential. I.e. compare a Petrel to Suunto Eon Steel, AI has to be worth $1200 to you in order to justify that purchase as that is the only AI computer that is comparable in features to the Petrel and includes AI. That is why the Petrel comes up so much, AI is a marketing gimmick, nothing more. Sure it is convenient, but it brings no real value to the table.

Stab jackets are the same, they bring nothing to the table a BP/W can't, BP/W's might not win in the absolute cheapest cost department, but cost/dive is lower, resale is better, features are better, and on average, cost is better. If it's the comfort game you're going to argue, the Dive Rite Transpac can kick any stab jacket back to the 1980's in a heart beat on comfort, seriously, and it still counts as a BP/W.

So on both of these it comes down to, I can spend more for an inferior product that might have one feature I really want or think I need, or I can spend the same amount for that one feature that I really want or think I need but lose a lot of other features that I actually need or will want later but don't know it yet. Every thread that comes up sees 3 computers suggested, used to be the DG03, is not the N2ition for budget computers in the <$250 range. Geo 2.0 comes up in the watch style mid budget ~$400 range. Anything over Geo 2.0, there is no way you can justify them over the Petrel.

That said, if you MUST have AI, buy the Seabear H3 now, it's the only watch style computer worth buying other than the Geo 2.0, it's like $1k. BUT, here's the cool part. It already has the hardware to accept AI right now and they are developing a transmitter for it, and it will be a quick firmware update. Transmitter due by end of this year
PodDiver Radio
check out the Hammerhead CCR & H3 Dive Computer episode.

The H3 doesn't have the same bright light readability that the petrel does, it is not as big, but it is a smart watch, and has all of the features of the Petrel so you're good there. Has NFC which is better than Bluetooth for the Petrel, but requires a USB cable and is rechargeable so you have to stay on top of that. Pros and cons, but I am very serious about getting one myself in the near future as it looks spectacular.
https://www.divegearexpress.com/subgravity-seabear