Purchasing your first dive computer. A non-technical approach.

[TMHeimer]

FWIW, I went with the Mares Puck. Decent, simple computer. It's easy to use, and pretty reliable.

Adam

Yeah that's what I use. Has everything I need and more. I started with the Mares 2, which was also cheap, but it flooded and conked out, so the boss got me the Puck at cost ($150 CAD I think).

 

[CaptainCalamari]

Some people get so focused on their gear, it's features, "coolness", the use and purpose of the gear is almost secondary. I have a bunch of friends that love their gear and diving in the local quarry. No animal life to see there. They just like being underwater and diving with their gear.

I saw the repercussions of this on my 4th outing, a "diver" missed our group dive because he could not get his new AI sensor to pair to his new computer. He had just spent 10mins telling us how good his new purchase was going to be for his diving. Needless to say we had a great dive, saw lots of interesting creatures, completed our safety stop, didn't lose any buddies and returned safely.

 

[dmaziuk]

Do not confuse gearheads with the stupid: one does neither imply nor preclude the other. If the guy shows up with untested kit and no plan b, focussing on the coolness of his gear is not his problem.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Please do not think that I don’t want to help others. As you well know, all recent dive computers in the segment I am talking about (recreational diving) have more or less the same features. There may be differences in ease of operation, screen layout, possibilities of individual settings, quality of documentation and the like.

The significance of differences is a personal thing. To some people, the differences you list may make one computer far from "more or less the same" as another.

I do not want to get involved in any discussions about pros and cons of different makes and models. I have seen too much of that already.

Fair enough. I'm not sure what more can be said, then. The bottom line is that different people give different amounts of weight to different features in their decisions of what to buy. Something that one person thinks is an insignificant difference among various "recent dive computers in the segment" may be a huge difference to someone else. For this reason, as much as I applaud your effort to show how it could be or even should be a simple decision for rec divers, I think we will not see an end any time soon to discussions of the differences among computers for rec divers.

 

[Altamira]

In their quest to have a nice computer, I think a lot of divers (me included) tend to forget about the basics of having a reliable gauge set backup for necessary dive information. Regardless of whether they are diving with the most, or least, expensive computer on the market, at some point, they are going to have to sit out some dives because the lovable computer died from any number of reasons. And like every other piece of electronic equipment I have owned, the computer is likely to roll over at the most inopportune time. I would rather dive with the least expensive computer and a gauge set backup than have the computer most favored by SB technocrats. I see a lot of divers with some pretty sophisticated computers but no back up SPG/Depth Gauge or watch.

 

[dorsal]

i wonder sometimes if people resopnding even read the original post before suggesting the 1000 dollar computer for the 10 day a year recreational diver.

 

[Centrals]

In their quest to have a nice computer, I think a lot of divers (me included) tend to forget about the basics of having a reliable gauge set backup for necessary dive information. Regardless of whether they are diving with the most, or least, expensive computer on the market, at some point, they are going to have to sit out some dives because the lovable computer died from any number of reasons. And like every other piece of electronic equipment I have owned, the computer is likely to roll over at the most inopportune time. I would rather dive with the least expensive computer and a gauge set backup than have the computer most favored by SB technocrats. I see a lot of divers with some pretty sophisticated computers but no back up SPG/Depth Gauge or watch.

I dive with two computers(Uwatec Aladin Pro Nitrox and Oceanic Veo 180).
My suggestion to any new diver is the same: two computers.
The Aladin is 19 yr old and I am more than happy with it. It has EVERYTHING that I need for recreational diving and the latest Shearwater is NOT going to outperform it.

 

[ronscuba]

Do not confuse gearheads with the stupid: one does neither imply nor preclude the other. If the guy shows up with untested kit and no plan b, focussing on the coolness of his gear is not his problem.

Yes, I am a total gearhead too, but have little patience for those who always think their gear choices should apply to everyone.

 

[Hoag]

When I got my most recent computer (I doubt it will be my "last" computer), AI was a "Go/No Go item". I had heard enough stories though of people who had issues with their transmitter not communicating with their wrist unit that I was concerned. For me, the ideal solution was to go with an "old fashioned" AI dive computer on a hose with a QD mount to make packing it easy. It make not be as elegant or as "techy" as a transmitter / receiver pair, but it works for me, and it is very reliable.

 

[FinnMom]

I have a few computers that will connect with AI, and pressure gauges always present so it doen't really matter on rare occasions when AI doesn't want to work. One of my compters has an electronic compass and AI, another has Trimix and AI, not one of them cost me more than $350. The computers I usually use cost $120 used (about $225 new). For $1,000 I would expect to get a new drysuit, not just a dive computer.
I like having things that work just fine, but that can be lost, broken or stolen without my needing to terribly upset about the loss.