Purchasing your first dive computer. A non-technical approach.
- Thread starter stgcph
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
george_austin
Contributor
- Messages
- 573
- Reaction score
- 289
- # of dives
- 5000 - ∞
Cozumel Schmozumel - location (sea level) really has nothing to do with deco / no deco calculations does it? Everyone traveling there on holiday is doing single tank dives, 2 or three a day 120 fsw max, with 1 hour surface intervals and being led around by a resort or charter DM. I, - when I used to go there never got any grief using a depth gauge and a quality watch. If I really wanted to go modern, the below "computer" was and still is quite reliable and needs no batteries.
No, this computer does not factor RN so you will need to work those solutions with the tables but we all do that anyway to validate what the computer is telling us, right?
Last edited:
Only if you admit it in public... so yes, you're done now that you've posted it here...
...but you might need batteries for a flashlight to see that at depth - and a magnifying glassCozumel Schmozumel - location (sea level) really has nothing to do with deco / no deco calculations does it? Everyone traveling there on holiday is doing single tank dives, 2 or three a day 120 fsw max, with 1 hour surface intervals and being led around by a resort or charter DM. I, - when I used to go there never got any grief using a depth gauge and a quality watch. If I really wanted to go modern, the below "computer" was and still is quite reliable and needs no batteries.
No, this computer does not factor RN so you will need to work those solutions with the tables but we all do that anyway to validate what the computer is telling us, right?
[/URL][/IMG]
Cozumel Schmozumel - location (sea level) really has nothing to do with deco / no deco calculations does it? Everyone traveling there on holiday is doing single tank dives, 2 or three a day 120 fsw max, with 1 hour surface intervals and being led around by a resort or charter DM. I, - when I used to go there never got any grief using a depth gauge and a quality watch. If I really wanted to go modern, the below "computer" was and still is quite reliable and needs no batteries.
No, this computer does not factor RN so you will need to work those solutions with the tables but we all do that anyway to validate what the computer is telling us, right?
I think the Cozumel reference was in response to another who suggested to dive Cozumel with tables.
Cozumel dives are frequently multi-level and multi-level dives are where computers are a big benefit.
It's a fair point. Some of us like to discuss the finer points of dive computers. In the end there is probably not any currently made dive computer that can't work well for "regular open water diving" as far as I know. Some have a feature or two that some folks like, others have a feature or two that some other folks like. Some last longer than others... All the rest is personal preference tempered with cost.
Coming to scubaboard and asking "what's the best computer for a new diver" is a lot like coming to a car board and asking "what's the best car for a new driver". Opinions will abound. Someone will likely tell you that only rolls royce will do, others will tell you to go get a toro timecutter lawnmower.
Coming to scubaboard and asking "what's the best computer for a new diver" is a lot like coming to a car board and asking "what's the best car for a new driver". Opinions will abound. Someone will likely tell you that only rolls royce will do, others will tell you to go get a toro timecutter lawnmower.
I wouldn't bet against you. You have done hundreds if not a thousand dives more than I have. But I stand by my assertion that "after hundreds of dives, a diver doesn't need to look at a computation of 'Air Time Remaining'--he has a pretty good feel for what the number is." After a couple of hundred dives on 60-80 foot reefs, I don't need to look at my SPG nearly as often as I did when those dives were new to me.
There are separate sections for new divers, basic diving, advanced, technical, DIR, hogarthian, sidemount, etc..
I think many click on recent or new posts and never notice what section the thread is in or never read the original post. I think this is part of the reason so many equipment threads lead to suggestions that don't really apply to the op.
Last edited:
Yup, unless I've clicked on one of the alerts in the top right I exclusively access scubaboard via the "new posts" link. Unless you investigate, the site doesn't tell you what section a given post is in. Actually, I guess it does say at the top of the page what section a thread is in. I never noticed it before.
This also happens when someone finds a scubaboard post via a google search. I'd bet it's more common than to actually sort through the list of subforums manually.
In the end, the OP asked for an opinion on dive computers. I can't think of a single one, including the shearwater computers, mares puck, everything in between, that would not work well for a new diver. Everything else is merely a matter of opinion.
Similar threads
