Recreational Dive computer / Watch

[ls1dreams]

Some good computer advice here, but I get my panty's in a knot over the 1 button vs 2 button argument.

I like a zero button computer. No pushes required. It has buttons, i do not touch them anymore...

My first computer had 1 button. And you had to push it (way to often!) in order to activate it. I still (vaguely) remember having to resurface, hold my arm out of the water and push the stupid button (once under water it refused to activate). Stupid stupid design.

My next computer had a set of "wet contacts" (Uwatec Aladin) that served as buttons, but only above water - if you needed them...

I have not pressed a button on my computer in over 15 years. I configured it once, it now automactically turns on when wet and shows me all of the information I need to know. Buttons? We don't need no stinkin' buttons!

How often will you need to screw with your computer?

I'm mostly thinking of nitrox divers. If you're regularly switching between 21% and 32%, that's a LOT of button presses to cycle between 0 and 40%, plus all menu navigation. (32 back to 21 would be 8+21 = 29 button presses, then cycling to the save setting.)

Otherwise I generally agree you probably wouldn't be changing much.

 

[scubadada]

Some good computer advice here, but I get my panty's in a knot over the 1 button vs 2 button argument.

I like a zero button computer. No pushes required. It has buttons, i do not touch them anymore...

My first computer had 1 button. And you had to push it (way to often!) in order to activate it. I still (vaguely) remember having to resurface, hold my arm out of the water and push the stupid button (once under water it refused to activate). Stupid stupid design.

My next computer had a set of "wet contacts" (Uwatec Aladin) that served as buttons, but only above water - if you needed them...

I have not pressed a button on my computer in over 15 years. I configured it once, it now automactically turns on when wet and shows me all of the information I need to know. Buttons? We don't need no stinkin' buttons!

How often will you need to screw with your computer?

I tried to restrict myself but, finally could not stand it anymore. Besides adjusting your FO2, don't you want to do dive planning? Don't you want to search your dive log?

 

[KeithG]

I tried to restrict myself but, finally could not stand it anymore. Besides adjusting your FO2, don't you want to do dive planning? Don't you want to search your dive log?

EAN21 never changes, the dive plan is always 60 feet (or less) multi level dive for 60 minutes. I cannot think of any reason to look at dive logs on my dive computer, much easier to see on a real computer.

 

[Centrals]

I don't normally use different gases on the same day. But, I frequently use a different gas from one dive day to the next. So, I screw with my computer almost every dive day. And that's not even counting the times I get back on the boat and the captain or somebody else asks "what was the temp on the bottom" or some other question where I end up going into the dive log on the computer to see.

Do you really believe all divers know how to handle when his/her computer indicated deco obligation. Actually, I have seen on numerous occasions that divers did not know why his/her computer making noises or flashing etc etc. I have also seen dive guide have to restrict the diver to surface because his/her computer shown deco obligation.
Do you really believe all divers read the instruction and remember everything?
As far as I am concern, some divers will be better off to dive with the table only. Plan the dive and dive the plan. Period.

 

[Centrals]

EAN21 never changes, the dive plan is always 60 feet (or less) multi level dive for 60 minutes. I cannot think of any reason to look at dive logs on my dive computer, much easier to see on a real computer.

You are rare and unique!!
So no nitrox dive all these years!

 

[KeithG]

You are rare and unique!!
So no nitrox dive all these years!

We have dove nitrox a couple times when the LOB screwed up and topped our tanks with it (well a few times that we are aware off).

We dive shallow and stay away from NDLs.

 

[dmaziuk]

You are rare and unique!!
So no nitrox dive all these years!

:raises hand: I don't even have a nitrox cert nor any plans to get one.

As for plan and log, I've a laptop and dump our logs to subsurface every night. Max depth and time are shown on post-dive/SI screen if the boat wants them ans so far I haven't been on one that wanted more than those. When we shore-dive we plan the whole day in the morning with tables and laptop. If it's boat dives with a group, we dive with the group. I don't know of a dive computer that can tell you how much of an SI you need to do a no-s.top dive to X metres for Y minutes, so I don't find their built-in plan function is not all that useful.

 

[Centrals]

:raises hand: I don't even have a nitrox cert nor any plans to get one.

As for plan and log, I've a laptop and dump our logs to subsurface every night. Max depth and time are shown on post-dive/SI screen if the boat wants them ans so far I haven't been on one that wanted more than those. When we shore-dive we plan the whole day in the morning with tables and laptop. If it's boat dives with a group, we dive with the group. I don't know of a dive computer that can tell you how much of an SI you need to do a no-s.top dive to X metres for Y minutes, so I don't find their built-in plan function is not all that useful.

I would use the "Wheel" instead of table if I have to plan couple of dives.

 

[dmaziuk]

I would use the "Wheel" instead of table if I have to plan couple of dives.

Well it's mostly the SI table anyway. E.g. on Bonaire we'd decide if we want to go North or South, pick a few candidate sites and look at roughly how long we'd spend under water and SI options and see when we'll be having lunch... that sort of thing. It's not like we actually plan multi-level rec dives past "let's go that way, no deeper than X, first one to hit half tank we turn and go back slowly coming up" (or something along those lines).