Shearwater Perdix AI

[tbone1004]

While I don't doubt your logic, especially in caves. But if you have a backup spg, why would a transmitter failure bin the dive? Surely with just an spg, you're doing nothing different from the way you do things now?

if you bring an analog SPG because you don't trust the WAI transmitter, why do you have it in the first place? If you trust it to use it, then you don't need an analog SPG following the logic of it fails, you just turn the dive, nbd, annoying, but wouldn't be any different than your computer failing, or a hp hose on that tank failing or any other myriad of reasons. If you don't trust it, why do you have it in the first place? A few years ago there were lots of trust issues with the transmitters to the point that even for recreational dives you wanted a backup because the odds of failure were very high. Now, the issue is the reliability and ease of use with multiple transmitters especially those that may be deposited and you need them to reconnect when you pick them back up, and all of that is compounded by a large size and high cost. We now finally have a proper computer that is receiving the information from them which is a huge leap forward and it is reasonably priced at 2/3 the cost of the Eon Steel, but the transmitters are still very expensive and not practical for what we are doing. If I was doing recreational only diving or ocean only diving, I would be very tempted to buy into the WAI with the Perdix with 2 transmitters.

 

[scubadada]

I'm very happy for you Craig, finally getting what you hoped for!!

Thanks Craig, I just had to be patient. I think most everyone has what they want now

 

[jhnmdahl]

I don't think that people distrust AI believing that it will give them incorrect information, just that it may from time to time fail to communicate and give ANY information. Fortunately this seems to be the way in which wireless air integrated computers fail.

I suspect (hope) that the transmitters and dive computers are intentionally constructed not to use incorrect information if correct information is unavailable. It should be relatively easy for a diver to check his SPG and know how much air he has left to complete a dive if his transmitter fails, but much more serious problems might result from believing he has 1500 psi left when he only has 500 psi.

John

 

[stuartv]

if you bring an analog SPG because you don't trust the WAI transmitter, why do you have it in the first place?

As a convenience and a data recording device.

For recreational dives, I use a WAI transmitter with no backup SPG. If the transmitter died during a dive, I would probably not turn the dive. Maybe, but it would not just be an automatic decision.

For any dive where losing the AI would mean automatically turning the dive, I would put an SPG on the 1st stage... and still use the AI.

But, I don't see myself buying extra transmitters just to use on deco cylinders or stage cylinders. For those, just an SPG is adequate.

 

[Scared Silly]

DEMA setup has begun, I heard that if you stop by Shearwater's booth and show them a Petrel/Perdix bought in the last six months they will give you a new pair of blue panties embossed with their logo on the butt to replace the ones that ya got all up bunches. Hopefully that will make ya feel better.

In the mean time: Should Shearwater make a talking computer called the Parrot??

 

[Joneill]

if you bring an analog SPG because you don't trust the WAI transmitter, why do you have it in the first place? If you trust it to use it, then you don't need an analog SPG following the logic of it fails, you just turn the dive, nbd, annoying, but wouldn't be any different than your computer failing, or a hp hose on that tank failing or any other myriad of reasons. If you don't trust it, why do you have it in the first place?

I'll get it for convenience - that way I can normally see all the info I need to know about my dive in one glance at my dive computer versus having to check a separate SPG as well. However, I'll still keep my SPG attached to my reg for redundancy - that way in the unlikely event the transmitter fails, I would not need to turn the dive as I'd just switch to checking gas on the SPG. The other reason is to automatically capture/log starting and ending tank pressures... so, for me it is about convenience: it's a nice to have but I'll keep the SPG as well.

 

[tbone1004]

@stuartv stage cylinders are just as important in backgas. In fact, the dive we went on with the gear above, the only thing we used backgas for was inflation as that was our bailout from the DPV's and a few breaths during gas switches. The dive was conducted essentially exclusively on the stage cylinders

 

[admikar]

Hmm, I think mine was $720 new. Not exactly the kind of price decline from retail I was hoping to see

Yet...

You two can't keep your mouth shut? Like I said keep it low! Shut up and wait!
More seriously now, one of possible problems I see, how is GTR/deco relation implemented? Since SW computers are regarded as great tech computers, and there is consensus that dive training is in a decline over time, how many of incompetent divers would be tempted to try more demanding dives on a premise: it is all fine, I know how much gas time I have by looking at my computer?
I know of some divers that are kept back only be need to calculate their remaining bottom time vs available gas. Take that away and they would start pushing it.

 

[Doby45]

@Doby45 if the proverbial sh!t hits the fan, it doesn't matter what is in the tanks. It is either enough to get out or it isn't. Looking at the SPG's doesn't make them go down any slower. A transmitter failure with a backup analog spg could allow you to continue that dive if you want to, but you have had a piece of equipment fail, the dive is over, come out.

I never implied that you would go on with the dive. Two is one, one is none is not lost on me. I was simply saying that it would be very nice that you could use smaller backup SPGs that you would not normally use and yet still have a safe redundancy. How many people right now are sidemounting button SPGs, I would say very little to none.

 

[tbone1004]

@Doby45 none that I know of except for maybe @NetDoc and a few others that are already using WAI. The problem with the button gauges is you can't continue on with the dive because they are very difficult to see * with most tank rigging you have to unclip the bottom of the bottle to swing it up enough to see it*, and they aren't precise enough to actually do gas planning. They are good enough for "I'm full ish", "I'm halfway ish", and "I'm out ish", that's about it. Accuracy on those to me is +500psi, vs the normal spg's that are +100psi