Shearwater Perdix Air Integrated...Opinions

[Michael Thomas]

Good Afternoon fellow divers.
I am reaching out in the technical threads because I know most of you dive the shearwaters and with the experience you all carry.
I recently got the Perdix as a birthday gift and when I say recently I mean with in the last month. It was never used and returning it might not be an option...regardless that has nothing to do with this tread.
My question to all of you is when I was researching for a new computer...the decesion was to get a NON AIR INTEGRATED or AIR INTEGRATED dive computer. I feel the feed back was to go NON AIR INTEGRATED and go with the Shearwater Perdix. Some said the air integrated computers were unreliable and should not be trusted.
Is that the same feeling about the Shearwater Perdix AI????? Being its new or stay away in general to AI computers.
Thanks
Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[guruboy]

Honestly, it seems too expensive to go AI beyond two tanks.

I've had no issues with reliability with my Luna.

 

[tbone1004]

the rational arguments against AI computers were because none of the AI computers out there made sense. They were either too expensive, Suunto Eon Steel, or too expensive for what they were *basically everything else. Had nothing really to do with the AI, just the computers themselves. Now, the answer is still buy a Perdix, and if you think you might want WAI, then get the AI version because it doesn't discount anything about the computer itself

 

[Lorenzoid]

. . . Some said the air integrated computers were unreliable and should not be trusted. Is that the same feeling about the Shearwater Perdix AI?????

Well, that's the million dollar question. The Perdix AI was JUST released, and there is no feedback from divers yet. I think we have to wait and see in the coming weeks and months what people have to say about their experiences.

I don't have an AI computer. From what I have read on SB--probably the same things you have read--they all suffer to one extent or another from occasional glitches, whether due to distance between the transmitter and receiver, low transmitter battery, interference from some other source, or something unexplained. Failure to "pair," momentary loss of connectivity, etc. My understanding is that such glitches may be few and far between--some people may have no problems for even hundreds of dives. Still, I would not want to have a computer that I have come to rely on as being rock-solid suffer from even a momentary lapse. It would shake my faith in the reliability of it as a whole. But I am probably in the minority. There are a great many SB'ers who seem to love their AI computers, even if they have observed a glitch at some point.

If there is any company out there capable of producing an AI computer that suffers no such glitches, I believe it would be Shearwater. However, they are using the same transmitter as other companies.

 

[RandomGuy1]

If I had the money I would run a perdix AI, but it wouldn't replace my spg. I would like to have it simply for tracking my gas consumption when logging my dives. I currently dive a petrel 2 that replaced a vyper air and that is the only thing I miss from the vyper. Since at the level I am currently at I would never have more than backgas and 1 deco bottle, 2 transmitters would work.

 

[RyanT]

I'm with @Lorenzoid on this. I personally don't care for AI. For me, I clip a big spg on my left D-ring. It's super easy to glance down and see. As such, the added complexity/batteries of AI just aren't for me. With that said, I also won't tell you that you are going to die if you use AI. I love my non-AI perdix and have no intention of "upgrading." Now, if you think you really, really need to upgrade, I'll give you $50 for your "old one!"

 

[tbone1004]

if diving backmount, either single or manifolded doubles, I would run AI Perdix and it would replace my SPG. That would be for everything including cave diving. Will be interesting to see how it works with sidemount, but the cost of a pair of transmitters is prohibitive for me to commit to the switch.

 

[AJ]

Been diving with a buddy of mine last wekkend who was always pro AI, but bought a new computer without AI. Why? Because he does not see any benefit anymore. Other buddy's can't live without AI and won't even consider a computer without AI. Me myself don't care the least about AI, never did.

The question if AI is reliable is therefore somewhat irrelevant. Backup with an SPG and there's no problem. More failure points? Yeah, but with so many o-rings in your gear that can fail does it really matter? So, the only real and true question is: do you want it?

 

[Aotus]

If I had the money I would run a perdix AI, but it wouldn't replace my spg. I would like to have it simply for tracking my gas consumption when logging my dives.

+1

IF money was not an issue, I might consider trying out a pair of transmitters on a perdix, but would keep my spgs on my SM tanks. If I were seriously considering it without considering cost, I would be looking at how much bulk the transmitters add, whether they would require a change in hose routing or first stage position (since I would not consider removing my current spgs), whether the added tank graphics on my computer overcomplicates or clutters the screen, and then I would think about whether having the crutch would negatively impact my diving habits (e.g. would checking my spgs less leave me vulnerable to overlooking a potential error in the computer, or train me to not be as aware of my spg position or less flexible to reach it). These issues are not unique to the shearwater computers, however, and if any company were to make an AI system that I would trust, it would be shearwater. Thankfully (I guess), money IS an issue, so I will keep my trusty petrel 1 and not play around with AI.

 

[PfcAJ]

Doesn't add value for technical diving imo. Maybe for gas tracking but I already know my sac so...