Single most important factor in choosing a recreational dive computer

[boulderjohn]

I was merely trying to make a clarification, If, I caused any confusion.There's no need to be rude, or arrogant (Which, seems somewhat difficult for you.?) Not everyone has money, and may buy used, or older gear, and ....Please, forgive me....I didn't see the clause that stated it had to be "On the market today."

I am sorry if I came across as rude, but you keep saying that computers will lock you out if you go into deco. I added "on the market today" as a qualifier in case some early prototype did that. I do not know of any computer ever made that would do that. You said there are many, and you keep repeating that. I asked you earlier to list some of the the computers that do lock people out if they went into deco. If there are some that may be in use today but not on the current market, it would be a great service to this audience for you to name them here.

 

[Boston Breakwater]

I am sorry if I came across as rude, but you keep saying that computers will lock you out if you go into deco. I added "on the market today" as a qualifier in case some early prototype did that. I do not know of any computer ever made that would do that. You said there are many, and you keep repeating that. I asked you earlier to list some of the the computers that do lock people out if they went into deco. If there are some that may be in use today but not on the current market, it would be a great service to this audience for you to name them here.

Haaa. Nice turn around. You've been awarded a seat next to Fbone in the "Ignore." section.

 

[Mike1967]

No computer on the market today will lock you out just because you went into deco. None. Zero. Nada. Zilch.

So, the Suunto HelO2 does accelerated decompression, and it will lock you out while you are still in the water if you ascend sooner than it wants you to.

I'm confused, which is it?

Edit: oh I think I get it

 

[dmaziuk]

I'm confused, which is it?

Edit: oh I think I get it

They don't lock you out if you go into deco. They will lock you out for violating their deco schedule. The exact definitions of violating and lock out vary.

Mine, for example, will be stuck on its calculated deco stop and time even if you stay a couple of meter below it for twice as long. If you do the stop exactly how it wants, it'll switch back to its happy little no-stop mode and compute you the NDL of 99 -- but if you go up instead, it'll drop into Violation Gauge Mode for 24 hours after a couple of minutes on the surface.

But it won't lock you out for letting your NDL count to 0.

 

[Mike1967]

Yeah but they're talking about it locking you out when you're still underwater?

 

[KenGordon]

Yeah but they're talking about it locking you out when you're still underwater?

Yes, but it is very hard to get a ceiling below 3m on these computers and practically impossible as a ‘recreational’ diver on a single without a deco gas. This means that the only point in the dive when you will get a hard error is as you surface. If that happens either something went badly wrong and you were forced to surface or you were not paying attention and need to go to the remedial class. In both cases having a computer in a broken state only helps as it lets the grown ups notice that it is time to get the O2 kit out and think about calling a helicopter.

 

[Mike1967]

So, the Suunto HelO2 does accelerated decompression, and it will lock you out while you are still in the water if you ascend sooner than it wants you to.

This means that the only point in the dive when you will get a hard error is as you surface.

Again, which one is it?

 

[Diving Dubai]

What Suunto computer is being used for "Accelerated Decompression.

Given that Accelerated Decompression means a gas switch, any Suunto that allows multiple gasses.

I don't hide the fact I like my Eon, much more than my Perdix, and I'll be a huge supporter of the Eon having over 1000 dives on it especially against people who come up with some nonsense or rumour they've heard and parrot as fact despite having never dived one.

I'm made some pretty aggressive dives, including not my best decision bounce dives etc, I've made PDQ (pretty damn quick) ascents from 15m with no SS when being in the water was more dangerous than getting out quickly. Yes my computer has bleeped incessantly at me. - ahs it locked me out? Nope!

@KenGordon said Algorithms are not that important (for rec and light tech - I would agree. Last year I made a 44 repetitive dive sequence, some requiring deco, most on scooters with some not pretty profiles. At the end there was still no difference in NDL nor Deco obligations between my Perdix at GF 45-95 and Eon at P-2 (Fused RGBM)

Such was the SB negativity Suunto left the board, repeated again with Deep 6 because posters just never learn. Is Suunto perfect? But then neither is Shearwater but lots of the negativity I see is just hearsay and mostly wrong.

 

[stuartv]

A Zoop will. Take it to 60m for a bit with it set to 21%. Use 40 and 80 for deco, by the time you get to about 8m it is telling you to stop, your other computer, the one that knows about the 40 and 80, will let you go to 6 and 3 minutes later the Zoop will only show depth and time.

I was doing a deep deco dive with a friend who had just purchased a dive shop. We had planned the dive on desktop software, which we planned to execute using bottom timers. Because he had just bought a dive shop, Suunto had given him a HelO2 computer to try out, and he took it along to see what it would do. He set the options as best as he could to match the desktop program we were using. We followed the desktop ascent profile perfectly, but the Suunto was not at all happy with us. It wanted us to stop deeper, and it wanted us to stay deep longer. We followed the desktop plan, and on the 30 foot stop, the Suunto went into error mode.

So, the Suunto HelO2 does accelerated decompression, and it will lock you out while you are still in the water if you ascend sooner than it wants you to. (At least, that was true back then.)

Thank you to both. I learned something new today. In theory, anyway. In practice, I already had a No Suunto purchase policy... LOL

 

[scubadada]

This thread has veered dramatically away fom the single most important factor in choosing a recreational computer.

OK with me. Those who know me, know that I am quite interested in the general topic