Suunto Cobra: seeking for advice

[JPTM]

Hi,

I'm currently diving with Suunto Stinger. We do some dives at home but generally go on dive trips including liveaboards and I'm considering some backup.

I'm thinking about the Cobra, which has the advantage of AI. As it is very similar to the Stinger it would allow me to dive with both simultaneously without significant reading diferences. In case of failure of the Stinger I could continue the dives with the Cobra; in case of failure of the Cobra I could continue with the Stinger, connecting a pressure gauge to my regulator.

I'd like to have some advice, to know experiences with Cobra and to know if the Cobra is easly dettacheable from the hose for transportation.

Thanks

 

[SM Diver]

The COBRA could not be easier to detach from the high pressure hose. Just push in a little and twist. One second it takes. It's a great unit, and I enjoy uploading my dives and analyzing them.

 

[Former FLL Now MSP Diver]

JPTM once bubbled...
if the Cobra is easly dettacheable from the hose for transportation.

It's very easy to detach IF you have the optional Suunto quick connect. I got mine at Diveinn for $58 including shipping.

Someone told me that any model quick connect would work, and Leisure Pro has one by Oceanic for $30 plus shipping. I was hesitant to try it, but it makes sense. The connectors to the hose and computer should be universal.

Marc

 

[Scubamedicjoe]

all i got to say is i love mine and yes i dont have a back up but there again thought about it several times but to this day i have searched and found no failures that made anyone abort a dive now that i have said this someone will report one when i asked while back do you need a backup i got the answere no

 

[buff]

The Cobra is nice-no doubt.

But have you seen the Vytec??!!!

Wrist mount! Oh, My God!

Price! Oh, My God!

www.diveinn.com has them for about $800.00. It's what I would get if I did it again.

 

[Mouth Breather old]

If I had a Stinger right now, I would get a Vytec AI as my primary computer. I have an Air Z Nitrox AI and a SmartCom on a hose.
Nice having same display layout. So I hve two pressure gauges, two depth gauges, two computers beeping...constantly reminding me that I am breathing too hard and don't know how to ascend slowly ;-)

Mouth Breather

 

[mddolson]

I used a Suunto EON for 3 years,
then upgraded to the Cobra, for Nitrox.
I like the air integration, it gives me a remaining air time (at curent rate of consumption) read out.
I cannot comment on quick detach, don't have it.

Mike D
:blfish:

 

[divedivedive!]

Hi JPTM,

I did it the other way round. Have had my Cobra for about 18 months now, and recently got my hands on a 2nd-hand Stinger. I'd been looking out for a back-up computer to my Cobra because about a year back, it failed me at the start of a night dive. Because I was very comfortable on that particular site, I was able to finish the dive using my buddy's depth gauge and... umm... hoping I had enough air. NOT recommended! Point is, it was screwed (had to be sent back to Scandinavia) for the last 3 days of that trip and I was computerless. So anyway now with my new Stinger (you beauty you) should the Cobra fail, I'll still have the back-up as far as N2-loading goes, and I carry a spare SPG so I won't even miss a single other dive.

Sounds like the same plan as yours. I say go for it, they're both great pieces of kit. Might piss the whole boat off with all the beeping Suuntos will do though.

 

[SeaOtter]

In regards to DiveDiveDive's reply...may I ask exactly what happened when your Suunto Cobra failed you? My NEW Cobra also failed me on the last dive of a two day live-aboard last week.

 

[divedivedive!]

Hi SeaOtter... it stalled at the start of a shore dive, at about the moment we got submerged. Basically, it was stuck in some weird mode wherein the screen only said "Plan" and nothing else and no pressing of buttons would change the screen display. It was fixed in this mode for about a week before I sent it to the dealers who I was told had it sent back to the Suunto HQ in Scandinavia, where they I believe replaced the whole board circuitry cos they couldn't figure out the problem either. Only good thing to come out of this is they changed the batteries FOC for me...

Hope this helps, although given the sketchy info I don't see how it could possibly have