Suunto D4 vs. Oceanic Geo 2.0

[RTB_girl85]

Hi there, I am a relatively new diver and am planning on doing my DMT in the spring, so here I am buying my first wrist computer, woot! I am stuck between two options and need some help deciding. I really like the Suunto D4 and the Oceanic Geo 2.0 (I was also kind of interested in the regular Geo but it is actually uncomfortable since the battery sticks out on the watch back).

Any thoughts or suggestions would be great. I really would like a good warranty, easy to use software, good customer service, can turn off or customize alarms/beeps, and reliable. Which would you buy and why? Thanks guys! :fish:

 

[DiveNav]

use the Dive Computers Research too to see side-by-side comparison

If you want to see them in action, we have online classes - with lots of videos - for both.

Alberto (aka eDiver)

 

[RTB_girl85]

Cool thanks, ya I have compared them both and like them the same, was just curious if others had any advice or liked one over the other or had any particular experience with either!

 

[NCadiver]

I would go with the D4 you will get longer battery life and you would use the dive profile more than you would use the dual algorithm. And the manual is much better.

 

[fdog]

I went through 4 Geo's, every one of them failed.

I replaced the Geo with a D4 a year ago. It has been flawless.


All the best, James

PS - it's worth mentioning that they were Geo ver 1

 

[drrich2]

Some people on the forum have posted about Suunto's having more conservative algorithms and giving shorter NDL times than some competing products. I take it that may've been an issue with older products? Does anyone know how the Suunto D4 would stack up to the Geo 2 head-to-head on this? If 2 divers, one wearing each, dropped down to 80 feet & sat there, who'd have to call the dive first? Wonder by how much?

Richard.

 

[fdog]

As far as I can tell that's still true.

Earlier this year I was curious, so I wore my D4 along side my X1 (runs V-Planner Live) while in Yap.

On the second day of diving 32%, I would routinely be at 60' at the end of a 50-60 minute, multi-level dive, and the readings would be:

• D4: 10 minutes of deco
• X1: 40 minutes of NDL remaining

Sine I run V-Planner at +3; it is certainly not "liberal" by any means. The shape of VPM is distinctly different from whatever algorithm the Suuntos run, too.

Conservative is not necessarily bad, it all depends on what your body is telling you.

All the best, James

 

[RTB_girl85]

Gotcha, ya I'm a newish diver so a conservative watch wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Is it something you can ignore? Like will it beep at you once those 10mins of deco diving are up? I think it would be fine for me...I really just need to get a computer and start using it to better understand what everyone is talking about (ie it being conservative and all). I've heard similar things about the regular geo and am leaning towards d4. Thanks!

 

[CT Sean]

Some people on the forum have posted about Suunto's having more conservative algorithms and giving shorter NDL times than some competing products. I take it that may've been an issue with older products? Does anyone know how the Suunto D4 would stack up to the Geo 2 head-to-head on this? If 2 divers, one wearing each, dropped down to 80 feet & sat there, who'd have to call the dive first? Wonder by how much?

Richard.

According to the owner's manuals of the respective computers (assuming diving on air):

Geo 2.0: 30 mins NDL @ 80 feet (DSAT algorithm)
26 mins with PZ+

D4: 28 mins @ 80 feet


It looks more interesting in this ScubaDiving.com test comparison from a couple years ago (the Geo uses the same DSAT algorythm as the Compumask, XR1, etc...)

http://www.scubadiving.com/files/old/images/pdf/200806_chambertest.pdf

In the second dive - according to their tests - about 37 minutes into the dive, at 40 feet, the GEO would have about 45 mins NDL remaining while the D4 has hit its NDL.

 

[drrich2]

Well, if you dive with a group (such as on a charter boat trip in the Caribbean, or on a live-aboard), and your dive computer alarm keeps beeping, people will be looking around trying to figure out what the problem is (& who's got it). And I saw a recent post from someone who mentioned some live-aboard had a policy that if you come back with your dive computer indicating you've blown your NDL limit on the dive, you're done diving for that day.

Also, if you get used to ignoring your alarm, you might someday ignore it when you really shouldn't.

I would shy away from a conservative computer, but I have noticed from the forum that some people really like Suuntos. Given how many brands & models are out there, I wonder just what its major advantages are, but I've never used one. I'm not knocking Suunto; just suggesting you consider how shorter bottom times may impact you. From your user name I infer you're a woman, so you may have smaller body size & lung volume than many men, and do very well on air over time. An air hog like me who gets maybe 40 minutes on an 80 cf aluminum tank might have a different situation going from a woman who could clear an hour on that same tank!

Richard.