I really don't share the opinion that Suuntos are overly conservative. In fact the point of my post above was to gather proof that Suuntos really aren't as bad as some folks make them seem. More to the point, conservatism is an excellent thing. There could come a point, I suppose, when a computer becomes so conservative that it hinders the joy of a diving experience. Of course, DCS can hinder a diving experience too.
My knowledge of Suuntos comes from four sources.
1. My Dive Buddy's Mosquito
2. A Dive Instructor
3. ScubaBoard
4. Suunto Manuals
I've heard negative comments regarding Suuntos from both #1 and #3.
My buddy's mosquito is what started my curiosity. He often ties his mosquito to the anchor line while my computer still has decent NDL time left. This usually happens on one of our repeat dives of the day. Of course, compared to the Zeagle Status II I dive, most computers will be conservative. Which is one reason I am curious about Suuntos, as they seem to be excellent computers and I'm afraid that this Zeagle is going to get me in trouble. But, it is a computer I can take to Bikini and the Suuntos are not.
My buddy hates his Mosquito, and told me that Vipers are better. This demonstrates his lack of understanding of his computer, which is why he has to tie it off (which I tell him he shouldn't do anyway). All Suuntos use the RGBM algorithm and can only be adjusted to add more conservatism (save the Vytec which has 50%RGBM mode). Thus, the Viper will behave the same.
It occurs to me that my buddy is an underwater cowboy, and doesn't understand that when he violates ascent rates, profiles, mandatory/optional safety stops, etc the RGBM algorithm will penalize you for it. Especially on subsequent dives. I've heard similar complaints on this board, which caught my attention. However after a bit of research, I realize that the common denominator here is bad diving practices. Suuntos, if you know how they work, will actually make a novice diver better. I believe that those who have had bad experience with Suuntos aren't diving within the parameters it sets.
As far as initial vs. subsequent NDL's are concerned, my instructor did an in depth comparison of 4 computers: VR3, Nitek3, Mosquito, and Status II. He never violated the Suunto parameters, thus the NDL's were very similar during the initial dives. It was the deco times that were the most noticeable difference. I'm not sure that the Suuntos are suitable for serious deco diving... which many would argue that no computer is. Which is why I am actually considering buying a Suunto Vytec... it has a nifty gauge mode complete with stop watch. However, I'm not sure I can take it to Bikini.
The purpose of this book is to explain my thoughts on why I should purchase the Zeagle Status II I am using vs buying a Vytec. The Status II will be $150 less, can be taken to Bikini, and is enjoyably liberal with no lockouts. The down-side to it is that I can't find much feed-back on it. I know they like it at Bikini. I just don't want it to get me bent. The Vytec on the other hand would be an equally usable rec computer, however I can't take it to Bikini and the instructor told me the 4 Vytecs he has seen since their inception have all failed. Yikes.
So in conclusion:
1. I argue that Suuntos aren't overly conservative, they just aren't understood.
2. Conservatism is always good.
