Suunto Zoop vs Suunto Zoop Novo

[Oldbear]

I've known, trusted, respected, the Suunto name for top compasses for ages. But frankly what I keep hearing about the company, and experiencing when I contact them, has me scared. They can routinely take 2-4 weeks to answer an email, and their answer is usually "Ask your local dealer" when the question was too technical and the dealer said "Ask Suunto."
And not that I put complete trust in online reviews or in store clerks, but I've seen a lot of both saying the Zoops like to fail a couple of months after the warranty ends. You'll notice, no extended warranty (not even from the third parties that cover all kinds of electronics on Amazon and eBay) will cover dive computers. That says something.
I have gone over the manuals on the Zoop, Leonardo, Mares Puck, and the Zoop display and interface certainly look subtly better than the others. Like having 5 ascent rates instead of three. And just having a clearer display, in case you are getting confused while trying to read it, for whatever reason.
Suunto won't even recognize that there are three generations of Zoop (according to the dealers) with unspecified internal differences. And as of last month, wouldn't even tell me the Nova was about to be released, apparently a week later.
I'm not really impressed with the "human interface", the display and ease of use, of any of them. IIRC (and I may not) if there's an excessive surface interval, you can always scram the Zoop and do a total reset. But if you follow the discussions about bubbles and microbubbles from DAN and other sources, the surface intervals are NOT excessive. The USN taught me that there were "cold water tables" back when the dive industry said there was no such thing. Well, funny thing, even PADI tables tell you to bump over one group for cold water now. (Cold, by USN definition, means you are wearing more than a bathing suit.) Do any of the computers take that into account? Certainly none of these mention it, just "personal comfort" or other "conservative diving" factors.
Computers, very nice. Nice that they can monitor ascent rates--often to unspecified degrees, on the edge of the display. Not very prominent for such important information. But dive tables never flood, leak, or malfunction. And their warranty is way more than one year.(G)

I have not seen these reports where the Zoops fail right after the warranty expires. Nor have I ever heard any dive store I have been associated with ever seen this failure. Could it have happen...I suppose it could have; it is an electronic device. I have bought several used and new Zoops and they all are still working great...200-300 dives, 2-5 years old.

You said, "Last month Suunto wouldn't tell you they were releasing the Novo a week later." Last month was May, the Novo was release in March...did Suunto tell you or did some salesman tell you? Sounds like you got stuck with old stock.

Dive tables are a great backup for a computer, but a computer will generate a much more robust NDL. I rarely dive a profile that resembles a table. I have had students plan a dive with a table then compare it to a computer...close but not the same.

 

[Rred]

Michael-
As I said, communicating with Suunto can be fun. (Not.) Yes, they are Finnish and communicating in English, or even worse, American English, must be terribly difficult for them, but I suspect other firms have found ways past that.(G)
They didn't even mention the Novo existed. Or had been released. Or would exist. They deny there are three revisions of the Zoop on the market, making the unsaid point that there must be so many liars on the internet. (OK, we know there are some, but to what point?)
And again, there's that warranty thing. A "respected" 40 year old shop, that sells Zoop, told me they are junk. Probably trying to upsell me, but that's what they called it. All of which leaves me like a restaurant customer watching EMS take away another diner, while the waiter says "Don't mind that, it has nothing to do with the shellfish poisoning." Yeah, maybe so, but I still don't feel comfortable with it.
As to computers providing a more "robust" NDL? I don't want robust. I want conservative. I don't want to wake up in burn ward or an iron lung, so I sometimes take the more conservative route on things as I get older. In fact, some recent research has indicated that cellular changes in the blood vessels (aging cells that are smaller than younger ones) may affect the risk of decompression sickness in older divers. Not yet proven--but a recent DAN article indicated they fully expect it to be proven. Which means those of us who are well past 30, damn well out to be diving more conservatively than the tables, which are designed for the 18-26 year old peak physical condition guys. My first change to any computer I use, will be to set it "up" one extra "personal factor" group. And if I'm wearing a wetsuit? Yup, up two groups.
The tables are more conservative? OK, that works too.(G)
Mind you, I want more bottom time, every time, all the time. I'm just not going to risk paralysis and other permanent damage in order to play with the fishies. Not unless there's gold and emeralds within reach down there! (And lots of them, too.(G)

 

[DulErdian]

I'm thinking to get 1 for me too. I think this will be a good backup for my current D4i, as I saw from youtube that the display and algorithm seems very identical (or probably the same) to D4i. Or probably this will be my main computer, while the D4i will be the backup.. .

Having 2 dive computers is not a bad idea. I've seen a friend who her divecomp (D4i) failed (flooded) during our 3rd dive of 11 planned dives. The next dive she used another dive computer (Suunto Zoop), rented from the diveshop.
It's kind of risky to lost track on the last consecutive dives and continued to the next dive with a 'fresh' dive computer.
I don't know exactly how she did it, whether she make some adjustment using dive table or have planned dive setting in her computer. She's a divemaster, and I'm just an advance open water..so I made assumption that she knew what she was doing.

 

[stuartv]

I have heard that the Zoop does not have Gauge Mode but the Novo does. If the Novo comes with a data cable, has a backlight, and has Gauge mode, and the Zoop does not have any of those things, then the Novo seems EASILY worth an extra $50.

I wouldn't buy either one, personally. But, between the 2, the Novo does seem worth the extra money.

 

[undrwater]

If you're lucky enough to get a zoop with a good sensor, they're very robust.

Sensor failure rate seems to be pretty high on these devices though.

 

[Steve_C]

You are going for your DM. I have a zoop and X where X was an Aeris until it died and now is a scubapro. I have several hundred dives watching both zoop and X. If you actually become a DM, depending on where you dive you can find yourself in the situation where you are guiding some divers and you are running out of NDL on your second dive and they are showing 10-15 minutes and plenty of air left. Not a problem in the Keys or shallow reef dives, usually not a problem teaching since those dives are usually only 20-30 minutes and shallow, but it is an issue in the 70-100+ range diving nitrox. If I am diving with a rental DM and I have to cut my dive shorter by 10-15 minutes the tip is shrinking. Nobody is getting bent on X.

 

[CassieNYC]

I like the zoop novo. The fourth button (vs. three on the zoop) makes the menus easier to navigate.

 

[buddhasummer]

As was alluded to above the Zoop does not have gauge mode, the Novo does. The Novo also has a backlight. If I was considering either I'd spring for the extra $50 and get the Novo. I owned a Gekko, earlier Zoop, for many years until I lost it, super simple and super reliable. Which ever you choose buy a DSS bungee mount, best thing since sliced bread makes on/off a breeze and will accommodate various thicknesses
of exposure protection.

 

[Swan007]

The Zoop has been discontinued, but there are some still available to purchase. This could make for some good bargains. I'd go the Zoop Novo. It has more features over the Zoop but not too much more in cost.

 

[Telstar2112]

Right now on amazon, in the US, its a lot more than $50 difference, $199 vs $329 and neither comes with the computer cable. The backlight is nice but this makes it a tougher choice. Can you just shine your light on it, or is that usually so bright you cannot read it?