Torn Between Two Computers

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This was a long time go, how many years are we going to drag this up, time to let it go.

Does not seem a long time ago to me. I just remember the feck off go away we won't repair or replace your pressure sensor.
So I did feck off and bought a Perdix AI. In my mid 50's years old I wanted something I could bloody see on night dives as well. IN that regard the Sunnto was shite. Very difficult to see even with the back light. Also two large buttons to do things on the Perdix vs 4 tiny buttons on the Suunto was another factor. Another thing is the battery is easily replaced on the Perdix. What joy I don't need to get it done with special tools the Suunta Vyper had to be torn apart to change a battery.

As the OP is not looking for a watch has poor eyesight the Peregrine is what I would advise to buy.

I do mainly recreational dives. One thing I have noticed, wearing my Perdix nobody bothers me with questions like are you an experienced diver cause I don't like insta buddy newbies with not a lot of dives. For me I will happily dive with others who have less experience.
 
The Suunto algorithm is, put simply, conservative. You cant mix it with a computer with a less conservative algorithm and not experience what you did.

The conservativeness of the Suunto algorithm is an attempt to make a dive computer that keeps the average recreational diver safe. Multiple dives over multiple days increases risk to the diver. Scaling back time at depth during a multi-dive scenario is one way to address this increased risk. Also, increasing conservativeness based on diver error such as rapid ascents or missed mandatory stops is another way to reduce risk.

My dive vacations are doing 10 - 15 days straight diving with 3 or 4 dives a day. I run a GF 45/95 on my Perdix. Never had any issues if staying within NDL limits diving this way. There is no mandatory stop for a diver who does not exceed NDL but it's wise to do the safety stop. Usually the last 10 - 15 minutes of my dive is at 5m taking photos or video on the reefs.
 
Again, thank you all for your thoughtful replies, Of all of them, Hoag's clicked with me the most

If you are seriously considering the PERDIX as your next computer but it is currently above your budget, then I think you have your answer. The Peregrine and the PERDIX use the same model (Bulmann) so if you get the Peregrine now, when you do move up to the PERDIX, it will not only be a very familiar layout for the info, but you will be able to use your Peregrine as a backup and know that the info will be virtually identical between the two computers for any given dive profile even over several days of multiple dives per day (like on a LOB for example).

The layout and manipulation of the menus will be very similar. If you see a PERDIX down the road in your future, then a Peregrine would be your logical entry level starting point.

In the "best of both worlds" category, I tried to act fast, but this link is not working for me and a word search in our classifieds does not bring it up:


As I have read, this forum may be "biased" toward Shearwater, but it is where I will be returning, time and again, for advice and guidance. For me, it is always disconcerting when someone asks for advice, time and effort is taken to meaningfully give it, and then it is promptly ignored. "Biased" or not, this is my ecosystem.

At this point, the loss of a integrated digital compass does not seem much of a concession at all. Given the costs of an AI transmitter, when stacked up against all of the other purchases I will need to make, I can easily see putting off AI for quite a while, if not indefinitely. So compromising on the computer itself for a feature I will possible use "someday" seems ill advised.

As a result, I see, a Peregrine in my future, for all of the various reasons posted.

Thank you all again, very much, for your time and insights.

I will now bug you all with my questions regarding an appropriate exposure suit, which I will post under a new thread. I am asking these questions back to back as I am hoping to buy both items simultaneously and asap from my LDS. Then I will hold for a little bit (financial safety stop?), renting the rest of my equipment until the next round.

"Thank you" just scratches the surface...
 
As I have read, this forum may be "biased" toward Shearwater, but it is where I will be returning, time and again, for advice and guidance. For me, it is always disconcerting when someone asks for advice, time and effort is taken to meaningfully give it, and then it is promptly ignored. "Biased" or not, this is my ecosystem.

I love it when I read this. Biased why??? Certainly not because Shearwater is giving us all discounts, giving us free stuff, pouring money into Scubaboard, etc, etc.

This forum (Scubaboard) is biased toward Shearwater for the same reason it is biased toward BP/W and alternate hose routings beyond the standard taught in most certification courses. It is because most of us dive alot and we've gravitated toward solutions that work optimally for our diving.

If ScubaBoard is "biased" toward Shearwater it's only because Shearwater makes exceptional products and provides exceptional customer service. There isn't anything nefarious at play here!

Kudos to you @Patrick Star for not ignore our "biased" advice. :)

Here’s mine. Show us yours when you get it!

6319F4D2-9792-4221-B862-BC7FD990F2FB.jpeg
 
I will now bug you all with my questions regarding an appropriate exposure suit, which I will post under a new thread. I am asking these questions back to back as I am hoping to buy both items simultaneously and asap from my LDS. Then I will hold for a little bit (financial safety stop?), renting the rest of my equipment until the next round.
You are leaving one mine field but step into a potentially bigger one!!!!!
Exposure suit?
Dry or wet?
Cold or warm?
Wet suit is easy to deal with.
Dry suit??????

Good luck.
 
If the watch format isn't an issue, what about the Deep 6 Excursion? Doesn't it use the same or very similar algorithm as the Shearwaters? The savings can be put toward other dive gear, and it will become a good backup DC down the road. Just a thought.
 
Hello Divers,

After a long hiatus, I am getting back into diving. The inspiration is a trip to Roatan a year from now, but I plan to get started practicing and diving here in my local New England as soon as I acquire a thick enough wetsuit to get the party started.

From reading here and elsewhere, it appears desirable to have you own computer, both to keep track of all your dives and because if it is yours and not rented, your comfort level with it will only grow. As a beginner, I know I don't need all the bells and whistles, so i have been focusing on entry level models. There are two that are at just about the same price that I am stuck on.

Everyone on our Forum raves about the Shearwater Peregrine, and it looks wonderful and solid. From what I have read, a new diver could not go wrong getting this computer.

At about the same price point, one could also acquire a Suunto Vyper. As I understand it, the Vyper is good unit and adds a few things the Peregrine does not have, like a compass and the ability to add air integration at a later point, which I would enjoy so that I could monitor my air use progress. Given the legendary New England visibility, a compass seems like it would come in handy too.

A good thing to know about me is that I am not much of an upgrader. I tend to do my research, spend a bit more than bargain basement, and keep things for a long time. If I chose the Peregrine, I will not be upgrading it soon. The Vyper strikes me as something I can grow into, but perhaps at the cost of some quality and the legendary Shearwater customer support.

Any advice and/or nudges are greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Avoid suunto like you would avoid herpes. Proprietary algorithm, history of denying problems with their computers (even in the face of a compulsory recall). There are other options out there if you're not sure about shearwater.
 

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