What type of computer should I get?

[ilee1990]

I'm undecided as to what I should get for my first computer. I like the idea of a watch style because I can just glance at it and know where I'm at during surface intervals. But I like the idea of air integration because of the consumption rate and time estimates they give.

My question to you all is this.

1) How do I decide between a watch computer and air integrated console (Ican't afford the wireless transmitters)?

2) Which algorithm would you recommend for someone who primarily will use their computer for liveaboard diving (4-5 dives x5-6 days)?

3) I'm thinking about Suunto or Oceanic but I'm open to suggestions as long as the price is below $400.

I think wrist size is going to be a problem for me. I'm a small woman with a 6 inch wrist and I rarely will use a wetsuit above .5mm.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[ilee1990]

I forgot to mention in case you make a recomendation for a computer:

I need one that will calculate Nitrox up to 40%.

I won't be doing any technical or decompression dives.


My third question should have been this:

3) How useful is downloadable information? Is it just a nice to have to see what and how your profile look like?

 

[mossym]

suunto vyper would be my recommendation, love mine, but you are going to get everyone recommending the one they dive..

 

[bergersau]

Second the Viper, unless you don't want downloadable - then go for the Gecco. I've got the Mosquito and would buy one of the bigger computers if I was to buy again.

 

[stormrider]

1) How do I decide between a watch computer and air integrated console (can't afford the wireless transmitters)?

Wrist or console... its all a matter of personal preference.


2) Which algorithm would you recommend for someone who primarily will use their computer for liveaboard diving (4-5 dives x5-6 days)?

If you want to be cautious, go with the conservative RGBM algorithm (Suunto, Mares). Although based on the latest Rodale's Scuba Diving Magazine comparison (see link below #3 answer), it appears that the Buhlmann types are veering towards RGBM's conservatism as well.

Oceanic's Haldane algorithm are considered liberal.

Liberal vs. Conservative algorithm


3) I'm thinking about Suunto or Oceanic but I'm open to suggestions as long as the price is below $400.

This link might help Rodale's Scuba Diving magazine 2005 Dive Computer Comparo

 

[fpsndiver]

ZHL-16, and does Nitrox......no air integrated.

 

[ilee1990]

I'm familiar with those website's and visit them often. I'm also familiar with the different "liberal v. conservative" models.

Let me rephrase my questions.

What are the pros and cons between console and wrist computers? Personal preference aside.

Has anyone found that one model over another is better suited to repetitive diving on multiple days?

I'm not really looking for a list of which computers everyone using--unless it answers the questions above.

Basically, I can't decide between computers and I'm looking for a little more info on why I should get a wrist rather than a console (or vice versa). Taking things into consideration like ease of reading, fit and confort, design, etc...

 

[EricJ]

I started wearing a wrist mount Aeris Atmos 2 computer about a year ago. Here are the pros and cons in my opinion:

Pros:
I put the computer on my right wrist, so during a safety stop my left hand is on my inflator hose and the computer kept at eye level for continuous monitoring. I find this arrangement very convenient.

When using the wrist computer, I have my dive data on me after I've taken my equipment off. With a console, you have to go back to your rig to check surface interval, previous depth, etc. Sometimes it's no problem to go back to your gear; sometimes it isn't convenient.

It's very easy to simply take my wrist mount computer back to my hotel to fill out my logs etc. This could be done easily with a quick disconnect computer console as well. though.

You don't have to look down to check your depth, ascent rate, etc.

Cons:
While wearing a full wetsuit on cold-water dives, I have to take the computer off and on all the time. This increases the chances of misplacing my computer. I've never misplaced it because I immediately attach it to my BC when taking it off, but I still worry about that.

It's one more thing to "put on."

Unless you pay big bucks for a wireless transmitter, you still have to look down at your SPG. With an in-line console, you see EVERYTHING at once. However, I check my depth much more frequently than I do my air pressure.

A wrist mount is easier to get lost or stolen.

That being said, I'm basically happy with my Aeris Atmos 2 wrist mount. I've thought about installing it in a console; but the more I dive with it, the more I get used to having my data on my wrist.

You may want to look into the possibility of switching a perspective computer from a console to a wrist and vice versa.

Aeris includes the software but charges around $75 for the proprietary cable needed to connect your computer. It's fun to look at my profiles, but not really necessary and only moderately helpful. I use the software as a back-up log book. If I ever lose my log book, it's comforting to know I have all my data on my home computer. So, I'm glad I bought it.

 

[Wayward Son]

You might take a look at the Oceanic Versa Pro at scubatoys. Larry has them at a real nice price now. They'll do nitrox to 50%, easy to read, easy to use. While their algorythm is fairly liberal, you can make them conservative by simply monitoring the bar graphs and never exceeding yellow.

Mine are in consoles. If I did it over I may well go to a wrist mount. The plus to a console is that if you have your reg, you have the comp. The minus is that if you don't have your reg (service, failure, etc) you don't have your comp. Also, the console is bigger. Largely personal preference, but I have thought that it may be very desirable to have my comp seperate from my reg for a number of reasons. One big negative for me is that I just don't like stuff on my wrist, as it seems to like to hang up on straps when getting in & out of my rig, but that can be gotten used to.

 

[WarmWaterDiver]

Well put EricJ.

My petite wife once told me matter-of-factly why she prefers wrist mount vs. console - no matter what the vis, task loading, etc. she can always find her wrist. After trying both console and retractor mountings for dive computers, I succumbed to this irrefuteable logic and have since happily converted to wrist mount as a preference. We still use analog hose mounted SPG's - neither one of us really trusts wireless air integrated technology (just a personal thing).

One item to be careful of is whether or not the chosen dive computer incorporates backlighting, or whether one has to shine a dive light on the display for phosphoresence. If a wrist mount dive computer does not incorporate back lighting, wear the computer on the opposite wrist that your primary dive light lanyard is attached to. I found I was not flexible enough to shine a dive light held in my right hand on a non-backlit dive computer strapped to my right wrist (DOH!).

And, whether wrist or console, it's very cheap insurance to use some sort of protective cover for the DC. I prefer the hard plastic / Lexan type covers, and such has saved one of my DC's in particular from getting a bit of a beating on one particular dive.

Another item is less than perfect vision. There is a tradeoff between display / icon / lettering size and clarity of what's being displayed for recognition during the dive. Some models cram a bunch of smaller icons onto the screen in order to minimize the number of 'alternate screens', some simply have smaller display and case size which requires smaller lettering and icons. For some folks this isn't an issue, for others (like me) it can be. I like my TUSA IQ-700 and my Dive Rite NiTek3, but that's about the smallest display / icon / lettering size I'm personally comfortable with. The 'watch size' wrist DC's with the smaller displays are less attractive to my over - 40 eyes now.

Choice of algorithm is something to not be overlooked, as posted above.

Dive computer costs have come down quite a bit in the last few years. You should be able to find the mix of features and cost that fits you best. You could always call the folks at Scubatoys and chat with them on this topic as well.

My wife and I are 'data freaks', and so we like the data download and graphing feature in our DC's, but we also keep handwritten paper logbooks. The handwritten logbook is the master, anything downloaded is gravy for us.

For concerns on wrist size, I find using aftermarket wrist straps quite helpful, as I have skinny wrists. Some DC's have a built-in wrist contour to the back - for example, neither my petite wife nor I have problems with the factory standard strap of the DR NiTek3. However, my TUSA IQ-700 doesn't have such a good contour built into the case, so I installed the Dive Rite Nitek Duo cinch strap kit on the TUSA IQ-700, and the difference is like night & day.

Best of luck!