What's with Suunto?

[Aloha Joe]

I like the features of the Zoop Novo for a beginning computer - the display is good, I like the ability to set alarms, and I really like that it flashes the display (AND backlight on Novo) if you violate ascent rate, depth, etc. And Novo makes you press a button to acknowledge the violation before it stops beeping/flashing.

BESIDES the 'conservatism' I've been seeing complaints about 'self diving', sticky buttons, sending new units back, and even read about a class action suit for neglecting to address something with an internal component (pressure gauge maybe?). Given the popularity? it's hard to believe it's that bad?

Leisure Pro has a good deal on the old Zoop (new) and has a used Novo. I feel like the used PDC is a risk given all the crap I've read about. The old Zoop still has most of the features I like.

I have a used Veo 180. The backlight doesn't work, its never given me an indication of exceeding the ascent rate despite the log book saying I violated it EVERY dive, the single button is clunky, etc. I feel like it needs to go in for overhaul, but I don't know if I should spend $125 for that, or just buy a Novo.

 

[Bubblesong]

I like my suunto three button version despite hard buttons.

 

[BRT]

I like the features of the Zoop Novo for a beginning computer - the display is good, I like the ability to set alarms, and I really like that it flashes the display (AND backlight on Novo) if you violate ascent rate, depth, etc. And Novo makes you press a button to acknowledge the violation before it stops beeping/flashing.

BESIDES the 'conservatism' I've been seeing complaints about 'self diving', sticky buttons, sending new units back, and even read about a class action suit for neglecting to address something with an internal component (pressure gauge maybe?). Given the popularity? it's hard to believe it's that bad?

Leisure Pro has a good deal on the old Zoop (new) and has a used Novo. I feel like the used PDC is a risk given all the crap I've read about. The old Zoop still has most of the features I like.

I have a used Veo 180. The backlight doesn't work, its never given me an indication of exceeding the ascent rate despite the log book saying I violated it EVERY dive, the single button is clunky, etc. I feel like it needs to go in for overhaul, but I don't know if I should spend $125 for that, or just buy a Novo.

You can turn the alarm (and I believe the backlight) on and off on the Veo. If you don't like the single button buy a used Veo 200 or 250 on ebay. I have bought a bunch of them there for the group I dive with and for spares. So far every one has worked.

 

[Aloha Joe]

I think my Veo's got issues - the backlight doesn't come on, and the alarm seems to be set to 'off' in the software but I

I wonder if Leisure Pro was reading this... they just dropped the price of the old Vypers (new w/ warranty) to $150.

Now I can find out for myself

 

[Centrals]

Veo 180 is a lot more liberal than any Sunnto! So you will find the ndl is greatly reduced by using Suunto.

 

[Tassi Devil Diver]

They are POS, that's what is with Suunto.

 

[outofofficebrb]

I can’t speak to the newer ones but my backup is a 3 button Zoop I picked up for $120 with 7 dives on it and it has been trouble free. I also have a Vyper Air that has been on about 130 dives and no problems. Maybe you can get one of the older ones? There are some floating out there that are lightly used. Try here or Facebook’s Scuba Swap and Shop. That’s where I got my backup last year.

 

[RTee]

I have a Vyper Air (3 buttons) I purchased in 2009 and 513 dives later, it is still functionning perfectly in Air, Nitrox and Gauge mode.

 

[tbone1004]

the big argument, especially on this board, against Suunto is that they use an algorithm that you can't understand because it is proprietary. That means that you are blindly trusting someone you have never met to have programmed something that you can't predict. It's not like the dive tables, or computers running stock algorithms where you can predict what they will do. Suunto comes out and says that they add conservatism randomly depending on what you are doing in the water, but it isn't based on any studies or anything. Combine that with the ability to lock you out, and it's a no-go for me.

I also do NOT like, or recommend anything that beeps. Beeping computers are the absolute most useless and frustrating thing in the water. Someones computer goes off and everyone starts looking at theirs trying to figure out what is going on, you never know if it's yours, etc. If it's going to give you alarms, flash lights and put a vibe mode on it so you can feel it.

Now, to each his own, but I think you can get better featured computers for less money, and the algorithm thing is an absolute deal breaker for me with Suunto

 

[thbcthomas]

So @tbone1004, would you suggest I pass on the vyper for $150 and go with the geo 2.0 for $270? Even if I only get about 20 dives a year?