what's your favorite??

[Insta-Gator]

As a rec diver I love my Oceanic ProPlus 2.1 It is air integrated on a hose, so no transmitter issues to worry about. It replaces all my gauges. It tracks all the info I need. I can change the data that is displayed on the screen, even while at depth. The numbers are large enough for me to see without my glasses or other vision assistance. If you are used to using a console with gauges, this will be very easy for you to adjust to. Plus there are vendors out there that have them on sale for less than $500 right now.

I give the Oceanic ProPlus 2.1

 

[crls]

I use Cochran EMC-20H for years for everything

 

[j2s]

I have 5, 2 Oceanics; Atom 2.0 & VT3...2 Sunnto's; Vytec DS and D9 and a Shearwater....The later is great for tech/cave diving....Baby-sit you, read you bed time stories and has all the bells, buzzers and whistles....Sunnto's have pro's/con's....well made except for the straps[ garbage], finicky [have to do every thing exactly right or it will shut you out for 24 hrs] and a little conservative......Oceanic Atom 2.0 is easy to use [ later model revisions that corrected leaky case] and good for rec diving.......The VT3 is my favorite....easiest to use, 2 buttons, never looses 'link', big display, never a problem....Good for rec and some tech diving.......I use them in combo/back-up depending the dive environment....Shearwater/Vytec or VT3.....VT3/Atom 2.0.....VT3/Vytec....The one I rarely use is the D9; finicky, no bungee mount, conservative.....It really comes down to budget/dive environment and personal preference......And no one computer will replace all gauges 'cause you'll still need to carry some analog gauges for back-up/safety.......ex: Shearwater is not hoseless, you still need an analog SPG.........There's been lots of posts/threads on SB about the many different brands/models....Read them and you'll get a good idea of what will suit your needs best, which are the better ones and which ones to avoid........

 

[BabyDuck]

Thanks. to narrow down preference. I'm looking for a computer that satisfies (as best it can) the following: compass, spg, time, temp, depth. Dive planning assistance (timers, limits, safety stop notification) warnings, alerts, bright and easy to see display. Air, nitrox, trimix capable. Pretty much a computer that will replace
all guages. Any thoughts?

you're going down two different paths here. if you're looking for a bells & whistles recreational computer, you can get compass, pressure, time, depth, temp, dive planner, warnings, bright and easy to see display, air, nitrox. one that comes to mind is a luna/sol, but i'm sure that's not the only one. i didn't like mine, but larry does.

however, once you want trimix - different ballgame. yes, i know the luna/sol has come out with mix, but when you run dive planning, the algorithm is much slower than vplanner or dplan. like 20 more minutes on the first dive slower. so it is still a recreational computer in my book. plus, once you're diving mix, you likely have different tanks with different mixes on each dive, so hosed integrated doesn't work and you won't be diving that many transmitters because tech divers for the most part don't trust integrated computers (unless they are integrated into their rebreathers by fischer connector).

basically, if you want something for rec diving, i'd suggest a simple nitrox computer, maybe with two gases. a nitek plus got me through advanced nitrox/deco procedures. if you're looking for a mix computer, wait. if your dive number is accurate, that's too much to spend right now for something you won't get the use out of, and when you get there you'll want the newest thing anyway.

you're asking for the equivalent of a car that will haul groceries and three kids, win at le mans, and carry your grandparents in comfy luxury. pick what you need and a bit of what you want.

 

[Superlyte27]

Nice analogy babyduck.

 

[RonFrank]

Rather than folks detailing ever computer in every category including Tech doesn't it make more sense to give a budget and some features and go from there?

If you want to read about all the various options you have dive magazines, websites, user reviews etc. Once you have narrowed the choices down by budget and features then post a more practical list of questions. It's like tell me about your car, motorcycle, truck, RV, van, tractor trailer or bus.......pointless.

 

[ajduplessis]

Lots of feedback already on a wide range of computers. I have learned the hard way ($$$$) that you need to be very clever when buying computers. The reason for this is the lack of knowledge you will have at every stage of your diving career. You don't know what you don't know, simple as that. I would like to give you an example. I want to point out that when I started diving I was "only" going to do recreational dives. Trust me, you never know where you are going to end up in diving. If you eventually stick to recreational diving you would have saved a ton of cash.

I started OW and had some good recreational diver/instructor friends around me with plenty of "advise" and "knowledge" (remember, you don't know what you don't know). My first recreational DC was (and still is) a Suunto D9. The reason behind the computer was simple for me based on all the info I received. I could use it as a dress watch out of the water, it sports a wireless transmitter and displays my pressure on the computer, supports multiple Nitrox mixes (up to 100%), can be dived in gauge mode and it has a digital compass. The "perfect" all-in-one computer. It served me well up to the point I started doing tech dives, I quickly figured out that this was not the right tool for the job. I just spend a lot of cash on a DC and it would NOT give me what I needed for tech diving. I was "p1ssed" at my recreational diver/instructor friends for giving me bad advise, but realised that you don't know what you don't know. My expensive computer with all the bell and whistles now turned into a depth gauge and bottom timer being used with dive profiles on slates!!!

Through a better understand of what I wanted to achieve, research and guidance I ended up with a Predator and my D9 as backup depth gauge/bottom timer and slates.

My advise thus to you. Buy a entry level cost effective DC with Nitrox and gauge mode support as base. This is more than enough for all you recreational diving needs. Something like a Suunto Zoop, I have one (wife uses it) and they are great. They are robust, can be used as a backup gauge mode/BT if you go down the tec route and perfect for recreational dive. You can even change the batteries yourself. If you need a compass buy a separate wrist style unit. Don't buy expensive integrated computers, they are not worth the money for recreational dives IMO.

I hope this helped.
ajduplessis

 

[lahroy]

Thanks for all the advice. I was trying to get an idea of what people prefer and as much feedback about the computers everyone is using. Im actually going to just go with a few analog gauges and a watch with a depth gauge added to the wristband. It makes the most sense to do it that way until I see how far I go with diving. By then (as most Of you mentioned) I'll probably be getting a newer dc than what is out now. plus I want to learn to I do it right before I rely on a computer

 

[mathauck0814]

The shearwater predator is the only computer you'll ever need. There is truly no downside. No annoying alarms, no stupid penalization (it lets you make your own decisions about your profile), you can dive plan, use any gas you want, open or closed circuit, nice and bright (you can use it to follow a line out of a wreck if you absolutely have to), terrific customer support, etc, etc etc. My shearwater and my can light are the two pieces of my kit which I have absolutely no complaint or issue or desire for something more.

Think about the features you threw out and imagine the requirements that will go away as you become a more experienced diver (flashing, spg, alarms, etc) and discount those. Flashing/alarms are for people who lack the muscle memory and discipline to be checking their instruments on a regular basis. The SPG should serve to confirm what you already know - you will learn your breathing rate and be able to say, "I've been at about 50 feet for 15 minutes breathing normally, when I check my spg it will tell me that I have XYZ left in my tank".

Then look at the features that are better served by something else (spg, dive planning, compass, etc) and ensure you have the proper tools (like a spg, compass, v-planner on your phone, etc).

What you're left with is a highly flexible tool that provides you the support and options that you need to get the job done in the water making decisions for yourself and interpreting the data you're being provided through the filter of your training and experience.

 

[buddhasummer]

Lots of feedback already on a wide range of computers. I have learned the hard way ($$$$) that you need to be very clever when buying computers. The reason for this is the lack of knowledge you will have at every stage of your diving career. You don't know what you don't know, simple as that. I would like to give you an example. I want to point out that when I started diving I was "only" going to do recreational dives. Trust me, you never know where you are going to end up in diving. If you eventually stick to recreational diving you would have saved a ton of cash.

I started OW and had some good recreational diver/instructor friends around me with plenty of "advise" and "knowledge" (remember, you don't know what you don't know). My first recreational DC was (and still is) a Suunto D9. The reason behind the computer was simple for me based on all the info I received. I could use it as a dress watch out of the water, it sports a wireless transmitter and displays my pressure on the computer, supports multiple Nitrox mixes (up to 100%), can be dived in gauge mode and it has a digital compass. The "perfect" all-in-one computer. It served me well up to the point I started doing tech dives, I quickly figured out that this was not the right tool for the job. I just spend a lot of cash on a DC and it would NOT give me what I needed for tech diving. I was "p1ssed" at my recreational diver/instructor friends for giving me bad advise, but realised that you don't know what you don't know. My expensive computer with all the bell and whistles now turned into a depth gauge and bottom timer being used with dive profiles on slates!!!

Through a better understand of what I wanted to achieve, research and guidance I ended up with a Predator and my D9 as backup depth gauge/bottom timer and slates.

My advise thus to you. Buy a entry level cost effective DC with Nitrox and gauge mode support as base. This is more than enough for all you recreational diving needs. Something like a Suunto Zoop, I have one (wife uses it) and they are great. They are robust, can be used as a backup gauge mode/BT if you go down the tec route and perfect for recreational dive. You can even change the batteries yourself. If you need a compass buy a separate wrist style unit. Don't buy expensive integrated computers, they are not worth the money for recreational dives IMO.

I hope this helped.
ajduplessis

I think you are mistaken, the Zoop does not have a "gauge" mode. For that you need the Vyper or above.