Who made who?

[poseident]

Many moons ago, there were only a handful of OEMs that were physically building dive computers, and most products where "made for" the name brands by these few OEMs. Pelagic Systems (which was a company within Oceanic) made a bunch of them. Uwatec made several. Cochran was stand-alone, etc.

There are many more units out there now....does anyone have a sense for "who makes who" now? I searched and didn't see any previous threads on the topic and would like to better understand the current state on this topic.

Thanks for any information.....

 

[Bob DBF]

The Orca “EDGE” dive computer changed everything. Released in January 1983, Orca Industries Inc.’s EDGE was the first commercial dive computer that proved to be reliable. Weighing in at 1.6 pounds, this brick-sized milled-aluminum, EDGE displayed a diver’s theoretical tissue loading in real-time, and enabled users to do full decompression dives to 200 ft./60 m.

They also produced the Marathon and Skinny Dipper.

 

[mderrick]

Thats sorta like asking, who makes a specific model of car or a cellphone...

Modern dive computers have gotten pretty sophisticated, it's not cost effective anymore for most major line dive equipment brands to make their own, the pretty much all sub at least some parts, so don't imagine the computer designer with a soldering iron sitting at a bench making a dive computer from start to finish (like the Edge mentioned previously) Today, a lot of the work is contracted out to specialty houses... one day a guy can be designing microwave oven electronics, the next day he can be designing dive computers electronics. Yet another fab does the pcb layout, different fab does the wave soldering run, another house does the micro code, and so on. If you want a simplification it looks something like this...

Among the majors, my guesses would be...

Suunto makes for Huish (except AUP legacy models are PPS)
Uwatec owned by Scubapro
Pelagic owned (in part?) by Aqualung (and OEM for many other brands)
Shearwater makes their own
Garmin kinda sorta makes their own

But that being said, there is a fair amount of crossover with brands as they source or transition different models within a brand from different OEMs... such as Sherwood, Mares, even some of the majors.

But really, what does it matter? Ultimately the brand name on the computer is who is standing behind the product, not the OEM.

 

[scubadada]

@poseident

Interesting question. Others likely know more than I do

Pelagic Pressure Systems was part of American Underwater Products until it was purchased by Aqua Lung in May 2015. I believe PPS makes the computers for Aqua Lung, Genesis (except Centauri, see below), Oceanic, Sherwood, and Tusa.

I don't know the current relationship between Crest, Deep 6 and Genesis (Centauri). Crest was the originator

As far as I know, Cressi, Garmin, Mares, Ratio, Scubapro, Shearwater, Seac, Suunto make their own computers

I don't know about Atmos and Deepblu, their own?

I would be glad to hear from those who know more

 

[Bigbella]

" . . . Orca Industries Inc.’s EDGE was the first commercial dive computer that proved to be reliable. Weighing in at 1.6 pounds, this brick-sized milled-aluminum, EDGE displayed a diver’s theoretical tissue loading in real-time, and enabled users to do full decompression dives to 200 ft./60 m."

Oh, I recall that one -- so well named -- a veritable whale, and a source of ballast -- so too, the Oceanic Datamax Pro, a decade later, which could also have benefited from a diet . . .

 

[michael-fisch]

The Orca “EDGE” dive computer changed everything. Released in January 1983, Orca Industries Inc.’s EDGE was the first commercial dive computer that proved to be reliable.

Gotta disagree, I believe that the Hans Hass Decobrain was the 1st decocomputer. It was made by Divetronic in Lichtenstein and was available in 1982, after being tested since October 1980 in the pressure chamber of the University of Zurich. An improved model using the Buehlman ZHL12 with all 16 compartments was made from 1985 and could be used at altitudes up to 4500 meters.
I got mine 10 years later, and was extremely happy with it.

Michael

 

[Bob DBF]

Oh, I recall that one -- so well named -- a veritable whale, and a source of ballast -- so too, the Oceanic Datamax Pro, a decade later, which could also have benefited from a diet . . .

A buddy of mine still dives his Brick, when he needs to wear a co Peter. He does get some looks.

Gotta disagree, I believe that the Hans Hass Decobrain was the 1st decocomputer. It was made by Divetronic in Lichtenstein and was available in 1982, after being tested since October 1980 in the pressure chamber of the University of Zurich. An improved model using the Buehlman ZHL12 with all 16 compartments was made from 1985 and could be used at altitudes up to 4500 meters.
I got mine 10 years later, and was extremely happy

In the 1980s the technology quickly improved. In 1983 the Orca Edge hit the market as the first commercially viable dive computer. The model was based on the US Navy dive tables but did not calculate a decompression plan. Its design was ahead of its time – it resembled an iPod Nano. However, production capacity was only one unit a day. It was never going to emulate Apple’s sales figures.

A year later, the Decobrain arrived and the modern recreational dive computer was born. It had all the features we have come to expect from a dive computer, including calculated ascent times and an integrated warning system for fast ascents. The Decobrain was also the first dive computer to achieve success in the European market.

The history of the dive computer

They were happening at the same time, possibly the timing of when they were marketed in the US.

 

[michael-fisch]

Here is the history of the Hans Hass Decobrain, which at least in Europe, was available a year before the Edge was marketed in the USA.

home | BluTimeScubaHistory

Michael

 

[Akimbo]

Here is the history of the Hans Hass Decobrain, which at least in Europe, was available a year before the Edge was marketed in the USA.

Does anyone know when Heinz Ruchti started Uwatec in Switzerland, who is now CEO & President of Deep Blue AG? I know that Bob Hollis who founded Oceanic/Pelagic Systems/etc had hired hardware and software engineers to develop decompression computers in 1981, and quite possibly earlier.

As I recall, it was originally Pelagic Pressure Systems who also made their analog helicoid sensors for their SPGs after the Roylyn (now 3D Instruments) patents ran out.

 

[michael-fisch]

Heinz Ruchti is listed as being the CEO and founder of UWATEC AG from 1980 to 1996 according to Linkedin.

business-monitor.ch lists the founding of UWATEC AG as being founded in 1983.
Now you have all my information to pick your own date.

Michael