Why the dislike of air integrated computers?

[phoenix31tt]

While some may have those opinions, they are not universal.

agreed, my comments are for those that have those opinons

The cost has more to do with perceived value. For some the value is not only the convenience during the dive but also in logging their gas consumption. It may also be that there is value in using a technology. Others may consider the convenience as having less value than I.

and i think everybody that mentioned price as a factor mentioned that for THEM they don't see the value... if other people find value in it so be it

When it comes right down to it, if it isn't outright dangerous, ( I think we can agree that for the type of diving I do AI isn't dangerous) then personal preference is the answer.

correct again, i think everybody would agree that hoseless AI, even with syncing issues, aren't dangerous, it's just annoying if it doesnt sync.

at the end of the day... the thread wasn't to discuss AI vs Non-AI... it was basically to get the viewpoint of why SOME people dismiss AI computers and prefer traditional SPG.... in all honesty while all the VS talks are entertaining and educational... it really doesn't matter for the purpose of the thread

people who don't like AI said why... they have valid reasons, people who liked AI said why.. they have valid reasons as well...

 

[redacted]

It is not that I dislike AI computers. But the cost differential between that an a perfectly adequate SPG and simple computer will pay for a week (or more) of diving in Cozumel. I'll take the diving. I do not find the additional information to be at all useful.

 

[dmoore19]

LOL

while that maybe true it wouldn't be Scubaboard if the question was answered with no other discussion. Check the threads asking on for opinions on BCDs fins regulators etc.

we we all like to offer up an opinion on what we have, don't have, like and dislike. This won't be the last thread that this is discussed. It's fun.

agreed, my comments are for those that have those opinons



and i think everybody that mentioned price as a factor mentioned that for THEM they don't see the value... if other people find value in it so be it



correct again, i think everybody would agree that hoseless AI, even with syncing issues, aren't dangerous, it's just annoying if it doesnt sync.

at the end of the day... the thread wasn't to discuss AI vs Non-AI... it was basically to get the viewpoint of why SOME people dismiss AI computers and prefer traditional SPG.... in all honesty while all the VS talks are entertaining and educational... it really doesn't matter for the purpose of the thread

people who don't like AI said why... they have valid reasons, people who liked AI said why.. they have valid reasons as well...

 

[phoenix31tt]

touché lol



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[boulderjohn]

A few decades ago a car salesman was doing his best to convince me that I needed all of the extra features of the fully loaded vehicle he was trying to get me to buy. I told him I thought I had about the same need for those features as for gasoline powered sweat socks. Today those features are pretty much standard on every car sold everywhere. Maybe it will be similar for AI some day.

 

[drrich2]

It is not that I dislike AI computers. But the cost differential between that an a perfectly adequate SPG and simple computer will pay for a week (or more) of diving in Cozumel. I'll take the diving. I do not find the additional information to be at all useful.

I think this cuts to the heart of the issue. AI, especially wireless AI, offers a 'luxury' perk that some appreciate and some don't. So, if one person likes that perk well enough to pay for it, & another finds it of either no added value or at least not enough to justify the cost & thus is indifferent to it, either way, no problem. Buy it if you want, don't if you don't.

'Dislike' implies not simply indifference, but a sort of low grade actively negative view of a thing.

By way of analogy, I don't dislike rebreathers. I'm not at a point in my diving where I need one, am ready to embrace the costs in terms of money, time & training dedication, and I don't particularly want one or have any intention of diving one. So aside from mild curiosity about them, I am indifferent to them.

Some (not all) who don't view wireless AI as worthwhile for themselves not only present that viewpoint but push it in threads where the topic comes up (e.g.: someone asks about buying a dive computer). I don't think anybody minds presenting the viewpoint so much as the 'it's a worthless waste of money' spin. For me & the diving I do, AI (wireless or not) is a nice perk, but I make no claim to know what's right for others. I may make the case for my view, knowing it's not right for everybody.

Richard.

 

[RJP]

I did not get that perception in the thread. Very few of the participants in this thread are "tech-trained/inclined." I am not going to go through the entire thread to sort this out, but I am having trouble remembering a lot of talk from those fitting this description for going AI with an SPG backup on recreational dives. Pete specifically said that he does not carry a backup to his AI on recreational dives. I certainly never said anything of the sort. Which "tech-trained/inclined" divers were advocating this for recreational dives?

SB over-indexes that way in general

 

[halocline]

It seems a recurring theme that air integrated is readily dismissed by advanced and tech divers and I was wondering why. I could see it being another failure point or "crutch," but with a backup SPG the benefits outweigh the risk of failure in my mind.

Just wondering what some of the concerns with AI are.

I only read the first few pages of this thread, so I might be repeating someone. I wouldn't dismiss AI computers for all divers, but usually it comes up on the board in the context of a new diver trying to decide what equipment to buy, and if I offer advice, it's always don't spend the extra money on an AI set up as a new diver. It's a lot of money for something that really does nothing to improve your dive experience IMO. Plus, new divers are often a bit anxious about their gas supply, and wireless AI computers do lose their sync periodically. That could cause a near panic in some new divers.

Personally I would be fine losing my gas info in the middle of a dive, but I have several hundred dives and a fairly accurate ability to estimate my gas depending on time/depth info, and I never dive without either a buddy or reasonably easy access to the surface, so an immediate loss of gas would not be life threatening to me.

As far as the reliability vs SPG, the sync loss and/or battery problems are things that will never affect a SPG. But, those little SPG spool o-rings are a trouble spot, and I have had a few of them blow out unexpectedly. So both items are gear that can fail, and any good diver is not put in danger by gear failure.

 

[Adobo]

I think this cuts to the heart of the issue. AI, especially wireless AI, offers a 'luxury' perk that some appreciate and some don't.

That luxury perk is debatable. Kind of like touch screen controls for AC in your car as opposed to buttons and knobs. I don't personally consider touch screen controls a luxury perk. And its only worse if they make me pay for it when I don't want it.

Also, I think there is a big difference between hosed and hoseless air integration (if I understand how they work).

Hosed air integration (spg built into the dive computer with HP hose that attaches the computer to the first stage) is very similar for me in terms of it being a false luxury perk. It makes my configuration worse, not better. If I had to choose between hoseless air integration and hosed air integration, I would go with the former. At least with hoseless, I can keep my computer on my arm. The latter is just a complete non-starter.

But even for hoseless air integration, I am not in the "disinterested" camp. Rather, I am of the "dislike" camp for any air integration. It is assumed that adding something like this is an incremental add on with the only "cost" being the extra money that the feature could potentially cost. In my opinion, it is an add on but not only do you pay extra for it (maybe, maybe not), in the cased of hosed air integration, it also has the effect of making the diver have to keep the computer in a suboptimal location. Also, in either hoseless or hosed air integration, it makes it such that the computer adds additional *noise* in display.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Why waste your money on a primary light if you're going to carry a backup?

Why waste your money on a back up if your primary is 100% reliable and you never have to worry about it? I only carry one light, and it's never failed me. Why do I need a backup?

On a similar note, If an SPG is not 100% reliable then why don't people have two SPG's?
Doesn't it also mean that if a person has 2 SPG's or a transmitter and SPG they would need a first stage with 2 HP ports?
So I guess if I like my single HP port first stage I'm SOL, or I have to go out and buy another first stage.
Why do people use a plain SPG as a back up for a computer, but never a hoseless AI computer as a backup for an SPG? Hmmmm.