Wrist Computer or Computer Console?

[SarahOP]

My father would like to buy me a dive computer as a gift. We've been having discussions as to what type would be best for me.

One of my dive instructors told me he has a Suunto wrist computer and he really likes it. He suggested the Suunto D4 for me. I read some reviews and they seem to be positive.

My father wants to get me a computer console, not a wrist computer.

Is one more reliable or easier to use? What would make one type better than the other? When it comes to diving, there's always so many different choices for equipment. It can be a little confusing.

 

[keithdiver]

Sara, i would have your Father get you something more useful trather than your computer at this stage of your diving Career. You mentioned in your profile that you are still renting gear, keep on renting the consoles, and have him get you something more adv Look at a bp/w set up.i think you will be more happier for now. The new computers are on there way out soon, sohopefully by spring you can purchase that. This is just MIO!!! Good luck.

 

[CalgaryDF]

I prefer to have a wrist computer because its easier to check. A lot of people find that console computers can be bulky. Also, if it doesn't have a quick disconnect, you have to take out the whole reg set to check the computer after a dive.

Suunto's are known to be more conservative than other dive computers, which can limit dive time, especially on long repetitive dive trips.

I personally have the Oceanic Veo 250 which I find to be really easy to use. Try to spend some time using the computer in the store to get a feel for how intuitive and easy to use it will be.

I would get a nitrox computer because there is good chance you will dive it in the future, and I don't thing they are a lot more expensive.

 

[azchipka]

I have to say the opposite of Keith. Computers are extremely useful for new dives to get a look at the dive profiles when you download the data to a computer. the wrist verse console is a personal choice. Most computers are sold as both wrest and console and there is no functional difference between if its on your wrist instead of console in fact many console units have wrist kits.

Personally I would suggest a watch size wrist unit which makes bringing it on vacation very easy. Just throw it on your wrist before you leave and your computer is with you the whole way. I suggest the Oceanic Geo to my students as its low profile and is pretty stylish. Colors for men and women.

The next reason for computer from the start is its almost impossible to find them to rent when you go on vacation. Nearly everything else is rentable. For new divers the suggestion I make for purchase is Wetsuit, Mask, Fins, Snorkel, Dive Computer, and a gear bag. Build the rest as you go.

 

[azchipka]

No matter what you get for a dive computer get one that the data can be downloaded to your home PC or laptop and get the data cable to be able to do it. Oceanic computers both the Geo and Veo 250 include the software but not the cable.

I second Cal's statements on the Nitrox and the Suunto's!

 

[paddler3d]

Personally I prefer the wrist computer. I find it easier to actually monitor UW.

One more thing you have to remember to pack however.

HOWEVER, it makes it easy to use other stuff, i.e. -regs, and still have a computer you are familiar with. In short you know what it is telling you.

When look at any computer, determine where your going to be most likely diving and make sure your exposure protection will work with the gloves, or whatever.

I have one computer that is a watch style that I use for warm water, tropical, diving where I'm not wearing any gloves.

I have another that is easy to use for 90% of the diving I'm doing in cold water. Big easy buttons where I can easily switch gasses when I need to with gloves on.

Good luck!

 

[mselenaous]

Suunto makes great computers. They've always brought me home alive . Like your instructor, I too love my wrist computer (D9).

The D4 is a great NON-air integrated computer. It is a watch you can live in all the time as well as dive in. It is the simplest of the Suunto watch computers. It calculates depth, bottom time and NDL times. Similar in function is the Gekko or Vyper which comes in console version with PSI guage, or wrist mount version. Both wrist versions still require that you have a seperate PSI gauge. The Gekko is not PC downloadable like the Vyper.

Here's a post where the 3rd image is the dive profile from a D4. The PSI info was manually entered into the PC program from gauge readings.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/4444497-post1.html


In the same approximate price range, you could have an air integrated console computer (such as a Cobra) that in addition will read your PSI and continuously calculate your air consumption and remaining airtime.

Read the Suunto dive computer website to compare the features of the various models:
Suunto Diving World - Suunto Diving Products

As well as the websites of other manufacture's whose computers might interest you.

Good luck in your selection. Happy diving in 2010!

 

[Phishie]

Go wrist. You can take it on vacation, and it's easier to look at while you're diving.

I have a Suunto Gekko and it's worked great for me while being inexpensive (comparatively). Despite what it says, you can actually download from it to your PC. The Gekko is identical to a Vyper it just has a little crippleware built in. You can buy a Vyper PC cable and download it directly if you have a Mac. PC requires fiddling with a bit in the firmware which I don't recommend unless you're into doing that sort of thing. Search on scubaboard for old threads on how to do it if you want more details.

 

[gcbryan]

Wrist mount.

Many people get consoles when they first start out because that's what the dive store sold them and later hate the console and go for wrist mount.

Very few people who start out with wrist mount ever switch to console mount.

The idea is to get rid of the console altogether. Mount computer and compass on your wrist and have a spg on a short hose by itself so no bulky console needed at all.

 

[Crush]

Hi SarahOP,

Anyone that tells you to not bother with a computer and stick to square profiles will also tell you to get a BP/W (backplate with wings), regardless of whether or not you even mentioned buoyancy control. These are DIR divers - they are excellent, proficient divers with a very strict ideology that is invariant and all-encompassing (they call these traits holistic). Most divers are not DIR divers, but DIR divers are very well-represented on ScubaBoard. As a non-DIR diver, there is no reason for you to dive square profiles while on tropical holidays. Get a computer and enjoy more bottom time while doing so safely.

A year ago I came to a personal decision that I was never going to dive tables (square profiles), unless there was no other alternative. I also realized that there was a chance that a computer could fail during a dive. Therefore I bought a Sherwood Insight (wrist mount) as a backup for my Sherwood Wisdom 2 (air integrated with quick-disconnect) and take both on dives. A failure of the Wisdom 2 would mean the end of my dive (no console), but I could still dive if the Insight failed.

I love both the console (air-integrated) computer and the wrist-mounted computer. The benefit of the console computer is that you can save yourself the expense of buying an analog console (saving a few hundred $) and that the computer can calculate remaining bottom time based on air consumption, but unless you are also going to buy your own regs and travel with regs+console computer, continually mounting and un-mounting the air-integrated computer will be a pain. The wrist-mounted computer is easy to travel with and easy to reference while swimming.

Personally I believe that, in the way that octo's have replaced (in the majority of cases) the need for buddy breathing (not that it shouldn't be taught or practiced), I also believe that diving with two computers will replace the need to take a dive table with you on any trip (not that a table weighs much...)