wrist mounted dive computer or attached?

[endurodog]

The back up computer in your bc won't do much good without your spg unless you plan to immediately abort the dive. Why not just keep the spg hooked up and keep diving. I use AI wrist and back up wrist. Also have spg on a super short clipped to my plate, but still usable.
Computers do fail. I've had 3 failures in ~10 years. All 3 times I had back up depth and time device and continued the dives using tables. The last 2 times I made repetitive dives as well.

Actually that is my plan if I have a failure with my AI computer, to immediatly abort the dive. with lots of dives on the AI computer I actually don't have any worries about it and if it does happen I'm ok with that trade off of not having that extra piece I don't want to deal with (the extra spg). I did learn on a hose mounted spg, 1983 we actually only had oral inflate BCDs then too so I have seen the gambit of gear and like the new technology, and trust it, but not so much that I don't have a back up plan.

 

[BDSC]

I have a Sherwood Wisdom AI console and I wouldn't trade it for any other computer on the market unless someone offered me a Atomic Cobalt. I think I have over 400 dives on it and it has never given me a problem. Batteries are easy to change, numbers are large and easy to read, and it's small and easy to clip onto a retractable lanyard. I think it takes me about 2 to 3 seconds to check it. I prefer the AI console to the wrist mount because I have been on a number of trips where the transmitter has given problems. I have yet to see that with a console on the trips I have been on.

 

[RonFrank]

I dive with an AI dive computer, it's the best. I have an Aeris Epic and have been diving that for 6 years approximately. It does everything but Helium. So Deco dives, Nitrox beyond 36%, all that, so very full functioning. It also does cool stuff like show the dive time left based on air You have used and current depth -or- time to NDL -or- how much gas you have, depending on whats more important. If you have plenty of air but are about to hit your NDL then that is what is displayed. If you are close to your NDL but you swim up 25' then you will see time remaining, or air remaining. If you have 1500psi than time remaining. If you have 750psi than gas remaining. You can override these settings and change the defaults to be more or less conservative. So if you want the computer to alarm at 1000 psi that is no problem. Basically a very complete computer, it will not lock up doing deco, and very flexible. They are selling for $600-700 with the transmitter.

I dive with my Aeris Atmos II as a backup. I also dive with an SPG when on vacation. Diving locally the dives are not critical so I dive with one computer, no backup. On Vacation there is nothing stoopider that having to call dives because you did not bother with a backup. Any equipment can fail even those brass n glass SPG's. In fact the brass n glass has failed me more than my electronics.

I have been very happy with my AI puter and the are two reasons not to buy one. 1) Money, or 2) you drank some cool-aid and are stuck! Seriously its one on the best purchases I have made, and I'll buy another when this one fails.

 

[Oldbear]

@Oldbear...I respect your logic and if it works for you, great. However, the fun factor you are refering to is usually short-lived when bugs are experienced with those expensive systems in far far away land and no back-ups to fall upon...

Technology is great but simplicity does have its advantages in the type of diving (including location) that I do because if I do develop minor problems with some parts of my equipment, it will have the least amount of effect on my fun-factor as I will still be able to continue diving and do so safely.

RTee,

When you say that "Technology is great but simplicity does have its advantages...", I am 100% in agreement with you.

I love my Atomic Cobalt and cannot see giving it up any time soon. Previously, I used an AI Areis Epic (wrist mount) as my primary DC and over three years between myself and my daughter we have experienced 4 let-downs...and those usually where associated with batteries; I now buy new batteries before each trip...$20 is not too much to pay for that. My daughter lives in Colorado and I work in the Middle East so when we go diving, it is always an expedition. For this very reason, we carry two spare SPGs and a multi-function tool in our kits, so if there is a problem we have a spare means to save our trips in a safe manner. In an earlier post I recommended that divers should not rely upon technology and abandon the use of dive tables...

There are times when "I" enjoy simplicity and there are times when "I" enjoy technology. There are times when "I" enjoy driving a 57' T-Bird and there are times when "I" enjoy driving '01 Z3.

I still am in the opinion that it is a matter of personal choice and familiarization.

Happy diving...

~ME~

 

[BDSC]

You know technology and simplicity don't have to be opposite. To me, you can't get much more simple than an AI computer. One device that does it all and easy to read/understand.

 

[NAM001]

I use a spg and a wireless ai computer. Mine is larger than a watch cause i am far sighted and need larger display. Specifically an aeris t3 elite. I have it cause i like the idea of knowing the reason for my remaining dive time. psi,ndl what ever. And a backup plan if failure occures.

 

[SolarStorm]

I have a wrist mount AI computer and love it. I don't run a hosed spg at all but I do have one on the surface just in case, never had to attach it and it still looks shiny and new. As a back up I keep a simple older computer in my BC but again have never had to use it.

We were diving in Cozumel last year and I do exactly the same. There were 3 of us with AI wrist computers, Oceanic Atom 2s. We have never had a problem with them. Now we only do recreational diving and use Nitrox. We are never in an overhead restricted environment and the deepest we went was 105 ft.

One guy on the boat "couldnt believe the risk" we were taking and wanted to know why I didnt connect the extra SPG.

Him: Why would you NOT use that!? What happens if you loose your wireless link?
Me: What would you do if your connected computer failed and went blank?
Him: Well, I would grab my partner and start an ascent. Use my watch for a safety stop and surface.
Me: Me too. Then, at the surface I would inspect the computer for problems, batteries (which I also carry extra) and if I couldnt fix the computer, I would connect the SPG and do the next dive. Where is my risk over and above yours other than you suspect my wireless link will fail? I, at least have a backup gauge and a "save a dive" bag for other failures as well.
Him: Duuhhhh, hmmmmmm, I guess your right.

Now if we were heading into an overhead profile or a decompression dive, or something where surfacing immediately would not be possible, I would probably attach the SPG. But for simple vacation recreation diving. I prefer not to have an extra hose.

The other really nice thing I like with the Wrist mounted computers is that I can check the pressure on the rest of the family from my own computer. I still ask them, but its a nice extra feature.

 

[endurodog]

Solar I couldn't agree more, on all points.

 

[beaverdivers]

Ideal Redundancy!

Why not have two Hoseless Air-Integrated dive computers each with their own transmitters that can also be paired to both computers?

We use two Galileo Sols for situations where we have the need or the desire to stay down.

 

[endurodog]

Ideal Redundancy!

Why not have two Hoseless Air-Integrated dive computers each with their own transmitters that can also be paired to both computers?

We use two Galileo Sols for situations where we have the need or the desire to stay down.

For me anyway I look at it as an expense thing and one of the reasons I like the hoseless and don't run a backup spg is to simplify my gear. Running 2 AI, 2 transmitters would effect both of those. Now this is for recreational open water stuff.