makologic
Registered
has anyone used the xp-air? I just bought one. I'm fairly new to diving and used a Galileo and XP10 in previous dives. both were pretty easy and didn't require much input after I set up my FO2 for each tank (diving NITROX). I just dove, and they worked.
So I read the manual and yesterday I took my first dive with the xp-air.
First dive, no problem. It kept track of my NDC time remaining, Air time remaining, it did everything I'd expect. Except it doesnt show my time in the water on the main screen, just the calculated time remaining. I was really unhappy about that. You might be able to get to the time in, but I don't like changing through screens while under water.
On the surface, I couldn't figure out how to switch tanks. I had read the manual, but just couldn't find the menu while out there on the water.
So after the surface interval, I get back in for my second dive. It goes into dive mode, but the NDC was showing -- and it was still showing gas 1. I couldn't figure out how to switch it, my group was descending and leaving so I just dove thinking it would figure itself out. It didn't. the whole dive, it was beeping at me, and about half way through, it wants me to go into a decompression stop. I was only 15 minutes into the dive after an hour surface interval, so I knew it wasn't correct. I just ignored it and used the pressure and ATR, but since I didn't have a dive time display, I just had to go with the group. So it keeps beeping at me the whole dive, and when I was done, I come up. I get to my safety stop, and since it's now gone into violation mode, it won't go to safety stop mode. Of course, I was stupid and didn't have a watch so I had to just rely on others to count down 3 minutes.
So after $700 for a computer, I know this is partially my fault for not knowing my equipment well enough, but it seems too complicated to be messing with during a dive. here are my major complaints. If someone has used this computer and knows a way around this, I'd be all ears otherwise I think I'm going to have to try to return this for something simpler.
1. Doesn't show time in your dive, just dive time remaining by NDC or ATR
2. Doesn't automatically switch gas from dive 1 to dive 2, and reading the manual you can't do it on the surface. So you have to wait to get in the water before you can switch. Anyone that has been on a dive boat knows the last thing you want to do is be screwing around on the surface as everyone is descending to get on the spot/drift.
3. Once it thinks you are in violation, there was no way I could find for it to track the safety stop.
4. A lot of the functionality and displays are buried under menus.
Am I being boneheaded and just need to take the time to learn the equipment, or do you guys think these are real issues with the gear and I should return for something more simple?
---------- Post added July 4th, 2015 at 11:38 AM ----------
ok well some more digging in the manual/setup and I can add the EDT (Elapsed Dive Time) to the main dive display. Although I can't confirm it's there until I dive on it again. So I guess the question about switching gas remains. From what I read the only way I can do that is to do it in the water when it switches into dive mode, then I manually have to do it. Can anyone who has used the XP-Air confirm if I am misunderstanding it?
So I read the manual and yesterday I took my first dive with the xp-air.
First dive, no problem. It kept track of my NDC time remaining, Air time remaining, it did everything I'd expect. Except it doesnt show my time in the water on the main screen, just the calculated time remaining. I was really unhappy about that. You might be able to get to the time in, but I don't like changing through screens while under water.
On the surface, I couldn't figure out how to switch tanks. I had read the manual, but just couldn't find the menu while out there on the water.
So after the surface interval, I get back in for my second dive. It goes into dive mode, but the NDC was showing -- and it was still showing gas 1. I couldn't figure out how to switch it, my group was descending and leaving so I just dove thinking it would figure itself out. It didn't. the whole dive, it was beeping at me, and about half way through, it wants me to go into a decompression stop. I was only 15 minutes into the dive after an hour surface interval, so I knew it wasn't correct. I just ignored it and used the pressure and ATR, but since I didn't have a dive time display, I just had to go with the group. So it keeps beeping at me the whole dive, and when I was done, I come up. I get to my safety stop, and since it's now gone into violation mode, it won't go to safety stop mode. Of course, I was stupid and didn't have a watch so I had to just rely on others to count down 3 minutes.
So after $700 for a computer, I know this is partially my fault for not knowing my equipment well enough, but it seems too complicated to be messing with during a dive. here are my major complaints. If someone has used this computer and knows a way around this, I'd be all ears otherwise I think I'm going to have to try to return this for something simpler.
1. Doesn't show time in your dive, just dive time remaining by NDC or ATR
2. Doesn't automatically switch gas from dive 1 to dive 2, and reading the manual you can't do it on the surface. So you have to wait to get in the water before you can switch. Anyone that has been on a dive boat knows the last thing you want to do is be screwing around on the surface as everyone is descending to get on the spot/drift.
3. Once it thinks you are in violation, there was no way I could find for it to track the safety stop.
4. A lot of the functionality and displays are buried under menus.
Am I being boneheaded and just need to take the time to learn the equipment, or do you guys think these are real issues with the gear and I should return for something more simple?
---------- Post added July 4th, 2015 at 11:38 AM ----------
ok well some more digging in the manual/setup and I can add the EDT (Elapsed Dive Time) to the main dive display. Although I can't confirm it's there until I dive on it again. So I guess the question about switching gas remains. From what I read the only way I can do that is to do it in the water when it switches into dive mode, then I manually have to do it. Can anyone who has used the XP-Air confirm if I am misunderstanding it?
