Air Integrated: To hose or not to hose, that is the question.

[pw1981]

I am really convinced that I want a better console. I was largely influenced by a LDS employee and LDS instructor (not the same one who I took lessons from) when I purchased by Dacor Darwin console and have come to realize that I hate the darn thing. The buttons are hard to use both on land and and at depth... its clunky and the download gizmo is qwerky and expensive. I am just not happy with it. It seems to perform well and accurately however so I am not in a big hurry to replace it. This gives me time to really research what I want.

I have settled on an air-integrated unit. I think the added features are really nice and I like the statistical feedback provided post-dive.

I have narrowed it down to 2 hosed models and 2 hoseless models:

Aeris AI
Aeris Elite
Oceanic Pro Plus 2
Oceanic VT Pro

The Elite and VT pro are very similar, the only real difference I see is the layout of the screen. I really prefer the Aeris screen for some reason - nothing particular, just do.

The hosed models are quite different. I really like the big numbers and rubber case on the Pro Plus 2 as well as the compas mount which seems sturdy and narurally mounted. The Aeris unit is also very nice. It has a nice profile and an easy to use control set. Its disadvantage for me is the compass mounting profile. I wear my computer hose over the shoulder under the velcro strap that holder the inflator hose so the sideways design would likely get in the way for me.

All of them feature a screen protector option, which I really like. One of the things about the Pro Plus 2 that I don't like is that, unlike the other 3, you need tooks to swap the screen guard. With the other units, you can just put a couple of spares in your dive kit and make the switch in 2 seconds flat. The PP2 requires a small philips head driver and you take the risk of dropping one of the little tiny screws... plus the protectors are almost 3 times as expensive.

 

[Meng_Tze]

To me the question of 'To hose or not to Hose' would depend on the failure rate and consequences of AI data connection/data presentation and the benefits v.s. hosed guages.

The key question here is: 'what do I do when I am 40 msw down and the AI data connection / computer fails? How do I recover and go up with no data available?

Secondly, there is no real benefit of AI to calculate remaining air, it is dependent on depth and can just as easy be read from hosed guages. Breath rate is nice to know, but experience will teach you how long you take to suck the bottle empty.

For me personally, putting all your data on one single console increases the risks in case of failure. It is better to have a standalone computer (depth, Nitrogen, OTU, etc, etc) and a connected set of guages (depth, pressure). To me the technology is too new and prone to failure (I never buy 1st or 2nd generation technology) to be a valid alternative to mechanical guages that have proven their worth over the last 60 years or so.
Mind you, it is cool, and I believe that this is the sales angle, the 'must have' decision maker.

 

[The Chairman]

You know... we still teach students to point them thar mechanical guages away from anyone when you first pressurize... just in case they "pop". Somehow I just don't feel that they are THAT reliable!

When I first started diving we had no SPGs. When the last breath came, we reached behind and yanked the rod... or cursed it if it was already down. Then followed an ascent that I would never find acceptable today. Somehow, most of us made it through and when we saw SPGs, we snubbed them for being new fangled and unneccesary. We were fools and didn't know it.

When I took up diving again, the SPG was "standard". It alleviated my worries about when the last breath would come, and especially so since the tanks no longer had reserve valves. But it was really cool. Then I got my Cobra... State of the art (at the time) and could even do NitrOx. I was in awe as it tracked the minutes I had for air... In fact, I was even MORE comfortable, because I didn't have to interpolate it. This was especially true when I was narced. Instead of my mind trying to remake the calculations I had already done on the surface, I could just read it on my Cobra.

On top of that, it indicated when I was surfacing too fast and kept track of those safety "pauses" (not long enough to call them stops). It taught me a lot... and has yet to fail me. On my last dive, I did notice that the battery is getting kind of low. I guess it's time to take care of my puter... it's taken great care of me.

As for wireless or not... I think the question is whether to wrist mount or not. I can't stand bulky things on my wrist. It gets in the way of fighting lobsters from crevices! I guess that I'll keep mine tethered.

 

[love2godeep]

Pete, that all makes so much sense.

Thanks also for giving me another reason to be glad I got an AI console instead of a wrist-mount.

By the way, I like your newest forum! Bravo!

 

[aquaoren]

You know... we still teach students to point them thar mechanical guages away from anyone when you first pressurize... just in case they "pop". Somehow I just don't feel that they are THAT reliable!

When I first started diving we had no SPGs. When the last breath came, we reached behind and yanked the rod... or cursed it if it was already down. Then followed an ascent that I would never find acceptable today. Somehow, most of us made it through and when we saw SPGs, we snubbed them for being new fangled and unneccesary. We were fools and didn't know it.

When I took up diving again, the SPG was "standard". It alleviated my worries about when the last breath would come, and especially so since the tanks no longer had reserve valves. But it was really cool. Then I got my Cobra... State of the art (at the time) and could even do NitrOx. I was in awe as it tracked the minutes I had for air... In fact, I was even MORE comfortable, because I didn't have to interpolate it. This was especially true when I was narced. Instead of my mind trying to remake the calculations I had already done on the surface, I could just read it on my Cobra.

On top of that, it indicated when I was surfacing too fast and kept track of those safety "pauses" (not long enough to call them stops). It taught me a lot... and has yet to fail me. On my last dive, I did notice that the battery is getting kind of low. I guess it's time to take care of my puter... it's taken great care of me.

As for wireless or not... I think the question is whether to wrist mount or not. I can't stand bulky things on my wrist. It gets in the way of fighting lobsters from crevices! I guess that I'll keep mine tethered.

I have to agree with you. They really make life easier
The only difference is: I can't stand bulky things dangling from my side so I got me a hoseless one. My Uwatec Aladin X Nitrox never failed me and never lost the signal for longer than a minute. After more than 120 dives it still has more than 70% battery

 

[DiveTyme]

I had an old hoseless (Scan 5) but would loose the signal 3 or 4 times a dive and have to hold my wrist to the back of my head for it to sinc up. I went to the Cobra and love it. My daughter now uses my old Scan 5 and has never lost the signal... go figure.
Tim

 

[leadweight]

Wireless computers are significantly more expensive and less reliable than the alternatives.

 

[Kestrell]

I got a hoseless AI Aeris Elite. Here is my thinking. I like that it is one-stop-shopping for all of the data I need. Air, dive time, depth, deco, dive time remaining, temp, etc. Is it possible that I could lose the air feature during a dive; certainly. That is why I have mini gauges (SPG and depth) clipped off and out of the way (but easily accessable). Besides, even if I lose the signal for my air, the computer still functions as a normal computer until the signal is regained.

 

[pw1981]

Thanks for all the input from everyone!

I have been reading old posts on all the aforementioned models and I have read the users manuals for all of them on the manufacturers sites and have narrowed the field to the Aeris Elite and the Oceanic Pro Plus 2. Aso fo right now, I am leaning toward the Pro Plus 2 because of the larger screen and more precises O2 and Nitrogen loading graphs. That and there is a large portion of the posts on hoseless seem to say that signal loss is common and, for a $700+ item, it should work at all times.

Thanks again.

 

[mempilot]

I went hoseless and love it. One less hose to deal with. I have enough of them clipped off already. For the first year, the transmission never was lost. In the second year, it seems to go offline a few times on each dive. Not a big deal, but as soon as I reach my wrist towards my head, it resumes. I'm thinking that the battery in the transmitter is weak, since the battery meter on the cx seems to be full strength.

BTW, I'm diving with the Oceanic VT Pro, and I back it up with a watch or my Uwatec BT.