Thanks guys for the responses!!
Your LDS is full of it, don't buy your Geo from them.
Yeah - well I'm now checking with others. They were having a "promo" but when the stuff wasn't in stock, they wanted to charge me the normal price even though I was going to confirm and pay deposit within the promo period, so I was like forget it....
I've not used either of these specific models, but I've used basic Suunto, Mares and Oceanic computers and I dive all Oceanic now and so I obviously endorse that decision if it is the one you are making. One criticism of Suunto you will hear is the level of conservatism and I experienced this with a Gekko I used to dive -- and there was no way to make it less conservative. I was ending dives for my buddies and that doesn't make you very popular. I know that is not true of most of their models, but you might consider that. In that vein, I like the Oceanic because of the flexibility on the algorithm to approximate whatever your buddy is diving. I currently dive an OC1 with a BUD as backup. Happy with both.
I'm quite happy with my Geo 2.0 and have been for several years now. I can't compare to the Suunto because i've never even seen it. Worth considering is that the Geo has 2 algorithms - one is liberal (and basically the same as algorithm PADI uses) and one that's I believe somewhat middle-of-the-road. Suunto uses a pretty conservative algorithm.
I've had the chance to try D4i and thought it was okay. Also tried Mares Puck Pro but didn't like it much.
BUD seems to be a good back up com, but it's not available down here.
I don't know anything about the warranty issue. I can't find anything saying AL bought Oceanic, only that they now own Pelagic Pressure Systems, which appears to be a sister company to American Underwater Products, which actually owns Oceanic (as well as Hollis and formerly Aeris before it;s products were combined with Oceanic's and year or 2 ago). I'm sure is nowhere near as simple as "AL owns Oceanic so oceanic gear will no longer be offer, serviced, or warranted"
Pelagic Pressure Systems is the OEM for Oceanic, Hollis, Genesis, Sherwood... Now that Aqua Lung bought PPS, they will also have computers from them. Oceanic and Aqua Lung are separate and this will not affect warranty service for computers from the respective brand.
True, I figured that warranty shouldn't be affected that much if at all - what my LDS also said is that the supplier might not want to continue carrying Oceanic hence the warranty might be an issue, which I think is kind of BS. He told me to wait and see what AL will come out with. He also told me to hold off buying a BCD (I wanted to get the Hollis S25 LX) and he was trying to get me to get a rebreather haha. For me it's too soon though, way out of budget.
Oceanic offers dual algorithm (DSAT, PZ+). Aqualung computers will be running only PZ+. DSAT is the basis for PADI RDP and has been offered on Oceanic computers for a long time. PZ+ is a proprietary version of Buhlmann ZHL-16C. I don't think anyone knows exactly what the proprietary changes were, and nobody is talking. The algorithm ends up middle of the road and is more conservative than DSAT. Oceanic computers offer a conservative factor (one altitude level higher than actually diving) that can be added onto DSAT or PZ+. From most liberal to most conservative: DSAT---PZ+---DSAT with conservative factor---PZ+ with conservative factor. It can make a pretty significant difference, on air at 60 feet NDLs 57---48---43---37 minutes.
Of course, Suunto runs a proprietary RGBM algorithm for which specific details are not available. It is often criticized as being very conservative and penalizing divers further for transgressions against its secretive rules.
I dive a Geo2 as a backup computer, 4 1/2 years, 540 dives. It has performed flawlessly. Battery change is a cinch. And...it is currently available from LP for $250 plus $65 for the download cable = $315, not bad and considerably less than the Suunto.
Good diving, Craig
Yup the dual algo is one of the major deciding factors for me. Is LP an authorized dealer for Oceanic too? I'll have to check with them, but I've read somewhere in the forum that if they aren't, then it's not manufacturer warranty so if anything happens I'll still have to pay for the repair and stuff.
At that price I should get a 2nd just in case. Worth mentioning that you need to CALL to get the double secret discount price.
What double secret discount?
Does it apply only within US or internationally as well?
My daughter and I bought Geo 2's 4 years ago when we got certified. She is still using hers and mine is now backup for my Shearwater Petrel. Some notes:
Both my daughter and I had our Geo 2's go bad on our first dive trip: depth sensor on hers went haywire on first dive alarming constantly even on the surface; my display went bad on our last dive of the trip. Oceanic fixed both units under warranty and they've been solid for 4 years.
I bought Geo 2 because I liked the thought of wearing it as a watch. In retrospect, I wish I'd gotten something bigger and easier for my 50+ year old eyes to read. Buying my Petrel solved that problem.
Unfortunately, whoever designed the buttons and menus on the Geo 2 did not think the same way as me. I constant pushed the wrong scroll buttons in the menus. You may be fine here but it was annoying to me.
I bought the data cable and loaded my dives into my laptop. Very cool to see your profiles plotted out in graph form.
When we bought ours we receive 1 year free of online simulator & training. This was totally worth it. I met a guy who bought his Geo 2 on eBay and he was lost as to how to use the darn thing.
Good luck and safe diving.
Where did you get your Geos from? Petrel is awesome, but it is way too advanced for me and out of budget at the moment. Met a diver who owns that, and another who has the Eon Steel, so I got to check those out a little. One day, perhaps!
I have used many of the mid range computers, Mares, Uwatec, Aladin, US Divers, Sunto I am now mostly diving Oceanic.
Yet another vote for Oceanic
Two is better than one.
Mares Puck(RGBM) for $150.00
Oceanic Veo 2.0(DSAT/Pelagic Z+) for $190.00
After diving them for a while you should know all the pro and con of the algorithms. Sell the one that you don't like but do replace it.
Both available in LP. Call ahead and you might even get them cheaper.
I use Oceanic Veo180 to back up my ageing Aladin Pro Nitrox.
I *have* thought about buying a secondary comp, the Suunto Zoop or Oceanic BUD, but it's probably best to buy one first. We'll see.
Another thing related to warranty, since I don't live in the US, does anyone know whether it will be a PITA to claim warranty in case of manufacturer defect or something? I was told I'd need to send it back to the US since no LDS will want to repair unless it was bought from them. It's another concern for me. And at the moment, I was told there is no stock in Malaysia, the nearest one I can get it from will be Singapore - unless I go ahead and order online.
But ugh, I really want one!
