Dive Computers !!! Help....

[Double Down]

Tampabay,

It seems no one is answering your question. Do you dive Nitrox? I would consider something like the Suunto Vyper or Cobra. Simple to use, and will do Air and Nitrox. Some on here will argue they are too conservitive, but for the type of diving we do around here it works fine and may help keep you from getting bent.
Actually, now that I think about it more, the Gecko may be better for your first computer. It does what the Vyper does just with no communication with your PC. You should be able to find one for about $285.00 or so.

Also,
I have a boat which is set up nice for diving. If you ever have a question I would be glad to help with an answer.

James McKeever
Dunedin, FL

 

[Wijbrandus]

Thank you but which ones are best for the beginner diver? I also use the tables. Best Regards,Rey

Until you can make your tank last past your NDL, why even bother with a computer? That's money you can put into other aspects of your diving (training or more needed gear).

I'm an air hog. I'm nowhere near able to make my tank last me to the end of my NDL. So I use a bottom timer and my tables. Not only am I learning my tables much more thoroughly, but I figure I'll eventually know them so well this way that if/when I ever do get a computer, I'll know pretty quick when it's screwing up.

 

[DiveMaven]

Asking which dive computer is the best is an impossible question to answer. Do you want an air integrated one, a console one (not AI), a wrist mount, a hoseless AI...? What features are you specifically looking for.

My husband and I have a Datamax Pro Plus and an Aeris AI respectively. Both are air integrated and we love them, but they do are not a substitute for preplanning with tables, which we do prior to each dive. Since we're newbies, we think its very important to use the computers as a tool, but not a substitute for planning our dive profiles and using the tables to do so.

While diving in Key Largo a few weeks ago, I found myself sucking air big time. I noticed that my computer told me I had something like 20 minutes left on my tank (at 40 feet!) and I realized I was being a Hoover. I immediately began to relax and control my breathing better, and watched the time left on the tank go up to over 50 minutes. I told my husband about it after the first dive and he paid better attention and did the same thing on the second dive. It was a great feedback tool for us and helped us learn to breath better and get maximum bottom time out of our tanks.

 

[The Kraken]

DiveMe,
I think you just hit on one of the greatest aspects of using an air intergrated computer - breathing gas time remaining based on current consumption.

 

[rab]

Tips on how to use the computer. Ok, here is the most obvious and I might add the one least done.....read the manuel. Seriously, many divers never bother and as a result they do not understand competely the information the dive computer is trying to tell them.

I'll second this and add "Read the manual again after you've been diving it for a while"

I have a Suunto Mosquito and am very satisfied with it. (I've taken it in for a "check up" because the depth sensor seems to be slightly flaky, but still like it.) When I re-read the manual after seeing a thread here about what the "attention symbol" meant at the start of the dive, I discovered that there's a simple way to select which items are shown by default in the EAN mode during a dive (fO2/maxdepth/temp and ppO2/divetime/clock). The default defaults are fO2 and divetime, but I always wanted to see temp and divetime. Now I can! (well, when I get it back...)

A few months ago I found a thread which linked to a study of several different dive computers and evaluated them on their "conservativeness". They ran each through a dive in pressure vessel and then compared the settings on some PC-based deco program that would result in the "best fit" to the actual results from the computer under test. The Suunto model was somewhat "more conservative" than most, but that actually suits me just fine (I already owned it before seeing the study). I even have my personal adjustment at "P1" for a bit of extra safety.

-Rob

 

[OE2X]

Here are my two cents:
If you are going to dive with a computer and not have depth guage or bottom timer as a backup then get a wrist mounted unit.

The simple reason for this:
When you are ascending you will want to keep and eye on your ascent rate and control your bouyancy. This is most easily done if you have your computer mounted on your right wrist. You watch your guage on your right hand and control your BC with your left hand. It is very difficult to do both with your left hand at the same time.

As to what brand: I personally am only familiar with the Uwatec Aladin Air 2 Nitrox. I like this model and it hasn't failed me. The numbers are large so it's easy to read even when narc'd. The screen is also easy to understand. I used to use the hoseless air feature, but my diving style has since changed. It worked great. Perhaps the only complaint that I have about it, is that when doing your percentages for nitrox it only goes up or down in 2% increments. So if I get Ean 32.5% I have to rate it at 34% instead of 33%. This isn't a big deal though as I don't mind being conservative.

 

[j_c_a]

I've been pretty happy w/ my Suunto Cobra. I also wear a citizen dive watch (it has a depth gauge) for quick reference. I like the *idea* of an wrist mounted AI computer, but I just can't bring myself to trust them, but I know others use them w/o incident.

 

[rab]

Here are my two cents:
If you are going to dive with a computer and not have depth guage or bottom timer as a backup then get a wrist mounted unit.

The simple reason for this:
When you are ascending you will want to keep and eye on your ascent rate and control your bouyancy. This is most easily done if you have your computer mounted on your right wrist. You watch your guage on your right hand and control your BC with your left hand. It is very difficult to do both with your left hand at the same time.

This is so true! I did one dive with my Mosquito on my left wrist before moving it to the right while diving. (It's on my left as a watch normally.)

As to what brand: I personally am only familiar with the Uwatec Aladin Air 2 Nitrox. I like this model and it hasn't failed me. The numbers are large so it's easy to read even when narc'd. The screen is also easy to understand. I used to use the hoseless air feature, but my diving style has since changed. It worked great. Perhaps the only complaint that I have about it, is that when doing your percentages for nitrox it only goes up or down in 2% increments. So if I get Ean 32.5% I have to rate it at 34% instead of 33%. This isn't a big deal though as I don't mind being conservative.

If you want to be conservative, you'd want to set it lower, i.e., at 32%, for nitrogen loading. Setting it higher (34%) is conservative from an oxygen toxicity (CNS and OTU) and MOD perspective. At recreational depths and NDLs, the nitrogen is probably more appropriate.

-Rob

 

[GrierHPharmD]

Agreed. From my experience, here are a few things you should look for in the manual:

How does the computer indicate a decompression obligation? (I haven't had one yet, but I'd like to know what that alarm means if and when I cross that bridge.)

How do you set the computer to use Nitrox, if you decide to go that route? Are there any special programming requirements necessary for using a gas other than air? (My computer requires you to reset the O2% between dives if you're diving something other than air. And you can't reset the % until you've been up for at least 10 minutes. Not too tough, but I learned about it on a dive, when my alarms kept going off, and I didn't know what to do. (Luckily, I had the manual in my dive log, but that's another issue.)

Finally, I like to work out the tables as a backup. Nothing wrong with diving the computer but being aware of the boundries that tables would require. It helps you feel in control of your dive.

Good luck,
Grier

 

[GrierHPharmD]

BTW, I have a Tusa IQ-600, built into my console. It's nothing fancy - easy to use, inexpensive, and, except for the case mentioned above, has never given me any problems. I think the new model is IQ-700.