Dive computers... SO many choices!

[Nikole]

Short Bio about me first..
Open water diver
Nitrox certified
Live in Florida (which means I dive alot)
I plan on taking the advanced open water course. No cave, or tec diving, ever.

However computer shopping has never been so difficult.!
I was going to get something cheap at first, like the old Suunto Zoops that my dive buddies, who are advanced divers haave, and it fpretty much does the job, how's your depth water temp, has the safety stop countdown, and how long you've been down.

Then I saw the cressi giotto.. Discontinued, but large screen, easy to read, also very basic and does the job, read all the reviews, everyone likes it. It's discontinued...
Then I see the Oceanic 2.0/3.0 it can match other computer profiles and you can add a second tank and is also one of the more affordable ones.
Then then I see the Suunto D4i novo.. Which is air integrated (yes I do understand that the extra part that you have to buy, the transmitter, used to get the tank and the computer to "talk" to each other is another few hundred dollars.)
Then I see the d6i (and other pricier models) that is air integrated AND has a built-in digital compass.
And I see aloft of people using shearwater petrel.
And then while researching the petrel I learned about the Mares Icon HD (looks like the petrel.. LED screen, air integrated, compass..) Love the LED screen and the colors.

Then at the dive shop me and some students entered a debate about how you do (or don't) need a wrist computer when you can just buy the console (One and Done.) and not have to read both a console and your wrist. I don't even have my own regulator yet, so a console is Off the list.

So my question is:
Exactly what type of *wrist* computer is appropriate for an advanced diver?
I want to buy something nice and suitable so that I don't feel the need to have to UPGRADE later on.

The extra features (digital compass, air integration, etc...) they sound very convenient but is it really worth the extra money?

 

[rjack321]

Shearwater perdix, you'll never have to upgrade through full trimix and/or CCR and if by some one in a million chance it breaks (they basically never do) Bruce and company will fix it fast and often for free. Cause they are awesome.

 

[scubadada]

My first computer is one of the most common threads on SB, I assume you have read many of the others. Most dive computers are very similar with regard to options. One of the major differences is the decompression algorithm(s). Learn something about this topic before you invest in your 1st computer. Buying a computer with an overly conservative decompression algorithm appears to be a common cause of buyer's remorse. 1st dive NDLs do not tell the whole story, repetitive dive information is more revealing.

http://ads.bonniercorp.com/scuba/PDF/ScubaLab-Computer-Test-September-2014-data.pdf

 

[Diver0001]

So my question is:
Exactly what type of *wrist* computer is appropriate for an advanced diver?
I want to buy something nice and suitable so that I don't feel the need to have to UPGRADE later on.

The extra features (digital compass, air integration, etc...) they sound very convenient but is it really worth the extra money?

Hi Nikole,

First things first
Basically if you strip away the packaging, you really have two choices of algorithm. Something based on Buhlmann and something based on RGBM or VPM.

For recreational no-stop diving either will do but for more advanced diving RGBM and VPM have some limitations. So the first thing you need to do is to look into those algorithms a bit and decide which of them suits your needs better.

Features versus simplicity
The second thing you need to do is to look at functionality. Which functions do you really need? Obviously you will need Nitrox but it sounds like you don't really need much more than that.

You're asking if air-integration is a good idea or not. Personally I don't like it. I have used it before and my current computer can do it if I ever set it up but I find that even if you DO have air integration you will probably find it unreliable in cold water so you will still need to have an SPG anyway for a backup. In that case how hard it is to look at your console? The buddy I dive with a lot has air integration and likes it. I guess it's a matter of personal taste.

Same goes for a compass. I personally find it easier to deal with an analogue compass. Some people like the digital ones but what I see around me makes me think that the majority opinion still falls to using an wrist mounted compass.

Both of the above ideas fit into my personal philosophy of keeping it as simple as I can. I think a computer is pretty much required gear but the simpler my computer is, the better I like it. To my way of thinking, unless you need a function a lot, you probably don't need it at all. The point here being that you need to decide if you really need (or want) certain features.

Maybe an idea is to rank them like "must have", "could have" and "won't have" so you can keep it straight in your mind.....

Packaging and price
This is where you started with your post. You're allowing yourself to get confused by packaging. Once you've decided which algorithm you want and which functions you want (and DON'T want) then you'll have a short list of computers to look at. This is the time to look at things like the screens, ease of use of the menus, size, price and so forth.

Once you've done that, you'll probably find that you'll be making a choice between a couple of computers instead of a whole bunch of them.

Good luck.

R..

 

[halocline]

I would really advise you to get something simple and inexpensive. Unless you are technical diving, with decompression and multiple gasses, there is very little difference between diving with a $100 computer and a $1000 computer. All you need a computer to do is to calculate NDL and N2/O2 loading and off-gassing for recreational, no-deco diving, with either air or some blend of nitrox. Basically, they all do that. While the algorithms do vary, they're all considered "safe" in that none has been implicated in any rise in DCS incidence.

What I would also do, though, is learn as much as you can about basic deco theory, understand the concept of multiple tissue compartment models, and get a sense for what types of dive behavior are associated with higher incidence of DCS. This type of knowledge will help you to plan and control your profiles and dive behavior, which will absolutely improve your dive safety and enjoyment.

In terms of spending a lot on a tech computer so you won't have to "upgrade" in the future, consider what happens to the power and price of most computer-related items over time. It's ALWAYS cost beneficial to wait until you need a better computer. By then, it will probably be cheaper and better.

 

[rongoodman]

Most recreational computers will lock you out for some period of time if you annoy them badly enough. Since this could pose a real problem if you're depending on the computer being available, such as on a vacation, you might want to look into how easily this could happen(or buy something that won't do it).

 

[KevinNM]

Most recreational computers will lock you out for some period of time if you annoy them badly enough. Since this could pose a real problem if you're depending on the computer being available, such as on a vacation, you might want to look into how easily this could happen(or buy something that won't do it).

If you are a recreational diver who blows off a deco stop getting locked out isn't your major issue.

 

[rongoodman]

Blowing off legitimate deco is a bad thing. Locking out an overly sensitive computer by accident could be a real pain, and it evidently happens, from what I've heard on recent trips.

 

[jseyfert3]

I bought a Zoop. My thinking was it was the cheapest computer ($180 on Amazon) that didn't use a single button, cause I knew a single button would annoy the crap out of me (personal preference). It's not fancy, no gas switches but you can do nitrox. If you buy the $60 cable you can upload your dive logs to a computer.

I've only used it for my OW checkout dives to around 20 feet so far, so I'm just giving my reasoning for buying it. I'll test it again in a quarry in October when I go on my first "dive trip" (probably to 60 feet, possibly more as I'm planning to do some of the advanced class dives on the trip and we may do a deep dive as part of that).

I do already know I'm going to buy the bungee mount from DSS, cause I already had it rotate on me underwater, but I imagine any computer will tend to do that with neoprene compression and no elastic straps.

 

[Bubblesong]

I would buy the stand alone compass, separate from computer for ease of use and if computer quits, you can still get back to exit dice.