Divecomputer what to get?

[Agility]

The Veos need a special tool.

... which is included in the box and should be transferred to your save a dive kit together with a spare battery.

 

[wolflegresley]

Good Day OP - I just went through this approx 2 weeks ago and had very very similar parameters to yours. My thread actually ending up covering about 7 pages of information. Hands down the best best DC on the market is the petrel, but like you tech diving was still a few years out and the petrel was out of my budget.

For the 500 dollar range and a computer that can do everything you could possibly dream of in rec diving, plus have a gauge mode for a backup/tech diving is the Suunto Vyper. It took me 15 minutes to learn how to use it, it has a stellar dive planning mode and an intresting dive simulation mode (really helps you in getting a real idea about dives).

Furthermore the computer cable comes with it and the dive manager software gives you so much data it will keep you as intrested in the dive post-dive as you did actually during the dive. It is nitrox friendly, has great graphs for tissue absorption, can go into a decomode if you blow your NDL, has a great light for underwater, is easy to read, has 2x protective screens just in case. The built in dive log is very intuitive as well. The watch activates as soon as your under 4 feet of water, and should you surface half way through your swim the vyper will not END your dive unless your at the surface for more than 5 minutes (great when teaching new folks how to dive as they runaway ascent).

Ready for the best part that most people dont tell you about? Its sold absolutely everywhere! If you ever need work done on it, need to take it in for its 2 year inspection or forget how to do something on the boat...someone nearby will know how to do it for you!

There are many others that do the job..but for me it was either a Petrel or a vyper. GL!

 

[DownbelowDiver]

Hey

I'm right now looking around to buy me a computer as i'm going to do my IDC soon (before i was just fine with my 20bucks casio watch and tables) so why i'm doing a thread? there is so much choice and i have no idea what i want to buy... i'm probably gonna do a lot of dives with it in the foreseable future (up to 5 a day) - price range is up to 500 bucks i would say, could be a bit more. nice would be if i could change the battery myself but isn't that much of a must. should be with EANx setting (one gas is fine though).

how long does they serve me? 5-10 years? better to just buy me a d4i and spend some money on the computer since its gonna be a working tool or buy me the cheapest I can find? I kinda like watches but doesn't really matter (I still have my casio watch ).

so any thing that is standing out as be just better in prize/money ratio as the others or something that is just better?


BR and thanx a lot

Hi inkkend

You must be looking forward to your IDC!
You’ll be glad to have bought a dive computer when you’re in the thick of your dive training! A dive computer will save you SO much time than using a dive planner and an underwater watch, and it’s more accurate for depths for your instructional purposes.

Choosing a dive computer is just a matter of your diving needs…and your budget too!
I might be biased about Suunto, but they are one of the most highly renowned brands. They don’t just cater to scuba diving either.
The D4i Novo is a revamped version of the D4i; it’s lightweight with its silicone wrist-strap and its practical features to select Nitrox, Air or Free dive are all present, just as with its D4i predecessor.
As far as recreational scuba diving, it’s a great choice and it doesn’t ‘break the bank’. I myself use the Zoop and it’s lasted me the last few years of teaching (more than 1000 dives now) without having to change the battery yet either! It’s not as prehistoric as the Gekko for example, but I know Instructors who still use these models!

Our Dive Shop stocks the range of Suunto dive computers, which comes in really handy for our soon-to-be PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors to get accustomed to using it on their Instructor Development Course (IDC).
Take a look here à Suunto | Dive Shop Kota Kinabalu, Borneo

If you wanted to teach technical diving courses, you will need to get one that will support that, and these will be more expensive for that capability of course.

Have a great time on your IDC! You will remember it always…and without a dive planner and underwater stopwatch!

 

[Jonno]

Few things to add. I am a working instructor and dive centre owner. I dive recreational with a Uwatec Aladin. I also have an Oceanic Geo watch size computer for convenience as it is small and I wear it as a watch. Uwatec has a nice big display, user changeable batteries it has done over 500 dives all is OK. It is on its second strap and I have just changed the screen protector for the first time. The GEO is small and convenient and good for dive data when logging dives with students however it does give anything up to 9 mins more bottom time which worries me a bit so I always use the Uwatec one for that purpose.

With regard to Suunto we are a resort centre with largely a transient clientele however we have local and returning divers and I am increasingly seeing failures with Suunto Gekko and Zoop, three of my divers are now on their second replacement one after 2 lots of 17 dives, as soon as they are out of warranty Suunto charge, the longer it is the higher the price. I understand the whole warranty thing but some failures represent very few dives. I raised this with my supplier and was told that Suunto hold 80% of the market and the failures reflect that in a fair ratio. This is something I do not agree with as I have seldom seen (if at all) any failures in other makes. Just a bit of food for thought

 

[BradMM]

Being a bit older, I need to be able to SEE the face of whatever I get. Although I know this is not the key variable to consider, I have been looking into the Scubapro Galileo Luna for that reason.

Comments appreciated!