Suunto or Uwatec

[grazie42]

I have a vytec and love it. The menues are intuitive and easy to use uw. I´ve never had any dealings with their support (everything works) so I can´t comment on that. I don´t think you´ll run into any problems on repetitive dives if you dive "sensibly". I´ve done a few liveaboards with at least 3 dives/day without issues...

If by multiple tanks you mean that you´re thinking about techdiving, I´d say that most instuctors will propably want you to have a regular spg for those dives anyways so it propably wont be an issue either way.

Having said that I´m sure uwatecs are good as well. I have a uwatec BT and it does exactly what I want it to...

 

[reefugee]

I have the Uwatec Smart Com (not exactly what you asked for), and I have only found one flaw with it. It lacks a basic clock. Other than that, it's a great computer with lots of really nice features! I love all the different warning that it has - such as fast ascent, too heavy breathing, etc. I recently gave my old (3 months old) Smart Com to my daughter, and bought an Oceanic VT3. Thing has a clock! But then I don't like the fast ascent warning compared to my Smart Com. The Smart Com would tell me that I am ascending at a certain percentage faster than I should. The Oceanic just tells me to slow down.

All-in-all, my only complaint with the UWATEC is lack of a clock.

 

[Sharky1948]

I have the Uwatec Smart Com (not exactly what you asked for), and I have only found one flaw with it. It lacks a basic clock.

Strangely enough, it does have a clock. You just can't use it! It downloads entry/exit time/date into SmartTrak so it's there.

On the other hand, I personally don't miss it. Since it displays SIT and I can run NDLs and/or dive plans on it, I really don't need it.

 

[reefugee]

YEah - what a shame that UWATEC doesn't display the time on the Smart Com. Other than that - it's a great computer.

 

[blewington]

I dove both Suunto and Uwatec for 5+ years until recently. My Uwatec battery died and now I have to send it to Scuba Pro, pay $600 CDN, and they give me a new one with a Dealer servicable battery for life. Until now I have been very happy with it, as it adjusts bottom time based on a bunch of things including cold (or local water is 46 degrees). On the other hand, Suunto has had user changable batteries since the Solution. The newest Scuba Pro/Uwatec models cover a lot of the short comings with more memory and multi-gas. Still a great computer, but I am a bit pissed at being forced to upgrade.

My buddies dive the latest Uwatec versions and they also experience a problem I had as well, the temporary transmitter data lost under water when using a camera. Best I could determine is the strobe frequency was interferring with it. I switch the computer and transmitter to the oposite side that I carry the camera and the problem is less of a headache. Not a hugh problem as I know my air consumption very well and I always dive with a small pony when taking pictures as we tend to separate fairly far during photography dives.

I think I will take the $600 and spend it on a newer Vytec DS.

The Suunto gas models are slightly more conservative that Uwatec. When I dove both computers side by side, the Suunto was always a few minutes less time. Not such a bad things as I am getting older and fatter. Now I dive maximum O2 I can for my planned depth or switch to Tri-Mix for the deeper stuff. Luckly I can mix what ever I want becuase I am a gas blender and a good friend has a fill station with all the special gases.

Either computer is great, but never push the limits on either computer as these gas models are only estimates of what is going on in your body. There is a lot of stuff shallower to extend your bottom time. Also a good idea (if properly trained) use 50/50 on your stops. It flushes the nitrogen out quicker if you are at pressure (vs surface).

Hope it helps,
Bill

 

[Jason Ooi]

Sunto Vytec pretty good

 

[merxlin]

I dove both Suunto and Uwatec for 5+ years until recently. My Uwatec battery died and now I have to send it to Scuba Pro, pay $600 CDN, and they give me a new one with a Dealer serviceable battery for life.........Still a great computer, but I am a bit pissed at being forced to upgrade. Bill

Since they come with batteries for life, why will it cost you $600 (even in Canadian dollars thats a lot) for service? Can't you just have the batteries replaced? I'd hate for you to sour someone for a service issue that may not be an issue.