Looking at Oceanic Atom

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

joel3739

Registered
Messages
37
Reaction score
0
Location
Las Vegas, NV
Over the last week or so, I have been taking a serious look at the Oceanic Atom. I wanted to get any feed back positive or negative.

After the research and going through the Demo's on a number of computers, I feel that the atom offers the essentials plus the kitchen sink.

However, The only Negative I seem to come back to time and time again is the size of the data on the face of a watch.

Could someone please tell me there opinion that has used the Atom. Is this a concern that I should really have? or does the data on the face actually work better than I am thinking. Please keep in mind I dont have the best vision under water.

Again, any feedback will be welcomed.
 
If you really dont like the size of the data on the Atom, go with a VT Pro or if you want three gas capibility wait a few weeks and grab a VT 3 (at more $$$)

I'll let otheres relate their choice to you, obviously I have a bias...

Best,

Chris
 
joel3739:
Over the last week or so, I have been taking a serious look at the Oceanic Atom. I wanted to get any feed back positive or negative.

After the research and going through the Demo's on a number of computers, I feel that the atom offers the essentials plus the kitchen sink.

However, The only Negative I seem to come back to time and time again is the size of the data on the face of a watch.

Could someone please tell me there opinion that has used the Atom. Is this a concern that I should really have? or does the data on the face actually work better than I am thinking. Please keep in mind I dont have the best vision under water.

Again, any feedback will be welcomed.
You may want to wait for the bigger screen as Chris suggests. I have an atom and I can't complain. I am probably going to sell it because I am actually moving away from diving computers and getting back to diving tables/Min Deco. But I have an atom and a data trans plus. They both read off of the same transmitter (the atom's) for wireless air integration. That was nice. I did find myself looking at the older data trans plus since it was easier to read and actually using the atom as my backup if that tells you anything.

If you are looking for a small computer that you can wear as a watch as well, then the atom is great. If you are going to keep it in your bag until dive time, then I'd go with the VT3 or VTPro. Heck, my datatrans plus has been good too. I still have both of them, but will probably be selling them since I am going to bottom timer diving and my new bottom time records dives as well.

Chris
 
When I looked at the Atom a few months ago, I didn't have any problem with the size, though if I were among the older bifocal wearing crowd, I might have. The feature I did not like about it is you have to push a button to make it tell you your remaining tank pressure (I believe the default is the computer's calculation of how much bottom time you have left). I'm not sure if this is still the case, but I would be pretty annoyed to have to push a tiny little button every time I want to know what's left in my tank.

I was also wondering about the size, by the way, and Larry at Scubatoys let me look at the computers I was considering side-by-side via his nifty webcam. If you haven't decided where to purchase yet, I definitely recommend calling Larry - he'll help you figure out which one you want and give you a great price to boot.
 
D_O_H:
When I looked at the Atom a few months ago, I didn't have any problem with the size, though if I were among the older bifocal wearing crowd, I might have. The feature I did not like about it is you have to push a button to make it tell you your remaining tank pressure (I believe the default is the computer's calculation of how much bottom time you have left). I'm not sure if this is still the case, but I would be pretty annoyed to have to push a tiny little button every time I want to know what's left in my tank.

I was also wondering about the size, by the way, and Larry at Scubatoys let me look at the computers I was considering side-by-side via his nifty webcam. If you haven't decided where to purchase yet, I definitely recommend calling Larry - he'll help you figure out which one you want and give you a great price to boot.


Thanks for the plug D O H!

And let me just give another angle on the pushing the button for the remaining tank pressure. I'm sure most of you know that the Atom 2, and Aeris Epic are coming soon - and these will show pressure on the front screen - without having to push a button. For me... I'd rather have the Atom 1.

The Atom has the biggest number being my available time - based on what I'm going to run out of first, either nitrogen time, or air. I want that number to be big. To pack the air pressure on the front, all the numbers will be a bit smaller.

I got talking to a customer that got an Atom 1 from me, was upset it didn't show pressure without pushing a button, and he wanted to send it back. I explained - "no problem... but a quick question. If you are at a depth of 105 feet in cozumel, kicking against a current, and you want to hit the surface with 400 psi, and you have 1250 in the tank, how long can you swim before you have to start an ascent if you want to do a 3 minute safety stop and still get up with 400 in the tank?"

He responded... "Oh, I don't know..."

Knowing your Sac rate under varying conditions and then doing the math to calculate your depth consumption is something I don't want to do during a dive... when a computer can do it for me.

My best analogy is probably my car. At any given time it tells me how long I have until I run out of gas... It doesn't tell me how many gallons I have left. What does it matter if it's 6 or 13 gallons... I have 145 miles before I need to find a gas station.

Same with my air. Let the computer do the calculations - and let me know when I have to start going up. If that is 5 minutes, or 7 minutes... handy info. But whether I have 1150 or 975... I really don't care. I care how much time I have left based on the conditions I'm under at that point.

Keep in mind - this is simply an opinion, and I know a lot of folks are waiting for the Atom 2 - I have a ton coming in and a lot of people are on the waiting list... but if I was to purchase a computer today, I'd save the money and the the Atom 1, put the other few hundred in my pocket, and if I ever care how many PSI I have... I'll push the button!
 
I had no problems pushing the button to get remaining gas. It was certainly easier than grabbing an SPG.
 
I purchased the Atom recently from Larry @ Scubatoys & had a chance to use it on 20 dives on Roatan. It's my first wrist comp and I really like it. Gives me all the data I need before, during, and after the dive- even more than I need :wink:

My only complaint is that I wish the backlight was a bit stronger - can be tough to see in somewhat hazy to mid-light conditions.

All in all, I'm very happy with the Atom - and Scubatoys!
 
Ok, so here's my $0.02... I have an Atom... works great... however, I don't have the best eye site... warm water dives... it's no big deal... dark, cold dives it becomes a problem... so while it has gas switching and other features, don't use them on the more technical dives... like the larger display for them...

But... for warm water dives... I think it's pretty darn good.

Thanks for the heads up on the Atom 2 and the VT3... looking to get a 2nd computer for backup... will have to take a look at them.
 
joel3739:
However, The only Negative I seem to come back to time and time again is the size of the data on the face of a watch.

Could someone please tell me there opinion that has used the Atom. Is this a concern that I should really have? or does the data on the face actually work better than I am thinking. Please keep in mind I dont have the best vision under water.

The size wasn't a problem for me (and I don't have the best vision under water either). The Atom is very easy to use and packs a lot of features (too many, imho). However, I've had various problems with Atom 1.0s in the past and if you have your heart set on one I would at least wait for the 2.0 version where (hopefully) Oceanic has sorted out some of the problems.

My first Atom (r2C) failed underwater.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=46554&page=4&pp=10

My second Atom (r2C) drained its battery very quickly and was sent back to Oceanic.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=85922

My third Atom (r2F) was the replacement that Oceanic sent back. It too suffered from the excessive battery drain issue. I have since sold it.

I was using a borrowed Atom last week (r2D); after ten repetitive dives, the Atom reset itself during my surface interval to the 1st of January 2004 and erased all the nitrogen loading info...
 
Vie:
I was using a borrowed Atom last week (r2D); after ten repetitive dives, the Atom reset itself during my surface interval to the 1st of January 2004 and erased all the nitrogen loading info...
The same thing has happened to me. I thought it was the battery and replaced it with a new one, but I am still having the stinkin' thing reset on me above water with the new battery.

Any ideas????
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

Back
Top Bottom