Wrist or AI computer

[nonoy]

I'm planning to buy a computer but i'm confuse what to choose the wrist type or AI. What are disadvantage or advantage of each type? What brand and model do you suggest? Thanks.

[theskull]

Very personal choice.

Advantages to wrist (my fav): Very easy to check and to refer to during ascents; can take with you to the "surface interval" area or hotel room to copy logbook info from and access NDL for repetitive dives; can use with multiple sets of equipment; can have air pressure display if you pay extra for one with a transmitter.

Advantages to console: Always on the reg, cannot forget at home; less to wear on your body; less expensive to air integrate.

1. Where do you want to look for NDL info, on your wrist or the end of a clipped-off hose?
2. Either way, back it up with an analog SPG, depth gauge, and timer. It WILL fail some day, and you don't want to have to abandon a dive, or worse yet, a series of dives on a vacation!!

I am very fond of the Suunto Mosquito for recreational dives, or the Suunto Vytec for those who may be doing deco diving. There are many good models out there, but you did ask for a recommendation.

theskull

[dmdoug]

I have been diving with the Suunto Cobra and purchased the optional quick release as well as the Dive Planner for the PC.

I have logged over 200 dives with the computer and found that in some instances the computer is more conservative than others that are on the market.

It has been in the planning that I have enjoyed the use of having the computer tell me that I have X # of minutes left (it takes into count the 500 psi reserve). The cobra may be adjusted to allow up to 40% O2 and I have not had an issue with the battery yet....

The choice is really what you prefer. Both my wife and I have the same computer so that the bottom time and decompression limits are built on the same algorythms. When it is time for me to ascend to the surface she is usually not far behind me.

Upon completing my dives I bring the console to my computer, plug it in and everything is logged for me including my SAC rate. The only reason that I have had to carry a log book is to make my pretty pictures/directions to the site, my pre-dive plan, and my buddy's signature. Everything else is on the computer.

Hope that this was a help to you. If you have any specific questions drop me a line and I will try to help.

Safe diving,

[ScubaRon]

Nonoy,

You're mixing two things up: the position (wrist or console) and the integration of air or not.

W.r.t. the position: a console has the advantages that all your instruments (even a compass if you wish) are in one place, you won't forget them and on some models you can have a single backlight for them all (very handy for night and dark dives). A drawback is that there is a hose...

A wrist mounted computer gives you more freedom and can be mounted on the left or right wrist. It is easy to carry in your carry-on luggage.

IMO it makes no sense to buy a wrist computer that is not air integrated. You would have to continuously check 2 places: your wrist (for depth and deco information) and your SPG. Night ascends in open water are very difficult, since you also need to manage a light and your BC.

So IMO your real choices are:
[1] console without air integration
[2] wrist with (hoseless) air integration

The latter gives you a little more freedom, but is significantly more expensive.
:snorkel:ScubaRon

[paulwlee]

Everyone has their own preference for this, but I highly disagree with ScubaRon in that it makes no sense to get a wrist computer without air integration.

A computer on the wrist takes almost zero effort to check(a roll of your eyes toward the wrist), so overall it doesn't really take any more effort than checking a console.

However, this is not where it matters most. Ascents are where the wristmount really shines. You don't need to moniter air that often during ascents, but on the other hand, you need to constantly moniter your depth and ascent rate. To do this with a console, you need to hold it up with your hand, as you also want to look up, not down during the ascent. You need a hand for this, and if you are using one hand for something else, then you need to juggle holding the console with adjusting buoyancy. With a wristmount, you have a free hand, and you don't have this problem. I dived with a console for almost 10 years, and was always fiddling with ways to make it work better. After switching to a wristmount, this problem went away. For night ascents, it is even more of an advantage.

Now if you can afford an air integrated wrist mount, then it would work even better. You can't imagine how liberating it is to have all the information you need with a roll of your eyes. (The compass is also wrist mounted.)

After having used a console for 8 years, then using a wrist mount computer and conventional pressure gauge at end of HP hose for two years, and then finally using an AI wristmount computer for 1 year, I would sum up the advantages/disadvantages as follows.

Advantages of a console:
1. Everything is in one piece. No chance you will leave it home unless you have a quick disconnect, in which case it's the same as wristmount.
2. You don't have to put the computer on seperately when gearing up.

Disadvantages of a console:
1. In most cases, you need to grab it and hold it up to see it.
2. You need a hand to do it.
3. It is relatively heavy, so it dangles and feels awkward.
4. If you put the compass on it, the hose needs to be pretty long, so you get a loopy hose coming around.

Advantages of wristmount:
1. You can look at it with a roll of your eyes and a flick of your wrist.
2. Your hands are free
3. It's really lightweight, and unnoticable. (unless you are putting your arm in a lobster hole) The pressure gauge by itself is really light, so it will be unnoticable, too, if put on a shorter hose.

Disadvantages of wristmount:
1. You need to remember to bring it.
2. You need to put it on before a dive, and take it off after.

As you can see, for the ups/downs that I experienced, consoles make the job before/after dives slightly easier, wristmounts make it much easier during dives.
My personal order of preference would be, AI integrated wristmount, wristmount and conventional pressure gauge, and the console dead last. I will never go back to using a bulky console, even if my wristmount dies and someone gives me a new console computer for free.

[scubasean]

Buying a wrist comp, with or without AI makes plenty of sense.

I would argue that buying a wrist mount AI comp. is MUCH more expensive than you need to go.

If you have to "continuously" (as Scubaron says) check your gas, you aren't keeping track....You will know, if you pay enough attention how much gas you "should" have, just by intuition. Check your guage every several minutes, just for confirmation. I check mine about every five minutes and am generally reasonably close, by estimation in my head, to what my guage reads.

I use the SUUNTO Vyper wrist comp., and love it. No AI, since I don't need it. I also have the ability to have my SPG provide info if the comp. dies...

Of course, if the comp. dies, I'll likely turn the dive and surface in the normal fashion, since I use it as my depth guage and timer.

[Warren_L]

I would agree with Scubasean on getting the wrist mount computer, whether AI or not. It is so much more convenient when monitoring your depth without having to pull out your console periodically. If you can afford to get the AI, I would go for that too - again, it's a convenience factor. But I would not get rid of the SPG altogether as I prefer to have the redundancy should anything fail.

[MechDiver]

ScubaRon once bubbled...

IMO it makes no sense to buy a wrist computer that is not air integrated. You would have to continuously check 2 places: your wrist (for depth and deco information) and your SPG. Night ascends in open water are very difficult, since you also need to manage a light and your BC.

ScubaRon

This is stupid on so many levels it just boggles the mind :rolleyes:

[MechDiver]

Karl_in_Calif once bubbled...


I think there is some truth to this, FOR A BEGINNER.



You missed the point Karl.

[Warren_L]

I think the AI would be useful for a beginner in any event - this will allow you to collect useful data on SAC rates which can allow you to see your improvement over time and to provide some feedback on things that you do during certain dives that affect your breathing. Although not an absolute must, if you can afford AI, I would go for it.

[ScubaRon]

I expected some responses to my post and got them. Here are some of my comments.

paulwlee
You clearly have some different experiences with your console that I with mine.
- Like you I can ascend looking up
- I can check all my gauges in one blink, you will need 2 blinks since you have a wrist mounted computer and a SPG on a hose.
- Like you I need one hand to check all my gauges.
- A console is no heavier than a computer plus an SPG.
- I have the feeling that you are comparing your wrist computer with an old depthmeter+SPG console. I am talking about a modern lightweight light-integrated console. In the end however everyone should use what works best for him/her.

scubasean
Gas management by intuition? LOL. How do you use an SPG to backup[ a computer?

mechdiver
If your only contribution is name-calling, please find a different forum.

karlincalifornia
I must be a very slow learner...;)
"your dive plan and your SPG will become your primary en-route tools, with your digital depth gauge as your primary egression reference". I think you're mixing up your gauges here, but if you're referring to the air calculation feature of the hoseless AI computers I do agree with you.
:snorkel:ScubaRon

[scubasean]

ScubaRon once bubbled...
I expected some responses to my post and got them. Here are some of my comments.



scubasean
Gas management by intuition? LOL. How do you use an SPG to backup[ a computer?



Sorry Ron, but you may have missed my points...I'll try again.

The primary difference between an AI comp (your recommendation) and the wrist mount nonAI comp(what I recommended) is the air pressure feature...

I use my SPG to determine how much air I have. But, I did say I can estimate in my head, and am fairly accurate, thus making it necessary to only check the SPG every five minutes or so for verification. The checking of my SPG every five minutes addressed your apparent and expressed need to check "continuously" which is IMHO unnecessary.

I have no clue what point you were trying to make...and asking about how I backup a computer with an SPG makes no sense to me in the present discussion...If your AI comp fails, you lose more info that I do if mine fails...At least I still have pressure information.

[NitroxDvrFL]

I use a hoseless air intergrated computer on a retracker hooked to a D-ring on my shoulder strap. it very easy to read and stays out of the way- For me it works but it might not be right for everyone. I orginally had it on my wrist but i did not like it their when i was going it tight spaces i found myself bumping it on wrecks i was on.

[paulwlee]

ScubaRon once bubbled...
You clearly have some different experiences with your console that I with mine.
- Like you I can ascend looking up
- I can check all my gauges in one blink, you will need 2 blinks since you have a wrist mounted computer and a SPG on a hose.
- Like you I need one hand to check all my gauges.
- A console is no heavier than a computer plus an SPG.
- I have the feeling that you are comparing your wrist computer with an old depthmeter+SPG console. I am talking about a modern lightweight light-integrated console. In the end however everyone should use what works best for him/her.
[/B]

I think you missed my point. I need to check air fewer times than the computer, especially during ascents, as then I need to semi-constantly moniter depth and ascent rate. For this, I only need a blink instead of a grab/blink. I also need no hands to check the depth/ascent rate, and can be holding something else or be fiddling with a spool, or whatever I want, as long as my right arm is in front of me. This is the major advantage of a wristmount for me. Maybe for you it didn't work as well, if you tried and didn't like wristmounts.

As for the weight, I am referring to the less bulk and less weight that you would have at the end of the HP hose, which makes the SPG pretty much unnoticable. I guess if you have a small air integrated computer at the end of the hose with no compass, then it would be about the same. (If you have a compass there, then you need a long hose, and the whole thing will be larger, so it will get as bulky as a console.)

This is really a matter of personal preference, but I just wanted
to pitch in with my preferences as you did yours. ;)

[RPanick]

Here are a few more things to consider in the pro/con categories

Console Con
- You need to be careful when moving your tank around so that you don't accidentally smash the computer. Generally when putting on or taking off. I smashed my compass once this way, much more careful now.

Wrist Con
- If you habitually feel the need to wear the computer on your left wrist you may find it awkward or even difficult to read it while venting from a BC or a cuff dump on a dry suit (assuming left cuff). Of course the easy suggestion is to wear it on your right arm. One other trick, wear it with the guage on the inside of your arm, it gives a little more protection, and if you are hanging on a line or doing an out of air drill, you can still see the guage.