need recommendations
- Thread starter sgy
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SeaJay
Contributor
Hm. Isn't he the lucky one? 
The board here tends to favor the Suunto line of products. Certainly you'll get a large number of people here who opt for something else, but probably the most popular are the Suuntos.
Here's a link: http://www.leisurepro.com/Catalog.aspx?op=ItemDisplay&ProductID=SQTVCW
The company, Leisurepro, is well known and trusted here on this board. Their prices are low enough to cause suspicion with anyone who's never done business with them before. Those of us who have know them and trust them. What you're looking at there for $339 normally sells in retail stores for about $700.
There are more expensive options out there, too... Including a "Cobra" model that takes the place of some of the gauges on his console and calculates air consumption, too... But many divers don't like the feature, much less pay extra for it.
Then there's a wrist-mounted computer like what you see there for $339 that has a wireless transmitter on the regulator - so that it looks and fits like the one for $339, but calculates air consumption like the console-mounted one does.
...Then there's the really expensive ones that have the same features as the one above, but are really SMALL. These are great until you realize that underwater, BIG is easier to read, and you never wanted to dive with your dress watch on anyway. Then there's the fact that the battery life is much lower than the $339 model... And that it can only be replaced by sending it back to the manufacturer...
Anyway... The Vyper's an excellent choice for someone looking for a great dive computer.
If you want, the desktop PC integration would make a nice stocking stuffer, too, so he can download the data collected during his dive. I love mine. The software and the connector cost about $100 or so, but you'll have to get that from your local retailer - I couldn't find an online retailer offering the "PC Interface."
Good luck.
The board here tends to favor the Suunto line of products. Certainly you'll get a large number of people here who opt for something else, but probably the most popular are the Suuntos.
Here's a link: http://www.leisurepro.com/Catalog.aspx?op=ItemDisplay&ProductID=SQTVCW
The company, Leisurepro, is well known and trusted here on this board. Their prices are low enough to cause suspicion with anyone who's never done business with them before. Those of us who have know them and trust them. What you're looking at there for $339 normally sells in retail stores for about $700.
There are more expensive options out there, too... Including a "Cobra" model that takes the place of some of the gauges on his console and calculates air consumption, too... But many divers don't like the feature, much less pay extra for it.
Then there's a wrist-mounted computer like what you see there for $339 that has a wireless transmitter on the regulator - so that it looks and fits like the one for $339, but calculates air consumption like the console-mounted one does.
...Then there's the really expensive ones that have the same features as the one above, but are really SMALL. These are great until you realize that underwater, BIG is easier to read, and you never wanted to dive with your dress watch on anyway. Then there's the fact that the battery life is much lower than the $339 model... And that it can only be replaced by sending it back to the manufacturer...
Anyway... The Vyper's an excellent choice for someone looking for a great dive computer.
If you want, the desktop PC integration would make a nice stocking stuffer, too, so he can download the data collected during his dive. I love mine. The software and the connector cost about $100 or so, but you'll have to get that from your local retailer - I couldn't find an online retailer offering the "PC Interface."
Good luck.
ShoalDiverSA
Contributor
SeaJay:
Or for $45 (+S/H) you can get one from Jamiei (Scubaboard user). His website is: http://www.athenshomesolutions.com/id14.html.
I have a Suunto Cobra, which I am very happy with. I just bought a Suunto Gekko for my wife, because she really does not want to download her dives. If you have the cash, I would recommend the Suunto Vyper too. It has all the features most mortals need and really keeps your hubby's options open. If he is not a tinkerer, maybe you could do without the download facility, then the Gekko is good option.
Cheers,
Andrew
Your question is a difficult one: every diver I know is pretty 'wedded' to the equipment that they use. Ask a 100 divers about their equipment and you'll get 100 strong answers!
I have both a console and a wrist-mounted computer. They perform the same functions, except that the wrist-mounted computer is ... well, on my wrist. That makes it easier to read, because you simply have to flip over your wrist, instead of reaching down (or across) to pick up the console. You said you didn't want to spend too much, so an air-integrated, 'wrist' computer is probably overkill.
My humble recommendation: Go with the Oceanic Datamax Pro+...it's console mounted, has large and easy-to-read graphics, handles Nitrox easily, is air-integrated (although I find this feature to be a lot less useful than I expected), and will cost $300 - $400 less than the wrist-mounted equivalent (VT Pro). Unlike the Suunto computers, this one displays the nitrogen-loading bar graph while you're doing your surface interval. The Suuntos contain this information, but you have to pick them up and hit a few buttons to get it, which I found to be irritating (I used to have a Suunto computer). I've done 300+ dives on the Datamax Pro+ and have been pleased with it.
The Oceanic Veo seems to be nice-trade off between air-integration and wrist-mounting....as I said, the air integration feature isn't all that important.
A wife that buys scuba equipment for her husband for equipment...impressive! Maybe you could talk to his dive buddy and have THEM check with your husband to see what make/model he wants.
Good luck!
I have both a console and a wrist-mounted computer. They perform the same functions, except that the wrist-mounted computer is ... well, on my wrist. That makes it easier to read, because you simply have to flip over your wrist, instead of reaching down (or across) to pick up the console. You said you didn't want to spend too much, so an air-integrated, 'wrist' computer is probably overkill.
My humble recommendation: Go with the Oceanic Datamax Pro+...it's console mounted, has large and easy-to-read graphics, handles Nitrox easily, is air-integrated (although I find this feature to be a lot less useful than I expected), and will cost $300 - $400 less than the wrist-mounted equivalent (VT Pro). Unlike the Suunto computers, this one displays the nitrogen-loading bar graph while you're doing your surface interval. The Suuntos contain this information, but you have to pick them up and hit a few buttons to get it, which I found to be irritating (I used to have a Suunto computer). I've done 300+ dives on the Datamax Pro+ and have been pleased with it.
The Oceanic Veo seems to be nice-trade off between air-integration and wrist-mounting....as I said, the air integration feature isn't all that important.
A wife that buys scuba equipment for her husband for equipment...impressive! Maybe you could talk to his dive buddy and have THEM check with your husband to see what make/model he wants.
Good luck!
sgy:
Hmmm... Then some people on this board are not a fan of Suunto.... The oceanic is part of the pelagic family... like the Aeris computers. I personally like dealing with the Aeris folks... very good at standing behind their products, and they are very easy to use and have very large displays. You can get into a Aeris Atmos 1 Computer for about $165.00. And that's with a manufacturers warranty... Suunto does not allow on line sales so purchasing them on line means getting a computer without a warranty.
So wrist is fine if that's what you want... and there are different features in different computers... audible alarms, nitrox capablilty, download capability, warranty, etc to consider. If you know what you want... then it's easy... problem is figuring out what you want!
I'm sure you will get a lot of opinions here... and keep in mind... that's what they are!
SeaJay
Contributor
Well, it's more of a "preference" kind of thing.
I (and many others) enjoy the advantages of wrist computers:
1. More accessible, so I tend to check it more often.
2. On my wrist, so it tends to take less of a beating.
3. On my wrist, so it tends to stay with me more than the rest of my gear (nice, 'cause there's less risk of it getting stolen while I'm not looking).
4. To me, the most important feature: It sits on my RIGHT wrist. See, adding gas to my BCD (in my case, a wing) is done with the LEFT hand. Dumping is the same on my rig, and for the same reasons - although that varies per manufacturer. Having my depth and time on my right wrist allows me to manage my gas with my left hand and get indicators (gauges) on my right. Over time, I've developed "muscle memory" which has made my diving simpler and more intuitive. This could not happen if my gauges were on my left side, in a "console." (The housing that holds everything together on a diver's left side.)
Console-computer wearers cite the following advantages:
1. Everything is in one place, and they find that simpler.
2. Console computers often integrate air calculations (how much longer you can stay with a given amount of air left) for only a small price increase over wrist-mounted computers. Note: As I've mentioned before, there are wrist-mounts that have a wireless transmitter so that the same function is available to the diver without resorting to a console-mount, but the wireless transmitters require batteries (which can be a problem if they die at an inopportune moment) and possibly offer a point of (catastrophic) failure if they're accidentally whacked against something hard, like a rock or shipwreck. Early models had a difficult time communicating between the two units (wireless signals don't do well underwater) and so they don't have the best reputation, despite today's models being fairly reliable. Lastly, there is the cost... About double what a diver might pay for a non-wireless model.
The bottom line is that the basic differences between console and wrist-mounted computers are largely about personal preference than functionality. To me, I can't understand why anyone would want to locate their computer on a console, when having it on my wrist makes so much more sense. But that's my opinion - others' vary. I can't tell you what your husband would want in this regard.
I CAN help you to make a judgement call, if you'd like... If he hasn't told you already exactly what he wants. If I can get an idea of what sort of things he likes now, I can make an educated guess as to what sort of computer he'd prefer:
1. Would you describe his lifestyle as "high-tech" or "low-tech?" Does he carry around his laptop? Does he use the latest in Bluetooth technology? If he chose what sort of car to drive, what sort of car is it? Does he drive a Ford F-250 pickup truck, or a new 5-series BMW?
2. How long has he been diving? How many dives does he have? Does he dive locally, or only dive while on vacation in some warm, sunny spot?
3. Is he "nitrox" certified? Does he talk about partial pressure fills and enriched air, or does he use air in his tanks when he dives? Have you ever seen him wearing two tanks on his back at the same time?
4. Is he affiliated with any special dive groups? Do the letters "IANTD" or "DIR" mean anything to you?
5. When he dives, how deep does he go? Is he diving inside of shipwrecks at 200 feet, or is he the casual diver that goes to 60 feet in clear water to look at the marine life?
6. Does he own any underwater camera equipment?
To answer your last question: I've heard good things about the Oceanic computers, and like them myself for a variety of reasons. I've only used one a couple of times, though - with nothing bad to report. They utilize a different algorithm that tends to give divers a little more bottom time for most dives, if they follow their computer - but that's not necessarily a good thing. That only means that their algorithm tends to be less conservative.
Any way you cut it, I'm sure that he'll be thrilled with your purchase - and if not, I'm sure he'll be able to exchange afterwards to get exactly what he wanted.
Last question for you: Obviously, your husband has a dive buddy that he dives with regularly. What computer does he use? If it's an Oceanic Veo, then you might want to match your husband's computer up with what his buddy uses - that way, they're getting similar information. Remember when I mentioned that the Oceanic and Suunto computers use different algorithms? Well... Underwater, that can mean that one diver following one computer might have a different recommendation from his computer than another diver gets from his. Does that make sense? For simplicity's sake, you might want to match your husband up with whatever his buddy is using.
If his buddy doesn't yet have a computer, I would still go with the Suunto computers - only because they're the standard in the industry. That way, when/if his buddy does buy a computer, he can stick with what's available everywhere and is sorta the industry standard. It's like buying a Chevy for your husband so that he can hang out with other Chevy guys - it's much more difficult to find Alfa Romeo owners to hang out with.
Why did you ask about the Oceanics? What about them has your interest?
I (and many others) enjoy the advantages of wrist computers:
1. More accessible, so I tend to check it more often.
2. On my wrist, so it tends to take less of a beating.
3. On my wrist, so it tends to stay with me more than the rest of my gear (nice, 'cause there's less risk of it getting stolen while I'm not looking).
4. To me, the most important feature: It sits on my RIGHT wrist. See, adding gas to my BCD (in my case, a wing) is done with the LEFT hand. Dumping is the same on my rig, and for the same reasons - although that varies per manufacturer. Having my depth and time on my right wrist allows me to manage my gas with my left hand and get indicators (gauges) on my right. Over time, I've developed "muscle memory" which has made my diving simpler and more intuitive. This could not happen if my gauges were on my left side, in a "console." (The housing that holds everything together on a diver's left side.)
Console-computer wearers cite the following advantages:
1. Everything is in one place, and they find that simpler.
2. Console computers often integrate air calculations (how much longer you can stay with a given amount of air left) for only a small price increase over wrist-mounted computers. Note: As I've mentioned before, there are wrist-mounts that have a wireless transmitter so that the same function is available to the diver without resorting to a console-mount, but the wireless transmitters require batteries (which can be a problem if they die at an inopportune moment) and possibly offer a point of (catastrophic) failure if they're accidentally whacked against something hard, like a rock or shipwreck. Early models had a difficult time communicating between the two units (wireless signals don't do well underwater) and so they don't have the best reputation, despite today's models being fairly reliable. Lastly, there is the cost... About double what a diver might pay for a non-wireless model.
The bottom line is that the basic differences between console and wrist-mounted computers are largely about personal preference than functionality. To me, I can't understand why anyone would want to locate their computer on a console, when having it on my wrist makes so much more sense. But that's my opinion - others' vary. I can't tell you what your husband would want in this regard.
I CAN help you to make a judgement call, if you'd like... If he hasn't told you already exactly what he wants. If I can get an idea of what sort of things he likes now, I can make an educated guess as to what sort of computer he'd prefer:
1. Would you describe his lifestyle as "high-tech" or "low-tech?" Does he carry around his laptop? Does he use the latest in Bluetooth technology? If he chose what sort of car to drive, what sort of car is it? Does he drive a Ford F-250 pickup truck, or a new 5-series BMW?
2. How long has he been diving? How many dives does he have? Does he dive locally, or only dive while on vacation in some warm, sunny spot?
3. Is he "nitrox" certified? Does he talk about partial pressure fills and enriched air, or does he use air in his tanks when he dives? Have you ever seen him wearing two tanks on his back at the same time?
4. Is he affiliated with any special dive groups? Do the letters "IANTD" or "DIR" mean anything to you?
5. When he dives, how deep does he go? Is he diving inside of shipwrecks at 200 feet, or is he the casual diver that goes to 60 feet in clear water to look at the marine life?
6. Does he own any underwater camera equipment?
To answer your last question: I've heard good things about the Oceanic computers, and like them myself for a variety of reasons. I've only used one a couple of times, though - with nothing bad to report. They utilize a different algorithm that tends to give divers a little more bottom time for most dives, if they follow their computer - but that's not necessarily a good thing. That only means that their algorithm tends to be less conservative.
Any way you cut it, I'm sure that he'll be thrilled with your purchase - and if not, I'm sure he'll be able to exchange afterwards to get exactly what he wanted.
Last question for you: Obviously, your husband has a dive buddy that he dives with regularly. What computer does he use? If it's an Oceanic Veo, then you might want to match your husband's computer up with what his buddy uses - that way, they're getting similar information. Remember when I mentioned that the Oceanic and Suunto computers use different algorithms? Well... Underwater, that can mean that one diver following one computer might have a different recommendation from his computer than another diver gets from his. Does that make sense? For simplicity's sake, you might want to match your husband up with whatever his buddy is using.
If his buddy doesn't yet have a computer, I would still go with the Suunto computers - only because they're the standard in the industry. That way, when/if his buddy does buy a computer, he can stick with what's available everywhere and is sorta the industry standard. It's like buying a Chevy for your husband so that he can hang out with other Chevy guys - it's much more difficult to find Alfa Romeo owners to hang out with.
Why did you ask about the Oceanics? What about them has your interest?
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