Comparison: Suunto Vyper vs. Dive Rite Nitek Plus

[SABoyce]

Newb with an equip. questions - surprise!

My wife & I are getting our AOW & EAD certs. this weekend. After planning Nitrox dives w/ the tables for the test, I'm ready to drop some coin on a computer.
I've narrowed it down to the Suunto Vyper and Dive Rite Nitek Plus. LDS highly discouraged the Vyper - claimed "not as 'conservative' as the Nitek Plus, less reliable - Suunto has had some recalls on the Vyper."
LDS has received plenty of business from me and always given me great advice & prices ($440 out the door for the Nitek Plus) even when compared to the internet shops, but I have picked up some very good info. from this board and see tons of good stuff being said about the Vyper & very little bad.
Any words of wisdom are greatly appreciated!

SABoyce
*not afraid to swim with sharks (as long as they're well fed) - http://www.travelingcio.com/sharkdive

 

[5615mike]

Please get your LDS to provide you with Suunto Vyper Recall info. I have had this discussion with another of sorts like your LDS who claims the Vyper has had recalls. I am unable to find any documentation to support this claim. Please ask them.

Does this particular LDS sell Suunto products? I bet they don't.

There has been a recall on the AI Vytec but not the Vyper.

Waiting to see if the LDS will provide you will back up of their claim.

 

[String]

Ive found nothing regarding a Vyper recall.

The Vytec had a recall regarding SIMPLAN mode but thats a different computer.

 

[MechDiver]

I can't imagine anyone saying anything is more conservative than a Suunto.
Niteks are, IMO, difficult to read and probably behind the times as far as programming goes.

Any of the leading computers will serve your purpose, you just need to decide on what features you want and how much you want to pay for it.

MD

Oh, and polls are a PITA and accomplish nothing.

 

[SABoyce]

MechDiver once bubbled...
...Oh, and polls are a PITA and accomplish nothing.

I only asked for opinions on computers Thank you and the rest of the respondents for those.

-SAB

 

[nwdiver2]

Love the Vytec have used data-trans plus from Oceanic with success. But I like Suunto products. I like the size it is smaller than some of the other hosless systems.

It is also one of the few you can buy the computer and add the transmitter later, that take the bite out of it.

When looking at it the various forms of hosless systems I looking at the Nitek and didn’t find it to be easily set up. It was more complex and I believe Suunto will be easier to have serviced.

 

[pdoege]

It supports gas switching, deep deco stops, etc.

The vyper's RGBM implementation seems to be pretty, well, non-optimal. There have been other posts on the topic. For non-deco diving, RGBM doesn't buy you very much anyway.

That leaves the air integration. A lot of people really like this feature. I haven't used an AI computer yet. My bottom times are normally limited by NDL and my buddy's air consumption.

I would get the Nitek, but I can see why a more recreational diver would want the Vyper.

Peter

 

[5615mike]

Peter

Why would the Nitek benefit ANY rec diver? If your not doing multi gas deep dives then why bother?

By the way, Vyper is not AI, Vytec is AI only if transmitter is purchased. Can't assume that every Vytec is AI.

 

[pdoege]

Hey there -

I know of more than a few people who have gone into deco on the Suunto computers and they report that the computers respond with very long stops at 10' or so.

Not particularly useful.

The deco divers that I know of who use the Nitek+ really like it. Would be nicer if it was RGBM, I believe it is a slightly tweaked ZHL-16. It has similar limits to my Archimede which is ZHL-16.

Anyway, if the Suunto isn't AI, then I would definitely go with the Nitek.

One thing to watch out for is that the Nitek has a small display and is not all that good for those of us with crappy vision.

I routinely carry a 30ft bottle of EAN80 on deeper NDL dives, just for safety. I grant you that this is not normal recreational practice.

Peter

PS. The Nitek user's manual can be found at http://www.diveriteexpress.com/library/manuals/nitekplus.pdf
PSS. Searching for "suunto deco" will give you a lot of threads on the suunto series and their use in deco.

 

[String]

Im not familiar with long stops at 10ft on my vyper.

Certainly normally when i dive well into deco on the thing i find the computer clears during my normal ascent so obviously models off gassing properly.

It sets a ceiling and a floor but this "deco zone" from my experience is fairly large so you can really pick whatever depth you want to stop at.

It does include an *optional* safety stop at 5m or so on any dive > 6m but its not mandatory - you can skip it and not be penalised by it.