Suunto Vyper or Cressi Giotto

[Phil Bautista Steel]

A newb to the dive scene having just completed my OWD.

I am starting to shop around for equipment purchasing my fins, snorkel, mask and booties and Iphone housing.

Next up is my dive computer. I have the opportunity of buying a Suunto Vyper from a friend or a completely new Cressi Giotto. I like the idea of multiple buttons hence not considering the Suunto Zoop or Cressi Lionardi. Can anyone advise their opinions on these or other beginner dive computers?

Cheers,

Phil

 

[Diving Dubai]

Both I and my wife both use Cressi Leonardo computers. As a starter comp it is pretty good - the single button isn't hard to use, it is both Air and Nitrox up to 40% It takes less than 30 secs to set your gas mixture before a dive, and is simple to read underwater and on the surface even in bright light.

Down side. The back light for night diving is pants and it doesn't do gas switching for Deco diving. If you want a good recreational computer I recommend it, mine has 150 dives from the last 18 months and still has the original battery. Some might say look to the future and get a more complex computer just in case. My argument would be that you possibly don't know what diving you will be doing by the time you even get to 100 (how long will that take?) by the time you want something more advanced the technology will have moved on

 

[scubadiver888]

I have been using a Zoop for years. It was good for me except it didn't have a backlight. Recently purchased a used Vyper as a backup for my Zoop and found out it had a backlight. So now my Zoop is a backup to my Vyper.

I'll sometimes do some shallow diving (between 4 and 6 feet) and my Vyper (and Zoop) will complain because I 'surfaced'. But if you stay below 6 feet except at the end of the dive it won't complain.

It does air, nitrox and gauge modes. From Diving Dubai's post it sounds like the Vyper is comparable but might be slightly better in some regards. Many people however complain that the Suunto computers are just WAY too conservative. So when a Vyper tells you that you have hit NDL, other computers will say you still have more time.

 

[runsongas]

the zoop has 3 buttons, it just doesn't have gauge mode. if you want a more liberal computer, take a look at the hollis dg03.

 

[nadenal]

... The back light for night diving is pants and it doesn't do gas switching for Deco diving. ...

I have to ask. What does pants have to do with this? I do not get the reference.

Mike

 

[dsr30]

I have to ask. What does pants have to do with this? I do not get the reference.

Mike

It's slang for crap or ****, etc.

 

[Centrals]

Spend as little as possible. Cressi Leonardo, Mares Puck and Sunnto Zoop would do. And if you want a fancy one how about the discontinued Hollis DG03(US$250.00; HK$1,950.00) at Dive Gear Express(free shipment to HK if spending over US$500.00). You will be hard push to find any dive computer selling less than 2 grands in HK.
Sunnto Zoop has definitely more than one button.

 

[scubadiver888]

I agree with spend as little as SENSIBLE. There are dive computers which are less expensive than a Zoop or a Puck but you want to make sure it has nitrox. When I bought my computer the Zoop or the Puck was the least expensive options. If you can get a used Vyper for less money than a Zoop then I would say go for the Vyper from your friend. Shining my flashlight on the Zoop to make the display glow is a bit of a pain. Having the backlight on the Vyper is nicer. If I could have gotten a Vyper for the same money as a Zoop I would have got the Vyper.

Also, the Vyper comes with the data cable when you buy it. So hopefully your friend is including the cable with the Vyper. A Zoop with a cable (extra purchase) is almost as expensive as a new Vyper. Looking back, I wish I had purchased the Vyper just so I had the cable.

 

[Phil Bautista Steel]

So it seems like the giotto is out of the question....will check between the suunto's and perhaps the mares as suggested. Cheers for the info everyone.

 

[industrious95]

I love my Vyper. Reliable, easy to read. You can change the batteries yourself. Data cable for PC transfer is great time saver. I've got hundreds of dives on mine.

Suunto has a reputation for being conservative. That's fine by me. I want to go home at the end of the day with all my parts working. Why increase your risk for an extra 3 minutes of bottom time?