Is Shearwater Perdix AI too much computer for me?

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!

I was looking at the Oceanic Atom 3.1 and then the Aqualung i450t. Reading here it seems like Shearwater is the preferred choice

Atom w/ transmitter: $675. Perdix AI w/ transmitter: $1,175. I see five hundred reasons.
 
Does anyone even sell the Atom 3.1 anymore? Discontinued at most online retailers.

Amazon has just the watch part listed for $675, so not sure where you're getting your pricing from.
 
True, yesterday divers supply still listed it as "in stock" for $430 or something, but not anymore. With the price difference of only a hundred or so I'd buy a perdix.

Edit: same goes for i450: with the transmitter it's actually more than perdix... gotta wonder who's buying them.
 
Last edited:
Good for you - but how does that approach address the Op's punch list of wants?
AI is the only issue from the list. But after diving for 21yrs I am yet to have a spg failure but did suffer computer crapped up on the dive twice.
I look at my computer a lot more often than the spg on any dive(rec or tec). AI just make it a wee bit convenient but certainly does not justify the extra expenses.
I do not see any justification, me personally, to buy a AI computer.
 
AI is the only issue from the list. But after diving for 21yrs I am yet to have a spg failure but did suffer computer crapped up on the dive twice.
I look at my computer a lot more often than the spg on any dive(rec or tec). AI just make it a wee bit convenient but certainly does not justify the extra expenses.
I do not see any justification, me personally, to buy a AI computer.
The thread is about what the Op clearly said he wanted - not what you feel you personally need or don't need...
 
AI is the only issue from the list. But after diving for 21yrs I am yet to have a spg failure but did suffer computer crapped up on the dive twice.
I look at my computer a lot more often than the spg on any dive(rec or tec). AI just make it a wee bit convenient but certainly does not justify the extra expenses.
I do not see any justification, me personally, to buy a AI computer.

I'm curious... What will you do if you have an SPG failure? Will you add a second one? Many folks dive with AI and and SPG. It sounds like you don't have a backup for you SPG. It's mechanical and will fail at some point.
 
AI is the only issue from the list. But after diving for 21yrs I am yet to have a spg failure but did suffer computer crapped up on the dive twice.

I haven't been diving that long, but I have had AI on every dive and never a problem. I've had an SPG on not that many dives and had one failure. So, what does that prove?

Also, what does 2 computer failures have to do with anything? Does a computer failure affect your dive differently when you have AI versus when you don't? My training is that a computer failure means the dive is over, whether it has AI or not.

Last, I note that my AI transmitter has 2 O-rings. One in the HP port and one in the battery compartment cover. My SPG has at least 3.
 
I could only rely my personal experience over 2000 rec and tec dives. We all have different experiences in life, don't we? I know the OP was asking AI and just gave my own opinion.
I treat spg failure same as computer failure ie. time to call the dive. No big deal.

BTW, Stuart, one of my Uwatec spg has only one O ring on the spool( non replaceable). Therefore it only uses two O rings ie same as your AI set up.
 
BTW, Stuart, one of my Uwatec spg has only one O ring on the spool( non replaceable). Therefore it only uses two O rings ie same as your AI set up.

And if either O-ring blows, you're losing gas? The AI transmitter only has one O-ring that could fail and lose gas.

Also, you have a hose that could rupture?

And how does the SPG itself seal to keep water out? Is there an O-ring sealing the glass face to the body? Is it glued?
 
The hose to an spg is fed through a very small hole to limit the rate of gas loss should anything nasty happen to the hose, orings or spg itself.

I treat spgs as a consumable. I find they eventually leak, even with new orings. That leak is very gentle though. Also they are not terribly accurate. Sometimes you find one which reads 10% low.

However, I always have one, even when using an AI computer.
 

Back
Top Bottom