Dive Computer Recommendations

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Axe, meet micrometer.

What about buddies? Guides? Really the difference between computers and algorithms is not so huge.

Well in my case, the backup was locked out for 48 hours. Sure I could have opened it up to remove batteries. I’d say that even small differences can be problematic based on that incident. After which I did monitor the difference in NDL between the two computers (no longer own obviously) and they were off by quite a bit. This is for recreational diving. The same time difference for technical diving would likely not be seen as significant.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Axe, meet micrometer. What about buddies? Guides? Really the difference between computers and algorithms is not so huge.

They are when you are doing 3 or 4 dives a day for 12 - 14 days straight and you find your dive buddy has much shorter NDL times and doesn't pay attention and goes into deco while on my Perdix I still have NDL time remaining. Also the Perdix does not have audio alarms and won't lock you out if you missed a deco obligation.

 

[rycyt]

Please report back on what you think of the computer once you have tried it. I am considering getting few of this model to use in our school's training equipment in the free and scuba diving courses.

I definitely will, it seems to be one of the more popular dive computers here in Australia. Was there anything specific you wanted to know? I'll probably give a basic review on how easy the DC is to use.

You generally want the backup to be the same algorithm. In my early diving days I had some Aeris DC and a Cressi Leonardo. Diving some wrecks in Oahu with pushing our NDLs, the naughty alarm of the Leonardo went off. I just left it in the room for a couple days.

That was something I didn't think about. Will remember that! Probably getting a Shearwater (unless something better comes in a few years), so that should be using the same-ish algorithm as the Scubapro A1.

 

[KenGordon]

Well in my case, the backup was locked out for 48 hours. Sure I could have opened it up to remove batteries. I’d say that even small differences can be problematic based on that incident. After which I did monitor the difference in NDL between the two computers (no longer own obviously) and they were off by quite a bit. This is for recreational diving. The same time difference for technical diving would likely not be seen as significant.

Obviously you need to pay attention to both computers to an extent, but do you have two computers to stay down longer or because one is easier to read, download logs from etc?

 

[KenGordon]

They are when you are doing 3 or 4 dives a day for 12 - 14 days straight and you find your dive buddy has much shorter NDL times and doesn't pay attention and goes into deco while on my Perdix I still have NDL time remaining. Also the Perdix does not have audio alarms and won't lock you out if you missed a deco obligation.

You both need to have a plan that take into account the more conservative computer. That might be doing the deco, or it might be ending the dive before the NDL. If either is not paying attention to their computer it is useless and whether it is set to aggressive or conservative makes no difference. If you find yourself with a buddy like this, or a student, it is best to have a second computer that matches them so you don’t have to catch them to find out their NDL or TTS.

 

[Blackcrusader]

You both need to have a plan that take into account the more conservative computer. That might be doing the deco, or it might be ending the dive before the NDL. If either is not paying attention to their computer it is useless and whether it is set to aggressive or conservative makes no difference. If you find yourself with a buddy like this, or a student, it is best to have a second computer that matches them so you don’t have to catch them to find out their NDL or TTS.

I do not teach. Sometimes you get an instabuddy that does not pay attention to their own dive computer and I don't go around watching their NDL as they are supposedly certified and should know not to get into deco on non deco dives. After dive briefing by the DM guide I advise buddies to let me know then they get to 3 mins to NDL so we can ascend before the dive starts as part of the buddy check. If they get locked out of their DC and cannot dive it's a good lesson for them to pay attention to their DC. Not doing so has consequences. For most in any case it's only a few mins past ndl at most and they get an extended safety stop.

My regular dive buddies also use Shearwaters or DC's with GF and we use the same GF settings for dives. Many divers do not know what TTS is as they don't have it showing on Suunto and other common dive computers. A lot of instabuddies don't even know their own DC alarm sounds and point to me when their own alarms go off.

 

[KenGordon]

I do not teach. Sometimes you get an instabuddy that does not pay attention to their own dive computer and I don't go around watching their NDL as they are supposedly certified and should know not to get into deco on non deco dives. After dive briefing I advise buddies to let me know then they get to 3 mins to NDL so we can ascend before the dive starts.

My regular dive buddies also use Shearwaters and we have the same GF settings for dives. Most would not know what TTS is as they don't have it showing on Suunto and other common dive computers. A lot of instabuddies don't even know their own DC alarm sounds.

FYI Suunto do show TTS when NDL runs out.

If you expect your instabuddy might not know when they have 3 minutes remaining why rely on it?

 

[Blackcrusader]

FYI Suunto do show TTS when NDL runs out.
If you expect your instabuddy might not know when they have 3 minutes remaining why rely on it?

A lot of recent divers I have met do not know what TTS means on their DC's. You don't need to end a dive before NDL time is up just ascend to a shallower depth.

 

[KenGordon]

A lot of recent divers I have met do not know what TTS means on their DC's. You don't need to end a dive before NDL time is up just ascend to a shallower depth.

Then you have to have the “when the big number in the middle starts going up...” conversation before you get in the water. Or just do your dive, assume they are a possible source of gas and go up when it suits you. If they are that incompetent then they will not notice the deco and bend their computer and save you suffering on the next dive.

I did a whole series of dives last year with me using a Perdix and buddies on Suuntos and the like. We didn’t actually have this problem because really all the computers come out about the same. Sometimes I would take a Zoop as a backup if I could find it in the morning, however the dives were very benign and even if the battery died on my Perdix I could just follow my buddy’s computer and be certain of being ok.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Obviously you need to pay attention to both computers to an extent, but do you have two computers to stay down longer or because one is easier to read, download logs from etc?

The Aeris was much easier to read and more user friendly. I had the Cressi as a backup in case my Aeris failed. I never liked the user interface of the Cressi and that trip was the first time I used it. Hindsight is 20/20. Either way, I don’t see the point of having radically different algorithms. For me, it is Buhlmann ZH-L16c with GF or forget it. I realize that limits me. Back then it would have been more of a limitation