Which computer to stay away from?

[Queequeg]

Here's some data: One of these two "advantages" occurs while you are actually underwater.

And.....the disadvantage also occurs while you are actually in the water. Which disadvantage is worse? ...the "inconvenience" of looking at a console...or having forgotten your computer?

 

[lucca brassi]

love my Aladin Tec 2G , simple data transfer - ordinary IR , gauge , free software log

if i have money I'll go with naked scubapro terra

 

[Dr Wu]

And.....the disadvantage also occurs while you are actually in the water. Which disadvantage is worse? ...the "inconvenience" of looking at a console...or having forgotten your computer?

If you are the kind of diver that doesn't notice an important piece of life support equipment is missing until you are in the water you may have issues more frightening than just a bad memory.

 

[Queequeg]

If you are the kind of diver that doesn't notice an important piece of life support equipment is missing until you are in the water, you may have issues more frightening than just a bad memory.

An exaggeration of sorts really. A computer isn't a life support piece of equipment, it is a tool, albeit convenient. However, there are divers who still choose to not use computers, even tech divers; those divers are better divers than I'll ever be.

Without exaggeration....I've seen divers start a dive without their computer and not notice till they have descended. I've seen dive masters, instructors and common divers alike do this. I've seen divers with redundant computers do this, and then have to rely on their console the rest of the week. We all have forgotten some piece of equipment at one point or another, fins, mask, weights, I've seen it all and done it myself. I don't pretend I'm any kind of super diver, I have forgotten things on occasion.

 

[DeusVerto]

I have never tried a wrist computer, but you still need to connect to your HP side to see how much air you have left. Personally, I would trust a rubber hose with a mechanical gauge over a pressure transducer with an IR transmitter and receiver combo. It certainly costs less, and I can visually inspect a hose and get an idea of mechanical integrity. It is really hard to look at a tank IR transducer and see what condition it's in.

When I started diving, everyone had J valves and you stayed above 40 feet if you wanted the least risk. If your breathing started to get tough, you pulled the little wire down and headed toward the surface. Nowadays we rely on that tank meter.

Hose or not to hose...that is the question. If you're going to have the hose, why not put your DC and compass on there too. No hose, then...you have more faith in electronics than I. There are two many single points of failure modality for which there is no reasonable inspection methodology.

 

[Willar]

I have the Suunto Cobra which is AI on a hose with compass and love it. However, unless you are buying used, I'm thinking you won't get an air integrated computer of any brand under the $400 price level you mention.

At $400 you'll be looking at most manufacturers most basic wrist models. Suunto Gekko or Zoops is good. I recently added a Oceanic Geo 2.0 as a backup and for my son to use. It's a really good little computer, easy to read, no more complicated than any other recent dive computer. I would suggest looking at your local dive shop to see which pits you well and is the size you want. Some are much smaller/thinner/lighter/easier to read than others.

 

[deepstops]

To all the console computer lovers out there: If I see your console dragging across the reef, I reserve the right to turn your valve off

 

[Skull]

Here's a novel little device which clips your console to your bc D ring... ain't technology insane ....

Amazon.com: Akona Hose Mount Retractor: Sports & Outdoors

then you can AI-via wireless your D9 transmitter (or any wrist AI computer system)to your HP port on the 1 st stage and holy cow you got yourself redundancy ....

That way if you do rush out of the house to go diving with your buddy or solo ... and forget a key piece of equipment ( cause that has never happened to me before) you still have a second computer .

Or you can do like most seasoned old grumpy divers do and hang a analog pressure gauge off your1st stage and dive with a watch and your dive tables .... hell most folks are recreation divers anyway. The computers are handy for SI's (conveniently 1 hour to a second on all cattle boats-huh go figure)and repeat dives but really the 2nd and 3rd dives are usually a bust anyway ... by then you're hungry, cold, thirsty , frustrated with the know it all smart asses on the cattle boat ... or just plain ol tired of dicking with your camera!

 

[Dr Wu]

An exaggeration of sorts really. A computer isn't a life support piece of equipment, it is a tool, albeit convenient.

The OP asked what sort of computer they should get.

They may or may not be using it as "life support" ...we really don't know.

But, I imagine they are looking for one to provide the described funtion of same.

However, there are divers who still choose to not use computers, even tech divers; those divers are better divers than I'll ever be.

Agreed. Many of us do not use computers the way others do.

I do not.

Without exaggeration....I've seen divers start a dive without their computer and not notice till they have descended. I've seen dive masters, instructors and common divers alike do this. I've seen divers with redundant computers do this, and then have to rely on their console the rest of the week.

I think this is where we are talking about different sorts of divers.

If you find it common for divers to "not notice" they are without gear they though was required for the dive untill they hit depth..and continued the dive anyway..thats ok for you.

It's just not ok for me.

We all have forgotten some piece of equipment at one point or another, fins, mask, weights, I've seen it all and done it myself. I don't pretend I'm any kind of super diver, I have forgotten things on occasion.

Yeah, but most of us head back to the boat on the surface and reconfigure our required gear for the dive rather than try to sort things out while underwater.

You choose differently. And that's cool.

Enjoy.

 

[Monarch_15w]

After diving a couple of different computers i would avoid Sunnto all-together. I have seen that they are more conservative than other computers out there. I went on a trip with a couple dive buddies they all used the Genesis React Pro and it is a more liberal computer. On repetitive dives the React Pro gave a little longer bottom time compare to the overly conservative Sunnto Gekko. Same with diving Nitrox. Sunnto gives a MOD of of Nitorx mix at a 1.3 vs any other computers 1.4. Sunnto keeps you more conservative than you need in my opinion. Plus the React Pro wrist mount is cheaper.
I like wrist mount better than hose or gage mount because you don't have to hold anything in your hand while you do your safety stop or want to check our computer for depth or bottom time. If you are using bags, lights, camera or video. Don't have to find a hose, un-clip it then check. You can just look at your wrist. very convenient.