2 or 3 gas computer, looking for recommendations

[fire_diver]

Howdy everyone, I'm back (for those around long enough to remember me that is!)

Anyways, while diving this past week my trusty DiveRite NiTek Duo became untrusty and decided is was permanently diving at 13 feet. Funny the the top thread here was "has anyone had a computer die" LOL.

So, I am looking for a replacement and I know tech moves fast in the UW world and I haven't been keeping up. What are the the currently considered the solid, dependable, multi-gas (no need for trimix) computers. Wrist wearable, and preferably something that will fit in a bungie mount.

 

[TracyN]

I like the Shearwater Petrel. The standard is 5 gases but they came out with a recreational nitrox mode. The display is so easy to read and it's very intuitive and simple to use. Plus it's full deco computer.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

The Shearwater Petrel open circuit stand alone has been getting high marks from the users I meet. Personally, I prefer the cost effectiveness and the simplicity of using the old noggin' and a depth gauge/bottom timer. But, the Petrel would be my first serious consideration for a real technical multi-gas and multi-algorithm dive computer.

 

[NAM001]

fire diver

are you looking for a computer with integrated air? The shearwater's dont have integrated computers but would be nice if they did. I agree with others about shearwater cmputers. They are primo for ease of use. I have an aeris that has 3 tank monitoring and it is a PITA to use the menu system.. It is why i now own a predator and 2 petrels.

 

[Michael Guerrero]

Shearwater Petrel. It's more of a forearm computer than a wrist one, but it's full up.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

Petrel, and not just because it's the ideal tech computer (simple to use, almost everything can be reprogramed during a dive if conditions dictate, will never lock you out, eats any AA battery you can find without delicate battery tray issues). SW service and support is probably the best in the dive business, period.

Yes, it's more computer than you need (trimix, CC mode), but I'd personally pay the extra $100-$200 or so for how good a nitrox deco computer it is compared to other options on the market. If it was a call between a $850 Petrel and a $100 BT with cut tables, I'd make a different suggestion... but if you want a tech computer, Petrel takes it.

 

[ianr33]

Just get a Shearwater.

 

[doctormike]

I'm gonna say... PETREL!

Awesome computer. Well designed, great interface, great battery options, easy to read with 52 year old eyes, grows with you.

Funny that no one else has suggested it...

 

[tomfcrist]

I'll go against the grain here, I liked the predator display better than the petrel....and since everyone seems to want the petrel these days, you can buy one used for a very good price generally.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

I'll go against the grain here, I liked the predator display better than the petrel....and since everyone seems to want the petrel these days, you can buy one used for a very good price generally.

Both are really good. I have a Predator controller on my revo and before that had a standalone one as a backup until I got a second Petrel. I personally don't see the OLED of the Predator era as being better than the LCD of the Petrel, but there's definitely a difference…the Predator seems more extreme HD while the Petrel is more like a very bright eInk or something. And to SW's credit the most recent Predator firmware gives it most of the Petrel's features like tissue graph and (maybe gauge mode?). On my controller you can only clear the whole dive log while on my Petrel I can delete individual dives…not sure if the non-controller Predators are like the Petrel in that regard or not.

Still, the Predator is bigger, the dive memory is something like ten times smaller, and you need both a specific kind of AA battery and to deal with the wires on the Predator battery tray. Not to mention that the Predators were in the $1200 range originally, so even the $600 ones (where I've seen them going for) aren't a great deal over a brand new $850 Petrel.