Seeking Advice: Cressi Leonardo wrist computer

[beaner]

I'm thinking of buying the Cressi Leonardo to replace my Suunto Mosquito (which I LOVED, btw) that they've stop making.
As background, I dive a couple of times a year and would rather use a wrist computer than an integrated console.
Anyone out there who has this computer willing to offer up your experience?
I've found it for sale on Amazon for $249.95 (Amazon.com : Cressi Leonardo Scuba Dive Computer - Wrist (Black/Gray) : Digital Diving Gauges : Sports & Outdoors)

 

[dmaziuk]

I'm thinking of buying the Cressi Leonardo to replace my Suunto Mosquito (which I LOVED, btw) that they've stop making.
As background, I dive a couple of times a year and would rather use a wrist computer than an integrated console.
Anyone out there who has this computer willing to offer up your experience?
I've found it for sale on Amazon for $249.95

Last I looked leisurePro had the computer + $80 usb cradle for the $260, that's a much better deal if you ever want to save your dives without going the pen and paper route. We paid $188 on a black friday deal -- but at this point you'll have to wait a year.

What do you want to know about it? -- it's a basic recreational DC, it beeps at you when you come up too fast which is what I mostly want from basic DC during NDL dives.

(Edit) After a quick look at mosquito manual it seems leonardo does not have user-settable dive alarms nor any of the watch functions, and on the plus side it doesn't have the 5min limit in gauge mode -- if you ever want to use it as backup. Otherwise the feature set looks pretty similar.

 

[beaner]

Thanks dmaziuk! I found the package you mentioned at LeisurePro.

I'm just asking around for gripes and/or praise for the computer in general.
Do you use one?

And thanks for comparing it to the Mosquito
I never configure the dive alarms to my own settings, so that's not an issue, but I am dismayed to learn that it doesn't function as a watch out of the water. Argh!
Still, I suppose it's pretty good for the price.

 

[dmaziuk]

I never configure the dive alarms to my own settings, so that's not an issue, but I am dismayed to learn that it doesn't function as a watch out of the water. Argh!
Still, I suppose it's pretty good for the price.

It's a bit big to wear as a watch: 2.5" diameter, 1"+ thick, and a strap to fit a thick wrist in a 7mm suit/glove. Unless you're Flavor Flav.

I've used mine vacation-diving in Curacao and Bonair: all above 30m going through 2-3 al-80 tanks/day for a week or so. So far I didn't notice it being "conservative" (the complaint you often see around here). The screen is easy enough to see in that vis and backlight is good enough at night -- but of course those screens are no match to today's amoled screens in brightness and contrast. One button does the job fine after a little getting used to. The safety stop triggers up where Caribbean water starts pushing you out, this is the closest to a gripe I have. Overall, it does everything you need for the basic recreational DC and the price is nice.

There is a 48 hour (or is it 24) wait period when you switch from gauge to dive mode, that could potentially limit its use as a backup. Both amazon and LP had an aeris manta for $200 a while back -- presumably oceanic selling off aeris stock after the merger. Manta claims to not have that limitation plus it has all the watch functions and seems small enough to wear as one -- if that's a factor you may want to consider that one, esp. if you don't care for the uplink kit. But that's just gong by the glossy sales brochure, no idea what it's like in use.

 

[diverjen]

Wow. Everyone has really great specific feedback! Hubs and I have had one for a couple of trips now and haven't had any problems with them (got them on black friday deals at LP and had seen favorable reviews on scubalab). They are pretty easy to use, although I always have to remind myself with the manual right before a dive trip. It does beep when you ascend and distinguishes your level of ascent into three categories marked by number of up facing arrows. So even if you are ascending normally it will beep and display one arrow, which at first is annoying but then I got used to it. Maybe you can change this? I haven't stumbled across that yet if so.