Is suunto zoop novo really worth an extra $130 over Leonardo?

[Name]

New to diving here and looking for first computer.

Browsing around, the suunto zoop and cressi Leonardo both appear to be popular. Since the Zoop is discontinued and the Leonardo has a backlight, really looking at the Leonardo even though it has a single button which sounds irritating. I did get my nitrox cert and plan to use that functionality.

Is the new Zoop novo really worth paying an extra $130?
Will the menus be that much easier to navigate?
Doubt I'd use the free dive much. Or gauge mode.

 

[mi000ke]

I had a zoop, lost it, and replaced it with the Leonardo. I'm happy with it and actually prefer one button. The only thing I miss is average depth, which I used to track my SAC rate. For basic no frills diving it works just fine. And I don't find I am limited by conservative ndl vs others i'm diving with.

 

[dmaziuk]

You might want to look at the zoop review thread and people complaining about hurting theie thumbs on its buttons.

The deal with one button is: if you e.g. dive nitrox 36 first and 32 second, you have to scroll your O2% from 21 to 36 for the first dive and then from 36 to 50 to flip over to 21 and then from 21 to 32. All with single button presses: about 30 of them to go from 36 to 32. Do it every day 4 times a day, I'm sure it'll get old fast. OTOH, judging from those zoop comments, doing that on a zoop could be just as much pain.

I dive air so the only reasons I press the button is check/correct the clock at the start of the trip and start log download in the evenings. No problem using the single button.

Edit: you might want ot check out Planet Multi's fleebay store: they may sell you a puck pro with download kit for less than the leonardo without.

 

[Name]

Thanks for the feedback mi000ke and dmaziuk!

I did see the post about the hard-to-press buttons on the zoop novo. Also read about issues with the button seals not keeping water out of the electronics on older suunto computers. Don't know if it's just defects or design flaw. But also hear they are popular.

It's good to hear feedback from someone that's used both products! (Albeit not the newer novo version)

 

[Snoweman]

I have a Zoop. I have replaced it with the Shearwater Perdix AI. Please know the Suunto is a very, very conservative computer. At it's most liberal settings, it had me in deco while the Perdix still had over 10 minutes.

 

[mi000ke]

The deal with one button is: if you e.g. dive nitrox 36 first and 32 second, you have to scroll your O2% from 21 to 36 for the first dive and then from 36 to 50 to flip over to 21 and then from 21 to 32. All with single button presses: about 30 of them to go from 36 to 32. Do it every day 4 times a day, I'm sure it'll get old fast.

I encounter this occasionally. It's not as bad as it sounds. Takes about 5 seconds.

 

[Zef]

In my family's kit we have 3 Vypers, a Vyper 2, and a Vyper Air. I dive with many folk that use the Zoop. One difference between the Vyper lineup and the Zoop is the Zoop has a glow in the dark display and the Vypers have a backlight.

I can say with certainty that I would prefer the glow-in the dark feature. It is a pain especially when doing rescue training in dark waters to keep hitting the button to be able to watch my ascent rate. I would be much simpler to hit the display with my torch for a few seconds and then have the computer face readable for the duration of the ascent.

The new Vyper Novo has both a glow in the dark display and backlight....I am not sure what the Zoop Novo has offhand. I have looked the Zoop and Vyper Novos manuals and played with them in a shop and I am not impressed with these new models considering the price they are selling for.

Since the old Zoop was discontinued, you should be able to get one for a good price if you could find one new.

And, since you are new to diving, I would recommend going the "affordable" route for your first computer until you know more definitively how much/often you plan to dive. There are plenty of Gucci dive computers out there with great functionality but that comes at a price....there is no sense is spending lots of money on a computer that has functions you will rarely or never use, or if you are only diving a couple time a year.

I have been diving since 1995...the functions I primarily use my computer for are to track current/max depth, no-deco time, ascent rate, and surface intervals during my dives...all the other info my computer gives me is good but it is "icing on the cake". Every computer on the market will give you the info I mention above...you just need to decide what info is pertinent for you to keep track of and how much you want to pay for it and the extra bells and whistles.

Bottom line is that most any computer is better than no computer.

-Z

 

[dmaziuk]

I believe there's the last of aeris a300s still available from amazon for $200. Zoop/Puck/Leonardo work well for Bonaire-type dives: relatively shallow reefs that you can follow up all the way to surface, but they can give you shorter bottom times after repetitive deeper "rectangular" dives like local quarries, wrecks, etc.

 

[CassieNYC]

I like my zoop novo. The four buttons make it easy to navigate through the menus and set the nitrox %. I also specifically like that it uses a conservative algorithm.

 

[Centrals]

Hollis DG03 is $199.00 at DGX.
Not everyone favourite especially the manual but the price is very reasonable. Discontinued Oceanic is another option. I have a old Veo180 and it is fine especially for diver preferring liberal algorithm( I only use it as back up to my old and conservative Uwatec Aladin).
And if you have patience and time, wait for Deep 6.

Zoop Novo is well over priced. $130.00 can nearly buy a Mares Puck as back up.