Computers for beginners

[Jeff Loudan]

It's not about fashion - it's about a modern form factor, info presentation/screen, configurability, feature set, user interface., etc..

Your computers may be awesome, but I suspect most recreational divers would not even give them a second look as they seem "antiquated" in those areas versus other choices. That is the reality of the recreational market - and likey even true for many tech buyers.

Also, most consumers don't associate "used by the military" as having any real weight or adding any credibility. In fact, it could be viewed as a negative given the stories of $1,000 screwdrivers and $20,000 toilets procured by the military that surface every now and then. Again, not dissing your computers but, at least to me, they don't feel modern and your marketing messaging is lacking...

There are also consumers that equate "used by the military" with durability and reliability. As I said before, every diver has their own unique preferences. Fortunately, we have several different manufacturers to choose from to find something that fits our particular requirements.

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Cochran Undersea Technology & Cochran Military designs, manufactures, and markets state-of-the-art diving computers for recreational, technical, CCR and commercial divers from our facility located in Richardson, Texas. Cochran has been designing dive computers for itself and others for over twenty five years. Cochran is the exclusive provider to the U.S. Navy and its dive computers are compliant with the "Authorization for Navy Use (ANU) Program" . Its dive computers are also being used by other international Navies and have NATO part numbers.


Come visit Cochran Undersea Technology & Cochran Military at Booth 2363 at the DEMA SHOW, Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, Florida Nov 1-4, 2017.

 

[stuartv]

You make it sound as if Cochran forced the US Navy to buy our computers

I don't think I made it sound that way at all. I have been on both sides of the government procurement fence. I understand how it works. Somebody decided they wanted to specify VVAL-18 (or whatever it was). They put out an RFQ. You were the only ones to respond with a product that met the specifications. At that point, they were "forced" by their own procurement rules to buy your computers. Obviously you didn't force the U.S. Navy to do anything.

 

[stuartv]

Just because the appearance of the dive computer hasn't changed doesn't mean that the function is also the same. It seems to me, given the nature of the sport in which the equipment is being used, that function should take priority over form.

I agree. And since recreational divers don't engage in the same activities as military divers, their functional requirements are different. For example, recreational divers are not generally on covert missions, so it's actually better for them if they can easily read their computer at any time, without having to do anything to turn on the screen and without needing any special training on how to turn the screen on. It's not a problem for civilians if someone can see their computer from 50 feet away.

Civilian requirements also do not extend to the same level of abuse that I guess military dive computers have to be able to withstand. Civilians are not likely to expose their dive computers to the vibration and shocks that come from being worn while firing a weapon. Or being in water that has percussion shock waves traveling through it. Etc. So, the functional requirements for a civilian dive computer seem like they would allow for a smaller, less "robust" form factor that would still be plenty robust enough for civilian use.

I'm not exactly sure how Cochran computers actually provide the best functionality for civilian divers, but I can see how some characteristics of Cochran computers are highly applicable to the functional requirements of military divers.

Of course, no matter what, there will always be civilians that choose to drive a Hummer H1, even though they never go off road or anywhere more dangerous than a Wal-mart parking lot. And more power to them.

 

[Diver0001]

Would you consider another one, any brand, as a back up because computer failure under water is NOT rare?
Incidentally, I dive with two. The more liberal one is the back up.

I do this on vacations. I have an old Vyper that I just throw in the pocket of the BCD and leave it there for the whole vacation in case my primary computer dies. I only do that on vacations because if I'm paying a lot of money to be there I don't want a computer failure to slow me down. I also get a new battery for my primary computer before I go for obvious reasons. Fortunately (knock on wood) I've never had to fall back to my backup.

On local dives I don't bother with that. If my computer dies on a local dive then the dive is over but the costs of skipping a dive or ending one early are minimal. On local dives I have had computers crap out on me but as I said it was more of an inconvenience than a problem.

R..

 

[KenGordon]

Of course, no matter what, there will be no stop divers that chose to dive a multi gas computer, even though they never do stops or know where to find those multiple gases. And more power to them.

 

[Diver0001]

So I've ordered myself a Oceanic Geo2 white/blue unit price was £259 the data cable was £58

Thanks for all the help guys

This computer has had a firmware upgrade since it came out. Make sure you check which version of the firmware you're using and keep it up to date.

R..

 

[stuartv]

Of course, no matter what, there will be no stop divers that chose to dive a multi gas computer, even though they never do stops or know where to find those multiple gases. And more power to them.

Yep. I have been saying the multi-gas feature of a recreation computer is a pure marketing gimmick for a while. Fortunately, that feature doesn't compromise the other functionality of any computer that I know of in any way. Having that feature doesn't make the computer bigger or use battery faster or require the user to take extra steps to accomplish their tasks. So, useless, but no harm to have it.

 

[tridacna]

This is exactly the reason why Cochran has remained a 'bit' player in Dive Computers. You just don't get it, do you?

Selling a proprietary algorithm in a 1970's case with a screen that looks like a Bendomatic will not endear you to the millenial market or anyone that has had a fleeting glimpse of a Shearwater or even a Liquivision. Cochran computers just look tired and anriquated. Good comparison would be an iPhone compared to a Cochran flip phone. Sure you can argue that the signal is better on the old thing but good luck selling it today.

Even I fell for the allure of a Shearwater, actually two, even though I had a perfectly functional Cochran and lucky quarter. You see, I don't care if I'm 'spotted' on a night dive with my big bright color screen and shiny silver buttons.

Just because the appearance of the dive computer hasn't changed doesn't mean that the function is also the same. It seems to me, given the nature of the sport in which the equipment is being used, that function should take priority over form. And there are divers that already use our computers for recreational diving (albeit primarily technical), without the requirement of satisfying the 'underwater fashion police'. Every diver has their own particular likes and dislikes. Just because they don't parallel yours is no reason to be derogatory of their choices.

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Cochran Undersea Technology & Cochran Military designs, manufactures, and markets state-of-the-art diving computers for recreational, technical, CCR and commercial divers from our facility located in Richardson, Texas. Cochran has been designing dive computers for itself and others for over twenty five years. Cochran is the exclusive provider to the U.S. Navy and its dive computers are compliant with the "Authorization for Navy Use (ANU) Program" . Its dive computers are also being used by other international Navies and have NATO part numbers.


Come visit Cochran Undersea Technology & Cochran Military at Booth 2363 at the DEMA SHOW, Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, Florida Nov 1-4, 2017.

 

[stuartv]

This is exactly the reason why Cochran has remained a 'bit' player in Dive Computers. You just don't get it, do you?

I imagine he probably does "get it". But, he works for Cochran, so what else could you really expect him to say?

 

[Bruno Genovese]

Multigas is quite irrelevant to an entry level computer or even a general recreational computer, until you realize that if you want to penetrate most wrecks/caverns you will need at least some entry level Tec certifications and gear. Then multi-gas capability on the entry level computer becomes valuable.

Even so - for me - the how conservative/liberal is the algorithm is not a major factor. In my case the most important thing is the font size!!! Because on land I use reading glasses.

The comp was my first purchase and underwater I am able to read the main values of my Cressi Giotto without them, even if I can't read some of the minor indicators (I have to memorize them by posiition so that I know what thay "blur" means).

Later, when I bought my BCD/regulator kit it came with a Scubapro Chromis, that has some nicer features for an entry level comp, but the fonts are so small that I couldn't read it without sacrificing part of my mask to reading lenses. So I ended up giving it to my wife.

Sure, I could have bought a much larger comp at twice the price, bit that would not have been entry level.

If I ever need to upgrade, features will matter... but font size will continue to be my first filter as I discard unsuitable options.

My suggestion to buyers of their first computer is to try several models first if you can. Until you do you might not discover what features matter most TO YOU (like my issue with fonts).