Rob Bibber
Contributor
I'm happy with my inexpensive Mares Puck Pro. <$200 and it does what I need it to.
Do I really need an expensive dive computer??
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peterak
Contributor
And that's <$200 with interface cable!
mcohen1021
Contributor
I bought a £150 LCD screen (black on grey with backlight) computer when I started diving as it was all I needed at that point. OW diving to 18m with reasonable vis.
Then I did an AOW dive where the vis was sub 1m - couldn't read the computer unless it was pressed to the glass of my mask.
Did another dive with 5m vis - could read my buddies EON better than my own computer and he was 5m away.
Did a few night dives in the Red Sea and had to hold a button for the backlight - not ideal when trying to control your ascent with your left hand on the inflator buttons and you need those fingers to operate the backlight.
After that (and armed with the knowledge that I had spare money in my account from a house move), I made the decision to go to a Perdix. Now I can simply look at my wrist no matter what the conditions and see clearly what the important info is at a glance. Don't regret it at all but it wasn't a requirement (underlined for emphasis)- just an improvement IMHO.
Then I did an AOW dive where the vis was sub 1m - couldn't read the computer unless it was pressed to the glass of my mask.
Did another dive with 5m vis - could read my buddies EON better than my own computer and he was 5m away.
Did a few night dives in the Red Sea and had to hold a button for the backlight - not ideal when trying to control your ascent with your left hand on the inflator buttons and you need those fingers to operate the backlight.
After that (and armed with the knowledge that I had spare money in my account from a house move), I made the decision to go to a Perdix. Now I can simply look at my wrist no matter what the conditions and see clearly what the important info is at a glance. Don't regret it at all but it wasn't a requirement (underlined for emphasis)- just an improvement IMHO.
Dogbowl
Contributor
I've heard this story before (several times now)...how a diver was able to read his buddy's Perdix better than his own dive computer and that quickly prompted the diver to buy one for himself with no regrets.
On a recent liveaboard with 18 divers, I noticed quite a few of the divers had a Perdix (AI and non). Coincidence? Probably not.
Do you NEED one? No, but it sure is nice to be able to read it easily. It's the only piece of gear I bought that I truly have no regrets...
On a recent liveaboard with 18 divers, I noticed quite a few of the divers had a Perdix (AI and non). Coincidence? Probably not.
Do you NEED one? No, but it sure is nice to be able to read it easily. It's the only piece of gear I bought that I truly have no regrets...
The Chairman
Chairman of the Board
I bought six cheap puck PDCs a number of years ago for my students to learn on. All of tose PDCs have since died and 4 without any signs of water intrusion. In contrast, the premium PDCs I bought for me to use are still alive and ticking. That actually came to me today as I was working on a chainsaw out in my AgShed as I used my socket set. The best I can figure, I bought this SnapOn 1/4" drive set my senior year in High School back in 1975. All but one socket is original although the ratchet has been rebuilt a few times and the 2" extension has been replaced due to being lost. Why? I learned back then to buy the very best tool I could afford and relax. I knew that I could meet the challenges ahead of me with such a tool. Many focus only on the "lifetime" guarantee and see Craftsman sockets as being about the same quality and they would have missed the point. You have one chance to break a fastener free without having to resort to a lot of extra work. One. The fit and finish of the socket mean that I have a somewhat better chance of succeeding with the SnapOn than with the Craftsman. No, it may not matter if you're simply a weekend warrior, but as a professional mechanic, my time was money. However, neophyte mechanics benefit more from a SnapOn socket than an old timer. I've got the feels in my hands and can probably break a nut free with an adjust all that many would fail with a six-point socket. The same is true with Scuba Gear. The less experience you have, the more you could use a little help.
I've got only one life. I want to protect that quality of life and I'm not about to trust it to the lowest bidder. Could I dive safely with tables and a watch? Sure, I did that for many years, but I would then limit my diving considerably. But for the same reason that I operate my zero-turn mower and diesel tractor with a Bose active noise cancelling headphones, I dive with a Shearwater PDC. If I wanted to cheap out, I could find a lot of other sports. But I've picked this one and since I only have one life, I'm going to do what I did my Senior year in High School: Buy the very best tool for the job and relax a bit.
I've got only one life. I want to protect that quality of life and I'm not about to trust it to the lowest bidder. Could I dive safely with tables and a watch? Sure, I did that for many years, but I would then limit my diving considerably. But for the same reason that I operate my zero-turn mower and diesel tractor with a Bose active noise cancelling headphones, I dive with a Shearwater PDC. If I wanted to cheap out, I could find a lot of other sports. But I've picked this one and since I only have one life, I'm going to do what I did my Senior year in High School: Buy the very best tool for the job and relax a bit.
peterak
Contributor
@JCA1979 , to answer your question, I find the Puck Pro quite easy to use, but I only dive air, only salt water, so have no need to change settings. Initial setup took maybe 15 minutes and it's been plug and play thereafter. Downloading to computer is effortless.
I have no trouble reading the Puck Pro as I never dive under low vis conditions and have no desire to. YMMV.
@The Chairman , were your failed puck PDCs Mares Puck Pros, or are you extrapolating?
With all due respect, the "alway buy the best" argument certainly has merit, but it is not always applicable. I, like most of us, have only a limited number of thousands of dollars going into—and out of—my bank account each year. With many other drains on our accounts, my wife and I have tried to keep our equipment budgets under $2,000 each (we've recently renewed our interest in diving and are starting from scratch with equipment). I hope and believe that by doing so we are not risking our lives or significantly compromising our enjoyment of diving. We dive conservatively, mostly in clear, tropical waters, and we are old enough that I doubt we'll exceed two to three hundred dives before we can't dive anymore. So I hope the Puck Pros will suffice. DIve and let dive, right?
I have no trouble reading the Puck Pro as I never dive under low vis conditions and have no desire to. YMMV.
@The Chairman , were your failed puck PDCs Mares Puck Pros, or are you extrapolating?
With all due respect, the "alway buy the best" argument certainly has merit, but it is not always applicable. I, like most of us, have only a limited number of thousands of dollars going into—and out of—my bank account each year. With many other drains on our accounts, my wife and I have tried to keep our equipment budgets under $2,000 each (we've recently renewed our interest in diving and are starting from scratch with equipment). I hope and believe that by doing so we are not risking our lives or significantly compromising our enjoyment of diving. We dive conservatively, mostly in clear, tropical waters, and we are old enough that I doubt we'll exceed two to three hundred dives before we can't dive anymore. So I hope the Puck Pros will suffice. DIve and let dive, right?
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