Any recent new science that makes a dive computer obsolete?

[KeithG]

I have a bag full of old Uwatec Aladin dive computers. They are dependabke workhorses. But old workhorses.

Does anyone know any scientific reason to declare them unsafe and obsolete?

From a technology point of view I am happy: big screen, backlit, downloadable, 5 year battery life, ugly enough no one wants to steal, ...

So maybe my real question is that has NDL science progressed enough in the last 20 years that these computers could now be considered "not good"? For recreational diving?

 

[offfi]

Totally outdated and unsafe!
But you can send them to me for disposal.

Seriously: I know instructors who still swear by them.

 

[Centrals]

Even if there is scientific evidence to prove that Uwatec Aladin is "no good" and could be dangerous I will still dive with my 19yrs old one regardless. It has my utmost confidence and will be sad to see it expire eventually.
BTW, my Uwatec Pro Nitrox does not has back-light and down load cable but I love its simplicity. There is more or less ZERO chance that I will flood the unit after change of battery.
I am glad that Scubapro had decided to charge an arm and a leg for battery changing few yrs ago. I had since learnt how to do it through SB and you-tube with huge saving. My buddies also benefit from it.

 

[Freewillow]

Still have an Aladin sport, but as a backup because it does not have nitrox capabilities.

 

[100days-a-year]

To newfangled for me,I dive an EDGE,Skinny Dipper or Marathon in 99% of my dives and a BT on the rest.

 

[Neilwood]

The only recent science that might is the NEDU study that looks at the practise of deep stops as pushed by some bubble models (RGBM etc). Not sure if what your computers are running though as I am struggling to find details on older computers.

 

[tbone1004]

what @Neilwood said is accurate. There are a lot of studies that are putting certain decompression algorithms out of vogue and in many *myself included* opinion, obsolete.

AFAIK Uwatec's have always used a ZHL-8 deco algorithm. Not quite as good as the -16 version, and it doesn't have adjustable gradient factors, but I'd take it over a lot of others. It is an adaptable algorithm which is a bit annoying imo since it's a bit more difficult to predict, but not a deal breaker

TLDR: it's the same algorithm that they use today, so if you are comfy using a brand new Uwatec computer, then you should be just peachy using an old one

 

[DocklobsterDiver]

Sadly my Uwatec Nitrox Pro just recently died - I suppose 20 years and 3000 plus dives was good life. Now what to do???

 

[tbone1004]

Sadly my Uwatec Nitrox Pro just recently died - I suppose 20 years and 3000 plus dives was good life. Now what to do???

perdix

 

[KeithG]

Sadly my Uwatec Nitrox Pro just recently died - I suppose 20 years and 3000 plus dives was good life. Now what to do???

buy another one. there are lots of them on ebay.