Bought a Suunto Cobra....mistake?

[beir]

I'm pretty new to diving. I recently bought my first dive computer, which is the aforementioned Cobra. I've heard great things about it which is one of the reasons I bought it. I like the fact that it's air integrated etc.

However, I've been reading through articles on SB recently and most folks are recommending putting backup depth /pressure gauges on the 1st-stage along with the Cobra. Is this really necessary? I will be doing mostly vanilla rec-diving until I get more experience, but I would like to grow into tech diving down the line. Did I make a bad investment? Should I sell the computer and go with a wrist mount so I can have backup gauges? Advice/recommendations welcome.

--Matt

 

[ninjamuzo]

It's a basic safety issue, dive computers have batteries and batteries go flat. When your air indicator is connected to such a system then of course you need to surface if the battery dies.

That being said mechanical guages also break down so in that situation the same actions are taken. I've done may recreational dives using the Cobra and never had any issues with it. I do however typically carry a spare depth guage with me (i.e. a backup computer) but when I was starting out I didn't have the cash for all the equipment.

You will get a lot of opinions on this subject I am sure but remember that you have a lot more overall flexibility with a dive computer versus a dive plan and a basic gauge. For Tec diving you would have backups for just about everything for basic fun diving your regular training and reacting the computer's failure appropriately will be just as good.

 

[String]

Nothing wrong with the computer and theres nothing stopping you using gauges as a backup as well as it.

Most regs these days have 2 HP ports and 4 LP ports so you can quite happily run the computer and backup SPG alongside.

 

[theskull]

Yes, some folks have strong opinions on this one. For your setup, hose integrated, you do not need a backup, and you have made an excellent choice of equipment. Just check the battery strength a couple times per year or after every 30 or 40 dives.

IF you had bought a wrist mount with an integrated wireless transmitter, you would need the backup pressure gauge, because these transmitters can easily fail during the dive and you wouldn't want to be aborting dives all the time.

Happy and safe diving to you,

theskull

 

[AtomicWalrus]

I'm pretty new to diving. I recently bought my first dive computer, which is the aforementioned Cobra. I've heard great things about it which is one of the reasons I bought it. I like the fact that it's air integrated etc.

However, I've been reading through articles on SB recently and most folks are recommending putting backup depth /pressure gauges on the 1st-stage along with the Cobra. Is this really necessary? I will be doing mostly vanilla rec-diving until I get more experience, but I would like to grow into tech diving down the line. Did I make a bad investment? Should I sell the computer and go with a wrist mount so I can have backup gauges? Advice/recommendations welcome.

--Matt

The Cobra should be pretty reliable for you. Remember that in the unlikely event that you have a computer failure, your actions would be the same whether it was air integrated or not - get to your safety stop depth, do as long a stop as possible, and surface. Same thing with the Cobra. Mechanical backups are a good idea, but your buddy can also act as a backup depth gauge. As for air, you'd hopefully have kept track of where you were before the failure, and again your buddy is your alternate air source.

 

[beir]

Thing is, if I need a backup SPG, I may as well have a backup depth gauge too. So I'll have two HP hoses hanging off of my 1st stage. That seems excessive. I might as well get a wrist mount computer and get rid of the cobra....argh...frustrating. I should have thought it through a bit better. Hindsight is always 20/20.

 

[fraff2]

I am relatively new to diving, but... why not spend the money on a pony bottle. Don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting you continue the dive if your SPG goes but as someone else stated, a mechanical device can fail too. Get pony and spare batteries and you can dive with your mind at ease ! This way you can surface and change batteries !

 

[RIOceanographer]

Thing is, if I need a backup SPG, I may as well have a backup depth gauge too. So I'll have two HP hoses hanging off of my 1st stage. That seems excessive. I might as well get a wrist mount computer and get rid of the cobra....argh...frustrating. I should have thought it through a bit better. Hindsight is always 20/20.

I have had an analogue SPG fail so they are hardly failure proof. As long as you watch the batteries I don't see how the risk with Cobra is greater. Unless everyone starts diving 2 analogue SPGs as well, I don't see why you should have to have 2.

On the other hand. What matters is that you are comfortable, so if you would feel better with a full backup set of guages then that is your call.

 

[AtomicWalrus]

I have had an analogue SPG fail so they are hardly failure proof. As long as you watch the batteries I don't see how the risk with Cobra is greater. Unless everyone starts diving 2 analogue SPGs as well, I don't see why you should have to have 2.

On the other hand. What matters is that you are comfortable, so if you would feel better with a full backup set of guages then that is your call.

You know, that's a good point about analog gauges. Bourdon tube gauges can be inaccurate, and they definitely can break (usually due to overpressurization, not a common problem for us). On the other hand, my wife had a rather spectacular failure a while ago where her entire HP spool blew off on a dive, leaving her without any pressure indication at all and a rapidly dwindling air supply.

 

[beir]

I am relatively new to diving, but... why not spend the money on a pony bottle. Don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting you continue the dive if your SPG goes but as someone else stated, a mechanical device can fail too. Get pony and spare batteries and you can dive with your mind at ease ! This way you can surface and change batteries !

Getting a pony bottle sounds like a good idea. I would feel much more at ease with one. My only question would be when on travel...you can't really bring them with you, and if you could, wouldn't it be difficult to get it filled while on the road?