Computer/watch for newbie divers?

[CuriousMe]

I didn't notice if you mentioned that you had any other gear (like your own reg for instance).

Honestly, my Suunto Mosquito was the first piece of dive gear I bought. It's a wrist model, and not much bigger than a digital watch. I think the only really difference between it and the Stinger is that the Mosquito is plastic and the Stinger is metal. For me, that wasn't enough to justify the price difference...but that's just personal preference.

I didn't buy my reg for a couple months (probably 30 dives or so)...so it was great to be able to just keep my computer on my wrist and use the rental gear provided that day.

Good luck on your search.

Peace,
Cathie

 

[jamiei]

can't go wrong with suunto. I have the cobra and love it. If you're purely a rec diver, the mosquito is hard to beat in my opinion.

 

[michaelkuznet]

hey-
curious me- too lazy to figure out what exactly pertains to computers, but i have fins, mask, skin, as does my dad, and my mom also has a b.c. because she cant deal with the unisex rental b.c.s heehee.
If i manage to sell off my older brother (stupid ebay rules), i mightbe able to buy a regulator, etc. but i'm pretty sure that if i beg the dive shop enough, they will allow me to take off their hose and put on a hose of my own.......my mom does it with her mouthpiece for regulators. When given a choice of having crazy americans mess with their gear or crazy americans dive with somebody else, dive shops let you get away with a lot, at least this is what i tend to find. hmmm....maybe i'm diving at bogus shops. somebody correct me if i'm wrong
devils advocate...that is a great site, i'll checked it out for a couple of days before buying my skin, but i hadnt (my grammar is sub par right now-ahhhhhhhh!) come across the computer reviews. THanks!
Back to studying Megara's role in the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, and Corinth's protests against Athens' sanctions blah blah blah blah......outline due at midnight, rough draft due friday. poo.
will get back to you all on whatever else i figure out with computers.
MK

 

[ReefGuy]

I second what Curious said. I too own a mosquito, also because I can't justify $400 for metal instead of rubber. I love my mosquito and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

 

[jamiei]

as you'll find on other threads, their is considerable differnced between the mosquito and stinger, one of which is display size which can make a big difference to some divers.

 

[caveseeker7]

Either Uwatec or Suunto build excellent dive computers. If you're set on a watchsize computer, there are only three that I know of available in the US.
The Suunto Mosquito and Stinger and the DiveRite Nitec+. I have the ladder as a back-up computer. Works great, visually a lot like the Mosquito. Black plastic housing, rather than the Stinger's steel or titanium. Excellent back light, does two nitrox mixes rather than one as the Suutos do.
However, one negative trait they all share: The display is minuscule. While the important numbers can be easily read, the description/units of what you're reading is next to impossible to see. In addition, there is only so much info you can get on the display at a time, so you have to go through sveral 'pages' of data by pushing buttons. The most important stuff is usually on the primary screen.
That's why I strongly recommend a 'normal' dive computer. The Viper ist wrist-mounted, the Cobra pretty much the same air-integrated (with a hose). The Vytec is air-integrated, but hoseless, and offers up to three EAN mixes. Expensive, and probably overkill in your near future. Either the Viper or Cobra have good displays, fairly conservative algorithems, good quality, fair prices.
The Smart Pro and Smart Com are Uwatec counterparts, are more expensive, have great displays, different but comparable algorithems. Of those four I'd probably choose the Smart Pro ... any of them are good computers.

 

[Arnaud]

The display is definitely a big deal. I started to wear contacts UW because of my Stinger. Couldn't read it...

 

[kd5izq]

Another one that I hear good things about is the Aeris 750gt, little bigger and clunkier on the arm, and from what I understand, not really that conservative, but it is supposed to be a pretty good computer. Just another newbie's thoughts. (My best friend just bought one, if enough time passes before you buy, I'll let you know how it goes with him)

 

[leadweight]

In addition to the Nitek+, stinger and mosquito, there is the BUG and Nitek C.

Personally, all of these are hard to read because of the small size of the display. I suppose 20 somethings have good enough eyes.

 

[kwesler]

but I strongly suggest that you not investin a computer until you can do multi-level dives cold without one. Preferably in your head, but certainly with the wheel or some such. Otherwise, the computer will not be a convenience, but a crutch...

my $.02

Ken