Dive Computer advice please

[goalieboy29]

Hey gang. New here and I thought I'd ask the experts...no doubt this has been discussed here a lot and I have done some searching so bear with me;

I'm a "veteran" (read OLD) diver and I pretty much just do warm water resort dives. I have a liveaboard excursion on my bucket list but that's not immediate.
My typical Caribbean holiday (mostly Cuba these days) includes a 10 dive package, 2 per day one deep one shallower

So it seems like I need a computer, or least that's what I'm told by fellow divers. I've been looking at some cheaper options like Novo Zoop but a peregrine is also in the mix.

Question: for a person who's lucky to get in the water 2-3 trips a year (apx 10 dives/trip) does it really make sense to spend almost $800 on a computer?
(for context, I was licensed in 1978 and we did tables) Up until now Ive just been following the dive master and do whatever they do....

Thanks for any tips or advice. Sorry for the lengthy post.

 

[lexvil]

If this is all you’ll ever do, follow a guide and do what they do you don’t really need a computer to ignore.

 

[goalieboy29]

Kinda what I was thinking. Thanks bud.

 

[admikar]

It should work fine until you lose said divemaster and have to do your own ascent.
Try to find secondhand DC, on cheaper side if you are sure it will suffice.
You other option is to just rent on trip. Most ops have cheap dive computers for rent.

 

[goalieboy29]

Since I'm mostly diving in Cuba lately, I haven't seen a rental option available just yet. My only real hesitation is that I noticed many divers with computers seem to spend a great deal of precious dive time staring at the watch. I prefer to stare at pretty fish and coral but what do I know... lol. To each for sure.

 

[Landau]

I'd recommend the computer vs blind trust in the guide/DM.

Most guides I've met are very conservative (Including me, when I guide) but I've had at least one guide over the years not deserving of the trust. With him, I stayed several meters above most of the group, and was still on the edge of going into deco.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I've been looking at some cheaper options like Novo Zoop but a peregrine is also in the mix.

You may fit the target market for these computers. There is a lot of disdain for Suunto from SB'ers, but there are thousands of divers all over the world doing the kind of diving you describe just fine with the Zoop. Do get a computer of some type, though; follow-the-DM as a standard plan is not a good idea.

 

[goalieboy29]

You may fit the target market for these computers. There is a lot of disdain for Suunto from SB'ers, but there are thousands of divers all over the world doing the kind of diving you describe just fine with the Zoop. Do get a computer of some type, though; follow-the-DM as a standard plan is not a good idea.

Appreciate your advice sir. Cheers. Fwiw, I've seen plenty of zoops out there. At $350 cdn it's not too bad.

 

[Litefoot]

I’m a little older too. Just make sure your old eyes can read whatever you buy.

 

[stuartv]

Question: for a person who's lucky to get in the water 2-3 trips a year (apx 10 dives/trip) does it really make sense to spend almost $800 on a computer?
(for context, I was licensed in 1978 and we did tables) Up until now Ive just been following the dive master and do whatever they do....

Thanks for any tips or advice. Sorry for the lengthy post.

I am a big fan of Shearwater, and I am also a fan of rechargeable computers, like the Peregrine.

BUT, yours is the type of situation where I would actually steer you away from that.

Rechargeable computers need to be used somewhat often, or you have to pay attention to them between dive trips. Rechargeable batteries (in general, not just dive computers) don't like to sit for too long without having their charge topped up. If they sit too long and the charge drops too low, the battery can be permanently damaged.

For people who don't dive that often - as I would consider 2 - 3 times/trips per year - a rechargeable may not be the best choice. If you will be diligent about checking it every month or two and topping up the charge when it gets low (and ONLY when it's getting low), then it should be fine for you, but WILL you be that diligent?

For someone who doesn't dive that often, I generally recommend to have a look at the Oceanic Geo. It's a solid computer. It's not too expensive. It uses a normal watch (coin-style) battery that requires no maintenance other than changing it every now and then (every year or two?). And, it offers the DSAT algorithm, which is probably the most liberal algortihm available in a modern dive computer. It will generally give you longer NDLs than other computers (like a Zoop). But, it also allows you to adjust the Conservatism to make it more conservative if you wish.

If you are concerned with readability and want a bigger, brighter, easier to read display, then I would point you at the Shearwater Perdix. But, that is even more expensive than a Peregrine. It uses a standard AA battery, so it doesn't have the concerns that a built-in rechargeable (like the Peregrine) does. Use photo litihium AA batteries in it and take the battery out between dive trips (just for absolute maximum safety) and you'll never have a problem with it.

The expense of a Perdix probably doesn't make sense for someone that does 2 or 3 recreational trips a year... unless you want or need it for the screen size and readability.