I had a Suunto Cobra that died the first time with less than 50 dives - still under warranty so I got it replaced. It died it's final death with less than 100 dives. My husband's also has died once and he no longer trusts it even as a backup. I have a Datamask that has a little under 200 dives and the transmitter died (got it replaced for $120 and I'm back in business). So I'm wondering just how many dives (approx. 50 minutes each) or how much dive time should we expect to get out of a dive computer and/or transmitter? For reference if we were told that our laptops would only be good for 200 hours of use I don't think we'd be willing to spend much money on them. But maybe this is an unfair comparison because our laptops don't have to function under a couple of atmospheres of pressure - maybe that pressure wears out the components much more quickly? So I'm wondering what is "reasonable" for life expectancy?
Life expectancy of dive computers?
- Thread starter Kimela
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outofofficebrb
HARRO HUNNAYYY
I have a Vyper Air that has had 150 dives on it and a Zoop backup with 73 dives on it. Both are still going strong and nothing wrong. I think you may have gotten duds. I have heard issues with the Cobra.
I just picked up a Perdix AI to celebrate a bonus payout so I’m selling my Vyper Air and Zoop if ya need them. They have served me well. I hope my Shearwater lasts a looooooong time.
I just picked up a Perdix AI to celebrate a bonus payout so I’m selling my Vyper Air and Zoop if ya need them. They have served me well. I hope my Shearwater lasts a looooooong time.
I bought my first computer in 1999--a Suunto Cobra. I used it for all my dives until maybe 2007-8. That would have been a number hundreds of dives--not sure how many. I later used it occasionally as a backup/pressure gauge for a while. I then retired it for a few years before selling it to a friend. He used it for a couple year before getting a different computer. He sold it to someone else in California. I don't know if is still being used.
I bought a Uwatec Prime to use as a backup to the cobra in about 2006. It lasted a year before I realized it was unusable and junked it. for some reason I was never notified of the recall on it--Uwatec junked it as well, and I could have had a different computer if I had only known.
A friend of mine bought one of the first Shearwater computers, back when they were first really learning what they were doing. He reported problems with the depth reading to them, and they realized he was diving at altitude and their computer did not adjust for altitude. they fixed that via a firmware update. He had a number of other issues that he reported to them, and each time they fixed it via a firmware update. Similarly, I reported an altitude problem (if you entered the water before turning it on and let it turn on automatically, it assumed you were at sea level), and they corrected that, too. My friends early model Sheawaater is still very much usable and up-to-date after all these years because of the firmware updates, as are mine.
So, the answer is--there is no answer. The same computer that crapped out on you twice could have lasted 20 years instead. Some computers fail almost immediately and go out of existence. Some computers can be constantly upgraded and can last indefinitely.
I bought a Uwatec Prime to use as a backup to the cobra in about 2006. It lasted a year before I realized it was unusable and junked it. for some reason I was never notified of the recall on it--Uwatec junked it as well, and I could have had a different computer if I had only known.
A friend of mine bought one of the first Shearwater computers, back when they were first really learning what they were doing. He reported problems with the depth reading to them, and they realized he was diving at altitude and their computer did not adjust for altitude. they fixed that via a firmware update. He had a number of other issues that he reported to them, and each time they fixed it via a firmware update. Similarly, I reported an altitude problem (if you entered the water before turning it on and let it turn on automatically, it assumed you were at sea level), and they corrected that, too. My friends early model Sheawaater is still very much usable and up-to-date after all these years because of the firmware updates, as are mine.
So, the answer is--there is no answer. The same computer that crapped out on you twice could have lasted 20 years instead. Some computers fail almost immediately and go out of existence. Some computers can be constantly upgraded and can last indefinitely.
jonhall
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My current primary computer is an Oceanic VT3 that I started using in 2010. It has about 1060 dives and 1160 hours on it, so far 
I have a Beauchat Aladdin Pro that I bought in 1990 that still works. I don't use it anymore because it's Air only, but it works, albeit poorly because of the technology - then and now.
There is no answer, BUT I think they should have lasted longer than yours did.
Cheers -
There is no answer, BUT I think they should have lasted longer than yours did.
Cheers -
CT Sean
Contributor
My Oceanic Geo2.0 and I don't go as many dives as we'd like to, but it's been doing just fine for 8 years now
My current primary computer is an Oceanic VT3 that I started using in 2010. It has about 1060 dives and 1160 hours on it, so far
I'm still using the VT Pro, I currently own 6 of them plus 2 additional transmitters so me and my GF have backups to our backups- these computers don't come up for sale very often.
I tried the VT3, and ended up selling it and going back to the VT Pro. I find the user interface to be simpler with only 2 submenus and it's got the same Algorithms as the VT3 and newer models of that line.
I've had 1 failure of the VT Pro about 10 yrs ago, sent it back for servicing and it's been fine since then and other than a flooding of one other unit that killed it, I've had no issues with the 4 VT Pros that are in continuous use over a few hundred combined dives.
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