Need suggestions about budget dive computer

[padi70399]

Everybody havet missed Matrix from Mares togheter with puck pro They are both budget. Puck ned an interface. Matrix delivers with. Matrix is verry clear to read and have a loadebel battery including interface and are of a wrist watch modell... My recomendation is either one of them. West used puck problem for or rentav gear awsooome. Matrix is my private togheter with Mares icon hd with wierless pg icon is not budget... God Luck.

 

[enviroken]

Just one other point, you will be diving with a buddy who will more than likely have a different computer to you. This would mean you would HAVE to dive based on what the most "conservative" computer displayed.

Like others have send there is no computer or set of tables that will guarantee you no bend. Dehydration, tiredness, state of mind are only a few that can influence potential for bends. These are only psychological to some extent with many more physical traits contributing to bend risk. Personally I dive suunto and never had any issues with spoilt dives. I want to dive and have fun with any dangers reduced to fair levels, not push the limits for another 10 minutes, you can always go back another day.

 

[XJJoe01]

I am a newish diver (40ish dive) and use a Zoop. I love how easy it is to use and connect to my computer. Also, because Suunto is.so popular, there is a high chance somebody will be diving the same tables as me. Also, I am sure you will run out of air before NDLs kick in unless you make multiple dives without a long enough surface interval or poor planning. My 2€s. Joe

 

[Lorenzoid]

I can tell you all day long what an apple tastes like. You can read hour upon hour about what an apple tastes like; but, until you actually taste it.......

This is what I was getting at. Stuart is certainly not "incapable of reading the data" as he retorted indignantly. However, I believe numbers are only meaningful in a context. In the context of the diving I do (and each of us knows what our own dives are typically like), my dive is over when any of a number of conditions occur, not just my computer indicating reaching a NDL, such as getting low on air, buddy getting low on air, buddy reaching a NDL, boat rules say be back in under an hour, buddy or I getting chilly, someone thumbing the dive for some other reason, etc., and the condition that occurs first is rarely that of my Suunto indicating reaching the NDL. In this respect it doesn't matter much which "magic bracelet" I use. In the context of my diving, from my own experience, I know I would not need to give "conservatism" more weight than other factors if I were choosing a new computer. I would give things like the user interface (readability in particular) more weight. And yes, customer service and reliability.

I believe blindly shooting for a computer that will maximize one's dive time based on a comparison of published numbers is a fool's errand. If one really wants to maximize dive time, then why limit oneself to even the Sherwood or Oceanic that the numbers suggest might be "less conservative" than other recreational dive computers, since there are certainly ways to still further maximize dive time beyond that. Does a Sherwood or Oceanic computer know where to draw that "bright line through the gray area" to keep a diver safe where the other brands do not? Of course not. It's a continuous spectrum, and it's not even a straightforward matter (Doctormike's point 1 above) to determine in exactly what order the various computers fall on the spectrum despite the published numbers comparing simplified dive profiles.

 

[AdamXXL]

I have Suunto Zoop black one.I bought it for about 180usd in Europe( Austria).Easy to use,good visibility on daylight and for night you need light.Alarm sound are good and loud.

 

[BugHunterNY]

Does anyone else think Shearwater is missing out on a huge market segment by not having an entry-level, <$400, Petrel-Lite?


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[cascas]

I don't own a computer. I don't even have my OW cert yet (1 month to my class). But, I have been doing a LOT of reading on computers, trying to decide what to get for myself. So, all this is from what I've read, not personal experience:

The Suuntos use a very conservative algorithm compared to all the other brands of computers. I have decided to avoid any Suunto for this reason and for having read too many reports of problems with reliability and with uncaring customer service. But mainly for the algorithm. If I decide I'm always going to get out when my NDL gets down to, say 10 or 20 minutes, I would rather have a computer that lets me stay down longer and still get out with the level of conservatism that I choose. From what I have read, the Oceanic and Sherwood computers seem to allow for the most bottom time. And most of the Oceanic have a choice of 2 algorithms, one of which is more conservative than the other. And with either, you can still add in a "conservative factor" to make it even more conservative, if you want.

Also, the Zoop is a bigger size, as you said. Looking at it in person, it is bigger than what I want, too.

I think the Veo is a bigger computer - i.e. bigger than what you said you want. I think it's around the same diameter as a Zoop, but I think it's thicker, too.

The Geo is a nice wristwatch size. I haven't read about issues with reliability on the Geo, so of the ones you listed, it is probably what I would get.

However, other options I am looking at are:

Aeris Manta - $200. No gauge mode. No download. But, it's a nice wristwatch size. It supports Nitrox. Aeris, Oceanic, and Hollis are all part of one bigger company and I think the Manta has the same "less conservative" algorithm as the Oceanic computers. It comes in a lot of different colors. And it's only $200....

Aeris Epic - $385, including a wireless air integration transmitter. This appears to be the same as the older Oceanic Atom 2.0. I read a bunch of stuff with these having problems, including a voluntary recall from Aeris. My LDS says they have an updated model that they think has resolved the issues that the original ones had. I'm thinking of trying one of these just because the LDS said if I end up having a problem with it they will handle getting it fixed for me or they will give me a full refund on it. These were originally somewhere close to $1000. And it includes a wireless AI transmitter....

The Suunto D4i is $500. If that's your budget, you might also check out the Hollis TX-1, which is also $500. The TX-1 is a full-featured, tech-diving-capable computer. It supports wireless AI, if you want to also buy a transmitter ($750 for a package deal). It supports multiple gases, comes with a wrist strap and a bungee mount, supports Tri-mix gases (down to 7% O2/93% He), uses Buhlman ZHL-16C with Gradient Factors, and has a built in digital compass. It appears to be the same platform as the Oceanic VT4.1, but with more capable software. So, it's probably a bit bigger and bulkier than you're looking for. But, it seems like the most capable and feature-rich computer you can get for $500. Oh, and I think it comes with the USB cable, which a lot of computers charge an extra $100 for.

---------- Post added September 19th, 2014 at 11:02 AM ----------



The DG03 is $250. But, with data cable and bungee mount, it's $370. At that price, I think I would probably go ahead and spend $500 for the Hollis TX-1, which comes with the cable and bungee mount and is, otherwise, a more capable computer. Notice, I said "probably". Since I don't think I'm actually going to buy either one, anything I would "probably" do is suspect right up until I swipe plastic.

Staying away 10 to 20 minutes from your ndl limit ? Why ? Do ow first, ask questions, then decide which computer to buy. Your reasoning is not correct.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Does anyone else think Shearwater is missing out on a huge market segment by not having an entry-level, <$400, Petrel-Lite?

(And after defending Suunto above, I'm happy to defend Shearwater as well.) No, I disagree. I don't own one, but my understanding is that it already is a bare-bones computer as far as the costly hardware parts go, and skimping on that aspect would do a disservice to everyone and potentially harm the brand they have developed for themselves. The "complexity" is in the software. And now Shearwater even offers a recreational mode, so that it CAN function as an entry-level computer.

 

[doctormike]

I'm happy to defend Shearwater as well... I don't own one, but my understanding is that it already is a bare-bones computer as far as the costly hardware parts go

You mean wireless AI and a compass?

 

[stuartv]

Staying away 10 to 20 minutes from your ndl limit ? Why ? Do ow first, ask questions, then decide which computer to buy. Your reasoning is not correct.

Can you be specific about what of my reasoning is incorrect? If you're talking about my statement of getting out 10 to 20 minutes before NDL, maybe you should re-read that whole sentence? I said IF I decide to get out, say, 10 or 20 minutes early. That IF was there to indicate that I don't have the experience yet to know how I will dive relative to what my computer tells me. I don't yet even know whether I will calculate my personal safety margins as a hard number of minutes or as a percentage of total bottom time or based on other factors. So, that statement was merely an example to show that, no matter what method you use for factoring your computer's calculated NDL into your dive plan, a computer that gives you a longer NDL gives YOU more flexibility in deciding how long you want to stay down. Is that reasoning incorrect?

If you're diving down to look at a wreck that is at 60' and it will take you 50 minutes to comfortably circumnavigate the whole wreck, a computer that lets you stay at 60' for 57 minutes might be a better choice for you than one that tells you your NDL is "40 - 48" minutes. If you are using a computer that tells you 57 minutes, you CAN still ascend after "40 - 48" minutes, if you want to. But, I would guess that most of you experienced people would say that, if you want to stay for 50 minutes and your computer tells you to go up after 45 minutes, then you really should go up after 45 minutes.