Needs vs. Wants !

[DaleC]

Assuming he has passed OW, he should know/understand dive tables. There is nothing wrong with diving a computer. In fact for the novice diver, I'd say diving the computer is safer vs. trying to pull out memories from the past on how to use limiting dive tables.

I have a good understanding of dive tables, but continue to computer my dive, and dive my computer. If you are not doing flat or deco profiles, why not?

That sounds a little like reverse or faulty logic to me. The novice doesn't understand the tables because they begin to rely on the computer too early and lose the skills they began to develop in OW.

I use a computer and it may do the calculations and offer more bottom time but the diver should know what the computer is calculating... or not. To each their own.

In this case the OP suggests they can't be bothered to figure out SI's using a table - how hard is that? Perhaps warm water vacation diving is different but, as all my dives are cold and low vis, I can't afford to cut corners on basic dive knowledge (like using tables).

I would also agree with the others that suggest investing in a good reg set if you want to invest. The big fancy computer is apealing at first but as a diver progresses they may find that all those features are either unneeded or used to compensate for basic skills one should know.

My instructor/LDS owner actually talks me out of buying a lot of stuff. His favorite line is "will this improve your diving"?

Will a quality reg set improve your diving? Yes.
Will a well fitting mask improve your diving? Yes.
Will an SMB, spool and good cutting tool improve your diving? Yes.
Will a reliable B/U light improve your diving? Yes.
Will a drysuit improve your diving (in cold water)? Yes.
Will a fancy computer with P/C downloading and AI improve your diving? No.

That doesn't mean one can't buy one if one wishes but it should be down below some other things on the priority list.

Just my 2CW,

Dale.

 

[Dan Weidert]

Rule #1 There is no such thing as a free lunch. Every choice is a trade off.

I might suggest a mask - small, lightweight, and fit is very personal.
Regulators take relatively little space and are your primary life support. It makes sense that you might want your own to get used to and to know the maintenance history.
Dive computers are light weight and small. If it adds to your diving enjoyment, it would be a great option.
You might want to use your experience with BCs to guide your decision here. They are a bulkier item. However, if using the same BC makes it easier to maintain trim and buoyancy it will add to your safety and enjoyment of the sport and might be worth it.
You might consider a pair of EMT scissors in a sheath you can attach to any BCD/Backplate & wing system.

After that, benefit vs. weight/bulk are less obvious.



Dan

 

[Darnold9999]

Spent almost 20 years diving pretty much exactly as you are.

My advice get mask and fins that fit. Then add a wet suit that fits and works for you for the diving that you do. Weighs nothing and only you have peed in it. Rentals on all of these items suck pretty much everywhere. I carried a 1/2 shorty for years. Works for diving/snorkling/surfing whatever for me, but I tolerate cold - YMMV. Far more useful than a BC. Use it to protect fragile items in your luggage.

Rental regs by and large are in pretty good shape. Have not ever found one to not be in good condition. Killing tourists is not a good business model and a bad reg can do it in a hurry. Doesn't mean that there are bad regs out there just not very common. If the regs and the hoses to them are beat up you might want to find another operator or another set.

Regs would be the next thing I would purchase however. Once I got back into regular diving regs and a dry suit were first on my list.

If you are vacation diving that infrequently why exactly do you need your own computer. Not sure it is going to add anything to your diving other than the bling factor. They are still being refined, a computer you buy today will have no bling factor at all in two years and you will have paid $20 or $30 a dive to wear it. Rent one if you will be doing multiple dive days otherwise go with a gauge and tables.

A BC is a heavy bulky pain to pack and as you are only diving occasionally you will not really be getting used to it anyway. Rent on site. Its just bag you fill with air and a pain to travel with.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

1. Buy "personal gear" 1st (mask, fins, booties, gloves, wetsuit).
2. Buy good regulator, octo, spg/depth gauge combo.
3. Rent BC*
4. Rent Computer*
5. Rent weights*
6. Rent tanks*
7. Use money saved for an extra dive trip

* Until you start diving more often than 15 times a year.

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

What you need is more free time for diving.

Agreed

but if you want specifics here is what I would do:

-BP/W (I would prefer stainless but in your case kydex or aluminum)
-Suunto Vytec DS or Nitek Duo (both handle at least 2 gases and do bottom timer mode)
-Scubapro mk17/S600 Reg w/ simple 1.5" pressure gauge.
-mask, slipstream fins w/ springs

total cost >$1200 to <$2000 depending on new v.s. used and online v.s. storefront.

Oh and do some reading on SAC rates and you wont need that air integration function.

 

[RonFrank]

IMO renting a computer is a bad idea for a lot of reasons vs. owning.

1) Some are NOT all that easy to operate. My epic is a good example. Not difficult, but not something one would necessarily know how to use out of the box.
2) Most computers store dives, and offer download functions. If you rent, one must log those dives. However the OP says he ain't into no dive logging!
3) Algorithms and displays vary. The diver may not know he is going into deco until his computer starts beeping. Depending on the model it may lock up.
4) Computers are expensive to rent. At $10 a day, he would have paid for the computer after one year of renting.

Computers are relatively inexpensive, and the only thing worst than a diver who does not know his tables is a diver who lacks such knowledge, and has no computer!

I'm not advocating being ignorant of the tables, but if you ARE that person, the computer can keep you safe.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Since the OP is only diving twice a year I would forego the computer and use the savings for a regulator. At only 15 dives per year he's not likely to dive deeper nor longer than his ndl, so using the tables will get enough bottom time to enjoy his trips. A cheap waterproof watch and depth guage will suffice.

 

[tedj101]

>>Will a fancy computer with P/C downloading and AI improve your diving? No<<

Well, that depends. The OP indicated that he doesn't get to dive enough in a year. A computer could increase the amount of diving he gets in in a year markedly over that he could do with tables. All it takes is a one week live aboard to get well over the 15 dives he gets in in a year now -- as long as you have a computer (I do 20-24 dives on a live aboard week or somewhere with good shore diving such as Bonaire or Curacao). By contrast, with tables I would be lucky to get in more than 13-15 dives in a week.

So, to answer your question: will a good computer make him a better diver? Yes, if additional experience contributes to making one a better diver...

Just my $.02 worth...

<TED>

 

[maged_mmh]

i still cannot see any rationale nor return-on-investment with 15 dives per year!!

 

[DaleC]

Hi Ted, we probably agree here.

The operative part of my sentence was with PC down loading and AI.

PC downloading is a luxury for after the dive (not that I'm knocking luxury). All it does is save someone from having to write. At 15 dives a year it won't improve the actual dives themselves.

AI is also just a toy. All it does is save someone from having to look at their SPG (mercy me) and it adds a level of technology that can fail. Again, I'm not knocking luxury but a simple computer would serve this level of diving just as well as the Cadillac model at 1/3 the cost.