Crazy Fingers
Contributor
My first computer was an XR-1 and it did the job fine. I never had any problems with it. No doubt it is a cheap and simple computer, but for rec diving on air it is perfectly fine. It calculates your time remaining and keeps track of the numbers, that's what it's meant to do... everything else is just bells and whistles.
My only complaint, and it is minor, is that it is very sensitive to ascent. If you go faster than 30 fpm at any instant it will cause the dive log's ascent rate to be flashing permanently. It doesn't matter of course, so long as you are able to interpret what happened (like, I went from 55 to 52 feet "too fast.") One other thing that everyone says about it is that when you are in the caution zone with your N2 loading, it really means it... it is pretty liberal with the NDL and will push it. I think this is a good thing but make sure to take your ascent extra slow and do your safety stop if you are in the caution zone!
I got nitrox certified after about six months, but many people never even get it and thus would never need anything more than the XR-1. I think air is very underappreciated and it is fine for 90%+ of dives.
My only complaint, and it is minor, is that it is very sensitive to ascent. If you go faster than 30 fpm at any instant it will cause the dive log's ascent rate to be flashing permanently. It doesn't matter of course, so long as you are able to interpret what happened (like, I went from 55 to 52 feet "too fast.") One other thing that everyone says about it is that when you are in the caution zone with your N2 loading, it really means it... it is pretty liberal with the NDL and will push it. I think this is a good thing but make sure to take your ascent extra slow and do your safety stop if you are in the caution zone!
I got nitrox certified after about six months, but many people never even get it and thus would never need anything more than the XR-1. I think air is very underappreciated and it is fine for 90%+ of dives.