Suunto Cobra, is it a good choice?

[Jaeger45]

Not sure if it varies by model (I couldn't find anything regarding this in the Coba manual on the Suunto website) but some models (i.e. my Vytec) allow you to "attenuate" the RGBM setting if you feel that you are comfortable with trading more risk for more liberal settings.

 

[Trainwreck]

Suunto is great if all you do is vacation diving in the 30-100 foot range. If you intend to tech dive or anything involving deeper, or aggressive profiles, steer well clear of the Suunto.

 

[PiranhaChris]

I've dove with the a older UWATEC Aladdin (Air Integrated version), my dads UWATEC Smart Com and a friends Cobra 1. And now I'm fiending for a Cobra lol.
I was in Cozumel with the Cobra and a Cressi Eddy2 (as back up), and it was great. Easy to ready, well organized. And oddly my dads Smart Com didn't have the 3 min safety stop count down. But the Cobra and Eddy2 did.

Go for the Cobra 1 or 3

 

[Crush]

hi bibu,

I use a Sherwood Wisdom 2 (air-integrated console) and a Sherwood Insight (wrist-mounted) as a backup. My comments are:

1. The Cobra has large numbers. This is very good. In silty water it will be much easier to see than a wrist-mount. I can see my wisdom 2 in far dirtier conditions than I can the insight. FYI, my eyesight is pretty good; and

2. I don't see the issue with "it is conservative, so it is good," even for beginners. I am of the opinion that you can take the least conservative computer and put it on a novice with no problem. The only caveat is, don't start red-lining the computer on your first four dives. Slowly work your NDL out of the lower range of the green.

 

[renegade17]

I have a Suunto Cobra 2 and love it. Never had a problem. As far as the conservative issue, it can be adjusted by the personal setting to fit your diving needs to 50% of the Suunto RGBM algorithm applied instead of 100% RGBM, which is what most rec divers would use and still have plenty of time. The only setback is that it is air-hose integrated. This meant I had another hose to route somewhere. I now use a wrist computer (still Suunto) and love that.

 

[Scared Silly]

Suunto is great if all you do is vacation diving in the 30-100 foot range. If you intend to tech dive or anything involving deeper, or aggressive profiles, steer well clear of the Suunto.

I disagree with this statement, we have used Suunto computers for a week of diving in places like Truk Lagoon where we did 3-5 dives a day and our average depth was 30m. Never felt it limited us except on maybe a couple of dives and there all we did we ascend to a shallower depth a it cleared. YMMV based on your profiles.

 

[Deac in the Wake]

Not sure if it varies by model (I couldn't find anything regarding this in the Coba manual on the Suunto website) but some models (i.e. my Vytec) allow you to "attenuate" the RGBM setting if you feel that you are comfortable with trading more risk for more liberal settings.

Exactly. The Cobra3 allows you to adjust your "personal adjustment" to fit your dive style. They provide a chart in the manual to correlate the adjustment level to stop limits etc. Very nice feature.

I flat out love the Cobra3. The digital compass permits angular holding without disrupting your bearings so you don't have to worry about compass lock which you can get with analog compasses. I've heard some complaints about the Suunto software but if you can operate Excel or Word, you can handle it.

I am very impressed and happy with my Cobra.

 

[Hatul]

Exactly. The Cobra3 allows you to adjust your "personal adjustment" to fit your dive style. They provide a chart in the manual to correlate the adjustment level to stop limits etc. Very nice feature.

I flat out love the Cobra3. The digital compass permits angular holding without disrupting your bearings so you don't have to worry about compass lock which you can get with analog compasses. I've heard some complaints about the Suunto software but if you can operate Excel or Word, you can handle it.

I am very impressed and happy with my Cobra.

Can I ask you if you added an analog compass or are you just happy with the digital compass of the Cobra 3? Also can you comment on the size of the digits and their readability.

Adam

 

[Deac in the Wake]

I learned land and underwater navigation the "old school way." Diving with an analog compass is what I got used to when I first started so I was apprehensive when diving with a digital. It took one dive to convert me.

The read out is accessed through a button on the console so it isn't displayed at all times and I believe you can set the time the compass remains displayed before returning to dive mode. The read out is easier to read than an analog- especially if you activate the backlight. There was virtually no lag time in the digital display from the actual magneto reading and the greatest thing is that the compass operates on an angle. You don't get compass lock like when you tilt an analog.

Another bonus is that the Suunto Cobra allows you to re-orient the compass if you travel overseas. You have to go through some minor calibration steps (basically moving in 360-degree circle) and it will adapt to the magnetic variation of your new location.

As to the depth comment above in re: Suunto, I can't speak to past models but the Cobra 3 works on both air and nitrox and with the adjustable "personal adjustment" feature I refer to above (you can also adjust the altitude above sea-level), it's adaptable to aggressive diving as well as the lower limits of non-tech diving which makes up a rather sizable majority of divers in general as well as the readers on this board. Obviously if you're making a living off diving at nitrox/heliox depths, you're going to look for a suitable computer. If your floor is 130-feet and you dive as a hobby, there's nothing wrong or problematic with the Cobra.

 

[AZ Desert Diver]

Stay away from the Cobra 1 and 2. Spend the extra few dollars on the latest Cobra 3. It has been updated and takes care of the issues that the 1st and 2nd versions have. I dive the Vyper Air which is the wireless version of the Cobra3 and I love it.