Thinking of Sunnto Vyper, need feedback.

[pggeek]

Well after looking at all of these the best bang for my buck seems like the Suunto, Vyper. I am new to diving so this will be my first computer, I don't plan to do much diving 3-4 times a year. I can afford the Vytec but just rathor save the money I don't see a big difference between the two or am I wrong there?

So I would just like to get some peoples opion on the Vyper before I order it

 

[jamiei]

If you have the money and ever think about possibly getting into any kinda of technical diving, go with the vytec. If you're purely recreational and thats all you ever want to do... but the vytec if have the spare cash... its worth it. You can even just buy the wrist unit without the transmitter as well... Seriously, unless you just have bundles of cash to spend and/or want to do more advanced diving in the future, get the vyper... If you have bundles of cash... how about buying me a vytec... I'll give you my cobra and an interface...

 

[Scubaroo]

pggeek once bubbled...
I don't plan to do much diving 3-4 times a year.

If you really want a computer given the limited diving you will be doing, get the Vyper - it sounds like the few extra features of the Vytec (multiple gasses, air integration) would be wasted.

Honestly, for this limited amount of diving, you probably should stick to a bottom timer and tables - you're going to be diving infrequently, you won't get much opportunity to practice skills, so you might want to consider sticking to the tables provided in Open Water training, and plan your dives using the tables, rather than relying on a computer to tell you "when to get out of the water".

 

[Todd]

Hi:

My Vyper has worked perfectly for me to date. It has nice big numbers, a logical display, and gives me the information that I need. I am very happy with my purchase.

The Vytec is pretty cool. It would always be nice to have one less hose and some information about air consumption, but being groovy certainly carries a price (though do not neglect to add the price of a pressure gauge to the Vyper for comparison).

It sounds as though technical diving is not in your future but, if it ever might be, there are computers available, in my opinion, that will be significantly more usable than the Vytec (e.g., the addition of helium to the equation).

Best of luck.

Todd.

 

[Scubaroo]

Todd once bubbled...
... It would always be nice to have one less hose ...

I'm not sure why people equate wrist air integration to meaning "one less hose" - in a wrist mounted instrument with AI, it's a big leap of faith trusting that you will never have transmitter issues, be it a flat battery, you forget how to resync the transmitter and computer, you sync them up and wait too long before commencing your dive, either the transmitter or the computer simply dies, something interferes with the signal, etc etc.

I use a Vytec with the transmitter, but I wouldn't dream of diving without a backup SPG on the 24" hose clipped off out of the way. Lose the transmitter signal, and your diving is scrubbed.

 

[maximdim]

Just got a Vyper few days ago from LeisurePro. Amazing computer, well worth the money ($299 US currently @ LP).

 

[Todd]

Everything can fail; you can carry redundant everything. With proper pre-dive checks, the chance of failure is slight (or the product is not worth the purchase price). It's simply a choice between cutting a dive short every once in a blue moon–does anyone know what that actually means–or always dealing with an extra hose.

Todd.

 

[Genesis]

Be aware that the Vyper gets, uh, "creative" on you without warning if you ever set the PO2 exposure for a Nitrox mix over 1.4, or if you get too close to its idea of the mod.

In neither case will it warn you that it has grossly accelerated the CNS clock.

There is another thread here on this matter which has actual profiles posted (by me) that illustrates the problem, and it can be replicated in SIMDIVE.

If you never intend to exceed a 1.4 PO2, or are happy setting and adhering to a 1.3 PO2 (to avoid the issue entirely) then this will not affect you. Ditto if you dive it in either Air or Gauge mode.

The Vytec is not affected by this (I own one of each)

The other MAJOR difference of use to a recreational diver is that the Vytec can be told to turn down the conservatism of its RGBM "overlay", while the Vyper cannot. (I am ignoring the gas switching on the Vytec, since few recreational divers have any use for that, and frankly, I don't know that I think its that useful as it sits even for technical use.) The other "big feature" is the AI, but its optional and if you don't buy the transmitter the Vytec is not much more expensive than the Vyper.

 

[pasley]

IF you are only going diving 3-4 time a year, seriously consider renting. Let someone else pay the $60.00 or so per year to have your equipment serviced. Renting in my area cost $40.00 per day (pick up one day, dive the next, return the following day=one day). So at 4 dives per year that is $160 to rent equipment per year.

Dive gear should go in for servicing every 12 months or 100 dives or so, which ever comes FIRST. A recent article in SCUBA Diving Magazine (I think) about a diver who had his equpment serviced, dove it once or twice and then put it away for a year and saved money by not having the annual service done because he only had a couple of dives on it since the last service. He saved $60.00 and spend thousands on a funeral (rust inside the first stage killed him).

If you are going to be flying to your dive site, renting will also save you on tavel.

Just my $0.01 worth.

 

[Zerogravity]

I have been diving with a Vyper for about 4 years now and have not had a problem with it. I use it for rec diving only. PO2 set at 1.4, generally on EAN32-36. For generally conservative rec use it is fine. For tech, forget about a computer, set the Vyper to gauge mode and cut your own tables and deco schedule with deco planning software. ZG