Transmitter Reliability

[tursiops]

Disclaimer: I have been diving just over 3 years and have less than 200 dives, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt, please!

I have more than ten times the years and dives, and am doing away with my SPGs too. Rec and sidemount. I'll carry them in my spares kit, but do not expect to use them. Also using buttons on the tanks, and keeping SPGs on stages/deco bottles.

 

[outofofficebrb]

@tursiops provided a great link which includes a lot of debate and feedback for you.

I dive a Suunto as well, but a Vyper Air. I have a wireless transmitter and also dive with a SPG. I like the redundancy and should my AI fail (or SPG fail), I can continue the dive. I have seen transmitters fail before a dive or during a dive. The likelihood of either occurring are probably slim but it would mean not having to thumb the dive and surface. Both failing at the same time are even less likely. I don't feel like it adds a lot of "baggage" to me. Besides, as you know, it gives you some fun information like air time left based on current consumption rate and depth. It's fun to know.

If you live in Australia, you might find that it is actually required to have a SPG or they won't let you dive..or so I have been told by some Strayans.

 

[Bubbles McGee]

I dive rec and tech. Side mount and back mount doubles. I no longer have a physical SPG on any of my regs (except for button gauges). When I do tech dives, I use back mount doubles and I have 2 transmitters, one on each first stage, with no SPGs.

That is how confident I, personally, am in the Perdix AI setup.

Disclaimer: I have been diving just over 3 years and have less than 200 dives, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt, please!

That's exactly what I wanted to know and thank you for the disclaimer. I know that for safety purposes, there are a lot of folks who would say you can't have too many backups.

 

[Bubbles McGee]

I have more than ten times the years and dives, and am doing away with my SPGs too. Rec and sidemount. I'll carry them in my spares kit, but do not expect to use them. Also using buttons on the tanks, and keeping SPGs on stages/deco bottles.

Thank you for chiming in. I'm miles away from tech diving with stages or deco diving but I'm not opposed to it. In the meantime I was looking to debunk any thoughts on spending the extra $500 odd for a transmitter and AI computer nstead of just having an SPG. I can spend the $100 on that now and just use my zoop novo and be good. If I can use an AI computer and not have to worry about having another hose hanging off me, I'll look further into a Shearwater AI as opposed to a Oceanic Proplus X for instance.

 

[tursiops]

I know that for safety purposes, there are a lot of folks who would say you can't have too many backups.

For recreational diving within the No Decompression Limits, the strongest, most reliable backup, is to surface if your SPG or Computer or whatever fails. You don't need to see your pressure if the SPG fails, just go up. you don't even need a computer, just go up. And you CAN have too many backups....do you carry extra fins? An extra BCD? An extra facemask?

 

[tursiops]

I was looking to debunk any thoughts on spending the extra $500 odd for a transmitter and AI computer nstead of just having an SPG.

Nothing wrong with ONLY having an SPG. Easy, traditional, works fine. I like wireless AI to my wrist because I always know where my wrist is. But it is a "very nice to have" and not a necessity.

 

[outofofficebrb]

For recreational diving within the No Decompression Limits, the strongest, most reliable backup, is to surface if your SPG or Computer or whatever fails. You don't need to see your pressure if the SPG fails, just go up. you don't even need a computer, just go up. And you CAN have too many backups....do you carry extra fins? An extra BCD? An extra facemask?

It's better to be safe than sorry. You'll never have to thumb a dive if you do this. (LOL)

 

[tursiops]

It's better to be safe than sorry. You'll never have to thumb a dive if you do this. (LOL)

View attachment 446626

Terrific! Spare fins!
But the guy is obviously panicked....note the mask on his forehead.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Terrific! Spare fins!
But the guy is obviously panicked....note the mask on his forehead.

The nerve! He’s panicked because he probably can’t decide which spare to use.

 

[Joneill]

For recreational diving within the No Decompression Limits, the strongest, most reliable backup, is to surface if your SPG or Computer or whatever fails. You don't need to see your pressure if the SPG fails, just go up. you don't even need a computer, just go up. And you CAN have too many backups....do you carry extra fins? An extra BCD? An extra facemask?

But why end a dive early? I kept my SPG as a backup (in the unlikely event of AI failure) and to check tank pressure when I first set up my gear (many times not wearing the computer yet or it's turned off) to make sure I have a full tank.