Wrist Computers - I Need Your Advice

[Mike Boswell]

My wife and I have been diving with Suunto Cobras. We like them and they do the job, but I have been thinking it would be more convenient to have air-integrated wrist computers because they eliminate a hose and they are right there on your wrist where you can see them easily.

I looked at the Suunto D9 and it is cute, but a little spendy... $1,900 and I would need two of them!

I am wondering what the pros and cons are for these expensive little gadgets. I'm also wondering how useful the digital compasses are, compared to our standard analog compasses.

 

[scjoe]

The con is price and the potential of the transmitter going out leaving you with no gas reading. Most of my friends who have the wireless wrist computers are bringing old fashioned SPGs with them on vacation as a backup. At that point, I think they would have been better off with a non-integrated wrist computer.

I have never used a console computer, but I think the SB love affair with wrist models is a bit overdone. Consoles tend to have bigger numbers than wrist watches so I am not so sure that watches are necessarily easier to read.

 

[ti325v]

I have two oceanic atom 2`s. I LOVE them. Complicated manual will drive you nuts, but if you are not decoing on oxygen or switching gasses, they are terrific computers.
Suunto integrated compass is a pita, must be dead level to work well.
I have had one transmitter failure in more then 3000 dives, and I do not care...as i know my sac, my dive sites...I can guess within 15 bar or so my tank pressure.
When i deco on twinset, with manifold, I use spg on one tank and transmitter on the other in case i have to shut down, or 2 computers and two senders. With side mounts and differant mixes, I use three transmitters. One on twins one on each side mount with short spg.
Atom 3 coming soon....but, I had lots of problems with new Atom 2. Oceanic took care of everything. I love the atoms. Suuntos nicer as they take a beating better then atoms...if you dive 700 times a year or more your atoms will look ratty...suuntos will look new.
Atoms can be had for $800 with transmitter....and USER REPLACEABLE BATTERY !!!!!!!

 

[aquaregia]

I've been extremely happy since I swapped my console for wrist gauges. I don't do AI though, so YMMV.

 

[AndrewA]

I use a suunto vyper and a suunto vytec. They are much easier to read (for those of us who are getting old and blind) than the smaller watch type computer like the D6 / D9). I personally dont use air integration but several guys I know do and have had no problem with suuntos. i dont use the electronic compass in the vyper2 prefering the SK7.

 

[Superlyte27]

If you are in that price range the absolute best computer on the market is the Shearwater Predator. If you want to shave some considerable cash off, and get air integrated, I too dive a Oceanic Atom 2.0. It's a great computer that will do all sorts of cool stuff. But, it can be outgrown. The Shearwater can't be. It'll take you all the way through CCR if you want to.

The argument about air integrated computers is a minor one to me, as I dive with brass and glass pressure gauge as redundancy.

If you are leaning towards Oceanic. I can do a VT3 for $850 (+ actually shipping cost). That's the complete kit with data cable, transmitter, everything in the box brand new with full warranty. It does everything the Atom 2.0 does, but it's a little bigger and easier to read.


*EDIT* Also, look what's involved in getting a Suunto replaced for warranty. The one Suunto I bought several years back, took me nearly 3 months to get replaced for warranty because they are an overseas company. I'm not sure if things have changed since then. But it's something to check out.

 

[scubadada]

If you are leaning towards Oceanic. I can do a VT3 for $850 (+ actually shipping cost). That's the complete kit with data cable, transmitter, everything in the box brand new with full warranty. It does everything the Atom 2.0 does, but it's a little bigger and easier to read.

I dive the VT3 and love it. Got one for me and one for my son for considerably less than the price of the Suunto D9 in the OP. I had dived Oceanic for years, Pro Plus, Pro Plus 2, so switching to the VT3 was extremely easy.

I really like not having the console and HP hose. I dive with an analog compass. DSS makes a bungee mount for the VT3

Personally, I like the liberal Oceanic algorithm. As above, the VT3 comes complete including log software and the USB cable, no extras as is common with many computers. The USB cable is quicker, easier, and more reliable than other computer connections I've used (Dive Rite Nitek Duo clothespin for example). The Oceanlog software is reasonably easy to use and captures air consumption, average depth, and automatically calculates your SAC when you input tank used. Very easy to add all the tanks you use to the menu and can designate one as default.

Good diving, Craig

 

[Ghanguss]

I dive a suunto vyper with AI. I like to be able to see my air consumption over a range of different dives and compare it to the diving conditions. I know I dont need AI to do that it just makes it easier and records the info together with my dive log.

The compass works but I would not attempt a detailed navigation with it. I often have to recalibrate it to ensure its working accurately.
Its good enough for a reciprocal heading or something simple like that.
Its a nuisance in that it switches back to normal display only after a preset time limit so you tend to set the time limit low (30 sec) and then have to keep switching the compass back on.
If I was doing the nav exercise in the advanced course for example, Id want an analogue compass for sure.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I have never used a console computer, but I think the SB love affair with wrist models is a bit overdone. Consoles tend to have bigger numbers than wrist watches so I am not so sure that watches are necessarily easier to read.

Actually, most dive computers are the same whether they are in a wrist or console mount ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[scjoe]

Actually, most dive computers are the same whether they are in a wrist or console mount ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

There is a difference between a wrist mount and a wristwatch size computer. The D9 is a wristwatch.