Dive Computer for Amatuer Diving?
I have been diving a couple of years and have been on about 40 dives. I have an Advanced Open Water Cert. I go on a couple of dive trips per year. Some of these trips are in developing countries, so I’d like a dive computer so I can keep track of my own safety.
I am looking for something reasonable for my skill level. I’d like a decent number of options but nothing to excess. Some things I think would be useful are:
- Keep track of multiple dives / surface intervals / ok to fly
- Download to computer
- Temp
- Max depth
- Avg depth
- metric/imperial units
- Keep track of history
- Big screen with good info displayed
- Sturdy
- Wear on wrist (but only for dives)
- User-change battery (not necessary)
- Safety Stop
- Alarms to warn you
- Others?
What are good options for my experience level?
What are different companies advantages/disadvantages?
Do you recommend any products?
Can spend up to 0USA.
Dive Computers – Divers Computers – Diving Computers
- Aged Domain Names – 5 Things You Absolutely Must Know Before Buying | UK Internet Marketing Service.co.uk
- Who’s Afraid Of The Metric System?
- It Is What It Is » Belichick: ‘Pretty decent’ number of inquiries about second-round picks
Just off the top of my head, the Dive Rite NiTek fits the bill. On top of what you’re asking for, it’ll do nitrox as well as air, in case you ever decide to cert on that. Poke around the Scubadiving.com website, I think they did a review on them.
I dive a Suunto Gekko, which fits all of your needs, plus Nitrox. Well, you need to make a minor change to make the computer downloadable, but I did that in 5 minutes.
Search the web for Suunto Gekko download , and you’ll find a bunch of info.
Suunto also makes the Vyper, which adds decompression capabilites for around US $370 The Vyper 2 adds an electrionic compass, for around $500.
The Gekko can be found for $275, and add another $50 for the download cable.
You just described most of the dive computers on the market. I personally use the Aeris XR-2 which does everything you ask. I also use a Suunto D6 which is a watch size computer and I wear it all the time diving or not. You can get a wrist mount for any of the "hockey puck" computers so you can still have your analog depth gauge in your console and your computer on your wrist. I have used my Aeris since my Open Water Certification and it only cost me $200. It’s also the same computer that my dive shop uses on it’s rental gear.
Good Luck in your search