Which divers (scuba) watch?
Discussion
I have one of these - a Heinrichs Weikamp OSTC 2n:
It is an awesome bit of kit! It is open source so if you are inclined to do so, you could write your own deco program. It allows you to set five gas mixes of any combination of oxygen, helium and nitrogen and a sixth you can enter underwater. The two buttons on the side are really easy to use under water.
The display is really bright underwater and it recharges by USB. It uses the Buhlmann Z16 deco model and you can adjust the gradient factors. It is also compatible with closed circuit rebreathers as well as having an apnea mode.
It is way OTT for most recreational diving and the UK distributor, Deep Ideas, advise it is only suitable if you have an understanding of decompression theory.
I also have a Vyper Air, which was my first computer. I dive with the OSTC as my main computer and have the Vyper Air set in gauge mode as a bottom timer.
A feature to look out for is the ability to gas switch. If you ever do accelerated deco, it will calculate your deco time when you switch to a richer nitrox mix. The Vyper Air has this facility but I'm not sure of all the other Suuntos that do.
If you don't want to do the techie stuff, the Zoop is a very good choice.
It is an awesome bit of kit! It is open source so if you are inclined to do so, you could write your own deco program. It allows you to set five gas mixes of any combination of oxygen, helium and nitrogen and a sixth you can enter underwater. The two buttons on the side are really easy to use under water.
The display is really bright underwater and it recharges by USB. It uses the Buhlmann Z16 deco model and you can adjust the gradient factors. It is also compatible with closed circuit rebreathers as well as having an apnea mode.
It is way OTT for most recreational diving and the UK distributor, Deep Ideas, advise it is only suitable if you have an understanding of decompression theory.
I also have a Vyper Air, which was my first computer. I dive with the OSTC as my main computer and have the Vyper Air set in gauge mode as a bottom timer.
A feature to look out for is the ability to gas switch. If you ever do accelerated deco, it will calculate your deco time when you switch to a richer nitrox mix. The Vyper Air has this facility but I'm not sure of all the other Suuntos that do.
If you don't want to do the techie stuff, the Zoop is a very good choice.
Ganglandboss said:
A feature to look out for is the ability to gas switch. If you ever do accelerated deco, it will calculate your deco time when you switch to a richer nitrox mix. The Vyper Air has this facility but I'm not sure of all the other Suuntos that do.
If you don't want to do the techie stuff, the Zoop is a very good choice.
Zoop handles nitrox also.If you don't want to do the techie stuff, the Zoop is a very good choice.
Silver993tt said:
Ganglandboss said:
A feature to look out for is the ability to gas switch. If you ever do accelerated deco, it will calculate your deco time when you switch to a richer nitrox mix. The Vyper Air has this facility but I'm not sure of all the other Suuntos that do.
If you don't want to do the techie stuff, the Zoop is a very good choice.
Zoop handles nitrox also.If you don't want to do the techie stuff, the Zoop is a very good choice.
There is no point having this feature if you are only ever going to stay within no decompression limits but when buying kit, it is a good idea to ask yourself what sort of diving you want to be doing in a couple of years time.
Ganglandboss said:
Silver993tt said:
Ganglandboss said:
A feature to look out for is the ability to gas switch. If you ever do accelerated deco, it will calculate your deco time when you switch to a richer nitrox mix. The Vyper Air has this facility but I'm not sure of all the other Suuntos that do.
If you don't want to do the techie stuff, the Zoop is a very good choice.
Zoop handles nitrox also.If you don't want to do the techie stuff, the Zoop is a very good choice.
There is no point having this feature if you are only ever going to stay within no decompression limits but when buying kit, it is a good idea to ask yourself what sort of diving you want to be doing in a couple of years time.
M
Silver993tt said:
marcosgt said:
No it can't. Only the viper air and up can.
M
I meant it handles Air & Nitrox, which will be more than the OP requires as he wants a basic dive computer for recreational diving.M
It'll certainly suffice for most divers - I know people with hundreds of dives all over the world who happily dive on low end Suuntos.
M
alfaman said:
care to explain ? [was the underpants bomber wearing one ? ]
..or am I way off .... ?
It's not "fabled" as such, insofar as I'm the only person to call it that...or am I way off .... ?
Watches seem to get nicknames based upon certain characteristics - Zenith Panda, Seiko Tuna, Orient Mako and so on. I call these the 'underpants' because of the pair of underpants proudly sported on their dials
mel said:
thegman said:
My suunto once fell off my dry suit in very poor conditions. Luckily I found it but I guess it pays to have a watch as backup.
Only if you've memorised your tables, otherwise all you know is what time it is.
You should be able to dive without a computer. Hardly requires memorising tables, just know your bottom time at the depth you plan to dive to.
More complex with gas mixing and multilevel dives, but for most dives a watch and a depth gauge should be enough.
M
Yes, you should be able to dive without a computer and use tables (I carry a waterproof one in my BCD, just in case), but computers are much more flexible (they can even cope with a dive with more than one deep descent!).
I'm still using the Suunto Mosquito I bought in 2001. It's done a few hundred dives and gets a new battery once or twice a year.
I'm still using the Suunto Mosquito I bought in 2001. It's done a few hundred dives and gets a new battery once or twice a year.
DIR divers ( Doing it Right - Wiki link for those not familiar with the term) do not use a computer at all for a number of reasons but say that they are actually more conservative than other methods of calculating deco.
A large number of dives are not square profiles so your average PADI trained recreational diver will get spanked if they use the Recreational Dive Planner for a multi level dive. For a recreational diver, a simple computer gives the freedom to just jump in and explore and there is nothing wrong with doing that.
I always dive with a computer and a bottom timer (my Vyper Air in gauge mode). I can cut a dive plan off my computer (OSTC 2n) and copy it into my wet-notes or I can calculate my deco underwater using the ratio decompression method. Both these methods can be followed with a simple bottom timer. On deeper extended range dives, you should always have a back-up of either two bottom timers, two computers or one of each. For most recreational divers, one computer per diver in a buddy pair is fine.
A large number of dives are not square profiles so your average PADI trained recreational diver will get spanked if they use the Recreational Dive Planner for a multi level dive. For a recreational diver, a simple computer gives the freedom to just jump in and explore and there is nothing wrong with doing that.
I always dive with a computer and a bottom timer (my Vyper Air in gauge mode). I can cut a dive plan off my computer (OSTC 2n) and copy it into my wet-notes or I can calculate my deco underwater using the ratio decompression method. Both these methods can be followed with a simple bottom timer. On deeper extended range dives, you should always have a back-up of either two bottom timers, two computers or one of each. For most recreational divers, one computer per diver in a buddy pair is fine.
I can't help feeling I've fallen through a trapdoor into http://www.yorkshire-divers.com/forums/computers-d...
Ps as said above perfect for 99% of recreational diving, has altitude settings, profile settings , and nox or air settings. Really easy to use, decent display under the dark gloomy Scottish Lochs.
Although at 27m on Sunday I couldn't seethe end of my nose without my torch never mind my computer!
Although at 27m on Sunday I couldn't seethe end of my nose without my torch never mind my computer!
Pps the zoop has a handy easy to use Plan setting for after first dive you get your surf time then just hit plan and time which sets the bottom time depending on depth selected. You can then set alarm etc for that depth if you want.
As said above no dive is straight down to 20 m and straight up so computer takes that into consideration.
As said above no dive is straight down to 20 m and straight up so computer takes that into consideration.
Gassing Station | Watches | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff