Ten Commandments for Dive Trips

(Adapted From a Hotel Lobby in St. Martin)

1. Divers shalt not expect to find things as they are at home, for thou hast left home to find things different.
2. Divers shalt not take anything too seriously for a carefree mind is the start of a good dive holiday.
3. Thou shalt not let the other divers get on thy nerves for thou hast paid good money to enjoy thyself.
4. Remember to take half the dive gear as thou thinkest and twice the money.
5. Know at all times where thy passport is for a diver without a passport is a diver without a country.
6. Remember that if divers had been expected to stay in one place we would have been created with roots.
7. Divers shalt not worry for he that worrieth hath no pleasure and few things are that fatal.
8. When in a strange land divers shall be prepared to do somewhat as its people do.
9. Divers shalt not judge the people of a country by a person who hath given thee trouble.
10. Remember thou art a guest in other lands and the diver that treats his host with respect shall be honored.

Dive Safe!

What is the best dive computer?

Another newby asking for help...

Hi everyone. I apologize if this is a redundant topic - I did a brief search, but didn't see any recent posts for such a basic question as mine. I'm a pretty new diver - I have about 40 dives under my belt. I have an extraordinarily busy work schedule, with little time to 'research' dive equipment, but i'm in the market for a good entry level type of computer that I could grow into for casual dive use (eg, for beginner to intermediate divers - I'm probably never going to do mixed gas diving or technical diving - if I do, i'll buy a new computer if needed). I was hoping that some of you may be able to narrow my search by listing 5 to 10 dive computers that would be worth looking into, preferably in the $300 dollar range (a bit more or less is okay). Thanks, in advance!

And my reply:

Some dive computers are more intuitive than others for different people. Therefore - it is hard to make a blanket statement about any computer that would best fit you. I would suggest stopping into your LDS and trying them out. Push the buttons & try the dive planning features. See what you like best (without spending hours reviewing the manuals - the manuals are kind of hard to take underwater anyway). Many of the manufacturers have on-line simulators where you can download and try out how the computers operate before you buy.

Nitrox compatibility up to 40% is almost a standard feature nowadays. Dive downloading (to your PC), deep stops and gas switching are becoming popular extra-cost options, along with wireless transmitters for gas pressure and air consumption
monitoring. Some of the features are out of your price range.

For me, I like the Suunto line. Not only is the information easy to understand, the way the computer works is very similar with all models. Also, the Suunto tissue saturation models are a little more conservative (err of the side of safety) than other manufacturers. Scuba Diving Magazine does regular comparisons of the aggressive vs. conservative nature of the different manufacturers, and I think you will find the results interesting, and this may sway your decision. Can't tell you the specific month/year of the last review - maybe somebody on the board can help. I think the Gekko, and the Vyper might be within striking range of your target price.

Hope this helps, and dive safe!