New Wrist Computer - Thoughts?

[DeepRN]

The new Aeris Manta - Looks like a great new unit. Check it out and lets see if anyone has had the opportunity to use one as of yet.

AERIS Manta Free Diving and Nitrox Dive Computer

...and if you're interested, here's a discount location in Canada which offers full manufacture's warranty on their products.

https://www.divetank.com/gear/product.php?id=779

[Mullins]

The three independent depth alarms would be the main point for me, and the fresh/salt setting is useful. However I'm always a bit wary of companies that use such enthusiastic marketing language... and it is quite expensive. Cressi Edy looks like the best candidate to me - not that the D3 doesn't do everything I need, they just aren't reliable enough.

[DeepThought]

"The Manta is the first Free Diving Computer to calculate and track Nitrogen Tissue Loading, allowing you to switch between SCUBA dives and Free Dives on the same dive day." (from the divetank link)

I wonder what model they have for that and what experimental data they rely upon. If they got the algorythm correctly it should be good for freediving with no scuba invovled as well. In that case I would be really interested to know what limits it sets.
On first look this claim doesn't sound reliable to me, is this a mistake? Are they risking a tsunami of potential lawsuits?

[nostres]

Never freedive after Scuba dive.

I don't do them the same day anyway so this feature seems useless for me. I like my D3, simple is better.

[DeepRN]

Now that I've had a chance to look at this more indepth...

Nitrogen/Oxygen loading/unloading plays into any dive, and should therefore already be an integral function of every dive computer's software. Thus the above mentioned tissue-loading bar graph, should really only be displaying a piece of the equation, that perhaps the manufacturers of other dive computers have not chosen to display(?) Like other dive computers, the Manta claims to calculate one's tissue loading/unloading throughout your dives and afterward, and functions with a one-second sampling rate in freedive mode. What the information (from the manual) claims however, is that the manta is always calculating/adjusting/displaying this information (as a bar indicator), even in FREE mode. Funny that the manufacturer hasn't done much to detail [i]how[i] this calculation is done and what information it's based on, given the widely accepted belief that scuba and freediving in a 24 hour period is a big NO NO

Information in the manual claims that the computer is doing 12 calculations, based on the differing rates of tissue-loading/unloading, and adjusting the bar indicator according to which is most pertinent (ie - which is most crucial at any given point of a dive) There are established outlines for the different tissues of the body and their respective loading/unloading rates (dependent on exposure pressure/time) of oxygen and nitrogen that can be found on the net. If this information is known, then aside from the fact that you may rarely have a acceptable level of tissue saturation to safely freedive after scuba (or that it's simply 'dumb'), the software should be capable of doing this. My question then, is how many 'little' miscalculations does it take to equal a big scew up?

Either way, the nitrogen loading bar indicator shouldn't be anything but a piece of information that all dive computers are monitoring, only it continues and adjusts (so claimed) according to depths/times measured in FREE mode as well compressed-gas modes.

As an after note: Oceanic seems to be using this 'patent-pending' bar indicator as well.

Has anyone tried the Cressi Edy?? And, anyone who has tired mutiple wrist-mounted computers would be much appreciated to chime in.

[Fondueset]

I'm looking at these too - I see the Cressi Edy and a few different Suuntos - Stinger and Mosquito. I'm pretty much just doing freediving - looks like a great thread to gather opinions!

[DeepThought]

When freediving, one person could dive FRC with 2 liter of air and another can pack his lungs to 12 liter, somehow I doubt the computer is sensitive for such differences, so its algorithm should be pretty crude. I don't think scuba N2 absorption is identicle to freediving when you virtually pass over a 1000 liters in your lungs when you scuba dive.
I think heart-rate might also change loading/off-loading of N2.
Using scuba loading/off-loading algoryhtm might not work so well with freediving ascent speeds.
As far as I know the earliest scuba tables were supported by a lot of experimental data (and decomressed US navy divers), the mathematical models have improved since but I don't think they apply to freediving without any experimental data to support it.

[Mullins]

I haven't tried an EDY but I tried a Mares Nemo earlier today and have previously used a D3. Until it broke, of course. For me the alarm is the most important function as I use it to judge when to do a mouthfill. I don't wear a mask any more so I can't see a readout while diving. Unfortunately the Nemo's alarm was even quieter than the D3s, if that's possible. Plus it's only a couple of brief beeps. The fresh water setting was handy, as we were in a lake, and the 4-second sampling interval was not so handy (though I didn't actually get a chance to download my dives). Other than that, all the standard stuff like surface interval, max depth, min temp etc was fine. So functionally there appeared to be bugger-all difference between the Nemo and the D3 despite the whopping differnce in price. Hopefully the EDY has a better alarm.

P.S. - there was one interesting feature of the Nemo; you can set the alarm to sound every X meters, so you could get a (very faint) beep at every, say, 10m to let you keep track of your dive. Might be useful.

[billder99]

Looking back through a year of threads on dive watches, I don't see a single mention of the Citizen Hyper Aqualand... reasonably priced at $300US and stylish! (not that anyone cares about that) Buy CITIZEN HYPER AQUALAND - and other scuba diving gear at scuba.com

All of my experienced friends swear by D3 and tell me that's the one to get... seems many here agree in terms of "bang for the buck"

BD

[strangelove]

Does any one know how hard is to service the Cressi ?

The suuntos are great but I think they break a lot.

[DeepRN]

That brings up a good point, Strangelove. I'm not too sure about the servicing of such computers as cressi. You and I might not have the access that some others do, for warrenty purposes etc. I've decided to pick up a couple of the manta computers. And Strangelove's point factors into the decision. Divetank (near us) will provide 5 yrs service and/or replacement. The price is $70 US less than the retail price on the Aeris site. They will also ship new batteries (free) whenever we request. So, that's pretty much sealed it for us. We're looking for more than free-mode such as provided by the D3. Divetank also offers the mosquito for a comparable price to the manta. They'll likely be comparable. I'm sure overall, the technology becomes easier/cheaper to produce, allowing other companies to put out equally worthwhile products. Of course there is no intention of following through on that whole scuba and freedive within the same day - bit of hype. Will have to post again with some feedback in the next few weeks.

Strangelove, Anchorage would be a great place to visit/dive! Do you have any media from your adventures up there?? When we headed to BC, Anchorage was very much in our radar.

[strangelove]

DeepRN

I don't have any movies just out of water pictures from diving trips.

I only free dive here to the season starts on late June and goes to end of September, the water normally is murky early on the season and gets better towards the end. There is plenty of wild life to see like whales, seals, puffins, etc
As fish goes there is a lot of fish but not a whole of variety, lots of rock fish and depending the place lingcod, when is salmon season like late July and August you can see a lot of them. I am yet to see a halibut while free diving !

For something else other then dive there is a lot fishing in general, hiking, bike trails and white water rafting. One the winter you have your regular winter stuff like cross country skiing , down hill and ice scatting.

The Anchorage folks are really out door people.

Thanks for the info about the cressi, one of the appealing points for the D3 was the easy service of the suuntos, if suunto had a stainless case d3 I would probably get one, but for now I am keeping my old Casio dep 600.

[nostres]

Hey strangelove!

If You need a steel case then maybe Stinger is right for You. It's free mode is not exactly D3 but very close and if steel is not good enough then there is titanium (went down from $900 to $700 at Leisurepro recently)

BTW Alaska is on my list to go

Good luck! Dive free!

[strangelove]

Nostres

We are kind of boat constrain here, there is no shore diving but let me know when you are coming.
What I don't like about the suuntos is they are not reliable, I am used to my casio dep, no problems since 1994, hard match.

Rafael

[Amphibious]

Originally Posted by strangelove

The suuntos are great but I think they break a lot.

been using sunnto computers for 10yrs and never had one break

use their compasses divign and in the feild, again, top notch equipment