Comparison of 32 freediving computers

[sross]

This is great Trux! Thanks for setting this up.

I've been enjoying going through the reviews.

 

[Kars]

I would love to hear some user reviews here on the computers mentioned.

 

[trux]

I would love to hear some user reviews here on the computers mentioned.

Do you mean the last three (Liquivision Xen, Uwatec Aladin 2G, and Citizen Cyber Aqualand Nx)? The Xen will be officially released early in 2011, so you won't find any user review yet. Some information including a video of a presentation of the Xen can be found in this thread: http://forums.deeperblue.com/freediving-equipment/89086-new-freediving-gauge-liquivision.html

I think the Aladin 2G was not known among freedivers (I believe the advanced freediving mode was added on lately to the firmware), but I know about some freedivers who ordered it for Christmas, so hopefully we'll hear from them soon. Uwatec also proposed me to send me a unit for testing, but I did not send them a confirmation request yet.

And as for the Citizen Cyber Aqualand Nx, you can find some user reviews listed in the computer test (look at the bottom, in the block "Links"). At most other computers there are also links to user reviews found on the web.
APNEA.cz - Freediving Computers

There is also a discussion here on DB, where several users gave their testimony about Citizen watches for freediving:
http://forums.deeperblue.com/freediving-equipment/88957-citizen-aqualand-will-work-freediving.html

 

[evalduxx]

I was reading Aladin 2G manual and find this one, so how to understand a display updates every 15 seconds?

In apnea diving fast descents and ascents are allowed. Therefore Aladin 2G uses faster sampling of the depth for higher accuracy. Aladin 2G updates display and maximum depth every 15 seconds, logbook is updated every second.

 

[trux]

It likely concerns only the display of the maximal depth (not the current depth, time, and other values). If you look on the page 14 of the manual, you can read:

In Apnea mode the display is updated faster (in 0.25s intervals and logbook in 1s intervals), therefore in Apnea mode at least 6h of Apnea profiles will be stored.

 

[trux]

I have completed the review with some more computers: the v2 of Aeris F.10, the successor of D4 - the Suunto D4i, and newly also Suunto D6i (D6 did not have a freedive mode in its standard version), Sporasub SP1, and also the future excelling Uwatec (Scubapro) Meridian with a built-in heart rate monitor.

APNEA.cz - Freediving Computers

So the total number of computers in the review is no more 32 as stated in the thread title, but as for now they are 43. Let's see whether DEMA brings some more new models again!

 

[Kars]

Has anyone got their hands on a Scubapro Meridian, and test it's freedive and HR functionalities?

Here it's E 415,-
Uwatec duikcomputers
The pc interface and HR monitor band cost about another E 100,- So about E 515,- in all.

I would love to study people's HR during deep diving and during dynamic. If anyone has a dynamic graph, a depth graph I would be really interested to see and discus it.

Merci,

Kars

 

[novaq]

Hi Trux

That's an awesome piece or work you did there! Only I can't open the link, it says site maintanence.. Will the link be online again soon? I planned on buying a freediving computer this week, and your comparison table would be the best guide I can imagine...

Thank you very much!

Cheers Tobi

 

[maui400]

The page is offline for a few weeks now. Unfortunately there are no rumors when it will be up again.

 

[Gab]

Yes, it briefly went up at some.pojnt but it is down again, too bad. Maybe trux could donate it to someone?

 

[novaq]

Hmm... So Trux isn't so active around here anymore?

 

[Derekn]

I Pm'ed Trux a few weeks ago and he responded to let me know that he had to move the site to another server and was also doing some work on the interface. He mentioned it would take some time to get it back up again.

 

[Stephan Whelan]

I've spoken to Trux a few times and he has been having all sorts of personal and technical issues. As the site is a hobby for him and essentially costs him money he needs to balance running it with earning money (a problem I know very well!).

I have also spoken to him before about teaming up with DB to run Apnea.cz but he didn't seem too keen. Anyway I hope he gets it back online soon!

 

[maui400]

I have also spoken to him before about teaming up with DB to run Apnea.cz but he didn't seem too keen.

So he rejected the offer to take others into the boat, or what does it mean? I mean it would be too bad if, the page doesn't come up again or only from time to time. I'm sure there are a few guys (including me) who can help with the technical stuff.

 

[Stephan Whelan]

So he rejected the offer to take others into the boat, or what does it mean? I mean it would be too bad if, the page doesn't come up again or only from time to time. I'm sure there are a few guys (including me) who can help with the technical stuff.

Actually in all fairness to Trux he has a pretty unique hand-crafted setup that needs fairly specialist skills.

 

[maui400]

I know

 

[TheBob]

Shucks... I was quite eager to see the comparison when I found this thread today. Best of luck to you, Trux, wherever you are!

Bob

 

[Melitiy]

Hi every one.
This is my experience with Suunto D6i All Balck Steel:

This is not a review of Suunto D6i All Black Steel features as a diving computer, i just want to show design of bracelet and material used in Suunto D6i All Black Steel model

If you check Suunto D6i All Black Steel product page on Suunto website, in "KEY FUTURES" it says "Strap material: Steel" which is a misleading description by Suunto, because

Strap is not totally steel as stated in description. Strap is maybe 70% steel, the band is formed via steel units which are interconnected by (rubber/plastic/elastomer) material units, not sure what exactly that material is but 100% is not a steel.

The end piece at the end of a bracelet that attaches to the steel case - is as well (rubber/plastic/elastomer) unit, so the durability of this design is less than on the same model with full elastomer strap which is considerably cheaper - 230$ less. All vertical and lateral load on the strap is pointed to small (rubber/plastic/elastomer) units, what makes this design very fragile.

My Suunto D6i All black steel strap broke 11 days since I bought it (refer to the pictures ) so I could't test D6i in the water. Suunto D6i All Black steel casing and strap are covered by anodized black coating, after 11 days of gentle use as a daily watch it was easily scratched so natural stainless steel color appeared in some points.

All rubber/plastic/elastomer material is colored by me in red (refer to the pictures) , all steel parts are in blue for demonstration.

I would never buy this product if i knew that the strap is a plastic dummy rather than the steel strap, as the strap redundancy can't be overestimated in 1495$ computer.

After reading some review on Suunto D6i All Black Steel page i discovered that i'm not the only one, and quite a few other people reporting same problem under product support page > PRODUCT Q&A.
But Suunto doesn't care much about this issue as there is no redesign of this strap, and the same misleading statement on the product page that strap material is steel.

My review was rejected on Suunto review page without any explanation.
Before you buy Suunto D6i All Black Steel, think twice...

This is the link on youtube with my identical review Suunto D6i All Black Steel strap.

 

[Kray]

Allow me to dig this up.

So what to get now?

I'm borrowing from buddies left and right on deep dives including noseclip. I think they started to get sick of it.

I just want a good cheap one and be done with. I see omer OMR-1 on the scubastore for about $177, anyone know about it?

All friends have suunto, which are way over my budget, although used D4 price isn't so bad. What are missing in freediving mode from D4 in compare to D4i ?

What about aeris f11 or f10v3? Provided that they are freediving specific, aren't they better choices than suunto?

Multi depth alarms, dive profile are features I really need.

 

[Gab]

Personally, if I had to buy a new dive watch, I would not get an f10 or f11. I have an f10v2 and I am very dissapointed with it. You can read my review on my blog if you are interested. A Suunto D4i is overpriced IMO for what it is (as a freediver, if you also do SCUBA then that is a different story).

I would either get an inexpensive watch such as the Omer or get a good freediving watch.

If you want a freedive only watch, I would have a look at the Ratio iDive Free Avantgarde. It has Taravana & Hemoptysis Control, Sapphire glass, Real Time Algorithms, USB Recharge, Apps, great screen, etc. (http://www.ratio-computers.com/idive/iDive_Free_Avantgarde.htm).

I asked them if they will one day add a vibration unit and they passed on my request to the engineering team, email them if this feature is also of interest to you.