New Freediving Computer to be unveiled at DEMA 08

[EcchiK]

Yup, same creature, different colours. All black, blue or red with a mix here and there.

 

[spaghetti]

All us freedivers kinda look alike anyway. We're basically the same person - just different depths.

Indeed. This is me, but I could be anyone else (except for the goggles: that's a very personal touch).

 

[ILDiver]

I got my F.10 today from Niki at FII. Earlier today I had decided I would go to the pool. So timing was perfect! Unfortunately the pool is 3ft except for the end with the starting blocks. so when I did my laps I would get a 5 second dive and it would go back to surface.

I did take it to the deep end and hit a PB of the day at 3.4m! The history and playback of the dive is great! I have not downloaded the data, but I'm certain it will be similar to my Atom 2.0.

The alarms! Love them. 3 seperate depth alarms. Also an interval alarm. So you can set it to beep every 9 meters, or every 12 meters... whatever interval you want. You could have alarms beeping the entire descent! That wouldn't be annoying at all! I had no trouble hearing the alarms go off. I did not have the elapsed dive timer on. I'm not sure if they are different alarm tones for the different alarms (would guess they are). I only managed, as stated, a max depth of 3.4m.

I love the watch. I look forward to pushing it a little further soon! If you have not ordered one yet and you are debating it. Get it. Great dive watch for a freediver!

I still wish we could sell these out of the shop I work for! Order from FII, or Austins, where ever they have them, but get it!

(Not paid for this post, I bought my watch with my own money)

 

[ptoot]

@ILdiver or any F10 owner: could you please take some pictures of your F10 around your wrist, and of the interval readout, and if possible of the PC program.

That grey bulge on the left of the case, between the two buttons, is that the LED? What colour is it and is it clear as a signal?

thanksalot!

 

[Fondueset]

We'll have a review up in the next week or so here on DB - I'm just waiting for some stuff from Aeris. Should have video tutorials and stuff. Its an LED - red. I think it would be noticeable really deep - but otherwise you have to be looking right at it - it flashes with the alarms.

ILdiver - Thanks for your impressions on here - I might weave some of them into the article if you don't mind. I've used the F10 primarily for depth at Dean's Blue Hole and it was great but I haven't used it in the pool yet - mainly because its too cool and I don't want those pool people seeing it.

 

[ILDiver]

Chris, I don't mind you using any comments. I don't have many... One wish is the activation depth. I understand that it can't trigger just by dropping your arm, but it would be nice to be able to alter it to say 1.5' or 2' or the standard (4ft??). That way for shallow laps you could have it to track dynamics. If that could be a firmware update I could not ask for any more out of a watch! Doug??

 

[Doug Krause]

We're listening... or reading rather. Thank you for the great feedback and enthusiasm. I'll start a thread for user feedback/recommendations - I can't promise lightening fast modifications, these all require significant qualification - but we do all of the firmware and pc interface programming here in the building - and are very receptive to user feedback. I'll start another dedicated to comments pertaining to the pc interface as well - the same has served us well to dramatically improve our dive computer interface. Thanks again.

 

[Doug Krause]

hey walt
i would guess that they did not de-engineer the f10 for the new lower depth limit. In other words it MAY work mechanically over 100m but SHOULD work electronically. am i making sense?

The watch will work electronically to depths that the case can never achieve. What you'll likely find as you exceed the operating depth is that the pressure on the lcd will begin to distort the display - and, ultimately, the deeper you go, potentially breaking it.

 

[Fondueset]

He ain't kiddin! Tech support is excellent.

 

[ILDiver]

We're listening... or reading rather. Thank you for the great feedback and enthusiasm. I'll start a thread for user feedback/recommendations - I can't promise lightening fast modifications, these all require significant qualification - but we do all of the firmware and pc interface programming here in the building - and are very receptive to user feedback. I'll start another dedicated to comments pertaining to the pc interface as well - the same has served us well to dramatically improve our dive computer interface. Thanks again.

Thanks Doug. Right now I can only see the one issue I have. But it's not a new issue, it's one that exists with all dive watches. If your programmers can add the start depth adjustment, I think it becomes an even better training tool in the pool.

 

[dforcucci]

I received my F.10 from FII this weekend and took it out in Puget Sound Monday. It is fun (and easy!) to use and the large display is fantastic, especially for those of us with aged eyes.

The best freedive functions in a computer backed by the best customer service, the F.10 has it all. This computer exceeds my needs as a photographer, line diver and spearfisher.

Dave
Seattle
underseaimages.com

PS. This thread title should be "DEMA 2009" ??

 

[Doug Krause]

Latest Tutorial Video - Dive Mode

 

[DivingDane]

hey Wall

as said by doug it will work deeper than the 100m but risking breakage thats all.... that'll teach you for diving so deep now wont it!

the latest ones look alot nicer than my sample that you checked out at the Sydney Comp but otherwise pretty much the same which in my opinion is good.

Mind you give me a call and we can talk about your requirements a bit

could be nifty having australia deepest diver using the f10 i think.

DivingDane

 

[ptoot]

I received a very disturbing email today from my Diveshop: The guy inquired with Aeris Europe when the F10 would be available, and the response was that it was not going to be imported to Europe for reasons of "too little demand for it".

However, he came up with a 'better' alternative:

"AERIS has updated another European model (the GEO) with new software so it has the same functions as the F10 (btw, same housing and colours) but at the same time keeping its diving functions, with other words: you can activate the computer in different programs, among which the FREE DIVE program. Therefore... a better solution"

I'm not sure I should believe all this!

@Doug: Could you confirm this?? (or have your collegues sent on a course!)

 

[EcchiK]

I received a very disturbing email today from my Diveshop: The guy inquired with Aeris Europe when the F10 would be available, and the response was that it was not going to be imported to Europe for reasons of "too little demand for it".

Blaargh! That is not something I want to hear. How can there be little demand for it hear when you have major freediving markets like Italy, the UK, Greece.....

Tell me it isn't so Doug! Tell me it isn't so! :waterwork

 

[trux]

... and the response was that it was not going to be imported to Europe for reasons of "too little demand for it".

This is complete BS! For example, on the French forums people are asking permanently when it will be available. Personally, I am getting private messages frequently from European members asking me whether I know where to buy the watch in Europe. And among my APNEA.cz members there are 1013 European freedivers registered, compared to 226 US freedivers. And frankly told, freedivers from countries not speaking English, French, or Czech (the languages of the APNEA.cz website) are weakly represented because of the language barrier (there is a complicate theory test letting through only those who pass it without mistakes).

Knowing that the number of freediving and spearfishing clubs in each of the mediterranean countries goes into hundreds, and number of freedivers/spearfishers into many thousands in each of those lands, it is apparent that the European representative is either completely misinformed, deluded, incompetent, or simply too lazy, and is not willing or able to promote this excellent product properly. On my mind, the size of the freediving market in Europe is at least ten times bigger than in the USA. So if the salesman claims there is not enough interest, it means he did not do his job well, and should perhaps try better, or change a job.

 

[Fondueset]

Let us not get too spun up before we hear from Doug. Might just be a communication problem. Certainly there is a very large freediving community in europe! Heres a shot of the F.10 from my dive yesterday - water was 11c - air was around 0c - snowed right after we got out. I was doing sprints to warm back up on the way to shore.

 

[ptoot]

It's the shopkeeper who spoke to Aeris Europe, (or so he says), not me personally.

Indeed, let's wait for Doug's view on this...

 

[titan]

France and Spain, each one probably have more spearos and freedivers than US I know a lot of spearos who uses FD computers such as d3 and cressi edy

 

[Doug Krause]

Both points - that we have no intention to ship the product in Europe and that we have modified the Geo and/or Manta are completely untrue.