Sporasub Raptor

[BladeRunner]

Hey guys does anyone out there have and use the Sporasub Raptor freedive computer? I found a place that sales them and it's probly the best price I've found for it $199.00 U.S. . I really want think about it hard because this might not be a big bite of money for you guys but it's pretty damn close for me!! I just want to know how reliable they are and how ruggid they are made. I don't want have to baby it or anything. Are the options it has pretty useful and is it user friendly! It has all the options that read that I could ever want or need but I just want a word or two from an actually owner! Oh does it have a back lighted display? Thank you for any help you can offer!!

BladeRunner OUT

 

[McCoy]

bladerunner



I purchased a raptor the beginning of last summer an I
am very pleased with it. I've used it on over 50 dives and
it is very accurate and durable. That price sounds
really reasonable, I payed just over $300 for mine. You might
want to check out the Sunto D3, Its a few bucks more but
is smaller and keeps track of every dive in 2 sec intervals up to
100 dives, whereas the raptor only does for the last dive. Still
you can't go wrong with that price.


Matt

 

[BladeRunner]

Hey Matt you wouldn't happen to dive with Mike and Britt would you?

Do you also use a mono?

BladeRunner

 

[McCoy]

Yes I dive with Mike and Britt. Mike has mentioned you before,
said you plan making a trip up here. Hope to see ya.

I have a waterway MD1 med stiff mono and absolutely love it.
Thinking about getting the MD1 LD stiff I hear it might be even
better. Take it you use one too? I am the only one around
here. Trying to get Mike and Britt into using one, but no luck yet.


Matt

 

[BladeRunner]

NO NO NO MONO for me sorry buddy

I'm a bi man all the way.
I use Picasso black team fins.
They are alittle stiff for my skill level but I'm going to still work with them!!

As soon as my vacation time comes up with my new job( June or July) I'm heading your way with some serious training with mike! Is he pretty good teacher?

Mike told me the other night on ICQ that you scratched it up your mono during that class at the dive shop! How bad did it get scratched ?

BladeRunner OUT

 

[Aubie]

Bladerunner

I'm pretty new to freedving, but I do have a computer that I use and love it. I bought a Suunto Mosquito a little over a year ago to use as a low profile nitrox wrist computer because it has a freedive mode. At the time my interest in freediving was beginning to grow so I thought what the heck. I started freediving in a quarry in Birmingham, Al and fell in love with it(freediving and the Mosquito). In freedive mode the sampling rate is every 2 sec, which is ok, but it also has numeruos preset alarms for bottom time, depth, etc.. If you are also a scuba diver(not to insult), the mosquito can be used for o2 mixes up to 50% with decompression functions. In addition a PC software pkg is available for more $$.


McCoy also mentioned the D3 from Suunto. I don't know much about it, other than I think it has a sampling rate of every 1 sec, but no decompression functions. They both are very small computers, only slightly larger than a watch. You can see both at the deeperblue store under "instruments". Each is around $280,which is very good. I know the Mosquito goes for $400 retail at your local Suunto authorized dive store:waterwork .

Sorry I can't help you with the sporasub but I thought this info may be helpful.


Goood Luck
Aubie

 

[BladeRunner]

Aubie what quarry do you dive? I actually live in Ga. next door and had plans to go to Madison quarry sometime in the near future!!

and thank You for your response I appreciate it.

BladeRunner OUT

 

[McCoy]

Mike is an excellent teacher. In one year he has helped me
get to a level I didn't think was possible. Mike also
helped train Britt for the pacific cup.

Just a couple new scratches on the mono, nothing serious.


Matt

 

[BladeRunner]

I new he was and really gunning to get my but up there to train hard with him.
He's always after me to get up there and get to work on my diving! LOL

BladeRunner OUT

 

[Aubie]

Blade

The quarry is actally in Pelham, 10 miles south of Birmingham off of I-65 and is called Alabama Blue Water Adventures. Check their website: www.divealabama.com


Not much to the website but it will give you a little info.


Aubie

 

[underh2ohio]

Hey, I was more like a spotter a few times for Britt when she worked on statics, not her trainer. Her impressive results have been achieved pretty much all on her own!

I will admit that I love working with beginners and see how fast they improve their skills. That little clinic thursday was a blast.

Blade, I am going to say it again, Get your butt up here this summer.

Mike

 

[BladeRunner]

working hard on it Mike trust me! I'm working hard on it

BladeRunner

 

[Aubie]

Blade



I've heard of the Madison quarry, but know noting about it. When things warm up a bit I'll be glad to meet you at Pelham and dive with you. I almost always end up divng by myself, save a visit from my brother in law who lives in the area, and he's not really interested in freediving. The quarry is basically divided into two sections: the east side up to 90', the west over 140'. On the East side there are variuos bottom structures to dive at various depths(sailboat, schooolbus,etc.. and several platforms at 15' and 30'). No spearing allowed but you can play with the bream, bass,and a couple of pretty big catfish.


I've read some of your other posts about your diving in Lake Lanier using your kayak and would like to ask you some questions about kayak diving.


Let me knowif you are interested


Aubie

 

[BladeRunner]

Hey Aubie shoot away with the kayak questions, but for your info it's not a open diving kayak. My other love is seakayaking so I have a hardcore open ocean seakayak. So when I load it up to go diving I find an island or land near by to suit up and dive from. I usually pack in all my regular kayak camping kit and have a great little weekend of enjoying all three things I love to do!! and remember I'm just a beginner so I'm no a freedive hotshot by far !!

What's the viz like at that quarry like anyway Aubie?

here are two places I want dive, first one is madison!

1: http://www.rockdivers.com/
2: http://www.lakerawlings.com/scubadiving/index.htm

BladeRunner OUT

 

[efattah]

The raptor is the same machine as the apneist, which is extremely unreliable and has failed almost everyone I know (including myself). Mine is sitting in a closest, non-functional. I haven't seen one last for more than a year myself.

Get a Suunto D3. You can't go wrong.


Eric Fattah
BC, Canada

 

[Aubie]

Bladerunnner

The vis at Blue Water is usually about 20' on the surface, but does open up a little at depth. I would guess right now surface temp is about mid-low 50's; I haven't tried this kind if temp because I only have a 5mil scuba suit(just too cold for me). I believe I've read where you have a nice suit and have been diving in Lanier in some pretty cold water. In the spring the surface warms up quickly so it makes for very comfortable diving. Thermoclines at about 30' and 60' down to 55F. But believe me I'm not spending much time at that depth anyway. Like I said earlier I'm new to this too; I'm still diving with scuba fins. I've posted a few questions on another forum about fins and have decided to try Omer Comps if I can find some at a reasonable price and shipping date.


When you dive while camping do you enter the water from your kayak or do shore entries. The reason I ask is I think there are a few shallow wreck dives fairly close to the beach in Destin/PC area and had the thought of diving them from the beach, if safety and logistics are good and I can find the right kayak.

I'm gonna go take a look at the two sites you sent.

Aubie

 

[Aubie]

Bladerunnnner

One more note about computers:

At www.suunto.com you can take a look at the D3 and the Mosquito and download a demo to do some comparison. If your not doing any scuba diving the D3 might be the best instrument for you, although I can't relay any personal experience. Some beginng scuba divers don't like suunto because they have multiple push buttons, but I have never understood why; it really does have a straight forward and easy to use design(just one man's opinion).

Btw, the lake in Va. looks like a nice site; couldn't get my ancient pc to load the Madison page.

 

[BladeRunner]

I do shore dives because my kayak is setup different than sit on top kayaks that alot of spearfishers or freedivers use. I could probly do it from my boat but it would be a real pain to do it. I basically use the kayak for gear transport to location near where I want to dive and setup a place to camp or just to suit up and dive. Where are this shore dives your looking at? Do you have any webpages or info about this locations, I'm kinda of interested myself.

Here is the webpage of the company that makes my kayak and it's called the "Gulfstream"!
http://www.cdkayak.com/kayaks/COMPS/gulfstream.asp

I'm going to hate it when summer comes because the lake gets really really busy and all the nice coves and rock islands are covered with people in house boat and jet skis. It makes it hard to use my kayak in my diving. I get worried about leaving my kayak on shore while I'm the water because of the chance of getting my gear stolen!

BladeRunner OUT

 

[JimGlynn]

I have the mosquito and really like it. I use it mostly for freediving but when I do scuba, its great also. I have even used it for nitrox. Buy it from the DB shop and you will be very satisfied.
Jim

 

[Aubie]

Bladerunner

One site I'm thinking about is the "Miss Louise" Off of Crystal Beach in the Destin area. The wreck is in abot 55' with the deck at about 45'. I freedove it for the first time in October after diving the wreck on scuba several times this summer(the charters tend to dive the same spots over and over). This trip was also on a scuba charter but I wanted to use this opportunity for my first chance to dive in open water. Visibility was about 20' I and saw a lot of marine life though nothing particularly memorable. On my second dive after the bubble blowers got out I came down over a 4' jewfish. I'm guessing he was hangin' out over the sand while all the scuba divers were in the water. I was absolutely out of my mind with excitement to be diving with this big, beautiful creature. This is the moment I was HOOKED on freediving!!! On my second dive I decided to approach him slowly and he let me get close enough to touch him, but I didn't do this as I had no idea what kind of reaction to expect. All I could see was the image of Manny Puig's arm (all the way up to the shoulder) in the mouth of that 350 lb jewfish and struggling to get to the surface as they break away to commercial. Anyway, I wasn't exactly relaxed and I didn't give myself enough recovery on the surface so my third dive was very short and I did not see him again. Also, the captain was eager to get to the next dive site so I loaded up and we took off.

Ended up doing only two freedives on the second spot, called "40-40". This is just a small tugboat with a few reef balls strewn around the wreck. It is also in about 55' and fairly close to shore, but just not a good dive on this day.

These are a couple of the sites I had in mind. I'll get you some websites of a couple of local scuba shops and I'm sure they'll give you the gps or loran for them. I don't have either of these -instruments or numbers.

Also, I second the opinion of JimGlyn. I love my Mosquito and sometimes wear it as a watch, although with a diffent band.

Aubie