Quote:
| Originally Posted by Pez Or am I just kidding myself and should go for the Vytec genre, and convert it to a D timer if I eventually need He or more than 3 mixes.
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Bottom line, what would you buy?  |
I'd buy what I use now. A Vytec and tables. There is a very useful feature on the Vytec which shows seconds as well as minutes, you can also reset the gauge as you conduct the dive to help you time the ascent. The total divetime then shows in the bottom corner. I usually reset as we start the ascent from our first stop, and then reset at the gas switch. Very easy to use and simple to do. It is a smaller unit, and has a decent strap. The backlight is good enough to be able to stow your light on the ascent in the darkest water keeping your hands free.
I like it a lot. It is flexible enough to let you decide what deco you are going to do. One day you could use Buhlmann, the next day VPMB, the next day RGBM, and then create your own 'mix and match' profiles which some people do. Deco isn't complicated. For the most part it is a simple case of remembering 5 numbers (at least in the 40 to 65 mtr range). I don't need a computer to tell me that and I want to be sure about the deco I am going to do BEFORE I do the dive, to help in gasplanning. I don't want to worry about the computer inserting 'microbubble stops' when I didn't expect it and creating a different schedule than my buddy.
For my money I'd prefer something a bit more reliable than the VR3. It seems that most people (if you read the many threads on here) who have them have had some problem or other, whether it is the device itself, or the algorithm, or the download software. It is the nature of marketing to ensure that 'upgrades' are available, whether warranted or not, as we have seen recently, with the colour screen, which is questionable at best. As you use the Suunto in gauge mode the only time it needs updating is when you want to, as you can just choose your own tables/deco software whenever you wish and then you are in control, not the supplier.
Andy