I spent $1200 on a new dive computer last year and it was a total waste

I was working a long saturation job in the Gulf and thought I needed the latest tech, a fancy computer with all the bells and whistles. It had a color screen, Bluetooth, and a bunch of extra decompression models I never use. The thing is, on a sat job, you're locked into the chamber schedule anyway, so all that extra data is just noise. The screen was hard to read in low light compared to my old one, and the Bluetooth never worked right with my surface gear. After about three months, I went back to my basic, reliable model. It just proved that sometimes the simple tool you know is better than the expensive one you don't. Has anyone else bought a piece of gear that was way more complicated than they needed?

2 comments

2 Comments

ellis.rose1mo ago

Honestly that new tech can be a total game changer in other situations though... like on a complex tec dive or a big wreck penetration. Having all that extra data on your wrist can really help with planning and peace of mind. Maybe it was just the wrong tool for a sat job, but calling the whole purchase a waste seems a bit harsh. Some of us actually need those extra models and a clear screen to feel safe when things get complicated.

finley_wells661mo ago

You know, I always thought more data was just extra stuff... but @ellis.rose has a point about needing it for the really complex dives to feel safe.