I had a chance to read up on the viper and was disapointed to learn if it is used in gage mode you cannot change it out for 48 hours
I belive the choice is the Mosquito
now if my tax refund would get here
My only complaint about the Mosquito is that it doesn't have a guage mode. I kept on bending it :'(. Wound up bying a Vyper (or a Cobra, have both and can never remember which is which) to use as a backup computer/bottom timer.
Other than that it was compact, easy to use, and easy to read. I would certainly buy one again if I was doing purely recreational diving.
OK, but I managed to damage the cap w/ a quarter. :
My Stinger has a guage mode and I am pretty sure that the Misquito does as well, since it was the top freediving computer until the D-3 came along.
Jon
I carry my Mosquito as a backup gauge all the time. ghosch mentioned that he keeps bending it but he didn't mention that it functions in a gauge mode once it's bent. It does have the same limitation as the Viper though because you have to let it clear out before you can use it as a dive computer again.
I am a fairly conservitave diver so the suunto rgbm seems to fit my diving pattern. If you keep bendng into gage mode maby a more aggrasive algorythem would be a better personal choice. I have been diving charts and gages and will continue to if I decide to do any thing moor then basic fish watching.
IF your diving tables there is no need to bend it into guage mode- just set it into "freediving" mode before you dive.
The Mosquito has been used by tons of freedivers all over the world. It works just like a bottom timer and depth guage once set into freediving mode- but with a much better sampling rate than a standard dive computer. It was the 'standard' for a while, but that has since been taken over by the D-3.
If your really rough on your gear I would suggest wearing the face-protector, or using a Stinger instead.
If your looking for the 'latest' thing to come down the pipe look into the NEMO from Mares. It's currently undergoing quite a bit of testing by some world record freedivers and has had a pretty good evaluation, at least so far.
There is no reason to bend it if you set it up correctly before you dive. The best part about it, at least compared to the Stinger, is that you can change the batteries yourself.
Jon
I hadn't thought of putting the computer in freediving mode. According to the manual, after 5 minutes submerged in freediving mode the backlight comes on and stays on, and it issues an continuous audible and visual alarm. I would think between the alarm and the backlight it would consume the battery pretty fast, not to metion it would be really annoying. If it doesn't actually do this (or if earlier versions didn't) I can see that being a good option.
ghosch,
that light coming on and the alarm going off continuously is after a 5 minute freedive.. not what most people could do. The surface interval resets it.
I'd love to be able to get my mosquito to go into continuous light/alarm mode!
Fred
Sorry, I meant that being an issue when using it in freedive mode to simulate gauge mode for SCUBA. At five minutes for freediving I would have been dead for about 4!