Conference noted::scuba

Well, I'm again looking at dive computers, but as times change and prices drop,
I've adjusted my philosophy...

Non-integrated wrist-type (or in-place-of-console-depth-guage) dive computers
are now in the $175-$400 range, depending on features; I'm still diving with my
Edge (that was upgraded by EIT to version 6.mumble about two years ago).  I'm
shooting for Palau in 1999, and while looking at how much it's going to cost me
to get there, I've decided that diving with TWO computers for redundancy is now
cheap insurance (if one fails, you can keep diving, rather than wasting 24 or 48
hours on the surface to "zero" yourself).

So what I'm looking for is a non-integrated computer that will become my backup
computer in two years.  For the next two years it'll be my primary with the Edge
as my backup, and I'll just follow whichever computer is more conservative.

I've basically narrowed down the field to the Oceanic Data Plus; it supports
Nitrox (though I'm not currently exercising this option, I don't want to exclude
it) and has a backlit display.  Cost is about $300.

Anyone have any experience with this computer?  I'd like to hear impressions and
opinions on it.

In two years I'll retire the Edge and buy a REAL toy -- an integrated Aladdin
Pro-Nitrox (or whatever the unit is called) or something similar that may be
available by then, but keep the Oceanic (if that's what I end up with) as the
backup.

As long as I'm discussing it, anyone else been thinking about the two computer
model of diving or am I alone in this paranoia?  It doesn't make much sense for
local dives, but if you're going on a liveaboard trip (I do California's Channel
Islands every year on the Truth Aquatics fleet) or spending big bucks on an
extensive dive vacation, I think it makes more than good sense.

Kinda like being a DAN member :-)

                              Roak

    I use two wrist/forearm dive computers.  Started as a redundancy issue
    for cave diving but it gave me a comfortable piece of mind last Sept.
    when I did a week of diving in Cayman Brac knowing it would take two
    computer failures before my dive plans changed.
    
    I like Scubapro's DC-12 as a low-price computer and I like the Uwatec
    series such as the Nitrox AIR-X for the middle to high end.  Don't
    like the Bridge computer.  Also don't like anything that is larger
    than the Uwatec stuff even if it's quality is ok.
    
    Rob