Wetsuit or Dive Computer?

Everette Ingram   Sep 06, 2023

Wetsuit or Dive Computer?
by Everette Ingram

Now that you have your entry level personal gear of mask, snorkel, fins, and boots and you have a few Benjamins itching to get wet, what really should be your next scuba investment? Depending upon who you ask, the answers generally will be either “wetsuit” or “computer.”

Like any scuba instructor, 2 instructors will generate 3 opinions. Both items have their merit.

For me, the first major gear purchase was a wetsuit. Why not a computer? In the places where I initially went diving, I could easily rent a computer. Sure that meant having to relearn which buttons to push and the combination sequence to get it to do what I wanted, but it didn’t really matter to me which one as long as it recorded my depth and no stop times.

However, I couldn’t guarantee that the destinations I would dive would have a wetsuit that would fit my body type. I discovered quite quickly that they were too large and didn’t fit properly. If I was lucky enough to get the correct size it was a bit too holey for my liking. The constant flushing of water in and out of the suit made staying warm difficult.

For most women, dive destinations typically have male suits. The last time that I checked, the curves and the anatomy don’t quite work for the ladies fitting into a men’s suit. Why struggle and have a “sauna workout” just getting into the wrong wetsuit.

If hygiene is important to you, (hopefully), when was the last time that it was properly cleaned and disinfected? How many times had that wetsuit been christened underwater? Come on now, we know there are two types of divers. If you don’t know what they are, call us and ask.

Also, most dive destinations that do offer a rental program for a wetsuit generally try to put you in a shorty. Sure they are easy to get into, but is that what you want? Limited thermal protection, abrasion protection, and solar protection. I have seen many divers “lobstered up” after wearing a shorty in the ocean.

The nice thing about wetsuits now rather than what they were like 30+ years ago is their elasticity and warmth retention. It is much easier to don and doff a wetsuit than before. So, if hygiene is important, a proper fit, and having a body type that has a little less or a little more (or a lot less or a lot more) than the standard sizes, then investing in a wetsuit is definitely something to consider.

Come by the dive center and we will professionally fit you with the style, size, and thickness for the diving you will be doing.

That being said, having a computer is great too. They are much more user friendly and have more bells and whistles than when I started. It is quite the departure from using dive tables to calculate your nitrogen levels, surface intervals, and dive planning. So why invest in a computer? It is similar to why get a calculator when you can compute by hand (certainly an old school quality)?

A dive computer calculates a unique logarithm based upon your exact dive profile, whereas using a table or the eRDP-ML limits your no stop dive time due to square or stair-stepped profiles. This will tell you precisely how many minutes remain as a no-decompression dive.

Another feature of computers is they will remind you (audibly and visually) that it is time to ascend and complete a three-minute safety stop. An internal clock will begin the countdown, so no need to count seconds or strain to see a watch. You don’t have to remember to do your safety stop as the computer will alert you.

We know that we are not supposed to ascend faster than our bubbles. It is no race to the surface. Let the bubbles win. Computers are designed with an ascent rate monitor to let you know that your ascent is within acceptable parameters or it will tell you to slow down so you don’t risk any lung overexpansion injury by a fast ascent.

Many of the computers now have a digital compass. Have you ever got lost on a dive or not know where to get back to the boat? The computer allows you to take one more accessory off of your wrist and streamline getting into your gear.

I am a firm believer in logging your dives (in a log book). Once you have a computer, you can do your dive planning throughout the day without having to log each dive one by one and risk getting everything wet. If you were someone who did wait until the end of the day to log the dives, how could you remember all of the information?

The primary and secondary screens will give you a history of your dives. It will remember your depth, time, surface interval, temperature, and if connected via a transmitter your air consumption. Many computers today also will sync to an application or program which will give you even much more data including your dive profile.

When I first started to dive, there were air computers and nitrox computers. Now the computers will do both functions by changing a simple selection. Just like wetsuits come in different thicknesses and elasticity, computers can be basic or very complex. Fortunately, many are now menu driven and much more user friendly than they were decades ago.

What will you choose? You can always get a wetsuit and a computer.