Update (7/19/13): Before buying the Subgear XP10 dive computer, please read my comments at the end of this post…
I recently replaced my old, tried and true Oceanic Datamax Sport dive computer with the SubGear XP10. The primary reason is that I needed a Nitrox-compatible computer and wanted something that integrates with my laptop.
Here are my impressions. First, it’s a great computer. It’s pretty feature-packed so there are quite a few things to learn. I am a gadget nut so I enjoyed reading the manual and running the company’s online simulations, etc.
Something I found very instructive was stepping through the sample dives built into the supplied logging software, since it gives a minute-by-minute view of the computer display during the dive.
With the gaining popularity of tech diving, I appreciate that the computer doesn’t just shut down when running decompression profiles. I also really like the ascent rate indicator. It reads as a percentage of the ideal maximum rate, with an alarm to warn if a threshold is exceeded.
Just about everything can be set along with an alarm. I particularly like this when diving with enriched air as an added mechanism to prevent exceeding the MOD for a given blend.
The controls are easy to manipulate, but with only two buttons, there are quite a few pages of menus, which take a little while to learn. Again it is a robust machine, so that’s to be expected.
All in all, it is a great computer and a great value. I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a compact and affordable, but capable dive computer.
Last week, I did what I expect we’re my last two dives with the Subgear XP10. It is a powerful dive computer that is easy to use, however, after around 250 dives, I started experiencing problems: the backlight went dim, and the safety stop timer wouldn’t engage. Annoyances, both, that undermined my confidence in its ability to give me accurate information about the dive. I carry a backup digital depth gauge/bottom timer, and plan my dives with contingency plans, but most people don’t, and if the computer goes dark during the dive, well, it can be a major problem.
In another post, I expressed my displeasure that Scubapro’s own rep told me face to face that Mac support was just months away. That was over two years ago and the Windows software still sucks, let alone not a word about the Mac.
The final straw for me was after my last dive, the computer simply went dark. Dead. Over and out. I learned mine isn’t the only one. In fact, this appears to be a common problem with the XP10. So, when I get a new one back, or whatever they plan to do, I’m selling mine, and moving away from sport diving computers altogether.
I’m buying the replacement later today and will be diving it tomorrow. I’ll post info about that soon. In short, I wanted to make it known, based on personal experience, that I no longer recommend the Subgear XP10 dive computer.
Hi! after more than a year of use the Subgear XP10, do you have any problem with the computer? (i.e. like the battery life at his predecessor Uwatec Aladdin Prime models between 2005 and 2007?). I need your opinion because i need to buy one. Thanks a lot!
So far, no problems at all. I have made about 150 dives with it and my only wishes are that the software was compatible with my MAcintosh computers, which by the way, the rep told me would be the case this year (I’m not holding my breath though), and that I could manually select gauge mode to use it as a timer for tech dives.
My battery is still going strong, even with half my dives being made in water under 45 degrees (Fahrenheit). In the water, I like it a million times better than the Suunto dive computers. Suunto’s menu system makes no sense to me at all. Let me know if you have any other questions.
One thing about the SubGear XP10 that may be a problem for a very tiny few divers is that there seems to be no way to manually put this dive computer into gauge mode. I always just assumed there was. I had hoped to use the XP10 as a back up to my backups (time/depth only) for technical dives requiring deco stops, but this doesn’t appear to be possible. If anyone knows otherwise, I’m all ears.