Catalogue

Aeris A300 Ai has 3 control buttons - Mode(Menu), Advance(Add), Select(Save). User interface is quite easy to get familiar with, but first one will need to read thoroughly manuals to learn how to manage comprehensive set of menus. Interface has "Step Back" feature, which we found very convenient during set up - it saved lots of time!

Visual information is accompanied with 2 Bar Graphs - TLBG on the left side for nitrogen loading and VARI that shows ascent speed.

TLBG consists of 5 bars to address 3 level of nitrogen loading:

1. No-Deco Normal zone - 1-3 bars;
2. No-Deco Caution zone - 4th bar;
3. Deco zone - all 5 bars

During surface operations or diving Aeris A300 Ai dive computer has main and few alternative displays to keep the diver well informed.

Integrated digital Compass can be accessed from Surface Main or Dive Main screens. Compass operation has limited timing and when there is only 15 seconds left for Compass to function (time displayed on the screen) - diver may extend the operation by pressing S-button. It will give extra 2 minutes to stay in Compass Mode.

Now we will set up our Aeris A300 Ai and be ready to get wet!

Main Menu consists of 8 sub-menus where we may access our dive logs, check out history, plan the next dive, set our dive computer, choose dive mode, or access dive preview screen.

Set Menu of Aeris A300 Ai dive computer has pretty extensive number of sub-menus, saying precisely - 7 of them, as you may see on the following Fine-Tuning Card.

Copy this Aeris A300 Ai Fine-Tuning Card for your Reference and Share with your friends and buddies!

As computer has Dual Algorithm feature – it means that you may choose between liberal and conservative diving. And you may make A300 Ai even more conservative by setting Tissue Loading Bar Graph (TLBG) alarm by adjusting number of bars and setting Personal Conservative Factor (ON/OFF). Setting and adjusting these values will move you further away from exceeding No-Decompression Limits (NDLs).

After we set Aeris A300 Ai, we may plan the next dive and scroll through the depths at range 9 - 57 meters. Dive computer shows allowable No-Deco depths and bottom times depending on divers nitrogen loading and oxygen saturation from previous dives, and also Personal Conservative Factor.

If needed - we may access dive preview screen from the Main Menu to check some of our settings before diving. After that - we are ready to go underwater!

Before going into water we need to set Wet Activation to ON and dive computer will automatically activate Dive Mode upon entering water.

Aeris A300 Ai: Diving With Air & Nitrox

Main Dive screen displays lots of dive data and it depends on how we set Aeris A300 Ai, whether we set it for Air or Nitrox, selection of Algorithm, enabling Personal Conservative factor, etc.

Below is the illustration of what I got when dive computer was set for Nitrox, Personal Conservative factor is ON, PZ+ algorithm chosen and diving in No-Decompression condition:

Copy this Aeris A300 Ai NO-DECO Card for your Reference and Share with your friends and buddies!

In No-Decompression Mode you may have Deep Stop prompt if Deep Stop option was set to ON before. In this case Aeris A300 Ai will display values related to Deep Stop function, like Stop Depth and Time, and Deep Stop icon (bar and arrows) and text message.

If you set Safety Stop function to ON – A300 Ai will prompt you displaying attributes for Safety Stop, like Safety Stop icon (bar and arrows) and text message, Stop Depth and Time counting down.

Switching gases is a simple procedure. It is accessible from Dive Main where you may choose the appropriate gas mix if it was enabled during setting up. Only thing to remember - dive computer will give an alarm, if PO2 selected gas goes to 1.6 ATA.

During the dive if we exceeded No-Decompression time and depth limits - Aeris A300 Ai would activate Decompression Mode – audio alarm will come up and 5 segments on TLBG, UP Arrows and alarm LED will flash.

After having that, you need to ascend safely to the required depth, shown on the display, or a bit deeper, and stay at that depth required time that is shown as well. When you complete required Decompression time, next shallower Stop Depth may be displayed, if needed, and you may ascend to that level to continue decompression process.

To assist us to complete decompression correctly, Aeris A300 Ai has main and alternative displays with all information we need. Below you may see the summary of Decompression Stop main and alternative displays:

Copy this Aeris A300 Ai DECO Card for your Reference and Share with your friends and buddies!

There are few Deco Violations that we may make unwillingly:

1. Conditional Violation (CV);
2. Delayed Violation 1 (DV1);
3. Delayed Violation 2 (DV2);
4. Delayed Violation 3 (DV3);
5. Violation Gauge Mode (VGM)

Aeris A300 Ai manages those very well by giving us all data on displays and guide us through those conditions.

This Aeris computer constantly monitors PO2 and O2 conditions and upon reaching certain point it will give you High PO2 or High O2 alarms with all applicable dive data to help us stay in the safe side in those situations.

Aeris A300 Ai: Diving In GAUGE Mode

Dive computer may be set to Gauge mode. In this case Aeris A300 Ai won't compute No-Deco Limits and will work as a timer and depth gauge. You will be able to read tank pressure and access Compass mode.

Gauge Mode has its own set of menus with logs and history, no-fly time, op mode and set menu. Many items are shared with Air/Nitrox menus, except access to FO2 setings and other few things.

Below is the list of values displayed on main and alternative dive screens during diving in Gauge mode:

• current depth;
• Run Time;
• Tank pressure;
• Air Time Remaining (ATR);
• VARI during ascent;
• temperature;
• current time

To make a Gauge Delayed Violation 3 (DV3), just out of curiosity, we need to descend below maximum operational depth for Gauge mode - 120 meters. At that moment dive computer will beep on you and LED and UP Arrows will flash.

After the Transition Period you will have access to following modes of Aeris A300 Ai:

1. Plan Mode (Air and Nitrox Modes) and Pre Dive Planning Sequence (PDPS) at the range 9 - 57 meters – this function shows you for how long you may stay underwater safely and at what depth, according to your current nitrogen or oxygen accumulation, Algorithm selected, settings of Personal Conservative Factor and FO2, and 1st tank only counted;
2. Time to Fly Countdown Timer;
3. Desaturation Countdown Timer;
4. Log Mode of Air, Nitrox, and Gauge Modes and it stores data of your 24 most recent dives (battery removal does not make any affect on Log memory); there are 3 pages of highly loaded dive data;
5. History Mode Air, Nitrox, and Gauge Modes and it accumulates information, like number of dives, number of dive hours, and Max depth achieved from all your previous dives, lowest temperature recorded, longest dives (battery removal does not make any affect on History memory);
6. PC interface – this function allows you to upload and download data to and from PC by using special cable and software

Aeris A300 Ai: What Divers Say

After reviewing Aeris A300 Ai, we learnt that this new hose air-integrated device can be recommended dive computer as for beginners and technical divers too. Comprehensive set of features allows complete beginner starting dive career with very reliable buddy and progress faster, and technical divers will find 4 Nitrox gas-mix support and Dual Algorithm to accomodate all possible situations in diving.

Integrated digital compass is very handy addition to whole package. It is required to learn how to calibrate it first, but when everything is set up and running - it will always keep you on the right course. You need to play around with compass settings though to make it right!

Another thing to look at - side button. It is smaller than front buttons and it may be harder to press if you wear thick gloves.

Aeris A300 AI	Dive-Computer-Wizard Rating

If you need reliable and advanced hose air-integrated dive computer with 4 gas mixes, Dual Algorithm for liberal and conservative diving, integrated digital compass, and you are ready to invest a bit higher price in your diving experience - Aeris A300 Ai is definitely worth your attention, as it continues the line solid and multifunctional Aeris computers!