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Dive Computer Expert Reviews
Saving Your Precious Time And Finding The Best Dive Computer For You
Dive computer reviews are perfectly organized and consist of fully researched information and ratings of Aeris, Cressi, Mares, Oceanic, Sherwood, Suunto, Tusa, and UWATEC/ScubaPro brands. In Catalogue Section you may compare any models side-by-side and select dive computer according to your needs! Join thousands of happy customers!
CatalogueGeneral Information
Specifications
User Interface
Pre-Diving
Diving
Post-Diving
Summary
Your Review
Oceanic VT3 is advanced scuba dive computer that handles up to 3 Nitrox gas mixes and with wireless air-integration and extensive number of other functions can cover very well broad variety of diving activities - from diving with Air to freediving! Comparing two dive computers from Oceanic - Atom 2 and VT3, we may say that they are quite the same species with slight difference in display design, presenting data, and some other functions. Also we may add to this similarity Elite T3, Epic made by Aeris, and Tusa ZEN Air IQ-950. All these dive computers have majority similar functions.
Copy this Oceanic VT3 Features & Alarms Card for your Reference and Share with your friends and buddies!
Oceanic VT3 dive computer has 3 buttons on the interactive control console: MODE, ADVANCE and SELECT. As this dive computer has too many functions and only 3 buttons to call those functions out – you should spend quite a time to study all buttons’ purposes and their combos to get of what you expect under water in order not to be confused later! Oceanic VT3 has 3 bar graphs that represent nitrogen loading (TLBG), oxygen accumulation (O2BG), and VARI (variable ascent indicator). Below you may see short descriptions each of them:
If FO2 is set only to Air, O2BG will not be displayed during any dive and PO2 values and warnings will not be shown either.
Before diving and from Surface Main we will access and set up Oceanic VT3. All settings divided into the certain groups, like group of alarms and utilities, for example. Below is the summary of what we may set at this stage:
Oceanic VT3: Diving With Air & NitroxDuring dive in any mode you will have an access to several displays that Oceanic VT3 provides – main and alternative, plus you may have more of them if you get into the stage when you may have Safety Stop prompt pops up (if you set it ON initially), or different alarms start coming, or violation modes.
Copy this Oceanic VT3 NO-DECO Card for your Reference and Share with your friends and buddies!
Upon reaching certain conditions - Oceanic VT3 will display Safety Stop prompt with Safety Stop Depth and Countdown Timer, if we set Safety Stop option to ON. During Normal dives (Air or Nitrox) you have access to Switch gases and Buddy Pressure check functions. And it works great, if you set up your Transmitters links properly and there are no missing signals.
When we exceed our No-Decompression Limits (NDLs) - scuba dive computer will activate Decompression mode to help us decompress correctly and resurface safely. Below you may see following dive information on main and alternative displays during Decompression mode:
Oceanic VT3: Diving In GAUGE ModeIf you use Oceanic VT3 as a Gauge - it would work as a depth gauge and timer only and wouldn’t perform calculations for nitrogen and oxygen exposure and moreover - following functions like Switching gases and Buddy Pressure Check are not available in Gauge Mode. In this mode VT 3 works only with Transmitter 1. In Gauge mode you will get main and two alternative displays with the following information:
Oceanic VT3: FREEdivingWhen you select Freedive mode Oceanic VT3 dive computer will operate as a depth gauge and perform nitrox loading calculations based on the default of FO2 of Air and the amount of nitrogen remaining between freedive and diving with Air or Nitrox previously (if any). Freedive mode has set of specific alarms, which you set while on surface. They include:
During freedive you will get the main and alternative displays, freedive alarms displays, and if you entered into the Decompression mode during freedive – you will be given another display as well. You may see following information on main and alternative displays:
Also you may get easy access to Countdown Timer display and possibility to set it ON and OFF. As I mentioned above, you may get into Decompression mode during freedive. This happens if nitrogen level increases to the Warning level. At this moment all segments on TLBG and O2BG will start flashing, Oceanic VT3 beeps on you, and message VIOLATION (VIOL) will appear. This is considered to be a Permanent Violation, you must ascend and do not dive for the next 24 hours.
After transition period you will have an access to:
It is worth to say here that battery removal doesn’t affect either Logbook data or History data and to keep nitrogen and oxygen calculations for repetitive dives you have to replace battery within 8 seconds – to make, so called, ‘hot swap’.
Oceanic VT3: What Divers Say
Having read all Pros, Cons, and comparisons with other computers, we may say that Oceanic VT3 has only small minor issues, and it is still a reliable dive computer that suitable not only for divers with experience, but for beginners who are serious about diving as well and who is willing to spend some time to learn documentation and more practice to get the most of this Oceanic computer! Still have few complains about software, but overall it is a great dive computer designed for long-run and it covers wide variety of diving conditions. And by the way, problems with software can be mainly due to not properly installed updated drivers and software itself; Oceanic stopped supporting outdated software and now has new versions for downloading and installation – check Oceanic website!
SIMILAR PRODUCTS
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I'm PADI instructor and use Oceanic VT3 for controlling air pressure in my students' tanks. Works smoothly - just need to get closer to about 1 meter to pick up the signal. Other great functions - 4 dive modes and 3 gas mixes. User manual is not very user friendly - at least I had to spend few days to learn it properly, as I remember.
Display shows too much data, so some digits can be smaller. But its layout pretty well structured and easy to read - so I don't have guess work. Just quick glance to see what's happening.
I've been diving with Oceanic VT3 for quite a while and using all its functions on a fly. But if its you first dive computer or if you don't have much experience using them - set some time to learn it before even thinking going diving with it!
I use VT3 not only for diving with scuba gear, but also for freediving. It works great - has all necessary alarms.
User manual was a nightmare at the beginning, but after few times reading it and really study it - I have no problems at all.
I have been using VT3 as my main dive computer since the middle of 2007. That time I wanted to have wireless reliable and multigas computer that gives me lots of functions in one package. I followed my mate's advice and got Oceanic VT3. I may say that I have never regretted about my decision.
At the very beginning - I was frustrated with user manual, but after becoming more familiar with it I appreciated what this little device might give you! And it gave me all the features I ever wanted!
It has good size display that is easy to read in any conditions and buttons are conveniently accessible.
To be honest, sometimes, my Oceanic VT3 loses wireless, but picks it up right away in few seconds, so I can say, that wireless is very good.
Very useful support for 3 transmitters and possibility to set VT3 for 3 different nitrox mixes, and swap gases is very easy and straightforward procedure.
I do not use freedive mode much, so can not comment on that.
My biggest and only one complaint - is a software, which is outdated and has few glitches. It does its job, but looks like guys from Oceanic created a great piece of scuba dive gear, but completely forgot to design PC program that is equal in quality with dive computer itself!