Catalogue

ScubaPro Aladin Square is designed with only 1 control button. It is big in size and made in such a way that diver can press it from the right or left side. It's really convenient design, because I could press it without losing a touch - just slide from left to right and press.

Display data is devided into several zones, and this is shown graphically, like your dive profile (pic. 1):

1. beginning of the dive (top left point of the graph);
2. descent;
3. dive depth;
4. bottom time;
5. ascent;
6. DECO & Safety Stops (middle right point of the graph);
7. end of dive (surface)

Pic.1 ScubaPro Aladin Square display layout

As you may see - digits are crystal clear quality and display layout is easy to read and understand. Personally, I didn't find any issues in understanding what is shown!

User documentation is well-organized - even if ScubaPro Aladin Square is your first dive computer - you will learn Aladin with ease. Just devote some time to study it - you will really enjoy all functions of this instrument. Just a little advice: invest in PC/Mac interface and HR (heart rate) belt. These two optional things extend grately capabilities of your dive computer!

Before setting dive computer - one advice: get familiar with its abbreviations for modes and functions! We start customizing Aladin Square from adjusting its digital watch parameters. This mode makes this instrument as a full functional digital watch with daily alarm and alternative time. But computer is too bulky to wear it as a day-to-day wrist watch!

Through the Main Set Menu and Set Dive we will be able access following sub-menus and customize our ScubaPro Aladin Square as much as we want:

• select Dive mode;
• enable gas mixes up to two;
• FO2 – Air, 21%-100% and PO2 - 1.0-1.6 bar;
• Nitrox RESET time;
  
• MB Level: L0-L5;
  
• Max Dive Depth alarm: 5-100 meters;
• Max Elapsed Dive Time (EDT): 5-195 min;
• Safety Stop Timer: OFF/PUSH (manual)/AUTO;
• Enable HR (heart rate) calculation;
  
• PDI Stops - ON/OFF;
  
• select salt/fresh water;
  
• specific alarms for FREEdive (APNEA)
  

After all set, we may go to Dive Planner. Planning our next dive is based on many crucial factors, like selected FO2 and MB Level, water temperature and altitude, residual nitrogen and workload.

Also I could check out my previous dive profiles by accessing Dive Log menu. I could read logs from SCUBA, GAUGE, and FREEdive activities. It is a good to have all dive logs being displayed on the scuba computer screen, but personally I prefer to watch in PC display!

If you have SHARK interface (pic. 2) and LogTRAK software installed on your personal computer or Mac - you will be able to download all details of your dive profiles and later see graphical representation of each profile, location of your dive on the map, and all data to the smallest detail.

Pic. 2 ScubaPro Aladin Square dive computer and SHARK PC/Mac interface

ScubaPro Aladin Square: Diving With Air & Nitrox

After all was set and checked - we are ready for a test dive. Dive computer activates selected dive mode when it senses a depth of about 1 meter. During a dive I could set bookmarks - this option is convenient to distinguish some special moments underwater, and see them in LogTRAK software on my PC later.

Primary display configuration shows following dive data:

• current depth;
• Elapsed Dive Time (EDT);
• No-DECO Time Remaining

In addition to that I could see more info by pressing RIGHT side of the button:

• PDIS depth (if pending);
• Heart rate (if activated);
• max depth;
• current PO2 (if set for Nitrox);
• current MB level;
• CNS% (if set for Nitrox);
• time;
• temperature

As Aladin Square allows diving with 2 gas mixes (gas 1 and gas D) with FO2 set point 21-100% - I had a alarm reminder to swith mixes during my ascent when max depth (MOD) for mix D was appropriate. So, I started breathing from the tank with mix D and confirm the gas switch by pressing RIGHT LONG. From this moment all calculations will go for gas D.

There could be the situations when I wanted to return back to gas #1 (if I dive below the MOD of the gas D). In this case I could initiate gas switch manually and then ScubaPro Aladin Square adapts all calculations for gas with lower level of oxygen.

During set up I could select different levels of microbubble suppression - from L0 to L5. Higher MB level makes dive computer more conservative - I had shorter no-stop dives in this case after I selected L2. And during ascent dive computer beeped on me reminding to make a level stop with all necessary information displayed.

Aladin Square has with one particular stop that I like - "No-Stop Time=2 minutes". Dive computer warned me 2 minutes before entering DECO mode. So I started my ascent and avoided performing decompression, thanx to this feature.

During my ascent Aladin was constantly monitoring ascent rate and in case of fast rate - dive computer beeped on me and I saw a message SLOW located on the top left side of the screen.

Also, like other scuba dive computers, ScubaPro Aladin Square constantly monitors our oxygen intake and MOD for selected gas mix. It has appropriate alarms to warn a diver: High PO2 and CNS 75%/100%.

Scuba dive computer is equipped with Safety Stop timer that may be activated in 3 ways: OFF/PUSH (manual activation on certain depth)/AUTO. During a set up I selected AUTO and computer activated Safety Stop timer at the depth of 5 meters.

Upon entering DECO stage, dive computer activates DECO mode and all calculations will go for this mode only with all proper dive data displayed on the screen. Also Missed DECO Stop (Conditional Violation) function is available as a standard for all dive computers.

ScubaPro Aladin Square: Diving In GAUGE mode

Dive computer doesn't carry any decompression calculations if GAUGE mode was selected. It may be used as a depth gauge only. And all alarms, except LOW Battery alarm, are disabled. Main and alternative data is as follows:

• Elapsed Dive Time (EDT);
• current depth;
• average depth;
• max depth;
• temperature

Also I could start/restart stop counter by pressing SEL-button (right long press), and reset the average depth for the dive by pressing LEFT-button (left long press).

ScubaPro Aladin Square: APNEA (FREEdive)

In this mode dive computer doesn't calculate deco schedule and I could select this mode after Aladin Square was desaturated completely. During diving display has only a few parameters shown, like:

• current depth;
• Elapsed Dive Time (EDT);
• ascent speed;
• heart rate (HR) (if activated)

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After we finished our dive with ScubaPro Aladin Square and appreciated its features, functions, and user-friendly interface, it is time to have a look at post-dive functions. And below are short descriptions of them:

1. Dive Planner – plan your next dive, according to your body's nitrogen saturation, oxygen exposure, MB level selected, altitude, water type. If dive computer set for GAUGE or APNEA - dive planner function is disabled;
2. Log Book consists of data of each individual dive up to 100 hours. Dive computer stores information for SCUBA, GAUGE and APNEA diving;
3. PC/Mac mode – this mode allows you to set up interface and transfer data from Logbook to a PC or Mac using SHARK interface and LogTRAK software;
4. Time to Fly countdown timer;
5. Desaturation countdown timer;
6. Altitude meter - allows precise manual adjustment of current elevation;
7. Set menu: setting time and dive
   

ScubaPro Aladin Square: What Divers Say

From our review and reading user manual you may see that ScubaPro Aladin Square is easy to set up and use. This dive computer has really big advantage over watch-sized computers because of its large display that produces crystal clear data - for divers with impaired vision it is really a great benefit!

The screen is so large and easy readable and all displayed messages are so simple and intuitive that I could see at a glance my exact status at any situation, whether I'm setting a day time or in DECO mode!

One button that may be pressed either from left or right side without losing the touch - convenient option for diving with think gloves. And with only one button it is easy to set and navigate through menus.

Optional HR belt allows dive computer monitoring real workload and calculate PDI stops and DECO procedures accordingly. If you invested in HR belt - you would get extra-safety function.

ScubaPro Aladin Square has very convenient alarm - <No-Stop Time=2 min>. It was made to warn a diver before 2 minutes of entering a DECO. So, when I heard this audio alarm - I started my acsent to avoid decompression stop.

ScubaPro Aladin Square	Dive-Computer-Wizard Rating

All audio alarms are loud, so to hear them even with hood isn't a problem. Note that ScubaPro Aladin Square doesn't invert colour of the screen to warn a diver about entering a DECO mode, like UWATEC Galileo SOL.

This versatile dive computer is made for all my diving needs - 4 dive modes are really make it possible! It is very well designed and intuitive so it suits not only advanced recreational divers, but novice divers as well. And it will be a great addition to your other scuba gear.

If you are a beginner or recreational diver, if you are mature diver who needs reading glasses and requires a big display to see it clearly while diving at night or at greater depth – in this cases ScubaPro Aladin Square dive computer definitely requires your attention!