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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
Suunto HelO2 is a very different dive computer from all scuba dive computers described on this website. And the main difference - HelO2 is a true multigas dive computer, allowing experienced technical divers to program it for up to 8 various gas mixes with 8%-99% O2, 0%-92% He components. If you are a technical diver - you may definitely consider this Suunto computer for your adventures regardless of its high price, because this instrument is well worth each cent you will invest! HelO2 is recommended dive computer for technical diving.
Copy this Suunto HelO2 Features & Alarms Card for your Reference and Share with your friends and buddies!
Suunto HelO2 has 4 control buttons on the user interface panel: MODE, SELECT, UP, DOWN.
Dive computer has 2 bar graphs to assist us during diving:
Before diving we need to set up general parameters to customize our Suunto computer. First you need to adjust time settings, date, units, backlight, tones, etc. One of the nicest features Suunto HelO2 has is Dive Planner software. It allows you to plan a dive on your PC with different gas mixes, dive profile, decompression schedule and then simulate the dive.
After setting general parameters we are ready to enter values for diving in Mixed Gas Mode. You may use Dive Planner for this and later download your data to HelO2 or enter manually straight to dive computer. At this stage you need to set number of gases, and other parameters listed below:
Interesting thing about Personal Conservative Factor setting – this Suunto dive computer allows us to set negative values: P-2 and P-1. These two values must be entered only very experienced and physically fit technical divers, because it will make dive computer more liberal and increase possibility of Decompression Sickness (DCS).
Suunto HelO2: Diving In Mixed Gas ModeSuunto HelO2 activates Dive Mode automatically after it senses depth greater than 1.2 meters.
Copy this Suunto HelO2 NO-DECO Card for your Reference and Share with your friends and buddies!
Suunto HelO2, as well, as Suunto D9, D6 and other dive computers from Suunto, has a function BOOKMARK that allows making bookmarks at certain diving profiles to save them and later download to PC for viewing and examining. During No-Decompression dive you may have Safety Stops (Recommended and Mandatory) and Deep Stops remainders. Stop depths and times, and all applicable icons will be displayed to assist you on your way up. This Suunto computer will surely give us Fast Ascent alarm if we exceed allowable maximum at certain depth. In this case we will see blinking Ascent Rate Bar Graph and backlight goes on with the audio alarm.
After you found yourself at certain depths when it is allowed to change gas mix – Suunto HelO2 will prompt you to do so. It is really easy operation – just use UP/DOWN buttons to find your desirable mix and select it, using SELECT button – easy as it is! Little note here – if you want to swap to a gas mix whose PO2 value was exceeded – dive computer would not allow you to do this, and you would get an alarm instead!
If you exceed your No-Decompression Limits (NDLs) time and depth – Suunto HelO2 switches to Decompression mode. All data that you will get now is related to this mode. This dive computer has Continuous Decompression feature that allows us to perform decompression within the certain range of depths, so called Decompression range. It starts from the ‘floor’ (deepest depth where deco stop time won’t increase) to the ‘ceiling’ (shallowest depth) and decompression is done between them. Suunto HelO2 (as all Suunto dive computers) perfectly manages all Deco stops by showing you Ceiling depth, range of the ceiling zone, Total Ascent Time (TAT), indicators for correct ceiling zone and related icons and notations. Correct decompression must be done within recommended ceiling zone, but not shallower. Sometimes, when waters are rough, you may miss correct ceiling. In this case HelO2 will give continuous audio signal with DOWN Arrow flashing and message ‘Error’. If you still violate decompression stop depth – Suunto dive computer locks to Error State and works as a depth gauge and timer only. In this case you should not dive for the next 48 hours.
Suunto HelO2: Diving In GAUGE ModeWhen you select Gauge Mode – this Suunto dive computer will operate as a depth gauge and timer only. It won’t perform any calculations for No-Decompression depths and time limits. So, it is entirely your responsibility to make it safe to bottom and all the way up! Display is very easy one:
When you resurface and Suunto HelO2 dive computer senses depth shallower than 1.2 meters, the DIVING display will be replaced with SURFACE display. Below you may see information summary from main and alternative displays:
Last 4 values will be displayed if you dove with mixed gases.
PLAN mode is one of four operational modes of this dive computer and you may access it on surface. You need to know that Plan Mode calculates No-Deco times only for Mix 1. Even if you set other mixes – they won’t do any effect on calculations.
MEMORY mode has two useful functions:
MEMLogbook is a very extensive feature. It has 3 pages with related information of each dive and it’s very detailed. Number of hours really depends on sampling rate that you set up initially. MEMHistory records and stores a dive history for up to 999 dives. It displays data about deepest depth reached, total dive hours and total number of dives. Suunto HelO2 works perfectly together with Suunto Dive Planner PC softwareYou will use this thing to create your plans for future dives. When you input max depths, bottom times, and desirable gas mixes for descent, bottom, and ascent – Dive Planner will calculate right timing for gas changing, decompression depths and decompression schedule. By the end, Planner will calculate gas volume that is required to complete the dive safely. In contrast to Suunto Dive Planner, Suunto Dive Manager (SDM) apparently is optional software. So you really need to have it to extend flexibility of using Suunto HelO2 and Dive Planner all together! Dive Manager gives you possibility to download data from dive computer to your PC, then organize it, view and examine, transfer dive profiles to Dive Planner and print copies of dive profiles as well.
Suunto HelO2: What Divers Say
As I said at the very beginning – Suunto HelO2 is a very sophisticated dive computer designed for technical divers only. It allows us to set up to 8 different gas mixes to diversify and stretch to greater limits our diving experiences and really grow into this amazing Suunto computer! And by using it with Dive Planner and Dive Manager you will have perfect team for designing your next dive whether into the deep caves or wrecks. It has all required features to perform decompression correctly and bring you all the way up safely - intuitive display layout, loud alarms, easy readable dive data.
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I'm diving with technical mixes for more than 10 years and the last few years Suunto HelO2 is my great buddy! It is very convenient with its Dive Planner and Manager where I may set mixes and upload them to dive computer. Dive computer has all possible functions that tech diver might need.
Setting gas mixes and swap them during a dive - is an easy procedure!
But I think it lacks more wireless transmitters support. I could pair only one TMT for my primary gas mix. User battery replacement option is great option as well.
Now it's being sold under USD1000 with transmitter and PC interface cable, isn't it great! I recommend Suunto HelO2 to any tech-diver!
I bought Suunto HelO2 not long time ago and still exploring its functions. I haven't used it for all 8 mixes, yet. But may say that it is very sophisticated computer for technical diving. I found a unit to grow into, as I want to go into the tech-diving.
I used it with 3 gas mixes and all settings were done quite easy by using special software and then uploading settings to HelO2 from my PC.
This dive computer needs to be learnt properly and user operating manual is a great help. Display is easy to read at depths and night dives. Wireless works fine, and I need to try hard to lose it.
I highly recommend Suunto HelO2 to technical divers who prefer wrist watch style dive computers.