Skipbreather

Lets take one step back and one to the side. Whether one orders the Shearwater or APECS w/ one’s shiny new Meg is very much dependant how comfortable you are putting all your eggs in one basket. Out of the gate, by all reports both sets of electronics do a superior job at controlling ppO2. So where do they differ?

1. Price- Shearwater costs an extra $2000. This is offset somewhat by the HUD being included in the price vs. a HUD being a $225 extra w/ the APECS. Call it a de facto $1775 difference.

2. Deco- Shearwater does deco, APECS doesn’t.

3. Readouts- APECS has two handset readouts, Shearwater only has one + the HUD.

Simplified bottom line: For $1775 more, you get deco calculations integrated w/ your ppO2 controller, but you get one less handset. This can be good or bad depending on how much you value streamlining your kit. It is very, very much a personal decision.

Let’s take it another step and consider what that $1775 would buy. As a benchmark, it would most certainly get you the latest and greatest loop integrated color screen VR3 plus the custom sender to feed it. The question of which the algorithm (Shearwater or VR3) performs best is very much a subject that can be debated ad infinitum and is WAY beyond my level of expertise, but most folks would probably admit both will get you safely out of the water if you follow their respective instructions.

So what does it boil down to? For the same cost you can have either a well integrated streamlined rig, or two extra things cluttering up your forearms that give you a second window into what your ppO2 situation is plus a totally redundant ppO2 opinion and deco status. What you choose is up to you and neither is “right” nor “wrong”. Your choice is a solid reflection of how comfortable you are betting your spinal cord- and perhaps your very life- on one integrated set of microchips (“Open the pod bay doors, HAL”) that are a much cleaner overall package. You pays yer money and you takes yer chances.

Best,
Ken