Tusa Sapience

[wopsushi]

ANY ONE HAVE INFORMATION THE TUSA SAPIENCE IQ 800 WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH ONE, AND ITS RELIABILITY

[Airborne!]

I have been using one for over a year now and here are my observations.
It has nice Big Numbers that are easy to read unlike some tiny wrist watch styles. It sits on the wrist nicely and the band allows it to be shifted easily during the dive to different angles while still staying secure on the wrist. It is a surprisingly light and comfortable unit both in and out of the water. The buttons are also easy to operate both in and out of the water and with gloves.
It has Nitrox capabilities and don’t fool yourself you will at some point want to get Nitrox certified and thus need a Nitrox Computer. Get a Nitrox Computer the first time.
Unlike almost every other Dive Computer the Tusa’s have a full 2 year warranty and not a 1 year.
Another plus is the battery is user replaceable. Some other Companies require you to return the unit to the manufacturer for battery replacement. While some do offer free for life batteries, this is only for the original owner. No big deal unless you ever want to sell.
I thought the Vibrating Alert would be just a gimmicky sales ploy, but it does actually work really well. It keeps you from always looking at your computer when you hear other people’s alarms ringing all through the ocean. I am surprised other manufactures have not come up with this idea yet.
Another thing about Alerts in general. At first I thought the Tusa was overly sensitive to fast ascents and the Ascent Alarm (Vib) would go off quite a bit. Over time I came to realize that it was in fact doing its job. As soon as I begin to ascend too quickly then it alerts me like it should. It has no idea if I am just going to go up 2 feet too fast or 22. It alerts me as soon as it detects a possible problem and I have come to appreciate that warning. Besides, it has kept me from getting sloppy with my buoyancy control.
The PC Download Kit and Software is pretty user friendly although maybe a bit pricey. It is a nice way of downloading your dive information and getting a good view of your dive profiles. You can get your SAC Rate and many other little tidbits that the average diver probably will never think about. I think most people will just use the Software as a Computerized Logbook, but the other information and functions are there if you ever need or want to look at them.
Another thing I like about the band is that the little piece that keeps the excess band down when worn is fairly large and strong. You can run a small diameter piece of bungee through it with a knot to keep it from coming through. Then make a nice bungee loop that fits over your wrist. That makes a nice safety feature if the band were ever to be kicked or knocked off in deep water.
Make no mistake, the IQ-800 is made for diving. It is not designed to be worn after a dive or for a night on the town like a number of other Dive Computers trying to do double duty.
All in all I like this unit and have had no issues. I would purchase it again if I had it to do over again.

[wopsushi]

Airborne:

Thanks For The Input, I Am In The Process Of Getting One Now For 299.99 Or Less From Leisure Pro Brand New In A Box, Thanks Again For The Info, It Was Quite Informative, Yeah I Know I Am Nitrox Certified As Well, It Was Nice To Get Feed Back From Some One Who Actually Owns And Used One. Are You Active Duty Or Reserve?

Thank You Ssg Morales

[Airborne!]

I'm currently finishing out my time for retirement in the Reserves. Found a nice Airborne unit where I can play. Of course these days Reserves means Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the playtime, but its all good.