I recently purchased a new Uwatec "SmartPro" computer to replace the
nitrox wrist computer I lost in Palau, and took it on a trip to get in
a few dives over Easter at Puerto Galera in the Philippines.  The
experiences I had experimenting with the new "bubble suppression"
feature alarmed me.  On returning to Hong Kong, I contacted the editor
of dive magazine (which shall remain nameless) and offered to write a
review, which would be critical of the way this feature was
implemented.

There was a clear understanding between the editor and myself from the
outset that "higher level" powers at the magazine might be
uncomfortable publishing a critical review of a new product from an
important advertiser.  None the less, we both felt it would be worth
trying to get this information out.

In writing this article (see link below), I tried to be as objective as
possible. In fact, I think I skewed the article too far in a positive
direction in the hope of getting it past a nervous publisher.

In the end, a decision was made to "embargo" the Review. I would like
to stress that I have absolutely no direct information to suggest
Scubapro did or said anything to keep this review from appearing.  In
the course of writing the article, I had several conversations and
exchanges of email with Scubapro executives regarding my concerns about
this computer.  Scubapro was aware I was preparing an article for
publication, our discussions were uniformly cordial and cooperative,
and I have cited some of their responses in the article.

Last week I resubmitted the piece to another dive magazine based in the
UK which I know to be fearless about advertisers when it comes to
equipment reviews, I learned that their regular equipment review
correspondent had already written a review of the Uwatec Smart
computers, and that his article raises some of the same concerns that I
had.  (That article will appear in August.)

In the meantime, I've decided to post a link to the revi
here:

        http://www.tabula-international.com/Misc/SmartPro/SmartPro1.html


This is the same draft and illustrations that were submitted, without
any subsequent changes.  I'm afraid that you'll have to read down well
into the story (about 12 graphs) before there is any mention of the
problems that I encountered with this computer, and why I feel that
this computer could in some circumstances increase the risk of DCI for
some divers.

I have no plans to submit the article anywhere else, but I thought the
points I raised here might be of interest to some people on Scuba-SE.

Robert Delfs

Robert Delfs
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