TDC-3 Dive Computer

User friendly and incredibly powerful, the TDC-3 by Ross Hemingway is a solid performer.

Product Tested
TDC-3 Technical Dive Computer

Product Description
Multi-gas, multi-deco mode technical dive computer.

Features include:
–Large 2.2″ display (320×240 color TFT LCD)
-Dual redundant user-changeable batteries
-Runs on 3.6v lithium, or regular 1.5v alkaline batteries
-Intuitive menu system using both taps or buttons
-MultiDeco-TDC software platform offers choice of VPM-B or ZHL-16c GF algorithms, and aligns with existing MultiDeco planning
-Easily straps on with or without gloves
-Robust dive logging and dive planning
-Wifi support (Goodbye bluetooth!)

Cost
$800 US 

The Review

The bar was set high for this dive computer. We’ve put hundreds of dives on our Liquivision X1 computers, and our hopes were that the TDC-3 would be just as user friendly and stable. Well, only time will tell if the TDC-3 holds up as well as the X1, but from a usability perspective, the TDC-3 is great. The display is large, bright, and crystal clear. A serious plus for divers with aging eyes. The menus are well laid out and very easy to navigate through. Colors can be changed if you like, but we opted to stick with the default. 

The TDC-3 uses taps and/or button presses to move around, and we found it easy to maneuver around with and without gloves.    We configured ours to allow tapping only on the surface to eliminate any false taps while diving.

Wifi support is built into this baby, so firmware updates and dive log uploads do not require Bluetooth or a cradle.  We experienced a little bit of difficulty connecting to our wifi network, but once we got it going, it was awsome.  This appears to be corrected after a firmware update.  We were able to connect to both our office wifi and our iPhones via tethering.

Dual user replaceable batteries is a huge plus. Not only do we have to send it into the factory for a battery change every few years, but the failover redundancy of these batteries virtually insures that we will never miss a dive.

Pros

  • Amazingly clear display with nice & large fonts.
  • Very intuitive interface. Former X1 users will love this.
  • Wifi support for firmware updates and dive log upload.
  • Built tough. Very tough.
  • Dual replaceable batteries. Never miss a dive with these!
  • Built in compass.

Cons

  • Wifi connections are a little touchy. We experienced a little bit of difficulty getting the first firmware update to download, but once it did, the update went smoothly as did the dive log uploads.
  • Dual batteries add some bulk to the unit, but this is a small price to pay for the battery redundancy.

Would recommend this computer?

Recreational diver: NO (Feature overkill for a recreational diver)
Technical diver: YES

Conclusion

The TDC-3 was a blast to try out. We had high expectations considering we dove our Liquivision X1 computers for so many years and had grown accustomed to Ross’ ultra user friendly programming style, and the TDC-3 did not disappoint. We experienced no difficulty in the water trying to figure things out or maneuver around in the various menus. Everything was layed out in logical menus and was easy to find. Gas switching was a snap. We highly recommend!