4 Check Points While Selecting Dive Computer

After you finish reading this page – you will have clear understanding of what you need to pay attention to before making your final decision. It is not a precise prescription, though, you are not restricted in any ways and you are always welcome to add your own steps.

Consider your future diving career

Before investing any money in dive computer, first you need to have clear vision about your future path as a scuba diver.

Think about how often you will dive. For example, if you dive recreational only and just a few times a year - definitely you won't need expensive diving computer with advanced functions and hoseless air integration. And if you got one - with such rate of diving it would be sitting somewhere on the shelf in your garage most of the time. It is not a very good idea in money investing and equipment management altogether!

On the contrary - if you dive very often, and think about trying freediving or going technical.

Also you need to plan of who you want to become in scuba diving: whether you will get certification only for Open Water Diver and stop, or you will progress until you will have Advanced Plus or Dive Master certification later on your path.

If you ponder, that after sometime you will progress in scuba diving mastership or engage in free diving activities – you need to plan investing in more expensive dive computer that has multi-gas capabilities, wireless air integration, digital compass, free dive mode, etc.

What mounting option you prefer

Dive computers are designed in 4 mounting options:

1. computer consoles;
2. dive watch computers;
3. wrist units;
4. dive computers embedded in scuba diving masks

You need to decide clearly for yourself – what is the best option for you! And it is a personal choice and the matter of convenience.

You may even imagine yourself wearing dive computer of certain configuration and how easy you will use of that particularly model or you may go to the dive shop and try on different computers in reality! It is up to you! My opinion for this case – think convenience and how you feel by wearing certain model.

Which specifications are desirable in your dive computer?

Here you need to imagine which features you want in dive computer. These days dive computers are packed with many – many features, like:

1. few dive modes;
2. some of them have Dual Algorithm for liberal and conservative settings;
3. possibility of programming for 3 or more different gas mixes;
4. wireless air – integration;
5. adjustable settings of Personal Conservative Factor, Altitude, Deep and Safe stops;
6. colour display;
7. PC interface;
8. dive simulator
9. digital compass;
10. possibility to upload from PC colour or grey – scale pictures and maps into the dive computer;
11. user replaceable batteries, etc.

I think the best answer about specifications you may give after you will get clear about your future diving path.

What is your budget?

This is probably the most important step. I assume here that you do not want your family suffer financially because of your investment! So, choose wisely!

After you made a list of your diving career path, mounting option that is best suits you, list of features of the dive computer – you have come up with few certain models. After some fine tuning and selecting that "special one", you may notice that your pocket is a little bit thin for that particular model. Do not worry! Just look realistically again…

Maybe you do just fine by having a dive computer without wireless air – integration, multi–gas capabilities and digital compass right now, like Mares Puck or Aeris Atmos ai, Cressi Archimede 2 or Tusa IQ-650 Element!

But if your wallet is thick enough and you are planning to proceed with your diving career rapidly, you may want to invest in more expensive scuba dive computers, like Aeris Elite T3, Mares Icon HD, Suunto D9 and Suunto HelO2, Tusa IQ-850 Sapience, and UWATEC Galileo Sol with capabilities of wireless air-integration, multi-gas options, possibility of heart rate monitoring, uploading pictures, digital compass and much more.

You may think even about how certain computer will emphasize your personality or even buying from eBay options. And by the end, all of this data gathering will surely give you balanced information to consider before investing in the best dive computer, according to your needs, budget and future diving path.