Why can't I use a cheap $20 watch?

[ucfdiver]

Go ahead. Maybe it will for 5,10, even 20 dives. However if you look at most watches on the market today you'll see in their user manuals that unless they are rated for 200 meters they are not recommended for scuba diving. So the question arises- What happens if it conks out at 75 feet and you for some reason don't realize it? No biggie- you do a safe ascent and you're done for the day since you don't have an accurate time for your dive to figure your ending pressure group. All you did was waste the money you spent on the dive, your buddy's time assuming someone will dive with you when you are to cheap to spend an extra 30 and get a casio gshock that is rated to 200 meters. It never ceases to amaze me how little proper planning and gear selection is covered in OW classes. Darwin loves questions like this. Why not just buy personal gear at walmart? So what if the glass is not tempered it will still work, right? And if the fins are plastic you still saved 50 bucks! Why not make the bc out of a couple garbage bags? May last a couple dives even. Cheaper than the real thing. Sheeeesh!

How about this.....if the watch breaks, ascend and add 5 minutes to your last bottom time **gasp**. I had a timex last me over 200 dives, and it came from walmart.

I'm guessing you work on commission at a local dive shop?

 

[john1bl]

I dive with a Timex Iroman. I looked up the 200m and the back of the watch to see if it could withstand diving. The 200m means that the watch will withstand 200meters of static water pressure(no movement). This watch is good for snorkling but not SCUBA(so they say). At 100ft(33m) that leaves about 167 meters of dymanic(moving )pressure left before the watch fails,I cant move my arm that fast

 

[Stu S.]

I used a $15 Casio for years. No leaks. I broke it while working on my truck.

Lesson learned: Those "pins" that hold the straps on a watch can fail, and off goes the watch. A one-piece velcro strap allows one pin to fail and the watch is still on the strap.

 

[Walter]

Back in the day, we were taught a watch shouldn't be used for SCUBA unless it was rated to 300 ft. When did that change top 300 m? A 100 m watch is fine even if the folks who made it don't recommend it for diving. From personal experience, I've found even watched rated to 50 m work quite well. When the battery dies, toss it and get another. BTW, Stu is 100% correct about velcroe bands.

 

[goldenbear01]

maybe i've just had bad luck with watches, or maybe watches have improved in quality over the years; but as a kid, i used to wear timex ironman watches rated to 100m in the pool, only to have them fog or flood on me. does anyone know if the current times ironman watch has any warranties in case of fogging/flooding from swimming/diving?

 

[joeSteve1006]

well, i also heard the "trashbag BCD" can come in a package with the 5 gallon bucket full face mask and the clown shoe fins, and for an extra dollar comes with the garden hose snorkel! order quick, they'll probably sell out soon

 

[Stu S.]

Go ahead. Maybe it will for 5,10, even 20 dives. However if you look at most watches on the market today you'll see in their user manuals that unless they are rated for 200 meters they are not recommended for scuba diving. So the question arises- What happens if it conks out at 75 feet and you for some reason don't realize it? No biggie- you do a safe ascent and you're done for the day since you don't have an accurate time for your dive to figure your ending pressure group. All you did was waste the money you spent on the dive, your buddy's time assuming someone will dive with you when you are to cheap to spend an extra 30 and get a casio gshock that is rated to 200 meters. It never ceases to amaze me how little proper planning and gear selection is covered in OW classes. Darwin loves questions like this. Why not just buy personal gear at walmart? So what if the glass is not tempered it will still work, right? And if the fins are plastic you still saved 50 bucks! Why not make the bc out of a couple garbage bags? May last a couple dives even. Cheaper than the real thing. Sheeeesh!

Hey, Jim. You ever see one of those Wal Mart watches totally fail? About the worst I've seen is a little moisture visible as condensation on the window. That happened to a pal, it was not noticed until the day after our dive.

 

[H2ODoc]

Is there any reason I can't use a cheap $20-40 Timex watch for my dive time?

No. You can also use a cardboard box instead of luggage and a section of vacuum cleaner hose for a snorkel. (sarcasm!).

As a watch geek, however, I can think of MANY reasons to get yourself a nice ($150 to $300) Seiko or Citizen real deal dive watch:

- you will find people come up to you (seeing your dive watch) and ask you if you dive and therefore, you will get to share your diving stories with complete strangers. Some of which may be supermodels or Jessica Alba

- it will be tough as nails and go well with a wing tips or flip flops

- it will last for many many years and get dinged up in the process. You will then recall all your dive trips every time you look at your old-been-around-the-world dive watch

- if you have kids, it will be of a quality that justifies handing it down to them.

So there's my partial list of reasons you, as an adult, should not wear a $20 Timex.

(and don't get me started on those people that say "my cell phone tells me what time it is, so I don't need a watch!")

Now THIS is a dive watch.

 

[H2ODoc]

I already have a really really nice everyday watch. It was a wedding present from my wife and will not be worn diving. So, between that and the Suunto Observer in the drawer that needs a new $100 (eeeek) band, I'm set for daily wear.

Ooops. My bad. I didn't see that you have an everyday watch - especially nice that it was a wedding present.

So... as Rosanna Rosanna Danna used to say........

"never mind"

I'll revise my earlier soap box statements and concur with the G-shock advice. I have a couple of DW-6900 for beaters and for $70, they are a tough as nails watch.

 

[Gombessa]

I used a $20 Casio rated to 50M for about 5 dives; I can't really tell if it flooded or if the batteries just happened to die during a dive (watch was about 6-7 years old). Now I have a 200m-rated Timex for $35, which hopefully will last a lot longer.

I've heard of many divers successfully using 100m-200m watches for years. The real risk with trusting the depth rating is that these ratings are apparently tested with the watch completely still inside a pressure pot, and without buttons being pushed. So a watch rated for 50m might easily exceed that pressure with the movement/jostling/bumping encountered on a real dive, or if the buttons are pushed underwater but they happen to be weak.