I'd like to get my husband a new diving watch. We will be doing lots of diving in the upcoming year (back to Roatan and South East Asia) . His current dive computer is 16 years old. Can you divers out there give me some recommendations. I'm thinking of sticking with the style he now has which is the watch with computer on it. What brand model number do you all like? Thanks!!
Diving Computer Watch Recommendations wanted.
- Thread starter emjaty
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You might want to post what he has now or what features he may consider so that recommendations can at least match exceed.
Is his current computer a 'watch' size? Does he want a watch size or a larger 'easier to read' size?
Does he has Air Integration? Want Air Integration?
Do you have a budget?
The Seabear H3 looks nice for a small watch style H3
Is his current computer a 'watch' size? Does he want a watch size or a larger 'easier to read' size?
Does he has Air Integration? Want Air Integration?
Do you have a budget?
The Seabear H3 looks nice for a small watch style H3
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,A hearty welcome to you Emjaty, another refugee from TwitAdvisor!
Good initial finer points requested from Tbar posted above.
Computers may be : console mounted, which may be affixed to a hose; or wrist mounts come in a couple of permutations.... One looks like a "wristwatch", more common are less expensive versions that are merely console modules that have been adapted to a "strap" configuration which you might wear as a wrist unit, although many divers secure these to their BCs in various ways.
You may decide to have one with "air integration" which will read tank pressure with a remote electronic sending unit that must be screwed into your 1st stage regulator. This is usually an upgrade, although you can buy that sending unit later if you want that feature- there is much written on the efficacy and over-reliance on a single source of tank pressure data. The use of a remote sending unit can become problematic if he uses rental regulators, and if like any more advanced dive traveler, you check your regs in baggage, the little sending units are the only delicate part to fret over vs the bulletproof reg set.
NB- Over the years I have seen enough absolute failures of air integrated tank pressure sending units (or blind misinterpretation of them) that all of my reg sets have hose mounted standalone SPG gauges. A super light configuration of a MiFlex HP hose and a Cressi micro gauge is my go-to set up.
Like many divers, I wear two computers. If one craps out, I won't be forced to quit diving for 24 hours per the accepted standard when/if any computer goes to reset. I have a shoebox full of working computers and I always put a very simplistic "puck" model in my BC pocket as a secondary backup.
International travel? Like a reg set, get one that is battery serviceable in any country, avoid the exotic (mostly the Northern European boutique styles) and bring another fresh battery along on any trip. Not every dive shop in paradise has a watch case tool for fancy wristwatch computers, nor are they likely to have a fresh o ring which should be replaced every time as a cheap precaution. Find a computer that is designed to be opened with a coin handled by a monkey. I fit in that category, so goats the kind I like.
Another big consideration: display size. I think the wristwatch style are very stylish, but at my age my favorite computer shows a depth guage with huge numbers. The rest if the information I can squint at if it becomes important, otherwise I look at it in the surface.
Downloadable data to your computer on land? It appeals to real-deal geeks of the pocket protector crowd of this generation, but of no real use to anyone except commercial grade diving. A rather attractive feature for the computer's sales brochure, of little practical use.
After 5000+ lifetime dives, the single greatest use for my computer is to provide data to the Doctor if I get bent, so far, so good on that one.
Stick with us here on SB for SCUBA advice, go to TwtAdvisor for the best place for Mud Slides and "local vibe". Welcome, again.
Good initial finer points requested from Tbar posted above.
Computers may be : console mounted, which may be affixed to a hose; or wrist mounts come in a couple of permutations.... One looks like a "wristwatch", more common are less expensive versions that are merely console modules that have been adapted to a "strap" configuration which you might wear as a wrist unit, although many divers secure these to their BCs in various ways.
You may decide to have one with "air integration" which will read tank pressure with a remote electronic sending unit that must be screwed into your 1st stage regulator. This is usually an upgrade, although you can buy that sending unit later if you want that feature- there is much written on the efficacy and over-reliance on a single source of tank pressure data. The use of a remote sending unit can become problematic if he uses rental regulators, and if like any more advanced dive traveler, you check your regs in baggage, the little sending units are the only delicate part to fret over vs the bulletproof reg set.
NB- Over the years I have seen enough absolute failures of air integrated tank pressure sending units (or blind misinterpretation of them) that all of my reg sets have hose mounted standalone SPG gauges. A super light configuration of a MiFlex HP hose and a Cressi micro gauge is my go-to set up.
Like many divers, I wear two computers. If one craps out, I won't be forced to quit diving for 24 hours per the accepted standard when/if any computer goes to reset. I have a shoebox full of working computers and I always put a very simplistic "puck" model in my BC pocket as a secondary backup.
International travel? Like a reg set, get one that is battery serviceable in any country, avoid the exotic (mostly the Northern European boutique styles) and bring another fresh battery along on any trip. Not every dive shop in paradise has a watch case tool for fancy wristwatch computers, nor are they likely to have a fresh o ring which should be replaced every time as a cheap precaution. Find a computer that is designed to be opened with a coin handled by a monkey. I fit in that category, so goats the kind I like.
Another big consideration: display size. I think the wristwatch style are very stylish, but at my age my favorite computer shows a depth guage with huge numbers. The rest if the information I can squint at if it becomes important, otherwise I look at it in the surface.
Downloadable data to your computer on land? It appeals to real-deal geeks of the pocket protector crowd of this generation, but of no real use to anyone except commercial grade diving. A rather attractive feature for the computer's sales brochure, of little practical use.
After 5000+ lifetime dives, the single greatest use for my computer is to provide data to the Doctor if I get bent, so far, so good on that one.
Stick with us here on SB for SCUBA advice, go to TwtAdvisor for the best place for Mud Slides and "local vibe". Welcome, again.
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best watch on the market, bar none, is the Seabear H3. Would recommend calling these guys to grab it. Big clear screen, looks good enough to actually wear every day. Has NFC for upload if you use android, but also uses standard USB for charging and upload to computers. Has a lot of super nice features, and at some point, they will release an AI transmitter for it if he feels he needs it. They will price match the Leisurepro price btw, and they have about the best customer service from any shop out there.
Cave Adventurers - Sub gravity H3 (seabear) Dive Computer - Marianna, Florida USA - Never Undersold!
Other than that, for watch style you are restricted to the casio style which are quite a bit cheaper, but in this case, you do get what you pay for.... For that, the Oceanic Geo 2.0 is the best bang for the buck out there around $400.
Cave Adventurers - Sub gravity H3 (seabear) Dive Computer - Marianna, Florida USA - Never Undersold!
Other than that, for watch style you are restricted to the casio style which are quite a bit cheaper, but in this case, you do get what you pay for.... For that, the Oceanic Geo 2.0 is the best bang for the buck out there around $400.
@emjaty: Dive Gear Express has the H3 for $879. At one point, it was selling for $775. It does not have air integration. However, the manufacturer did announce a few months ago that they are going to come out with a wireless air integration module for it. But, later, that info was taken off their website. No pricing information for that air integration was ever mentioned, either. Last month, it was announced that Johnson Outdoors (I think - the company that also owns ScubaPro) is buying (or has bought) the company that makes the SeaBear H3. At about the same time, they announced that their other computer, the SeaBear T1, was being discontinued from sale as a standalone model and would now only be available as part of a rebreather system. Still no mention of when or if they will release air integration for the H3 and what it will cost.
Also, the H3 battery is a rechargeable and not user replaceable. When it does need to be replaced, I think the current U.S. distributor (Sub Gravity) said that they would do the battery replacement for $150. But, with new ownership of SeaBear, I guess there is no guarantee that Sub Gravity will still be the distributor at any given point in the future, or what the battery replacement cost will be.
You may wish to factor all that information into whether you wish to gift someone a SeaBear H3. I bought a new computer 3 months ago, I really wanted an H3, and I factored all that into my own decision before I chose what to buy.
The computer that I have had for a year and continue to love is a wristwatch style computer, as you said you're looking for. It also has wireless air integration, which has been completely reliable, for me. That computer is an Oceanic Atom 3.0. You can get the computer, with the wireless air integration transmitter and a data download cable for about the same as the SeaBear H3 by itself. Maybe even quite a bit less, depending on how well you shop and how patient you are. I paid a LOT less for my whole kit than what an H3 costs. Oh, and I replaced the battery in my Atom last year, myself, for about $6. And, I'm 49 and wear reading glasses. I put gauge reader lenses in my mask and I can read the Atom just fine. The lenses were stick-ons (Hydro-Tac brand) I got at Wal-mart for $15 and they work great.
So, for watch-style dive computers, the Oceanic Atom 3.0 (or 3.1, which is basically the same) is the brand/model *I* like. I have a second computer (3 months old) that I bought for Tech diving, but for normal, recreational diving, I definitely like the Atom better.
Wow.... Ya'll are super helpful!!! You answered my questions.....and were nice about it 
Much appreciated!! Good advice Doc on coming here for diving questions. Now, have any of you done any diving off of Thailand?? We have only been diving the past 15 years in Roatan. The opportunity has arose for us to expand our experiences, so we are headed to SE Asai next Fall for 4 months of island hopping and diving. Not sure what to expect. Will continue my search of where to go but if anyone has a recommendation of must do dives/islands/dive shops that would be great!
Much appreciated!! Good advice Doc on coming here for diving questions. Now, have any of you done any diving off of Thailand?? We have only been diving the past 15 years in Roatan. The opportunity has arose for us to expand our experiences, so we are headed to SE Asai next Fall for 4 months of island hopping and diving. Not sure what to expect. Will continue my search of where to go but if anyone has a recommendation of must do dives/islands/dive shops that would be great!Koh Tao is the dive training capital of the world, east coast Thailand. But the best diving is the similan islands national park on the west coast. Take liveaboards from Khao Lak. (The similans are too far from land for daytrips). I've also heard good things about Koh Lanta, again on the west coast, southeast of Phuket(Khao Lak is north of Phuket), also close to a lot of on-land national parks and other things to see around Krabbi.Wow.... Ya'll are super helpful!!! You answered my questions.....and were nice about it
scrane
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You're husband has probably had his eye on one for some time. Ask him what he wants.
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