Garmin Descent MK2

[Belzelbub]

Not sure if anyone posted previously about this but on one of the last updates for the MK2i it now has surface GF as an option for display.

Yeah. I picked up an MK2s in June. Did an available update when I opened the box, and stumbled across SurfGF. I posted about it in one of these threads. I was not expecting SurfGF, and was pleasantly surprised. Immediately updated my main dive screen to display it.

 

[waterone]

Yeah. I picked up an MK2s in June. Did an available update when I opened the box, and stumbled across SurfGF. I posted about it in one of these threads. I was not expecting SurfGF, and was pleasantly surprised. Immediately updated my main dive screen to display it.

Figured! I haven't looked on this forum for a bit. It was one of top wants for this computer and I was happy to see it when I did the update a bit back. Now if only I could customize a single data screen with an option to use any of the dive data.

 

[Belzelbub]

Figured! I haven't looked on this forum for a bit. It was one of top wants for this computer and I was happy to see it when I did the update a bit back. Now if only I could customize a single data screen with an option to use any of the dive data.

I think for any of the screens, you can't remove NDL, current depth, or dive time. The others should be able to be configured, including the left and right gauge graphs. Plus, you can re-order them so the default main screen (which only has 1 editable field) can be moved down the list.

 

[waterone]

Most screens are extremely limited on choices available. On the screen that you can modify all of the fields, you have no choice to add PSI or SAC/RMV or a few other options. Since all screen layouts are different, I do think they should make every screen fully modifiable with what data that you want. But I guess that might be coming in a newer version eventually...

I just want one screen to rule them all...

 

[Belzelbub]

Most screens are extremely limited on choices available. On the screen that you can modify all of the fields, you have no choice to add PSI or SAC/RMV or a few other options. Since all screen layouts are different i do think they should make every screen fully modifiable with what data that you want

Gotcha. That makes sense. I didn't think about PSI or SAC/RMV. My MK2s is a backup to my Perdix AI, so the Air integrated settings are on that computer as the MK2s is non-AI. The Perdix does limit to a section of the screen that can be modified (varies by mode), and originally was even more limited. I can understand why they wouldn't want some information to be able to be changed, but I do agree that you should be able to add in the AI data fields you need.

 

[Scuba-Lad]

Note that SurfGF on the Garmin is not calculated in the same way as Shearwater. I dive both a Descent G1 and Shearwater Teric.

At the end of an example dive, the Teric showed a surface GF of 16%, whilst the G1 showed 42%. Identical GF and settings on both computers. When I checked the dive profiles via the log, they were also identical. I asked Garmin to explain what the difference was or how they calculate N2 loading, over a month ago, and have as of yet received no response.

See here: N2 Loading VS SurfaceGF - Descent G1 - Wearables - Garmin Forums

 

[scubaozy]

Note that SurfGF on the Garmin is not calculated in the same way as Shearwater. I dive both a Descent G1 and Shearwater Teric.

At the end of an example dive, the Teric showed a surface GF of 16%, whilst the G1 showed 42%. Identical GF and settings on both computers. When I checked the dive profiles via the log, they were also identical. I asked Garmin to explain what the difference was or how they calculate N2 loading, over a month ago, and have as of yet received no response.

See here: N2 Loading VS SurfaceGF - Descent G1 - Wearables - Garmin Forums

Manual says (and it does not say much about this anyway) :
" Surface Gradient Factor: The expected gradient factor if the diver were to instantaneously surface."
The way I read this is Garmin does not interpolate off gassing based TTS and current depth.

 

[Belzelbub]

Note that SurfGF on the Garmin is not calculated in the same way as Shearwater. I dive both a Descent G1 and Shearwater Teric.

At the end of an example dive, the Teric showed a surface GF of 16%, whilst the G1 showed 42%. Identical GF and settings on both computers. When I checked the dive profiles via the log, they were also identical. I asked Garmin to explain what the difference was or how they calculate N2 loading, over a month ago, and have as of yet received no response.

See here: N2 Loading VS SurfaceGF - Descent G1 - Wearables - Garmin Forums

The post you linked to on the Garmin forum references the N2 loading not the SurfGF. I assume this is coming from the Surface Interval widget. This is different than the in-dive SurfGF.

Over the past couple of weeks I've done 8 dives wearing both my Perdix AI and my Garmin MK2s. Both have SurfGF displayed on the main dive screen. At various points during the dive, I made it a point to check to see how SurfGF compared between the two computers.

The largest difference I noted was 1%. That difference was only brief and came back into alignment the next time I checked, so I assume that it was either slight differences in the depth sensor readings, slight differences between my left and right wrists, or a rounding error. 1% is not enough difference for me to worry about as I'm not planning on surfacing when it reads 99% or 100% or anywhere near there.

 

[Belzelbub]

Manual says (and it does not say much about this anyway) :
" Surface Gradient Factor: The expected gradient factor if the diver were to instantaneously surface."
The way I read this is Garmin does not interpolate off gassing based TTS and current depth.

That sounds similar to my understanding of how Shearwater handles it as well. It's not an indication of what the loading would look like if you began a normal ascent at that moment. It's what it would be if you were to find yourself instantly at the surface.

 

[Scuba-Lad]

The post you linked to on the Garmin forum references the N2 loading not the SurfGF. I assume this is coming from the Surface Interval widget. This is different than the in-dive SurfGF.

Over the past couple of weeks I've done 8 dives wearing both my Perdix AI and my Garmin MK2s. Both have SurfGF displayed on the main dive screen. At various points during the dive, I made it a point to check to see how SurfGF compared between the two computers.

The largest difference I noted was 1%. That difference was only brief and came back into alignment the next time I checked, so I assume that it was either slight differences in the depth sensor readings, slight differences between my left and right wrists, or a rounding error. 1% is not enough difference for me to worry about as I'm not planning on surfacing when it reads 99% or 100% or anywhere near there.

Interesting point, it hadn't occurred to me that Garmin's "Exiting N2 Loading" and Shearwater's "End Surface GF" might be two different things entirely. I'd assumed they were the same thing since the Surface GF doesn't seem to show anywhere in the Garmin dive app (dive log), only Exiting N2 loading.