Garmin Descent MK2

[Nick_Radov]

Question, i have mk2s which i am very happy with . To my surprise amd disbelief it seems track my heart rate during the dive through my 'drysuit- (thick)undergarment-baselayer'. While on land it doesnt track my heart rate when i test it with just my baselayer amd undergarment? During the dive it also shows realistic numbers, so it seems real numbers (between 50-70bpm mostly).

I noticed it by accident recently when i used a different divescreen which had heart rate in my screen, in my usual setup i dont even had it configured given the layering. And yesterday it first didnt register when i hD my watch angled , but then i moved my watch more on top of my wrist and it started directly to show my rate.

Is water working as a positve conductor somehow or is it making up numbers . Cant really believe it can measure through 3 thick layers..

Anyone else experience with this in combination with a drysuit?


I

It's making up numbers. I've seen the same thing. The wrist optical sensor can get fooled in some circumstances.

If you're wearing the computer over an exposure suit then go into Dive Setup and set Heart Rate to either Stored Strap Data or Off. I have used a Garmin HRM-Pro strap under my drysuit and it seems to work pretty well. You do have to manually download HR after the dive.

 

[TightLines]

Quick questions for those using the GPS on the Mk2.

1) How quickly does the computer record its location automatically once returned to the surface? Interested in using this computer for quickly marking areas once returned to the surface either via attachment to sausage or by physically surfacing (all shallow water dives)?

2) How accurate / repeatable is the GPS both in boat mode and and when entering / exiting sites?

Thanks in advance.

 

[L13]

Quick questions for those using the GPS on the Mk2.

1) How quickly does the computer record its location automatically once returned to the surface? Interested in using this computer for quickly marking areas once returned to the surface either via attachment to sausage or by physically surfacing (all shallow water dives)?

2) How accurate / repeatable is the GPS both in boat mode and and when entering / exiting sites?

Thanks in advance.

1) location isn't recorded till the "end dive timer" expires (settable delay), or dive is manually ended. Starts acquiring GPS as soon as it surfaces, takes about 20 seconds unobstructed out of the water to acquire.

2) consistently as accurate as any GPS (as long as you manually start/stop the dive and wait for acquisition). you can defeat accurate or even any location recording by doing things such as not entering dive mode before the dive, or exiting the dive manually and keeping the watch submerged an inch.

 

[Still Kicking]

Quick questions for those using the GPS on the Mk2.

1) How quickly does the computer record its location automatically once returned to the surface? Interested in using this computer for quickly marking areas once returned to the surface either via attachment to sausage or by physically surfacing (all shallow water dives)?

2) How accurate / repeatable is the GPS both in boat mode and and when entering / exiting sites?

Thanks in advance.

I did some experiments with the G1 to see how I could mark interesting spots. I attached the watch to an egg float with an 8 oz weight below it on a wreck reel. When the float surfaced, the weight would ensure that the watch stayed clear of the surface and and acquire a satellite fix. I'd wait a minute and reel it back down.

Ultimately, I decided it was too bulky, too much hassle to remember to start the dive mode every dive (G1 is a backup computer) and sending it up with a float turned out not to be 100 percent reliable, so it defeated the purpose.

Instead, I use a low-tech but more reliable strategy. I mark interesting spots by shooting an SMB, tying off the spool to structure with a quick release and then creating a waypoint when I pick it up from my boat. If i was shore diving, I would just surface and create a waypoint on the watch.

 

[Nick_Radov]

Instead, I use a low-tech but more reliable strategy. I mark interesting spots by shooting an SMB, tying off the spool to structure with a quick release and then creating a waypoint when I pick it up from my boat. If i was shore diving, I would just surface and create a waypoint on the watch.

Some other members of my dive club invented another approach that seems to work well. We take a plastic pipe a few feet long and seal the end with gripper caps. Stick a weight in the bottom end and a GPS receiver in the top end. Then you can shoot it up from depth using a reel and the top end floats high enough for the GPS to pick up a good signal. After letting it sit for a few minutes you can haul it back down with the reel and move on to the next location.

 

[Nick_Radov]

1) location isn't recorded till the "end dive timer" expires (settable delay), or dive is manually ended. Starts acquiring GPS as soon as it surfaces, takes about 20 seconds unobstructed out of the water to acquire.

This is key. Hold your wrist well out of the water with the device facing up so that it has a clear view of the sky. As long as you do that it should record a very accurate position within a few seconds.

I'm not sure how aware other divers are of this but you can also use the device to navigate to dive site GPS coordinates on the surface. Use the Navigate activity profile and set it for direct routing, then when you're over the target start a dive activity.

 

[Mr.Ray]

To the early adaptors (daily users), do you notice any aging? Does the battery still goes as long as when you first startet using the mk2(i)

 

[L13]

To the early adaptors (daily users), do you notice any aging? Does the battery still goes as long as when you first startet using the mk2(i)

I've had mine over 2 years, and haven't notice any battery issues. When not diving it still lasts long enough that I never remember when I last charged it. Diving it lasts several days on a full charge. I don't keep good enough records to compare to when I bought it.

 

[spatty99]

I haven't noticed much battery degradation on an old 5S Plus.

 

[TuckerIdaho]

To the early adaptors (daily users), do you notice any aging? Does the battery still goes as long as when you first startet using the mk2(i)

I've run a marathon, a couple halfs, etc. and even with hammering the crap out of it with all the training and diving, it's still holding up over a week a charge with 4-5 runs a week. (20-60 mpw)