Garmin enters the large format dive computer market X50i

[TMurrr]

Hopefully you can answer this question as no other reviews / videos / forums have been able to so far... does it have a genuine sidemount mode? i.e not just displaying the pressure on two tanks, but instead being able to calculate combined SAC / GTR, ideally with cylinder switch alarms (yes I know we shouldn't rely on alarms, but it's a nice-to-have).

Great question, no idea… I don’t dive sidemount

I do have access to multiple T2 transmitters and I believe I can set multiple transmitters to be “my tank”
I’m not sure of the combining one way or another but if you outline what tests I can run with two T2s and the X50i I’m happy to hook both up to two tanks and breathe off them in my garage and record the results.

 

[KerrenL]

Great question, no idea… I don’t dive sidemount

I do have access to multiple T2 transmitters and I believe I can set multiple transmitters to be “my tank”
I’m not sure of the combining one way or another but if you outline what tests I can run with two T2s and the X50i I’m happy to hook both up to two tanks and breathe off them in my garage and record the results.

That's very kind thank you. However the challenge is that monitoring two tanks is pretty straightforward, it's the true sidemount modes that are more complicated. The Perdix (and other Shearwater) computer does this well. Generally there should be a specific Sidemount mode within the Air Integration or Dive Mode settings but there isn't any mention to this in the Garmin Manual.

Just seems strange that they would release a top of the line tech computer and no-one during the development process thought about SM divers as they make up a good portion of cave and newer tech divers. Unfortunately product support from Garmin is almost non-existent as they are too big to care about individual consumers (unlike the smaller dive only brands)

 

[TMurrr]

That's very kind thank you. However the challenge is that monitoring two tanks is pretty straightforward, it's the true sidemount modes that are more complicated. The Pernix (and other Shearwater) computer does this well. Generally there should be a specific Sidemount mode within the Air Integration or Dive Mode settings but there isn't any mention to this in the Garmin Manual.

Makes sense, so the computer needs to do a good job of 'combining' the two gasses with monitoring

I'm guessing you've read this thread already?

Thread 'Garmin watch setup with two transmitters'

Mar 30, 2024

How do you set up a multi gas dive for sidemount with two transmitters on your bottom gas? The app and watch only let me select a single bottom gas and I can't find anything for sidemount configurations.

• addohm
• Replies: 7
• Forum: Sidemount Diving

 

[KerrenL]

Than

Makes sense, so the computer needs to do a good job of 'combining' the two gasses with monitoring

I'm guessing you've read this thread already?

Thread 'Garmin watch setup with two transmitters'

Mar 30, 2024

How do you set up a multi gas dive for sidemount with two transmitters on your bottom gas? The app and watch only let me select a single bottom gas and I can't find anything for sidemount configurations.

• addohm
• Replies: 7
• Forum: Sidemount Diving

Thread 'Garmin watch setup with two transmitters'

Mar 30, 2024

How do you set up a multi gas dive for sidemount with two transmitters on your bottom gas? The app and watch only let me select a single bottom gas and I can't find anything for sidemount configurations.

• addohm
• Replies: 7
• Forum: Sidemount Diving

Makes sense, so the computer needs to do a good job of 'combining' the two gasses with monitoring

I'm guessing you've read this thread already?

Thread 'Garmin watch setup with two transmitters'

Mar 30, 2024

How do you set up a multi gas dive for sidemount with two transmitters on your bottom gas? The app and watch only let me select a single bottom gas and I can't find anything for sidemount configurations.

• addohm
• Replies: 7
• Forum: Sidemount Diving

Thanks - so they’re basically saying Garmin won’t do it. Looks like Perdix is the only computer actually catering to SM divers which is a shame as it’s a missed trick

 

[Toasterking]

Figured I'd add another post to an existing thread - I have not read the entire thread, but here is my impression of the X50i.

Background, I've been diving Garmin computers since 02/2022, starting with an Mk2i / T1, then upgrading to an Mk3i/T2 and now most recently I've added an X50i to the mix. I've done >400 dives on Garmin's during that time, often diving with one mounted on my DPV and one mounted on my wrist. Yay redundancy? I also have multiple regular dive buddies that dive various Garmin products, so we "use" the messaging feature - just kidding, we don't... it sucks... but we do use them to keep track of each others air. The range on the Garmin Tx's is quite nice for that and allows us to a little more safety and better planning for when its time to end the dive.

Initial thoughts: Wow, the X50i screen is BIG. Its almost too big, its pretty thick as well, but I'm used to the mk series being small, light and nimble. The X50i is also kind of thick and heavy, and the battery rating isn't *as* good as the mk series but its definitely good enough. I also did zero customization before entering the water apart from setting my conservatism and pairing it with my T2 transmitter. I figured if I *needed* any information, I could refer to my Mk3i. I found myself using the buttons for navigation as the touch screen wasn't quite as precise as the apple products I frequently use. It worked fine, and admittedly I barely use the Mk3i's touch screen because I'm so used to navigating using buttons from the Mk2i days. But, the touch screen worked well enough when needed.

I took it in the water for the first time last night. I did a ~2 hour night dive with a buddy, we rode DPVs around the reef and caught our limit of lobster, then filmed a baby hammerhead curiously checking us out. I was not that impressed with the 'medium' brightness, even at night. It seemed closer to the mk2i than the brilliant mk3i I'm used to. Maybe I'm being nitpicky... but I was incredibly impressed with how much information they fit on the same screen. My main complaint of the mk series is I frequently have to flip through screens to check buddies air, check compass nav, check other basic features (NDL, depth, whatever) and it gets annoying. The X50i seemed to have everything available on the same screen, until my buddy asked me how much air I had and I had to look at the Mk3i...

Post dive - I ran through the manual, explored all the menu options and customize the diving data screens such that I could have a "one screen fits what I need, 99.99% of the time" data screen. I fixed the "wheres my Tx pressure" problem as well as added 3 buddies air, kept the compass, depth, max depth, battery life, MOD, etc etc all in one screen and more. This is a huge step up from the mk series and will allow the X50i to be mounted on the DPV giving me anything I need in a glance. I was always incredibly disappointed with what Garmin allowed to be customized for dive data screens on the mk series. Or maybe I'm missing something... feel free to comment if I am.

I'll continue to dive it (alongside an Mk3i) and compare, but overall I'd highly recommend it. Its not a replacement for an Mk3i, its simply a different computer. Its more customizable, much much bigger and overall a bit of an upgrade, depending on what all you're looking for in a dive computer. I'm quite happy I bought it and am looking forward to mounting it to my DPV to use as a rather expensive compass that also happens to tell me everything I used to look at my wrist for.

I’m in a similar boat, pretty heavy into Garmin system. The MK3i is getting a bit too tiny and cluttered for my eyes. So I am going to keep it as my backup and get the x50i as my primary.

Did you have any issues with using the one T2 with both computers?

And of course battery life, how bad has it been for you (my biggest hold off right now is the battery stuff).

 

[TMurrr]

I’m in a similar boat, pretty heavy into Garmin system. The MK3i is getting a bit too tiny and cluttered for my eyes. So I am going to keep it as my backup and get the x50i as my primary.

Did you have any issues with using the one T2 with both computers?

Kind of, and I actually brought this up to Garmin directly. Hopefully they address this. The 'slight' issue is Garmin differentiates 'my tank' from 'your buddies tank.' And theres a 1:1 Tx / computer ratio such that a single transmitter can only be 'my tank' for a single computer. I'm not sure about the opposite side (multiple Tx's for a single computer) since I only dive single tank, OC.

If you pair your Tx with Mk3i, as 'my tank' and then try to do the same with the X50i, the Mk3i will give you a notification telling you it lost 'my tank' status with another diver/computer.

What does this mean? Pick which computer you want to refer to your RMV, sac rate, etc etc and the other one will be displayed as 'buddies tank' but really its labeled with your name. You can still set specific tanks to be in specific view fields however, so how much does it really matter? All in the eyes of the user.

And of course battery life, how bad has it been for you (my biggest hold off right now is the battery stuff).

Honestly battery life isn't fantastic.... Bear in mind a lot of upgrading users (such as us) will be comparing it to their memory of their Mk<something> which are all absolutely fantastic. If I had to pick one, I'd choose Mk3i > X50i for myself personally, based off of battery life alone.

 

[Alon J adelson]

Kind of, and I actually brought this up to Garmin directly. Hopefully they address this. The 'slight' issue is Garmin differentiates 'my tank' from 'your buddies tank.' And theres a 1:1 Tx / computer ratio such that a single transmitter can only be 'my tank' for a single computer. I'm not sure about the opposite side (multiple Tx's for a single computer) since I only dive single tank, OC.

If you pair your Tx with Mk3i, as 'my tank' and then try to do the same with the X50i, the Mk3i will give you a notification telling you it lost 'my tank' status with another diver/computer.

What does this mean? Pick which computer you want to refer to your RMV, sac rate, etc etc and the other one will be displayed as 'buddies tank' but really its labeled with your name. You can still set specific tanks to be in specific view fields however, so how much does it really matter? All in the eyes of the user.


Honestly battery life isn't fantastic.... Bear in mind a lot of upgrading users (such as us) will be comparing it to their memory of their Mk<something> which are all absolutely fantastic. If I had to pick one, I'd choose Mk3i > X50i for myself personally, based off of battery life alone.

Does it have sidemount mode ?

 

[spatty99]

I used my X50i for 4 dives this week, a little under 2 hours total underwater, plus playing around with settings for maybe half hour, with screen brightness on high and using transmitter and I went from 100% battery to 60%.

I used an Mk3i as a backup, but no issue with there being only one 'my tank'. The fit file for the backup computer doesn't save everything that the main computer does (SAC rate), but everything I wanted to see underwater on the backup was there (pressure, GF, etc), and I plan to delete the basically duplicate fit file anyway...

Anyone have a better way to handle two Garmins? I used gauge on my backup initially, but that isn't really a backup without tissue loading and you end with 2 activities anyway. Seems like starting 2 dives and just deleting the backup fit file afterward is the best way to go for now.

 

[Toasterking]

I used my X50i for 4 dives this week, a little under 2 hours total underwater, plus playing around with settings for maybe half hour, with screen brightness on high and using transmitter and I went from 100% battery to 60%.

That is horrible on battery, oof.