Simple watch style computer

[CWC]

I've been diving with a Mares Puck for several years. I love the simplicity of it! One button. If you're diving nitrox you just set your O2 percentage, and it stays set until you change it. You can read the entire manual in about 10 minutes, but could probably figure it out without ever cracking the manual.

So...last week I was leaving for a dive trip, and decided to buy a new computer at the last minute. I've been wanting a watch sized computer that I can wear 24/7 on a dive trip, instead of wearing my regular watch and packing my computer. I went to my local dive shop and they steered me to an Oceanic Geo 2. It looked great in the display, and several of the employees said it was their personal favorite, so I bought it.

Got home and started trying to figure it out. Seemed damn complicated, so I pulled up the manual online. 120 pages! There are so many settings, alarms, ways to make it lock you out, tank switching options, and it resets your nitrox percentage to 21% every dive mode activation. I hate all the complexity!

So...does anyone make a watch style computer that is SIMPLE?

 

[CWC]

Well, I found the answer to my question! Since I like the operation of my Puck so much, I decided to see what Mares had to offer. I found that they have a new watch-sized computer called the Mares Smart. From my research, it is basically a down sized Puck Pro. I've never used the Puck Pro, so I can't comment on how similar it is to the Smart. I can tell you that the Smart is a far more user friendly computer than the Oceanic Geo. It only has two buttons, and their use is very intuitive. The menu navigation is very simple, and could be figured out without ever cracking the manual open. However, there is no reason not to read the manual; it only took about 10 minutes to read. The Smart is very easy to read and use underwater, and is nice enough that I have been wearing it as my everyday watch. It is also capable of switching mid-dive between two different nitrox blends.

 

[Centrals]

What happened to the Geo 2 that you bought?
And you have three dive computers now?
Gas switching in mid water has no application in recreational dive. Tec diver usually need three so two gases mix is more or less sitting on no man land.

I have my eye set on Deep 6 computer(not yet available but only at US$139.00).

 

[CWC]

What happened to the Geo 2 that you bought?
And you have three dive computers now?
Gas switching in mid water has no application in recreational dive. Tec diver usually need three so two gases mix is more or less sitting on no man land.

I have my eye set on Deep 6 computer(not yet available but only at US$139.00).

I returned the Geo back to my local shop.

I agree with you about the gas switching option. Switching between different gas blends is a tec skill, and this computer is marketed to the recreational diver. The only reason I mentioned it is because I was comparing features to the Geo 2, which can also switch between two gases.

I've never heard of Deep 6. I went to their website, but couldn't find details on a computer. Do you know more about it?

 

[hammet]

Takes a few minutes (ok, longer maybe) to figure out the Geo, but it does make sense after a little while as all the functions work the same way. Two left buttons scroll up and down and top right button is like 'enter'.

 

[Centrals]

I've never heard of Deep 6. I went to their website, but couldn't find details on a computer. Do you know more about it?

It is not yet available.
However, there are some more up to date info about this computer on SB eg. look up posts by "LandonL" today.