Ultimate Guide to Garmin Dive Watches (Read BEFORE Buying!)

I’m not a diver; in fact, the only times I go close to water are when I’m in the shower or when I hang out with friends and family by the pool or at the beach. But for some reason, I fell in love with dive watches after purchasing my first dive watch years ago. It was my favorite for a long time until I discovered Garmin dive watches, and it was love at first sight, ocean-deep possibilities that the dive watch market offers. Aside from being built for all types of diving, I like how they can be styled casually and on or as corporate wear too. 

But today’s subject is a little bit different. There’s a market of watches actually made for divers within the divers watch industry rather than having the style and one or two key features for them. It’s where among a big pool of brands, Garmin dive watches belong as well. If you are looking to buy a Garmin Dive watch, whether for freediving, recreational or technical diving, I will let you in on some tips to get the most out of Garmin dive watches. Let’s dive in!

About Garmin Dive Watches

For more than a decade, Garmin has been making dive watches, and with every new model, it just gets better. Their timepieces are feature-rich and simple to use. And because of how they’re designed like smart watches, they can be used like your regular dive timepiece for rigorous activities like working out, biking, or going on a hike.

The company was founded by Min Kai and Gary Buell in 1989 in Lenexa, Kansas. The company’s first design was a GPS receiver for boats which they succeeded at. Garmin also got a contract to build a GPS for U.S. military vehicles in 1991, and by 1999 they had scaled the company to worth more than $100 million. 

They entered the watch industry in 2003 with the Forerunner series, designed for cyclists and runners; it featured a GPS tracker and some fitness metrics. The company has since then included various GPS systems in its product line, including fitness trackers, smartwatches, and even car navigation systems.

What Are Garmin Dive Watches Used For?

Garmin combines Dive watches/computers and a smartwatch to provide divers with many interesting features to make diving easier and safer. These are some of the purposes they serve:

Dive Modes

Their watches have different dive modes that make tracking various types of dive possible. They have modes for gauge dives, apnea dives, multiple gas dives, and closed circuit rebreather dives. 

Each of these dives has individual features, so you must pick the one that best fits your purpose. For instance, the gauge dive has features that track your dive time and depth, while the single gas dive tracks your dive time, ascending and descending rate, depth, and no-deco time. 

Dive Logs 

Garmin watches have a feature that stores the record of all your dives, which includes tracking your progress on each dive. It keeps a record of your depth, dive time, no-deco time, and ascending and descending rate. It can also create a log of everything you see during your dives, including fish, bones, other divers, and many other things found in the sea.

Health Monitoring

The Garmin dive watch monitors different aspects of your health. It records your heart rate during dives and throughout the day to see when and how your heart rate increases or decreases. It has a sleep-tracking feature that monitors deep sleep, REM sleep, and light sleep. 

They come with a VO2 max that tracks your aerobic fitness, and it helps record your progress and fitness goals. It has a body battery feature that tracks your energy levels and a stress tracker that records your daily activities and how your body reacts to them. Some advanced Garmin dive watches have Pulse Ox that measures blood oxygen saturation.

Pressure and Remaining Air Information 

Pairing your Garmin Dive watch with a Descent D1 transmitter will display your remaining air information and pressure on the watch. You will get updates about gas consumption, air time left, and tank pressure. 

All of these are calculated based on the type of dive being performed, the pressure of the tank, the type of gas used, and the diver’s breathing rate. This feature helps you stay safe by providing information to help you plan your dive accurately.

Navigation & Compass

Garmin dive watches have a navigation and compass feature that helps you move in the right direction underwater. Their built-in GPS lets you know your location and dive progress on a map. Some of them have a back-to-start feature that helps you locate where you started the dive from. 

They have a compass feature that allows you to determine where you are heading, and it can be very helpful in areas of the water that don’t have good GPS reception. Some more recent ones have Turn-by-turn navigation that helps with voice instructions and visual guides for you to follow to get to your location.

Best Garmin Dive Watches

The Garmin Descent Series has some of the best Dive watches I have ever seen, and it’s also loved by divers worldwide because its features are great for both amateur and professional divers. Some of their best dive watches include:

The Garmin Descent G1

The Garmin Descent G1 is a combination of a dive watch and a smartwatch, and this blend is the total package for divers at every level. On the dive part, it aids single and multiple gas dives, apnea, gauge, and closed-circuit rebreather modes. It also has a barometer and a compass to track your ascent and descent rates and dive progress. 

The Descent G1 has great smartwatch features that make it fit for people who live an active life or want to track their daily activities. It has a built-in heart monitor, activity, and GPS trackers, and it also alerts you of notifications from your smartphone if you connect it. 

This dive watch also has a different battery life span for all modes. It can last up to 25 hours when it’s in dive mode. When it’s in smartwatch mode, it can work for about 21 days. 

It also comes with an added solar feature that charges the watch anytime it’s placed or worn under the sun. So whether you are a diver or you live an active lifestyle, the Descent G1 is the perfect watch for you.

Garmin Descent MK2 

The MK2 is the most recent dive watch of the Descent series, and aside from having all the features of the G1 model, it comes with other fascinating ones. It has multi-gas diving that supports 10 gasses, and its air integration feature tracks your air supply and notifies you when it is time to surface. 

The MK2 has a Surfline camera that records your activities in water, which you can use to see your progress in your dive or surf. It also comes with more smartwatch features like music storage and Garmin Pay which can be used to buy things online. The Descent MK2 can last up to 100 hours in dive mode and 16 days in smartwatch mode.

Garmin Descent MK2s & MK2i

The Garmin Descent MK2s & MK2i are different iterations of the MK2. The MK2i comes with an air integration aid, which can connect to your tank through a wireless transmitter, and you can monitor the air supply, tank pressure, and dive time on the watch. When it comes to the MK2s, it’s basically a smaller version of the MK2, catered to divers with smaller wrists. The MK2i is built with a titanium back and bezel, while the MK2s have a stainless steel bezel and back plates. 

Should You Get a Garmin Dive Watch?

I find the combination of the smartwatch and dive features in the Garmin Dive spectacular, as they offer loads of features for both diving and casual wear. Garmin dive watches are generally for divers, whether professionals or amateurs, who want to monitor every aspect of their diving sessions and also want to take note of their progress. 

They are also for very active individuals who want to monitor certain aspects of their lives, especially their movements and some general health information the watch provides.

Although Garmin watches are a lot more expensive than the average traditional mechanical dive watch, they are much more advantageous in terms of features, durability, accuracy, quality, and even aesthetics. 

Alternatives to Garmin Dive Watches

Garmin watches are cool; to most people, they are the total package. However, you might not want a Garmin. You might prefer a more basic dive timepiece, so this is a list for you of some alternatives to Garmin dive watches. 

Seiko Prospex “Samurai” SRPF03

The Prospex Samurai is built to take some severe beating. Aside from being more affordable than a Garmin, it is also known for its unique design and functionality. The Seiko 4R35 automatic movement powers it with a 41-hour power reserve and up to 200 meters of water resistance. 

It features a 44mm case made of stainless steel and LumiBrite hour markers and hand that can be useful during deep sea diving. It also has a screw-down case back and crowns to prevent water from entering. The Samurai SRPF03 is a decent alternative to Garmin dive watches if you just want a simple mechanical dive watch.

Doxa Sub 300T Professional (ref. 840.10.351.10)

This dive watch was built to work under intense underwater conditions. Its stainless steel case features an orange dial and bezel that shines underwater. It is powered by the venerable ETA 2824-2 movement with a 38-hour power reserve. 

The Sub 300T has a water resistance of 300 meters and a unidirectional bezel. It features a helium escape valve that extracts surplus helium from the case during decompression. It is another functional and sturdy watch that’s a great pick for a diving timepiece.

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M (ref.210.30.42.20.01.001)

When you talk about luxurious dive watches, the Diver 300M should be at the top of that list. Celebrities like John Hamm, Prince William, and Daniel Craig have been spotted rocking this timepiece. Its classy design and the high-quality materials used in the construction set it apart from other dive watches.

It features a 42mm stainless steel case with a black ceramic bezel and dials. It also features a helium escape valve and a water resistance of 300 meters. It is powered by the OMEGA Master Chronometer Caliber 8800, which is resistant to magnetic fields of up to 1.5 Tesla. If you’re looking for a dive watch that is also a luxury timepiece, the OMEGA Seamaster Diver 300M is a good choice.

Conclusion

Garmin watches are great for a safe and enjoyable diving experience. I will also recommend them for people tracking their movements and other health information Garmin dive watches provide. However, if you want a dive timepiece with less sophistication, features, or price, there are many other options across various brands.