Dive Computer Buyer's Guide: What to Know

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Back in the day, tables were the standard. At this point, most scuba divers wear a personal dive computer and they should.

A dive computer tracks your depth, bottom time, speed of ascent, and no-decompression limits in real-time. Tables can't do that. If you go shallower mid-dive, the computer recalculates. Tables don't.

Wrist computers are what the majority of divers use now. They're compact, readable underwater, and you'll use them as a daily watch as well. Console-mount models are available but less divers go that way anymore.

Basic computers start around $250-400 and handle everything a recreational diver would need. Features include depth, bottom time, NDL, dive logging, and usually a simple apnea mode. The $500-800 range gets you transmitter compatibility, improved readability, and additional main page nitrox modes.

Something buyers overlook is conservatism settings. Some models are more conservative than others. A conservative setting means reduced bottom time. Looser ones give more time but with less safety margin. Neither is wrong. It just your style and how experienced you are.

Worth talking to people at a dive shop who uses various computers first. They'll offer real-world feedback on which ones hold up versus what's hype. The better Cairns dive stores have product guides and rundowns on their websites too

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