Dive Watches vs Dive Computers — WTF is the Difference?

JUMP TO: DIVE WATCHES / DIVE COMPUTERS / VERDICT

Dive watches and dive computers are both awesome bits of scuba gear that let you keep an eye on the time while you’re exploring the marine world. Knowing the time is crucial for diver safety because it lets you track how long you’ve been on a dive, estimate how long your air will last, and time that all-important safety stop on your ascent.

Both dive watches and computers are constructed from durable materials that can stand up to corrosive saltwater and high pressures, as well as those inevitable bumps and scrapes all dive gear has to endure. They also need to be readable in the dark, so you can keep track of things even when the visibility is poor, and, of course, they have to be waterproof too.

But the similarities end there. While dive watches are essentially waterproof versions of everyday watches, dive computers are, well, mini-computers that you wear on your wrist.

Dive watches

The world’s first waterproof watch, Rolex’s Oyster, was released in 1926, followed by the world’s first commercial dive watch, the Omega Marine, in 1932. These analog watches inspired dive watches for years to come, and it wasn’t until 1972 that the digital watch was created.

This means that the vast majority of dive watches are analog and, inspired by those early creations, tend to be sleek and elegant (although there are a few digital versions out there too).

Just like ordinary watches, they display the time, and often the date, but they also come with a range of features that makes them suited to diving. These include luminous hands and marking that can be read in dark conditions (like when you’re diving through a wreck), unidirectional bezels that can be used to monitor elapsed dive time, and, of course, a serious waterproof rating.

In fact, for a watch to be ISO-certified as a dive watch, it must have all of these features as well as several more, including corrosion-, magnetic-, and shock-resistance. Although ISO-certification can indicate high-quality craftsmanship, be aware that there are heaps of dive watches out there that aren’t ISO-certified (like the Rolex dive watches) and still perform excellently in the water.

Traditionally, dive tables were used to plan dives, and dive watches were used to ensure the plan was followed underwater.

Dive computers

Nowadays, dive watches have been largely usurped by tech-heavy dive computers that not only tell the time, but also record, monitor, and display details about almost every aspect of your dive.

Crucially, dive computers calculate no decompression limits (NDLs) using algorithms that are based on the same principles as the recreational dive planner (which has been used to plan dives since the early days of scuba diving). A key advantage of dive computers over tables is that they constantly readjust your NDL based on depth changes throughout the dive, so you can extend your bottom time by ascending to a shallower depth.

Dive computers also have heaps of safety features that come in handy during a dive, like monitoring your ascent rate (most computers will beep if you ascent too rapidly!), automatically timing your safety stop, and telling you if you exceed your NDL and require additional decompression stops.

After a dive, your computer can tell you how long you must wait until you can fly safely, and it can also be used to monitor your surface interval and plan subsequent dives – plus, if you hate planning, it will simply tell you how long you can remain at depth on your next dive as soon as you’re underwater (just don’t be disappointed if you skip a proper interval and can’t stay under for long!).

Some of the fanciest dive computers are synced with a transmitter and can display your air supply, while others are Bluetooth compatible and can send your entire dive profile to your laptop after a dive.

Verdict

Dive computers have changed the scuba diving world forever and have become a fundamental piece of diving equipment. However, although dive computers are incredibly useful, they can be a little tricky to get to grips with. Plus, they’re often large bulky things that you’d never wear on dry land, and even the best dive computer can fail unexpectedly halfway through a dive.

On the other hand, dive watches are super easy to use and they make a great back-up for ‘just in case’, so some people still like to take one with them on their underwater explorations. Plus, they’re typically super stylish and look right at home no matter whether you’re in a business meeting or at the bottom of the ocean.

Ultimately, if we had to pick just one, we’d go with a dive computer every time… but in an ideal world, we’d have both!

Want to learn more about them? Check out our round up of the Best Dive Computers or Best Dive Watches — and enjoy your underwater adventures!