Computers

Display size and readability
A dive computer is only useful if you can read it clearly at depth, in reduced visibility, and with gloves on. Large display computers — sometimes called hockey-puck style — prioritize readability over wrist profile. Watch-size computers are more discreet and comfortable for daily wear on the surface but may require moving your wrist closer to your face to read during a dive. If you dive in low-visibility conditions, cold water with thick gloves, or night dive frequently, a larger display is worth prioritizing over form factor.

Nitrox compatibility
Most modern dive computers support enriched air nitrox (EAN), allowing you to input your oxygen percentage so the computer adjusts no-decompression limit calculations for the gas you are actually breathing. Even if you only dive air right now, nitrox capability is worth having — it costs little extra at this level and means you will not need to replace your computer when you complete a Nitrox specialty course. All dive computers we carry are nitrox compatible.

Algorithm and conservatism settings
Every dive computer uses a decompression algorithm — most commonly a variant of Bühlmann ZHL or RGBM — to calculate safe ascent profiles. Most computers allow you to adjust the conservatism level, adding extra safety margin for multiple dives per day, cold water, physical exertion, or individual factors like age and fitness. Setting the computer to a higher conservatism level reduces your no-decompression limits but increases your margin of safety. Our Divemasters recommend new divers run their computers at maximum conservatism for their first dive season.

Air integration — wireless tank pressure
Air-integrated computers receive tank pressure from a wireless transmitter installed on the regulator first stage and factor remaining gas into no-decompression calculations — displaying how long your air will last alongside how long the algorithm says you can stay. This replaces the need for a separate pressure gauge on your console, though most divers keep an SPG as a backup. If you are purchasing your first computer and your regulator has a free high-pressure port, air integration is a worthwhile upgrade that provides significantly more information during each dive.

Bluetooth and dive logging
Many current computers connect via Bluetooth to smartphone apps for automatic dive log uploads, gas planning, and firmware updates. This eliminates manual logbook entry and provides detailed dive profile graphs, temperature logs, and gas records accessible on your phone. For divers who track their dive history, Bluetooth connectivity is a convenient feature that costs nothing extra on computers that include it. The Shearwater and Garmin computers that we sell all have Bluetooth capability.

Freedive and snorkel modes
Several computers in our range include a dedicated freedive mode that tracks breath-hold dives separately from scuba dives — recording descent rate, maximum depth, bottom time, and surface interval. This makes a wrist dive computer useful not just for scuba diving but for snorkeling and freediving sessions as well, eliminating the need for a separate freedive-specific device. If you practice both disciplines, a computer with a freedive mode is a practical single investment.