Dive Computer Guide: Worth the Investment

Tables used to be the only option. Today, most scuba divers use a dive computer and they should.

A dive computer monitors your depth, bottom time, speed of ascent, and NDL in real time. Dive tables are a fixed calculation. If you go shallower mid-dive, the computer recalculates. A table can't.

Wrist computers are what check it out the majority of divers use now. These are small enough, readable underwater, and you'll wear them as a watch as well. Console models are still around but not as many divers choose them anymore.

Basic computers go for around $250-400 and cover everything the average diver would need. They give you depth, time, NDL, a logbook, and often a basic freediving mode. Stepping up to mid-range includes air integration, nicer screens, and extra mix modes.

What new divers forget is conservatism settings. Some models are more cautious than others. A cautious algorithm results in shorter no-deco time. Liberal settings extend bottom time but at reduced safety margin. Neither is wrong. It comes down to your style and how experienced you are.

Worth talking to someone at a Cairns dive shop who dives with various computers first. Good dive stores will give you real-world feedback on what's good versus what's hype. Most good dive stores put out product guides and comparisons on their sites as well