Dive Computers: A Guide for Scuba Divers

Tables used to be the standard. These days, most divers wear a dive computer and for good reason.

The computer monitors depth, time, ascent rate, and no-deco limits in real-time. Tables can't do that. When you go shallower partway through, it updates. A table can't.

Watch-style computers are what most people buy at this point. These are compact, readable underwater, and you'll use them as a daily watch between dives. Console-mount computers are still around but fewer buyers choose them anymore.

Entry-level computers start around a few hundred dollars and handle everything most divers needs. You get depth, time, NDL, a logbook, and usually a basic freedive function. The $500-800 range gets you wireless air monitoring, nicer screens, and more nitrox compatibility.

The one thing people forget is how the computer handles. Certain algorithms are more conservative than others. A cautious computer results in reduced no-deco time. Looser algorithms allow longer time but with less margin. Neither is wrong. It comes down to what you're comfortable with and your diving background.

Check with the staff at a Cairns dive shop who dives with a few different brands cairns dive computer guide before buying. Staff will have honest opinions on what's good versus what's marketing. Decent dive shops have buying guides and comparisons online too