Is a Dive Computer Worth It?

Years ago, dive tables were the standard. Today, nearly all recreational divers use a wrist-mount computer and they should.

Your computer monitors your depth, bottom time, ascent rate, and NDL in real-time. Tables give you a static plan. When you move between depths mid-dive, the computer recalculates. A table can't.

Wrist-mount computers are what the majority of divers go for now. They're small enough, readable underwater, and you can use them as a regular watch as well. Console models are available but not as recommended reading many people go that way anymore.

Entry-level computers run about $300-odd and handle everything a recreational diver would need. You get depth tracking, dive time, no-deco limits, log function, and sometimes a basic apnea mode. Mid-range includes transmitter compatibility, improved readability, and additional nitrox options.

What new divers forget is how the computer handles. Certain computers are more conservative than others. A conservative computer gives you shorter NDL. More aggressive algorithms give more bottom time but at reduced buffer. Neither is wrong. It just your style and your diving background.

Check with people at a dive shop who uses multiple brands before buying. They'll offer honest opinions on which ones hold up versus what's marketing. The better Cairns dive stores have buying guides and rundowns on their websites too