Garmin’s new Descent MK1 is a feature-packed smartwatch built for divers which starts at $999.
This is the company’s first dive computer to offer surface GPS navigation. The stylish device comes with a bright 1.2” color display and watch-style design…
Rather conveniently, diving mode is automatically activated when you hit the water and switched off when you exit. You’ll get detailed real-time info on current depth, dive time, water temperature, ascent/descent rate, no-deco time, decompression stop information and more. Thanks to the built-in GPS the watch precisely logs where you entered the water and where you exited. The GPS will not work under-water, though.
You can even plan your next adventure directly on the device itself. There are modes for single and multiple gas dives (including nitrox and trimix), gauge and apnea. Battery life is up to 19 days in watch mode, 10 days in smartwatch mode, 40 hours in dive mode and 20 hours in GPS mode.
Products such as Rip Curl’s Search GPS is a watch designed for surfers, and it can count waves, track speeds, distances, local tides and distances travelled. But realistically, not all of us can afford specific products for each sport, or higher end smart devices. This is why the more ‘budget’ end of the market is starting to catch on.
Fitbit’s Flex 2 comes with water resistance and can be used when swimming, and as time goes on it is surely natural to expect ranges of products to cater for the needs of individual sports. The recently released Ionic is a step up for the company, its first fully fledged smartwatch that’s water-resistant, too.
Wearables are an exciting prospect for water sports and although still in early stages of use, sports which were previously difficult to learn and participate in can use wearables, and even virtual reality, to become more accessible and trackable. A world where we can practice surfing or paddleboarding in our living room, and track every step of our journeys out on the water, is just around the corner.
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