Dive computers for every kind of diver

If you are newly certified, buy a computer you can read and operate without thinking. Our testers point beginners to the Suunto Zoop Novo, Cressi Donatello, Cressi Leonardo 2.0 and Cressi Neon: large high-contrast screens, few buttons, air and nitrox. The Aqualung i300C is another uncomplicated, affordable option, and the Cressi Da Vinci adds a color screen and is the easiest computer we have tested in a long time.

Skip air integration for now. It is a nice upgrade, not a must, and leaving it out is an easy way to save money on your first kit.

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A watch-style computer goes on at the airport and stays on. The Shearwater Tern and Peregrine give recreational divers Shearwater's clear screen and menus. Garmin's Descent models and the Apple Watch Ultra with the Oceanic+ app add full smartwatch features on land. The trade-off is a rechargeable battery, so pack the charger. The Apple Watch also stops tracking past 130 feet (40 m), so it suits divers who know they will stay recreational.

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If deeper dives or trimix are in your plans, buy for them now so you do not buy twice. Every Shearwater is a computer you can grow into. The Shearwater Perdix 2 and Garmin Descent Mk3i sit at the top and handle extreme technical diving, and the Shearwater Teric puts the Perdix 2 brain in a watch. The Garmin Descent G1 and G2 bring multi-gas and rebreather modes for less than the Mk3i.

Be honest about your diving, though. A Perdix 2 will serve a vacation diver who stays above 80 feet (25 m) very well, but you are paying for features you will not use.

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Under $500 buys everything most recreational divers need, nitrox included. Spend more and you are paying for a color screen, air integration, more gases or smartwatch features. None of that makes a computer safer: entry-level models from trusted brands follow the same core safety principles, and how you use it matters more than what it cost.

Not to get started. Air integration pairs your computer with a transmitter on the first stage, so you see tank pressure, remaining gas time and air consumption in real time. It is a useful upgrade, but it costs more and the transmitter is extra. Keep diving with a pressure gauge either way: a transmitter is an add-on, not a replacement.

Most computers include a nitrox mode, and that covers recreational diving. Multi-gas, trimix and rebreather modes are for technical diving past 130 feet (40 m). A computer that can physically handle the depth is not enough: it needs the software for deep diving, such as multiple decompression gases or trimix.

A watch-style computer is easy to wear every day, and Garmin and Apple models work as full smartwatches on land. A dedicated wrist computer usually gives you a bigger screen for less money, often with a battery that lasts years. Only use a smartwatch that is designed and rated for scuba, and note that the Apple Watch Ultra needs an active Oceanic+ subscription to work in dive mode.

Under $500 gets you everything most recreational divers need, including nitrox. Look for a clear display, simple controls and a trusted brand rather than extra features. A more expensive computer is not safer, it just does more.

Not to start, but it is a smart buy if you dive regularly. Using the same computer on every dive means you know its alerts and how it behaves, which makes it safer and more consistent than a different rental each trip.

We list what several US shops charge for each dive computer and link you straight to the shop, where you buy. Prices and stock change, so check the final price at the shop before you pay. If you buy through one of our links, DIVEIN may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.