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depth gauge watch

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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ctaut

Well-Known Member
Sep 27, 2004
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0
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I want to buy a watch with depth gauge, but I don’t have too much money to spend for this.
What do you think about Casio SPF-60 watch? It’s a good choose?
Do you know another watch with depth gauge, but witch cost approximate 150$?

Thank you.
 
ctaut said:
I want to buy a watch with depth gauge, but I don’t have too much money to spend for this.
What do you think about Casio SPF-60 watch? It’s a good choose?
Do you know another watch with depth gauge, but witch cost approximate 150$?

Thank you.

I believe that's the only watch for that price, all the other options are more expensive.
 
I got mine for a little over $200, they've gone up a bit but look around you may find a good deal.
 
Hi.
I don`t know about that particular model but I have a Casio with depth guage that is 12 years old(since I got it and don`t know what model it is. It also has a temp guage) and its battery is still going strong which I find amazing. It logs dives and all and has been to quite a depth. Post a pic of the watch, If it is the same one I will vouch for it!
 
Really, I think you would be better off saving up some more money and buying a D3 or one of those new pc's of Erics. Too often I have tried buying something cheaper only to end up spending more money later on what I should have purchased the first time.

First set of scuba regs, depth guage, finis cheapo pvc mono, fins, etc, etc.

Ok this is getting embarrassing. Suffice it to say that I have wasted more money than I care to comptemplate on substandard gear that didnt do the job.

You also have to look at the sampling rate on an electronic depth guage watch. Many meant for scuba have a 5 second sampling rate for depth which is just too slow for freediving most of the time.
 
Thank You for your opinions and for your help. I will wait to save some money and get a D3 watch.
Thenk you!
:)
 
good idea dude. Really, i wanted to buy a watch myself, with a depth gauge and ended up avoiding this option altogether. The reasons:
- a fairly good watch (e.g Casio, Citizen models) with depth gauge are in excees of 150 EUR (at least where i live) while a D3 now sells for just over 200 and it's specifically designed for freediving, including PC interface, a major plus for me at least. You may get one for even cheaper on ebay just look around.

Personally, I went even futher and now i am trying to sell my Vyper computer dive and with the money i was planning to put into a D3 will be a...D6 :) Just want to ask around if anybody used it so far for freediving as it's designed for scuba diving primarely.

So, i know it's easy to say, spend 500 bucks on something good when making that money in a few days but if the cash is two months worth, every buck counts... go for a D3, preferably new
serge
 
What about the Swatch Fun Scuba?
You can get it at ebay for 45-55€
Depth is only measured up to -40m, though.
 
I'm in a similar boat to the original poster. The D3 sounds perfect except for three things: It's out of production now; Apparently spotty reliability; and $250 is good money.

The F1 appears even more perfect except two things: Price; Unproven reliability. The manufacturer's word as a fellow freediver to make it right helps get over the unproven factor, but price is still an issue.

I bought a new waterproof watch (no depth gauge) last Friday. I left it on the changing bench after diving Sunday. I'm glad I only paid $40!

That Swatch sounds intriguing. $90 list and it has some decent freedive features. It doesn't claim any great accuracy- they say it's NOT a scuba diving watch and the measurements are not of a professional or industrial precision. I think it has 2 years warranty.
Here's the instruction page:
http://www.squiggly.com/swatch/p/special/specialtype/howto/specialsubtype/funscuba
 
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Really if I was starting over again, I would buy the F1 that Eric designed in a heartbeat. I am saving up for one now. Just take a look at the stats.

http://www.liquivision.ca/liquivisionf1.html

The difference is in the design approach. Most manufacturers find a watch case and say "How can I cram some scuba stuff in there" followed by "If there is any room left over I will stuff some freedive options in there too".

Eric took a different approach. He looked at all the things he wanted in a computer for freediving and scuba, then designed and manufactured a pc that did all of that. The end result is MUCH better.

  • OLED is super bright and easy to read without fiddling.
  • NO CHANGING BATTERIES. That is a huge plus if you have ever feared flooding a $300+ watch before. Instant loss of property.
  • Easy to use/read your dive logs. I like this one. My old pc made me lick my fingers and tap certain metal contacts in a specific order and read shorthand to try to find my dive logs. No, I am not kidding.
  • 4 LOUD alarms. To anyone who has tried to hear a D3 through a hood, this is a nice touch.
  • 4 depth samples a second. As I said above, most scuba machines only sample every 5 seconds, which is WAY to long for freediving.
  • Digital pressure guage - fewer moving parts and it adjusts for temp/salinity/altitude/etc.
  • Rated for a depth of -275m. Good even for tech diving.
  • Easy pc output of dive logs so you can save and plan your training.

Sorry to gush a bit, but really it's just head and shoulders above the competition. It's good for freediving and scuba, and excels at both rather than being good for scuba with freediving modes tacked on. It's more expensive than a D3, but about the same price as a good scuba computer which is really what it should be compared to functionality wise.

If you need something cheap just for freediving to "get by" with get a D3 and start saving up again. If you want a PC that can handle your freediving and scuba and will last longer than a good set of regs (ie a LONG time) invest in an F1.

Quick summary:
  • Equipment meant for scuba that has freediving options; Mostly crappy and a waste of cash.
  • Equipment made of plastic meant for freediving;good for the short term or those with an extremely limited budget.
  • F1 - Anodized aluminum case, easy to read OLED, rechargeable battery with space for 3600 dives in the log, and a pc that will do everything that you want for freediving plus functions as a fantastic scuba computer; easily the best investment over the long term for professionals or serious divers.

I don't sell these things, but I would think that it's the easiest thing in the world. Anyone who compares dive computers can easily see where you can get the most options and solid craftsmanship for the money.

Heh, maybe I should ask Eric for a part-time job. rofl
 
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