Dive Watch Query - Water Resistant?

[lisabeeren]

What is the conventional wisdom as regards dive watches and water resistance?

For example :

The swatch scuba:

http://store.swatch.com/search/input/scuba/watches/page/1/SUGB102/features

Has a depth meter, etc. but is only water resistant. (presumably as opposed to water proof)

Should one only buy 'water proof' ones? or what?

with thanks

 

[naiad]

I don't know about that watch, it's hard to tell if it is a proper dive watch.

For pool training I use a Timex watch, which has worked well for about 3 years now. It claims to be water resistant to 30m but is not a dive watch. I only use it to a depth of 5m max, when I did 22m I left it on the surface. Better not to risk it.

What do you intend to use the watch for? Scuba or freediving, and in the pool or open water?

Lucia

 

[lisabeeren]

freediving in open water.

 

[naiad]

Maybe better to get a proper diving watch, as it will be guaranteed water resistant to a good depth. I haven't got one, maybe someone will know more.

 

[Cornholio]

I really don't know anything about these Swatch watches, although I was looking at their website a couple of days ago. The watch is rated as water resistant to 200m, which suggests that it is suitable for use whilst diving. I very much doubt that it would leak whilst freediving, unless you are into No Limits

That said, it may not be the most suitable watch on the market, although for the price it is probably quite convenient to have time and depth in the same package.

I have a very cheap Casio that I use most of the time (i.e., it wakes me up, I wear it at work, in the pool, etc.) which is rated to 200m. I seem to recall that the manual stated that it was good for scuba diving and that a watch rated to 100m was suitable for snorkelling. They clearly expect scuba guys to be deeper than freedivers

Anyhow, the Casio has never let me down. I do have a Suunto D3 too, but reserve that for open water dives. I have never had any problems with that either and would definitely recommend one if you budget will stretch that far.

 

[rslomkow]

There is no standard for saying what waterproof/water resistant mean. Or even a depth rating. On most watches the depth rating indicates the pressure that they believe the watch can withstand without breaking.

This is meaningless, because wave your arms wildly at -5m and you can get the same force as being still -50m, knock it against the pool and you can probably match -200m.

Diving instruments are generally designed to actually be used (waved around, bumped into things) at their designated depth.

Please tell if the watch works, because $90 USD is cheap for a bottom timer, and I am sure you could find them even cheaper through re-sellers.

I have broken Timex watches rated to 200m in swimming pools and my Suunto Mosquito is only rated to 99m and I have only taken it 40m but have wapped it pretty hard into some rocks and never had a problem.

 

[Cornholio]

I've done a bit of investigating and it seems that these Swatch watches may not be too useful for anything but the most casual of snorkelling.

1. There is no second hand
2. On the surface, the hour and minute hands function as usual. Below 1m, the hour hand displays depth and the minute hand displays elapsed time.

Cheers,

Gavin.

 

[sheepeck]

Concerning water resistance stated on the watches - it should be understood this way according to recommendation of jewellers and watch salers: