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Garmin Descent Mk3i: Two-minute evaluate
Sitting on the prime of Garmin’s leisure dive watch household, and by extension the best swimming watch for divers, the Descent Mk3i’s AMOLED show – 43mm or 51mm – makes use of a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal lens – one thing that’s extra essential than you may understand in scuba diving, the place you and your buddy could be uncovered to quite a lot of arduous supplies like different watches, knives and the pure topography, similar to rocks and wrecks.
I didn’t deal with the Descent Mk3i any in a different way to how I dive with any of my very own watches (slap it on and neglect about it with out being overly cautious), and to this point, the show has confirmed to dwell as much as its scratch-resistant claims. That titanium case has additionally held up properly throughout testing, however remember that the Mk3 with out air integration is a chrome steel mannequin.
Getting used to the 5 bodily buttons can take some getting used to, however take the time to discover their functionalities, and also you’ll be swimming. And on that, when you’re not swimming and are as an alternative in a dry atmosphere, you should use the touchscreen to navigate the First rate Mk3i.
The place this dive pc stands out in opposition to nearly all of its rivals is with its SubWave sonar know-how, which allows diver-to-diver communication as much as 30 meters. None of my buddies have one among these for me to attempt it with, however you possibly can make sure that I’ve achieved my fair proportion of analysis on the characteristic and it comes extremely really useful. Nonetheless, I’ve simply highlighted the largest drawback of SubWave-based communication – it’s worthwhile to be diving with like-minded Garmin followers.
If you’re in that place, particularly when you’re operating a dive faculty, then you definately’ll additionally love with the ability to monitor the tank pressures of as much as eight divers (who’re inside a tighter 10-meter vary).
In contrast with different leisure watches, the Garmin Descent Mk3i is way nearer to the boundary of tech diving – aside from single gasoline mixes, you may also set it up for multi-gas dives and rebreathers, so when you plan on going deeper or staying for longer, then your requirement to make use of totally different tools and gasses will likely be supported by this high-end watch.
It additionally works all the way in which right down to 200 meters – that’s approach beneath leisure diving limits, however is a welcome improve over most watches, which lower out at 40 meters (round 10-20 metres wanting most leisure diving limits). Many rivals can face up to water pressures right down to 100-200 meters, however they have a tendency to cease monitoring your diving exercise approach earlier than this.
Whenever you’re on land, the sensors take common readings of your coronary heart fee, respiration fee, pulse oximetry and extra to estimate your in-the-moment well being like the remainder of the best Garmin watches, and these metrics feed the Dive Readiness rating.
There’s even a Jet Lag Adviser to supply steerage on gentle publicity, sleep schedule and train – good for these action-packed dive holidays. Though the science behind stopping decompression illness continues to be being developed, we do know that bodily exertion can carry on the consequences, so being suggested of your dive readiness earlier than you get within the water is a useful instrument.
Not like the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which lives on my left wrist 24/7 (aside from when it’s charging), the Descent Mk3i’s battery life promised 30 entire hours of diving, which was greater than sufficient to cowl my weekend of 4 dives. And on the weeks after I wasn’t diving, I made a behavior of charging it on a Sunday night – that 10-day battery life is a game-changer, even with all of the sensors going each few seconds.
Apart from being deep within the Apple ecosystem, the one cause I can consider stopping me from transferring over to Garmin totally is the truth that it nonetheless has a comparatively clunky UI, however that’s arduous to unravel given how unbeatably feature-ridden it’s. It has options like Garmin Pay and a voice assistant, nevertheless it’s not fairly as slick as native Apple or Google watches.
On the entire, although, when you can look previous the excessive value level, I believe the Garmin Descent Mk3i may simply be the very best all-in-one smartwatch for divers you should purchase at present, and even with its four-figure price ticket, it nonetheless represents good worth for cash on the premise that you simply get one of the vital complete and dependable sports activities trackers within the enterprise.
Garmin Descent Mk3i: Specs
|
Part |
Garmin Descent Mk3i (mannequin examined: Carbon gray DLC titanium with black silicone band, 51mm) |
|
Battery life |
As much as 10 days (4 days always-on show, 30 hours diving mode) |
|
Charging cable |
Garmin proprietary clip charger with USB-C connection |
|
Diving depth ranking |
200m |
|
Sensors |
GPS, GLONASS and Galileo satellite tv for pc methods, coronary heart fee, pulse oximeter, altimeter, compass, gyroscope, accelerometer, thermometer, ambient gentle sensor, depth sensor |
|
Fuel mixes |
Air, Nitrox and Trimix, as much as 100% O2; 1 backside gasoline and as much as 11 deco and/or backup gases |
|
Part |
Garmin Descent Mk3i (43mm) |
|
Value |
Begins at $1,400 / £1,250 / AUD $2,500 |
|
Dimensions |
43 x 43 x 14.13 mm |
|
Weight |
68.3g with bands |
|
Case/bezel |
Fiber-reinforced polymer / stainless-steel |
|
Fuel mixes |
Air, Nitrox and Trimix, as much as 100% O2; 1 backside gasoline and as much as 11 deco and/or backup gases |
|
GPS |
GPS, Galileo, GLONASS |
|
Battery life |
As much as 10 days (30 hours diving mode) |
|
Connection |
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
|
Waterproof |
Sure, 200m depth |
Garmin Descent Mk3i: Value and availability
- $1,400 / £1,250 / AUD $2,500 for 43mm
- $1,600 / £1,600 / AUD $3,200 for 51mm
- T2 tank strain transmitter: $500 / £430 / AUD $900
The highest-of-the-range Garmin Descent Mk3i (with transmitter) is a $2,000+ wearable, which places it proper on the prime of its class, nevertheless it might nonetheless find yourself costing you lower than shopping for a devoted dive watch and a second health tracker for land.
To completely profit from the Mk3i’s capabilities, you’ll have to pair it with the T2 tank strain transmitter for a good chunk more money.
In case you’re on a tighter finances, there’s additionally the Descent Mk3. The removing of the ‘i’ in its title means it received’t work with the tank strain transmitter, however it can save you your self some money and decide it up for $1,200 / £1,100 / AUD $1,250.
Garmin Descent Mk3i: Scorecard
|
Class |
Remark |
Rating |
|
Worth |
It’s loaded with extra options than most rivals, nevertheless it’s nonetheless very costly |
4/5 |
|
Design |
Rugged and sturdy design with high-end titanium end on Mk3i fashions |
5/5 |
|
Options |
There’s no denying that is the final word look ahead to outside and diving lovers |
5/5 |
|
Efficiency |
Responsive working system and long-lasting battery life |
5/5 |
Garmin Descent Mk3i: Ought to I purchase?
Purchase it if…
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First reviewed: June 2025