Question about watch for scuba diving

[rsgillmd]

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I can always ask this question to my instructor, but you guys gave me great help when I was choosing a gun, that I thought I would ask you.

I am taking a PADI scuba diving class. I am done with 1/5 classes. I took my watch off for the class, but afterwards it go me thinking: Do I need a special watch for scuba diving?

I currently wear a watch by Pulsar given to me by my sister years ago. It has an analog display for most of the face, and a digital display at the bottom. It says 100 m on it just above the digital display. I assume this means it is water resistant or water proof to 100 m. But I wanted to check here. I would hate to wreck a watch.

If you think I should get a separate watch, can you recommend one?

Having a watch seems like it would be a good idea so you can have a sense of how quickly you are consuming air as opposed to just how much based on the SPG.

Also on a side note, how do you know how deep you are? In the class we put on the BCD with integrated weights, the tank, and the regulator/SPG assembly. The SPG had a compass and the pressure readings in PSI. I didn't notice a depth gauge. Did I miss it, or is it something you add when you get to open water?

Sorry for the long post. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

 

[sevoflurane]

I spent 2.5 yrs of my life on a caribbean island. Prolly 40 dives during that time. Most between 30-50 meters (more 30 than 50). I never used a watch. Always had a guide. If you plan on diving solo, I would get one, OW, I wouldn't.

Awesome hobby BTW. If you really get into it, start taking your own underwater digital pics and then blow them up. Spectacular beauty down there. Also, do some night diving - It's a different beast:

 

[IlDestriero]

There can be only one...

You really don't need anything with modern dive computers, but it's nice to have a back up timer available for time on bottom and decompression stops. You can never be too safe.

I can always ask this question to my instructor, but you guys gave me great help when I was choosing a gun, that I thought I would ask you.

I am taking a PADI scuba diving class. I am done with 1/5 classes. I took my watch off for the class, but afterwards it go me thinking: Do I need a special watch for scuba diving?

I currently wear a watch by Pulsar given to me by my sister years ago. It has an analog display for most of the face, and a digital display at the bottom. It says 100 m on it just above the digital display. I assume this means it is water resistant or water proof to 100 m. But I wanted to check here. I would hate to wreck a watch.

If you think I should get a separate watch, can you recommend one?

Having a watch seems like it would be a good idea so you can have a sense of how quickly you are consuming air as opposed to just how much based on the SPG.

Also on a side note, how do you know how deep you are? In the class we put on the BCD with integrated weights, the tank, and the regulator/SPG assembly. The SPG had a compass and the pressure readings in PSI. I didn't notice a depth gauge. Did I miss it, or is it something you add when you get to open water?

Sorry for the long post. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

 

[Bertelman]

Your dive computer tells you how deep you are.

I wouldn't trust a Pulsar watch to take you down to 120 ft unless you still have some paperwork saying it is certified for diving.

I agree you don't necessarily need anything, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have something. You will often hit 2-3 dives over several hours. It's kind of nice to know what time it is during the surface time without checking your computer.

This is what I got. Have worn it every day for 8 yrs, still in great shape. Has a depth meter, again it's a nice backup if something were to happen to your dive computer. Can find it online for <$200. Citizen Aqualand titanium.

 

[AAanesthetist]

Waterproof and water resistant are two different things. A real dive watch that can withstand anything you throw at, in terms of diving, it is certified for 300m, and will say Divers 300. There is also divers 100, 150, 200, 250. Diving watches are tested differently, and can withstand much greater depths. "Water resistant" watches were not made to withstand the pressures of diving. Even if it says water resistant to 200m. All that just means is you can put it in your dishwasher.

http://yeomanseiko.wordpress.com/2009/08/29/seiko-4r15-diver-srp043k2/

Here is a good watch review site.

 

[211498]

Seiko automatic

 

[rsgillmd]

Thanks for the info guys. I'm going to hold off on getting one for now. The SPG I used yesterday had a dive computer built into it that showed the depth.

There is an open water dive trip in Florida planned for February 25-27, with the diving being on the weekend. I'll have finished 4/5 classes by then. Our instructor says if she thinks we are ready by the end of the 4th class, and we probably will be, she'll let us go on the trip and use it for our checkout dives. So I'll get a good idea for how comfortable I feel relying on a computer when I do those dives. If I feel I need a watch, I'll get one using the suggestions you provided.

 

[IlDestriero]

Waterproof and water resistant are two different things...
"Water resistant" watches were not made to withstand the pressures of diving. Even if it says water resistant to 200m. All that just means is you can put it in your dishwasher.

As an avid watersports participant and a watch collector for almost 20 years, I would like to clarify for everyone that the above comments are incorrect.
Watches haven't said "waterproof" for over 30 years (at least those sold and marketed in the US) They are all "water resistant". My professional diving watch is "only" water resistant to 1220m.🙄 If it only states "water resistant" with no depth rating, or maybe 30m, I wouldn't trust them in the water at all beyond an accidental splash, or the rain. 100m should be sufficient for swimming and snorkeling and 200m is the minimum currently recommend for scuba diving. It's worth noting that some watches with chrono buttons are water resistant to depth, but many are not. If you are in the water, I would not depress a button on the case unless the manual specifically noted that the pushers were also water resistant to xxx m.
For anyone interested in watches, there are a number of good watch forums out there and many boutique watches that nobody outside of the watch collecting community has heard of at all. You can google "Timezone.com" "watchuseek" "Seiko citizen forum". There are many good ones, but the above are large and have a broad audience. If you're not afraid to drop some serious coin, look at "watchprosite" and "panaristi", there are many Rolex forums as well. The sky is the limit.
Cheers.