Descent MK1 & Apnea Dive Mode

With the Descent MK1, I finally got a device that I can carry on hand, and with wich I can monitor all my sports activities, even diving, and and above all, free diving, which is my favorite sport.

Every year I go to Egypt 3 times (for a week at a time), where every day, in two Apnea sessions, I make between 50 and 60 free dives, that is about 300 in one week, almost 1000 per year. I make all these free dives during recording underwater photos and videos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/primozp/sets/ & https://www.youtube.com/user/PrimozP/playlists?flow=grid&view=1&sort=dd

I just returned from my first holiday in Egypt where I used Descent MK1 (instead of Suunto D4), which I am very pleased with. The device surpasses D4 in all respects and is completely reliable and fast not to mention GPS data on all dives.

However, I noticed a couple of shortcomings and some inconsistencies!
In the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BKWjqLMcTk - Apnea Dive Mode the display of data is mentioned that I do not have on my Descent MK1 (or I do not know how to enable them), and in particular I miss a couple of data that D4 shows during the dive and during Surface interval, but Descent MK1 does not.

During Apnea dive
mentioned in video: time, depth, temp, max.depth -> (video 1'15 ") also HR and ascent/descent
actual in my MK1: time, depth, ascent/descent, max.depth
missing: HR and ascent/descent
I would love to see that you also add: compass (also HR and ascent/descent)

During Surface interval
mentioned in video: screen1 (Surf.Time, Last Dive), screen2 (Time of Day, HR), screen3 (Map)
actual in my MK1: screen1 (Surf.Time, Last Dive), screen2 (Time of Day, HR), screen3 (Map)
I would love to see that you also add: number of completed dives in curent Apnea session, temp, compass

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0 pprimoz over 6 years ago

Because some people misunderstood me (English is not my first language), I'll try to explain my problem with photos!

1)
In the official Garmin footage as well as in photos published by other divers, at Apnea Dive Mode, during active diving phase (MK1 is deeper than 1.2 m), there are at least three different displays on the screen available:

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1879/4...289d3b16_o.jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1849/4...9f30966e_o.jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1859/4...07ea2422_b.jpg

I always see only the third display! How can I change this view so that I can see what the divers on the 1st and 2nd pictures saw on the screen. In short, at Apnea Dive Mode, during active diving phase (MK1 is deeper than 1.2 m) I would also like to see the following data (which I am currently unable to retrieve on the screen)

- HR
- TEMP

2)
In Apnea Dive Mode, during Surf Time, I have available three different displays in three consecutive screens:

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1861/4...613c2da3_b.jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1873/4...8225a143_b.jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1847/4...b4bdee20_b.jpg

which is OK (as expected and advertised). But MK1 could be more compatible with D4 (and in any case it would also be very useful) if the following data were also visible during Surf Time phase:

- number of completed dives in curent Apnea session
-TEMP

3)
COMPASS, that Suunto D4 does not have, should be available in both phases of the Apnea Dive Mode: during Surf. Time and also during active diving (MK1 is deeper than 1.2 meters)

Primož

0 Volker over 6 years ago

Can’t you add the temperature data field as a half transparent data field on the map page? With 5+ series you can add it. (Pic is with two data fields, but just one is possible, too).ciq.forums.garmin.com/.../1401937.jpg

0 pprimoz over 6 years ago

No, not in the Dive Mode!
It is possible in all other sports, but not in Dive Mode. Because of safety reasons (which of course I support), we only have pre-prepared displays that can not be modified.

0 pprimoz over 6 years ago

Not true because I never selected Apnea Hunt.

3rd picture, mine, is apnea (no hunt) without HR because I need alarns. Even if HR Is enabled I never get screen like 1st picture.

I would like to see at least what in 2nd picture is!

0 Garmin-Heath over 6 years ago

Ok, let me do this again, but with the right order of picture since I switched the pictures.

This picture is from Apnea when the Heart Rate is enabled (Dive Setup -> Heart Rate):
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1879/4...289d3b16_o.jpg

The picture below is if you turn the Heart Rate off in Apnea ((Dive Setup -> Heart Rate):
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1859/4...07ea2422_b.jpg

The picture below is from the Apnea Hunt:
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1849/4...9f30966e_o.jpg

0 pprimoz over 6 years ago

So, temperature could be seen only in Apnea hunt? Why???? I always need to see temp and HR or at least temp, not m/s. This should be changed or you could add 2nd screen where all "the missing data" will be shown and 3rd screen with compass.

0 wutzzz over 5 years ago

Can someone please respond to this as a follow-up? Any Garmin employee?

Thanks on advance.

0 pprimoz over 5 years ago in reply to wutzzz

I sent my wishes and comments to various addresses and people at Garmin, but did not receive a single reply.

And so it still bothers me that during Apnea surface intervals I cannot keep track of the current water temperature, current GPS position on map, and above all, I am not able to see the number of completed dives in the current Apnea session!

It also bothers me that during Apnea and Apnea Hunt I can't use compass - not during dive and nor during Apnea surface intervals.

0 ndames13 over 4 years ago

I know this was some time ago, but I have just got my Descent. I am a freediver and starting to feel hard done by with the MK1.

In my mind the main reason for having a freedive computer is safety; the main safety feature of a free dive computer is time the surface interval. While the watch starts timing your time on the surface after ascending, the alarm function is nothing more than a countdown timer of a pre-set amount of time. Even the cheapest of freedive computers have better functions than this! How hard can it be to have that count down time count down a multiple of the length of the dive. i.e 2x or 3x the dive time at the very least. No doubt in this watches smart brain it could do way more like calulate based on depth and time of dive a little like the $150 SEAC Driver.

Have I missed something in the settings? Or is this really what a $1,000 "free" dive watch gets?

Any chance Garmin will do an update for this???

To me the other "preferances" are surely just that, (while can be frustrating) surely this SAFETY feature is pretty key!?