Anyone here use the Garmin descent mk1?

I'm trying to decide between the Garmin mk1 which is a lot but the hunt mode is amazing as well as the GPS to mark good spots. It comes with a lot of other features as well which is great and is able to be recharged. My other option is the suunto d4i Novo. This is strictly a diving watch. I can also use both for scuba which I do every once in awhile.

I'd like to hear as many opinions as I can about each.

0 atj777 over 3 years ago

I've had my Mk1 for almost 3 years. It is a good dive computer as well as a good sports watch. It is my every day watch as well as a backup dive computer.

I say good rather than great because it could have been so much better if Garmin cared about it at all. There are a number of dumb design decisions and the support from Garmin is pretty poor.

By poor support I mean regularity of updates, time it takes for them to fix bugs, difficulty in getting answers.

I've never had a Suunto so I can't compare - but I have heard a lot of bad things about Suunto.

0 TheMtotheJ over 3 years ago

I've had my Mk1 for about 2 years now and am a fan. The diving features fit what I do perfectly (mostly freediving/spearfishing with occasional recreational scuba) and has been my daily watch since I got it. I also use other features of the watch almost daily with the different hiking/running/cycling activities and have used the mapping/navigation features traveling around Asia and all features have worked nearly flawlessly. The basic smartwatch features also work well for me as I never had a need for something as intense as an apple watch but it is nice being able to see who is calling and to be able to check the weather quickly on the wrist.

That all being said, it is very disappointing how Garmin has neglected this watch and its community with a significant lack of updates and the feeling like users have been ignored or left behind. Garmin has said this is because it is an older device based on the Fenix 5x but the 5x is still getting regular updates and better support. With the Mk2 now released it definitely seems that this device will not be supported by Garmin for much longer.

Would I recommend it? Depends on what you want from a watch. If you see yourself using the other features regularly (running, mapping, etc) I'd say go for it. One thing I absolutely would not recommend at this point is paying the full retail price for this watch. It blows my mind that with the Mk2 out and an apparent end of Mk1 support looming that Garmin is still selling this watch at $1000 USD. If you really want it, again I do like the watch, look for a sale or discount somewhere.