Wearable tech specialist Garmin has launched its first large-format dive computer, the Descent X50i, featuring a 3-inch colour touchscreen display, backup dive light, air integration and diver-to-diver underwater messaging.
The Descent X50i is Garmin’s largest dive computer, its widescreen format representing a significant break from its traditional wristwatch-style computers.
The Descent X50i includes Garmin’s SubWave sonar technology, which enables divers to communicate underwater and monitor each other’s tank pressures, depths and buddy separation.
The diver-diver communication – also now available on the Descent Mk3i launched las year – enables divers to send preset messages such as ‘Are You OK?’, ‘Come to Me’, and ‘Safely End Dive’, across a maximum distance of 30m through a network of up to eight paired T2 transceivers.
The Descent X50i is designed with a 20 atm depth rating and leakproof metal buttons, making it useable at depths of up to 200m. The design and backup light are a clear nod to the technical diving community, but recreational divers who prefer the large display format over the much smaller wristwatch-style computers will appreciate the new design.
The computer is wrist-mounted with dual elasticated straps fitted with arrowhead buckles to enable easy one-handed closure, and an adjustable lock to help prevent slipping.
‘Whether scuba diving, cave diving or seeking out shipwrecks, we know how important it is to have the most accurate data at all times,’ said Dan Bartel, Garmin Vice President of Global Consumer Sales.
‘Featuring a big, bright display and 20 atm dive rating, the new Descent X50i is the perfect dive computer for technical divers and a great option for recreational divers who want to clearly see key stats and critical information while exploring the underwater landscape.’
Garmin Descent X50i key features
- Air integration: monitor remaining tank pressure (when paired with a Descent T2 transceiver)
- Monitor other divers: See tank pressure, depth and distance of up to eight divers up to 10m distant (all divers need to be networked through a Descent T2 transceiver)
- Diver-to-diver messaging: send preset messages to other connected divers, up to 30 meters away using Garmin’s SubWave sonar technology
- DiveView maps: with preloaded bathymetric depth contours of more than 4,000 dive sites worldwide.
- In-dive depth chart and history: view depth history in real-time to better understand how it might affect the decompression plan
- Ascent dive profile: visualize an ascent plan through the Projected Ascent data field, which shows a projected depth profile associated with the current Time-To-Surface (TTS). The chart also plots depth over time and displays decompression stops and gas switches.
- Tide data: check nearby tide data to stay up-to-date on ocean conditions (when paired with a compatible smartphone)
- Dive compass: underwater (and surface) navigation using a 3D compass
Garmin Descent X50i specifications at a glance
- Size: 62.4 x 98.3 x 24.5 mm
- Weight (with bands): 280 g
- Display: 3″ diagonal; 640 x 360 pixels RGB
- Battery life: medium brightness (default): 16 hours
- Max depth: 200m
- Modes: single-gas, multi-gas, nitrox, trimix, CCR, gauge, apnoea
- Multi-gas: 1 bottom gas, up to 11 deco/backup mixtures
- PO2: up to 2.0 with customisable deco setting
- Algorithm: Bühlmann ZHL-16c with gradient factors
- Air integration/diver messaging: with T2 transceiver
Garmin Dive app and GPS
Dive logs can be uploaded to the Garmin Dive app, enabling divers to review dive data, track gear usage, take notes and share dive details through the app.
The computer is also kitted out with a built-in GPS capability to give an overview of more than 4,000 preloaded dive site locations and help divers track surface entry and exit points.
Extra details and points of interest can be added through Garmin’s DiveView maps app, an extension of the preloaded TopoActive maps app.
