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If you are considering the purchase of a new diving watch, here are some things you should consider before you purchase a new diving watch. 1. Water resistance. Obviously, every diving watch is going to be water proof; they wouldn't last for a minute otherwise. But how much water resistance in truly needed? After all safety limits recreational divers to a maximum depth of 130 feet, so any diving watch that meets that depth should be acceptable, right? Wrong! When companies test the water resistance rating of a diving watch, the test is performed in controlled circumstances. The ratings do not account for any other potential events that could play into the water resistance of the watch. Basically, the tests represent the resistance to water penetration under the assumption that there is no movement of the watch or the water, at a particular depth. Obviously, these test settings do not simulate realistic diving conditions where your watch is likely to be knocked around. If your watch is smashed when it is near the extremes of its depthrating, it may fail. To guarantee that your diving watch does not give out at depth, be certain to get a watch with a water resistance rating equal to at least twice the maximum depth you'll be diving at. 2. The watch band. For a diving watch there are only three types of bands you should consider: titanium, stainless steel, and rubber. If you are considering a rubber band, be sure it's actually rubber and not some rubber-like material. Rubber bands are handy in that they are easy to adjust so they can easily be worn directly on your wrist or over your wet suit. One negative with rubber diving watch bands is that they can be sliced; if you perform a lot of wreck diving, you may want to consider a metal band. If you are looking for metal band, it should invariably be titanium or stainless steel since these metals are resistant by rust and corrosion. Stainless steel is a cost-effective, well tested material and it remains an excellent selection for diving watches. More recently, titanium has become an option. It is stronger than stainless steel and one half the weight. Regardless of the metal you opt for, make sure to get a wet suit extension so that watch can be worn over your wet suit when you are using one. 3. Analog or digital Almost all dive watches fall into one of two categories (although some combine both): analog or digital. The analog watches are the traditional dial-faced watch. If you are thinking about this type of watch, make sure it has a unidirectional bezel (to time your dive) and bright luminescence (so that you can see it at depth) including on the bezel. Analog watches tend to look great, but they usually have fewer diving-related features when compared to the digital diving watches. Digital watches usually come with a slew of advanced functions that can help divers keep track their dive status. Features such as water temperature, depth readings, separate gauges for timing the breathing mixture in one's tank, and programmable alarms. Several digital watches have a feature that allows you to record the data from your dive which can then be downloaded from the watch to a your computer. 4. General Ease of Use Look for feature that will make your new dive watch easy to use in dive conditions. Things such as a non-scratch crystal (so that you can read your watch), large and easily accessible buttons for use with gloved hands, and hardy construction so that your watch will give you years of use. Finally, check the reviews for the diving watch you are considering. Looking at a watch in the store or on the internet, it is really difficult to be sure how well it will work in actual dive conditions. By consulting the reviews of people that have actually used the watch, you will get a better idea if this diving watch will work for you.
Article Source: http://www.phalenes.org/articles
William is long-time diver and a life-long watch collector. You can read his diving watch reviews at watch-reviews.com.
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