The fitness wearable market is growing gradually, with manufacturers releasing new and more advanced fitness trackers to help the public lead healthier lives and keep up with their fitness goals. On the same breadth, scuba diving has become a prominent sport, and there’s an increased demand for fitness trackers that support scuba diving.
We have been monitoring the scuba diving community, and some questions are popping up about fitness trackers for scuba diving. So, what fitness tracker is best for scuba diving? And how can you choose the best fitness tracker for scuba diving? Can you scuba dive with a 100m watch? This article aims to discuss these issues and many more. Read On!
Basics for buying a scuba diving fitness tracker
Without the correct information, shopping for a fitness tracker can be a daunting task. But worry not. As scuba diving enthusiasts and fitness tracker experts, we’ll help you make the right choice. We recommend the following points as tips to consider when shopping for a fitness tracker.
1. Deep diving? Buy one for your dives
What type of scuba diving are you planning to engage in? And how deep will you reach? There are two main categories of scuba diving based on how deep one dives: open water diving and deep water diving. Open water diving refers to any dive that reach around 59 feet. Deep diving, on the other hand, refers to divers that go beyond the 59 feet mark.
As a scuba diver, you must choose a waterproof fitness tracker to suit your diving depth and skill. The tracker should also be resilient, have a long battery life, and have GPS, among other key factors. Your choice of fitness tracker should make it easier for you to enjoy your sport.
2. Data is king
Ask yourself what kind of data does the tracker provides. Is the data useful? Will the data help you fine-tune your deep-diving routine and skills? Go for a tracker that provides premium and useful scuba-diving data.
When shopping for a fitness tracker, it is advisable to settle on one that has many sensors. The more the sensors, the wider the information spectrum and the more accurate the information.
3. Can it track your oxygen levels? OK. Perfect
A top-notch scuba diving tracker should not only monitor and provide feedback about your scuba diving activity; it should also monitor your body functions. Make sure the tracker you choose can track your heart rate and blood oxygen.
4. Scuba diving and more
Make sure the tracker you choose can monitor other sport and workout activities beyond scuba diving. We are talking about activities such as walking, running, hiking, and more. Also, make sure the tracker is smart enough to detect your workouts accurately.
A device with exercise recognition technology will automatically start monitoring and recording your workout activities without you having to tell it to start monitoring manually.
5. How much are you willing to spend?
Do your research on different fitness trackers offered by various brands. Compare prices and choose the best price for you. Also, be sure to check the availability of spare parts, and resources on usability.
6. If it’s not waterproof, why check it out?
It is scuba diving, which means you’ll need to invest in a waterproof tracker. But how do you know that your fitness tracker is waterproof or not? Here how.
To verify if a tracker is tested and rated water-impervious tracking devices, check the numbers at the fitness device’s back. The numbers indicate the device’s survival chances in the water. A “1” signifies that the device can withstand dripping water, while an “8” indicates that it can survive immersion in 1 meter or more of water for the period specified by the manufacturer.
There are different categories of water-resistance fitness tracking models. They include:
- 30 m /100 feet – A fitness tracker in this category can only handle splashes
- 50 m /165 feet – A fitness tracker in this category can handle showers and some light swimming. However, you should not put on a fitness tracker in this category while scuba diving. The device would not take the pressure from diving.
- 100 m /330 feet – How much is 100m water-resistant? Is 100m water-resistant enough for diving? How deep can a 100m watch go? Like in the 50m/165 ft water resistance category, a fitness tracker in this category can sustain showers and some light swimming, but scuba diving.
- 200 m/660 feet – How deep can you dive with a 200m watch? Devices in this category can handle all water activity, including light scuba diving.
- 330 m/ 990 feet – This is the best water-resistant category there is. With a device in this category, you can comfortably handle underwater activities.
Scuba diving wearables
I’m always checking out and comparing fitness trackers. For a scuba diver is are nice picks.
1. Cressi Scuba Diving Computer
This fitness tracker has all the things you need to track all scuba diving activities. The computer has three diving programs installed to provide depth, dive times, ascent rate, and all scuba diving data. Did we also mention this tracker ranks high on ‘What is the most accurate fitness tracker 2020?” searches?
2. Apple Watch Series 6
The Apple Watch Series 6 is a scuba diving fitness tracker with impressive features. The device has a waterproof capacity, a built-in compass, heart rate sensors, and a fantastic display. In addition to these, the Apple Watch Series 6 has an advanced mapping system that comes in handy when scuba diving.
3. Willful Smart Watch
This wearable is ideal for scuba diving and all swimming techniques. The fitness tracker is waterproof, and apart from swimming and scuba diving, it also tracks calories burnt. With this fitness tracker, you can easily monitor data on depth, strokes, heart activity, and even sleep. The battery life of this watch can last up to 10 days. The device is also compatible with both android and iOS.
4. Garmin Forerunner 35
Garmin Forerunner 35 is one of the fitness trackers that are ideal for scuba diving. This wearable is waterproof, light on the wrist, and comes very handy in counting strokes. Garmin Forerunner 35 has a high-quality display that enables quick visibility even underwater. It also has a built-in GPS that does not require any phone to track location, distance, and pace.
This fitness tracker has attached heart rate sensors that monitor the heart rate and intensity as you scuba dive. It also has an allocation for remote notifications where you can get alerts from your phone and listen to music. Apart from scuba diving, the Garmin Forerunner 35 is also ideal for swimming and all running exercises.
5. Garmin Fenix 6
The Garmin Fenix 6 is another powerful fitness tracker from the Garmin brand. Like the Garmin Forerunner 35, this wearable has a great display, a powerful 3-axis compass, and a barometric altimeter. The fitness tracker has a heart rate monitor that keeps track of your heart movement when asleep or physically active.
This water-resistant wearable also prides itself on having global navigation satellites that help track location and distance. With Garmin Fenix 6, you can be assured of 48 days of battery on battery saver watch mode and 36 hours on GPS.
6. Garmin Vivo Sport
Garmin Vivo Sport is a waterproof activity tracker suitable for scuba diving and other swimming. The wearable is made of a stretchy rubber band that makes it sit comfortably on the wrist. The material is non-corrosive and is unaffected by adverse water conditions. Apart from scuba diving, the device comes in handy when swimming and kayaking. You will enjoy a 1-year year-long battery life with this device.
7. FITVII Smart Watch
This water-resistant fitness tracker is not only ideal for swimming but also scuba diving. The FITVII has a high-quality display touch screen that helps improve visibility underwater. It also has a monitor system that can track your blood pressure, heart rate, and sleep. You can also map your distance with this device.
Now that you know how to choose a fitness tracker for scuba diving, let’s answer more questions that you may have questions about fitness tracker for scuba diving.
How can I effectively use my scuba diving fitness tracker?
To effectively use your fitness tracker, ensure you choose a model that accommodates your fitness and dietary needs. You should also sync your fitness tracker to your other devices, phone, and computer. This synchrony will automatically upload your progress. Lastly, replace your wearable’s band immediately it shows deterioration signs.
When wearing your tracker, ensure it sits securely, comfortably, and naturally on your wrist. You should position your fitness tracker close to the pulse area for easy heart rate tracking; you should, however, ensure it does not bounce too far from the skin. Such movements could interfere with the readings or expose the tracker to falling and cracking.
Do you wear your scuba diving tracking device all day?
If your tracker can monitor other activities aside from scuba diving, it is advisable to wear it all day and all night if it can monitor your sleep cycle. Having a fitness tracking device on you throughout the day will enable the tracker to assess your daily physical activities. However, you can take a break from your fitness tracker to allow charging and to lessen any discomfort on your wrist.
How do fitness trackers work?
Though they may look small, fitness trackers are complex and use advanced technology to function. They are packed with different sensors that they use to keep track of your activities. Some of the major features in fitness trackers include GPS, Accelerometer, Thermometer, Optical heart-rate monitors, Altimeters, Galvanic skin response sensor, Ambient light, and UV sensors.
These sensors enable fitness trackers to pick up the distance, steps, heart rate, sweating, temperature, altitude, sleep, and more. The data is then processed and presented in a way you can easily understand.
When should you charge your activity tracking device?
We recommend that you charge your fitness tracker after it has used 30% to 50% of its battery. Charging at this range helps extend your battery’s lifespan. There are a variety of power sources that you can plug into for charging. Some of the standard USB charging sources include a computer, a wall A/C, a USB adapter, and even a vehicle power port!
All you have to do is to set your fitness tracker perfectly on the charger. In doing so, you should ensure there is no gap between the charger and the wearable. Also, confirm that your charger is passing the required power.
As a scuba diver, your daily driver should be a water-resistant fitness tracker. Checking out extra features when buying one is a way to weed out tons of options. Comfort and battery life are two good considerations for a wearable. The goal is to track your diving and make improvements.
