Review: Mares Smart Dive Computer

Having a dive computer as a scuba diver is an essential, modern tool that can help you stay fully aware of your dive data. Searching through the various competing models can be a time-consuming task. We want to provide you with product reviews that are both detailed and thorough, filled with useful information all in one place, and today we will look at four dive computers, starting with the Mares Smart dive computer. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert diver, there’s a worthy dive computer on this list for you. 

Our main unit of interest is the Mares Smart dive computer. The Mares Smart dive computer is a powerful wrist watch model that will deliver incredible data readings regardless of your dive level. As we check out each model, we examine their design specifications, special features, price points, and overall function. We hope that you use this article to explore the four competing dive computers and learn more about which dive computer may be the best to add to your gear. The Mares Smart Dive Computer creates new and useful combinations to boost your dive performance and streamline data tracking.

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What Is The Mares SMART Dive Computer?

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This versatile and intuitive wrist unit offers users comprehensive controls and settings plus ergonomics and comfort. The Mares Smart dive computer is an advanced unit carrying two buttons for moving through menus, a slim body, an LCD back-lit display, scratch-resistant mineral glass, bottom time, water temperature, and custom audible alarms. 

The Mares Smart dive computer is an innovative and useful unit with many features great for advanced and expert divers who also want a discreet aesthetic. You can wear the Mares Smart dive computer as your daily watch that doubles as a dive computer, which is a useful feature in case you are someone who likes to go for spontaneous free dives. 

This wrist watch dive computer combines function, progressive technology, and seamless design to deliver an all-in-one life-saving tool. The Mares Smart dive computer aims to give divers more flexibility when programming and storing dive data. While underwater, this unit can adjust its top row information independently of its bottom row information. 

The Mares Smart dive computer is an easy-to-use unit that can reach deep depths of 150m with comprehensive dive settings and a segmented display for clarity. This dive computer is great for diverse dives and can track multiple gas combinations. Ideal for scuba diving and free diving, the Mares Smart dive computer is a durable and compact device that will dive with you for many sessions and years to come. 

Product Specs

The Mares Smart dive computer will take you deep underwater with comprehensive and detailed dive data without cluttering the user interface. This unit is great as a wristwatch for your days away from the water. The watch mode features a calendar, temperature reading, alarm, and stopwatch.

You can store up to 36 hours of dive statistics on the Mares Smart dive computer and rely on its CR2430 Li-ion battery, which has an incredible life of nearly 200 dives. The Mares Smart dive computer is powered by an RGBM Mares-Wienke algorithm to calculate your dives and depths with precision. Reaching up to 150m below the surface, the Mares Smart dive computer is a capable device whether diving in fresh or seawater.

This unit can perform firmware upgrades and link with a Mares PC interface for data downloads. This unit is recommended for entry level to advanced level divers who want a reliable, high-performing and lightweight smart computer great for everyday wear. Its display is made of scratch-resistant mineral glass relaying clear and easy-to-understand metrics with a simple interface.

You can quickly cycle through your menus and dive information with its two-button, minimalistic design. The Mares Smart dive computer has some unique features such as surface interval countdown, pre-dive planning, dive log recall, and EAN/Nitrox mode, which gives you the ability to monitor 2 gases from 21% to 99% O2. We like the Mares Smart dive computer for its well-rounded watch mode, dive depth of 150m, ascent rate indicator, lithium battery, and 36 hour dive log.

Pricing 

The Mares Smart is a moderately priced high-performing and sleek double function dive computer / wrist watch that offers many settings while preserving usability. You can purchase the Mares Smart wrist watch dive computer for around $$$ on mares.com or amazon.com.

How It Compares

We picked a few similar products available on the market to see how they compare.     

• Cressi Leonardo
• Suunto Zoop Novo
• Oceanic Geo 2

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• Max Depth
• Ease of Use 
• Special Features

4.5/5 Stars

The Mares Smart dive computer goes to great depths reaching up to 150m, giving you more room for exploration and potential dives. Altitude adjustments are possible.        

4/5 Stars

The Mares Smart carries a lot of features which make this computer into both a dive tool and an everyday wrist watch. Dive specs are easy to read and the display is bold. Everything has its own intuitive position and data is consistently shown in the same place on the monitor. Its firmware can be easily updated and customer service through Mares is knowledgeable. It is properly sized to fit both large and small divers with various wristband color options.          

The Mares Smart is filled with useful and comprehensive settings helping give this unit many practical uses. We like the Smart dive computer for its sleek design, easy-to-read display, ascent monitor, and straight-forward control buttons.

Pros

• Two button interface is easy to use
• Clear, bright, segmented display
• Sleek design
• Diverse functions
• User-friendly design
• Quality design
• Ideal for beginners

Cons

• Watch alarm is quiet
• No USB transfer cable included
• Poor user manual, needs more detail

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Next we discuss the Cressi Leonardo, a simplistic single button dive computer interface powered by a Cressi RGBM algorithm for accurate calculations. Equipped with decompression calculations, multi-gas monitoring modes, ascent rate reports, surface interval times, and depth readings, the Cressi Leonardo is a comprehensive yet minimal dive computer.

It will take you as deep as 120m with live readings of temperature, nitrogen absorption and release, and your available inert gases. The Cressi Leonardo will help you plan several dives and store up to 60 sessions of statistics and metrics. Its single button controls functions with several shortcuts, so it is important to spend time learning how to operate the device to optimize your control. We like this device for novice divers explicitly who are looking for an affordable dive computer that will keep them safe and precisely calibrated even in semi-deep waters.

• Max Depth
• Ease of Use 
• Special Features

4/5 Stars

The Cressi Leonardo is a moderately deep diving computer reaching up to 120m below the surface. We think this is a great unit for novice divers who aren’t reaching 150m.    

4/5 Stars

This dive computer by Cressi is well-designed and responds quickly to menu browsing or setting adjustments. It is easy to plan dives, review dive metrics, monitor multiple gases, and gauge water temperature on descents. The Cressi Leonardo model will automatically begin a fresh the dive record as it senses a descent.

We like the Cressi Leonardo dive computer for its thoughtful and minimalistic design requiring the use of only one control button. This unit also has many colors to choose from plus a safety stop to help to alert you of a deep dive or expired dive. The screen is clear and bright, and the device takes accurate decompression calculations.

Pros

• Clear, bright display 
• Easy operation and minimalistic design
• Affordable
• Detailed and useful user manual
• Water temperature gauge

Cons

• Strap is oversized
• No mode for air integration
• Missing an ascent alarm
• Chunky design

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Our next dive computer on the list is the Suunto Zoop Novo. This is a great beginner diving computer that is sleek and sturdy enough for professional use. This unit is great either as your main dive computer or as a backup unit. Its large and dot matrix screen gives crisp data readings plus a bright, back-lit screen.

It is equipped with audible dive alarms, four control buttons, memory for up to 140 hours of dive metrics, 5 unique dive modes, and diving depth of up to 100m. The Zoop Novo is stocked with a clean interface and lightweight body of 120g. You can take this dive computer to ice-cold waters and hot beaches in the tropics, as it is built to endure tough environments.

The altitude settings are adjustable up to 3000m, accompanied by a PO2 display of 17.4psi – 23.2psi. With the Suunto Zoop Novo you can choose between a back-lit display or natural, sun charged glow-in-the-dark monitor. The Suunto Zoop Novo is a durable and high-performing dive watch with variable settings and an impressive memory. This unit will satisfy advanced divers and excited beginners.

• Max Depth
• Ease of Use 
• Special Features

3.5/5 Stars

Although the Suunto Zoop Novo is a comprehensive dive watch, at just 100m max-depth we feel the body of this unit may appeal to higher-skilled divers if it could go deeper. 

4/5 Stars

The Suunto Zoop Novo is a reliable and clean device that displays bright and large values for quick identification underwater. Its control buttons are intuitively placed and programmed for minimal menu scanning while covering essential metrics.

We like the Suunto Zoop Novo for its easy-to-use interface, sleek and durable design, and extensive memory capacity. This device could be an awesome and well-rounded unit with the addition of a digital compass. Consistent and powerful computing.

Pros

• Great value, solid and reliable computing system
• Ideal for novices to advanced users
• Comfortable wrist strap and device ergonomics
• Customizable back-light modes
• 5 distinct dive modes
• Minimalist menu design

Cons

• Short surface intervals
• Missing a digital compass

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The last dive computer we review in this article is the Oceanic Geo 2. The Oceanic Geo 2 is a safe and well-monitored dive easily accessible by beginners searching for adequate max depth with dual-gas monitoring and various dive modes. You can customize this unit as a wristwatch or dive computer. 

The Oceanic Geo 2 is equipped with a full-function air/Nitrox system giving you control over your gas supplies and specific dive stats. You can read O2 percentages of 21% to 50% and store up to 24 dives of data and metrics. You can easily adjust the altitude settings of the Oceanic Geo 2 from 916m to 42000m. This unit comes stocked with a CR2430 Li-ion battery and a system that allows for manual or water data recording activation.

• Max Depth
• Ease of Use 
• Special Features

4/5 Stars

The Oceanic Geo 2 performs well here, bringing you to 100m below sea level with precision statistics and systems monitoring. At this price, we feel this model and the Suunto should offer greater depths (150m). This model would appeal to experts or professional divers more if it allowed for extra depth.

4/5 Stars

The Geo 2 has a user-friendly interface with easy controls after a learning curve is endured. Its display is large and features neatly placed values. Great for beginners or novice divers and for advanced divers who may want a backup device.         

With the Oceanic Geo 2, you’ll be able to track dives and time in one device. It is easy to transfer dive metrics between your wrist device and computer, although the additional USB cable is sold separately. It is easy to operate once you have fully customized the settings and spent some time with the interface.

Pros

• Comfortable ergonomics and size
• Dual algorithm option
• Bright and clear values, nice display
• Compact as your daily watch and dive computer in one device
• Great for recreational dives and novice sessions

Cons

• Missing a built-in compass
• Accessory USB cable for data transfer is very expensive
• Simple unit for high-end price
• Manual needs better instructions

Conclusion

Though each device is useful and unique in its own ways, we feel the Mares Smart dive computer delivers great value with extensive settings. Overall, we rate the Mares Smart computer 4.5 out of 5 stars for its easily upgradable firmware, sleek design, wrist-watch mode, and bold, segmented display monitor. We recommend the Mares Smart dive computer for any diver who needs a reliable, long-lasting, multi-purpose dive watch that will keep you properly calibrated and safe even on deep dives of up to 150m.