Exciting New Features for Divers

By Wayne Tu ｜ Instructor Trainer ｜ Molchanovs, AIDA 

It’s always thrilling to see an update packed with features we’ve been eagerly anticipating! Two weeks ago, after a refreshing dive session, my Mk3i prompted me for an update. As a tech enthusiast, I was excited to dive into the update and uncover what’s new.  

Garmin’s latest update for the Connect and Dive apps brings some fantastic enhancements that will make your diving experience even better. One of the most awaited features is speed/velocity tracking. Finally, you can see your dive speed without needing a calculator—something every freediver can appreciate. You can scroll through the data to check how fast you were going at specific depths, with the speed data overlaid on your depth profile. This is perfect for those working on their efficiency in both finning and freefall. Additionally, alerts triggered during your dive are now clearly marked on dive charts. 

I personally loved the feature of overlaying different dive profiles together, such as depth profile and heart rate. This allowed me to observe my relaxation levels after the session. Typically, in a depth session, your heart rate will drop into the 30s if you’re relaxed, especially during a hang. By reviewing my warm-up dives with the heart rate overlay, I could better understand which warm-up style works best for me. 

Overlaying the depth and velocity profiles provides great insights into your dive. While speed isn’t always the most critical aspect (relaxation is), for those aiming to refine their techniques, a minimum of 0.8m/s is a good benchmark. 

The app also now allows you to store and manage your certifications. Often, we’re required to present certifications to access certain dive sites like Dive Cube and Y-40, but when internet access is unavailable, it can be a hassle to retrieve them. Now, you can store all your certifications in one place, complete with QR codes, photos, and other details, making it easy to present them when needed. 

Another fun new feature is the introduction of badge collection. Garmin has been doing this with other sports on the Garmin Connect App, and now it’s available for diving. Earning badges for your achievements can be a great motivator to keep diving and avoid becoming a couch potato. A suggestion to take this feature even further would be to reward users with a free watch face upon reaching certain levels, adding an extra layer of motivation. 

Now, let’s dive into the updates for the Mk3i watch itself. One of the standout new features is the ability to add disciplines to your dive profile. This is a game-changer, especially if you train in various disciplines. Keeping a detailed record of your dives has never been easier. However, to make this feature even better, it would be great to see the ability to add disciplines to the dive log filters, allowing for more efficient progress tracking. It would also be beneficial to have the capability to mark different disciplines during a session directly on the watch, though currently, you can still edit this in the Garmin Dive App afterward. 

Another fantastic addition is the immediate display of your dive profile on the Mk3i as soon as you finish your dive. This is particularly useful for those who don’t bring their phones to the water. It’s also a handy tool for freediving depth competitions when testing ropes before the first performance. As a competition safety judge, I think it would be helpful to have a manual scrolling feature to review each second and depth in detail. Lastly, the watch now records hang time with greater accuracy. You’ll only get credited for hang time when you actually stay at the bottom, making your logs more accurate than ever. Gone are the days of mysterious extra seconds being added to your dive log. 

With all these fantastic new features, it would be amazing to see Garmin introduce the ability to track headings and underwater paths using the gyro and compass in the watches. This would allow us to “see” dive sites when reviewing our logs, making the experience even more immersive. 

Conclusion : A Leap Forward for Divers 

In summary, Garmin’s latest update for the Mk3i and its accompanying apps is a significant leap forward for divers of all levels. From the new app features like speed tracking, certification management, and badge collection, to the watch enhancements such as improved dive profiles, instant post-dive data, and precise hang time recording, these updates make tracking and analyzing your dives more intuitive and accurate. As we embrace these exciting updates, we can only look forward to what Garmin might introduce next to make our underwater adventures even more enriching.