Garmin

Garmin's Descent line brings dive computing and everyday smartwatch use into one device, and this is the full range Oyster Diving stocks. You'll find watch-style computers such as the Descent MK3i, MK3 and G2, large-screen models including the X30 and X50i, plus the T2 transceiver, the S1 Buoy and the QuickFit and UltraFit straps that finish the setup.

We are an authorised Garmin dealer, we dive this kit ourselves, and you can handle it in Hove before you commit.

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How the Garmin Descent range splits

Every dive computer here is a Garmin Descent, but the range divides into two shapes: watch-style models you wear all the time, and large-screen models built to be read at a glance underwater. Deciding which shape you want narrows the choice far faster than comparing feature lists.

Watch-style: MK3i, MK3 and G2

The Descent MK3i is the premium watch-style option, offered in 43mm and 51mm cases with an AMOLED display behind a sapphire lens, and it covers single-gas, Nitrox, Trimix, gauge, apnea and closed-circuit rebreather modes. The Descent MK3 shares the format and handles recreational, technical, freediving and CCR diving, logging your entry and exit points with surface GPS. The Descent G2 is the more approachable way into the range: same wearable shape, scuba, technical, freediving and apnea pool modes, and a case Garmin builds from recycled ocean-bound plastics.

Large-screen: X50i and X30

If you would rather read your data on a bigger face, the Descent X50i carries the largest display in the range, a 3-inch AMOLED touchscreen that also takes button input so it still works in gloves. The Descent X30 uses a 2.4-inch colour screen with a flip-screen mode, a 3-axis compass and the Buhlmann ZHL-16c model with gradient factors. Both handle multi-gas and Trimix, so neither is a computer you will outgrow after one certification step.

Air integration and talking underwater

The Descent T2 Transceiver is what turns a compatible Descent into an air-integrated setup. It sends tank pressure, air time remaining and air consumption rate to your wrist over Garmin's SubWave sonar, and it can work across up to eight tanks, so you can see a buddy's pressure as well as your own. It is sold separately, not supplied in the box with the computer.

The Descent S1 Buoy extends the same sonar network up to the surface. It relays depth, tank pressure and dive status to the Garmin Dive app, carries preset messages such as low air and recall, and gives you a heading back to the buoy on your computer. It is aimed at instructors, charter operations and dive teams who want a surface crew that can actually see what is happening below. The Super Yacht Ultimate Safety Package bundles the buoy with Descent X50i computers, T2 transceivers and inReach communicators for that exact job.

Straps, bands and getting a fit over a suit

A computer that will not go over a drysuit sleeve is no use on a British shore dive, which is why the strap choice is not an afterthought. The QuickFit 26 and QuickFit 22 Dive Watch bands are wide silicone bands with an extra-long adjustment strap made for wearing over a thick wetsuit or drysuit, and they swap without tools. The QuickFit 26 Dive Watch bands also come as a three-piece dive set.

For everyday wear, the QuickFit 26 Watch Bands change the look of the watch in seconds, and the UltraFit Nylon Straps use a soft dual-layer antimicrobial nylon weave that lets moisture escape, fastened with hook and loop at both ends. The QuickFit Bungee Mount suits divers who want the computer held tight over kit rather than buckled to a bare wrist, and it comes in three widths. Check which band width your computer takes before you order.

inReach: the safety layer above the water

Satellite signals do not reach underwater, so the inReach communicators here are about what happens on the surface: the boat that has not come back for you, the remote shore site with no phone coverage. The inReach Mini 2 does two-way messaging, tracking and interactive SOS over the global Iridium network. The inReach Mini 3 and inReach Mini 3 Plus continue that, and the Mini 3 Plus adds voice notes and photo messaging.

Neither is built to be taken down on a dive as it comes. The inReach Mini Dive Case and the inReach Mini 3 & 3 Plus Dive Case are pressure housings rated to 100 metres, so the unit rides on your BCD and is live the moment you surface. The Mini 3 & 3 Plus case adds a double O-ring seal and a large eyelet for a bolt snap or lanyard. The two housings are not interchangeable, so check which one matches your unit before ordering.

Buying Garmin at Oyster Diving

We are an authorised Garmin dealer, so everything on this page is supplied with UK warranty support. The Descent line sits in the mid-range to premium bracket, and the sensible order of decisions is computer first, then air integration, then straps.

If you are stuck between the watch-style and large-screen shapes, come and handle both. We run demos in Hove, and because we dive this gear ourselves you will get a straight answer about which one suits the diving you actually do.

Frequently asked questions

Which brands does Oyster Diving stock in this collection?

Garmin, and only Garmin — this is a single-brand page. Within it you will find the Descent dive computers (MK3i, MK3, G2, X50i and X30), the Descent T2 Transceiver for air integration, the Descent S1 Buoy, the Super Yacht Ultimate Safety Package, the inReach Mini 2, Mini 3 and Mini 3 Plus satellite communicators with their dive cases, and the QuickFit, UltraFit and bungee strap options. If you want to compare Garmin against the other computer brands we carry, use the Dive Computers collection instead.

Which Garmin Descent should I choose?

Start with the shape rather than the spec sheet. The Descent MK3i, Descent MK3 and Descent G2 are watch-style, so they stay on your wrist between dives and double as an everyday watch — the MK3i is the premium one and comes in 43mm and 51mm cases. The Descent X50i and Descent X30 are large-screen computers built to be read quickly underwater, with the X50i carrying the biggest display in the range. All of them cover more than basic single-gas recreational diving, so the decision is usually about how you want to wear it and how much screen you want.

Do I need the Descent T2 Transceiver for air integration?

Yes. Air integration on a compatible Descent computer needs a Descent T2 Transceiver, and it is sold separately rather than included with the computer. The T2 sends tank pressure, air time remaining and air consumption rate to your wrist over Garmin's SubWave sonar, and it can work across up to eight tanks so you can see a buddy's pressure alongside your own. If air integration is one of the reasons you are buying the computer, budget for the transceiver at the same time.

Will Garmin bands fit over a wetsuit or drysuit sleeve?

The dive-specific ones will. The QuickFit 26 Dive Watch bands and QuickFit 22 Dive Watch bands are wide silicone bands supplied with an extra-long adjustment strap made for wearing over a thick wetsuit or drysuit, and they swap over without tools. The QuickFit Bungee Mount is the other route — a stretch bungee strap in three widths for divers who want the computer held tight over kit. The standard QuickFit 26 Watch Bands and UltraFit Nylon Straps are better suited to everyday wear. Check the band width your computer takes before ordering.

Can I take an inReach satellite communicator diving?

Only inside the right housing, and it will not transmit while you are down. Satellite and GPS signals do not pass through water, so an inReach is a surface tool — the point of taking it down is that it is on you and ready the moment you come up. The two housings are not interchangeable: the inReach Mini 3 & 3 Plus Dive Case is shaped for the Mini 3 and Mini 3 Plus, and the inReach Mini Dive Case fits the earlier Mini-series body, so check which one matches your unit before ordering. Both are rated to 100 metres, and the Mini 3 & 3 Plus case has a large eyelet for clipping to a BCD D-ring.

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