Scuba, apnea and gauge modes, all on a 2.1-inch always-on screen with a backlight that kicks on as you go deeper.
Price: $349.99
Available: November 6
Where to Buy: Garmin
Display and Design
It’s a monochrome MIP panel at 320 x 240 with high-contrast graphics. A button press also turns on the backlight.
Flip-screen mode lets you put the buttons above the display, and custom dive data screens let you group the information you want to see together.
Garmin’s NDL Aware feature shows how depth changes affect your no-decompression limit in real time. The X10 has a 10 ATM dive rating, and its included hinged silicone band fits over a wetsuit.
The body measures 56.4 x 72.2 x 20.2 mm and weighs 130 grams with the band. That silicone strap adjusts from 140 to 360 mm. The lens is chemically strengthened glass, and the case and bezel use fiber-reinforced plastic.
Replacement bezel guards cost $19.99 extra in Amp Yellow, Aqua, Purple Iris and Black. They add protection around the device, while optional 26 mm QuickFit bands give you another way to change the fit or color.
Dive Modes and Alerts
The scuba profile supports single-gas diving with air or nitrox containing 21 to 40 percent oxygen. A basic dive planner covers no-decompression limits. Decompression calculations use the Bühlmann ZHL-16c model with gradient factors, with low, medium, high or custom conservatism settings.
Audible and vibration alarms cover ascent rate, oxygen exposure, no-decompression limits and decompression, and you can also set up to 40 custom alerts per dive mode, triggered by depth or time. A safety-stop timer offers three- or five-minute options, and an ascent/descent rate indicator keeps that information on the display.
The X10 can start a dive automatically when submerged to the required depth from standby. Afterward, the surface status widget brings together your surface interval, nitrogen loading and other dive-status information. It also tracks no-fly time.
Rental Mode
Rental mode is the smartest X10 feature. A dive school, shop or charter can set the experience level, then reset the computer for the next person.
Nobody needs the previous diver’s settings lurking in the menu.
The colored guards have a practical job here, too. They help staff tell rental units apart when several computers come back at once.
The X10 can also sync settings across compatible Descent computers, which is useful if you carry a backup.
App and Battery
Pair the X10 with the Garmin Dive app and it automatically uploads dive logs, tags locations and keeps track of gear. The app’s device simulator runs through full dives with the paired computer. So a new diver can practice using it before getting on the boat.
Bluetooth handles the phone connection, with support for iPhone and Android, and dive entry and exit locations save automatically with the paired Dive app. That location logging comes from the phone connection, not a built-in GPS.
Battery life is rated for up to 50 hours in dive mode or up to six months in standby. Charging uses Garmin’s proprietary plug, and the charging/data cable comes in the box. Pack that cable with the computer.
All of the plastic used in the housing and bezel is recycled ocean-bound plastic. For gear built around time in the water, that’s a welcome choice.
Price: $349.99
Where to Buy: Garmin
Price: $449.99
Where to Buy: Amazon
Garmin’s Descent G1 is also available at Amazon for $449.99, which is $100 more.
For dive shops, the X10’s rental controls and setup sharing make it a practical fleet option. For a first personal dive computer, its large display and practice simulator make it an easy first pick.
