Diving has changed dramatically over the past few years. Advancements in dive gear, training and gas mixtures are making diving safer and allowing divers to plumb depths that, until recently, were considered beyond the limit.

As greater and greater depths are reached, the time we spend at those depths becomes increasingly critical and although dive computers are becoming more popular in sport diving, many divers still rely on a good dive watch for timing dives. And when using mixed gasses in the technical diving realm, the dive watch can be a divers' most important piece of gear.

Besides being a very useful tool, dive watches are also a piece of jewellery that reflects personal style and an individual's interest in a particular activity.

Whether or not it ever gets wet, a genuine dive watch should still be able to perform under the conditions for which it was designed and there are a few criteria to consider when choosing a dive watch. One thing that tends to confuse watch buyers are the terms "waterproof" and "water resistant". There is no such thing as waterproof, the correct term is water resistant even if a watch is tested to 1000 metres. And a good dive watch should have a depth rating of at least 50 metres. Technical divers will want a watch with a higher depth rating. The watch case should be made of a tough non-corrosive material and the crystal should be flush or recessed to avoid nicks and scratches. The face must be easy to read and have luminescent or illuminated hands and numbers. Some dive watches present a great deal of information but if it is laid out well, this should not pose a problem and any buttons that are mounted on the case for the purpose of changing the display or lighting the face should be easily accessible even with gloves on. If the watch has a bezel around the face, it should be a ratcheting one-way bezel that turns only in a counter-clockwise direction. The bezel allows you to time dives and the counter-clockwise direction ensures that any accidental movement of the bezel during a dive will result in an overstatement rather than an understatement of your bottom time, thereby erring on the side of caution. The wrist strap is also an important part of the watch, it should be expandible so as to fit over a wetsuit or drysuit. Last but not least is after market service. A reputable company will stand behind its product.

St. Moritz, the Vancouver-based watch manufacturer, has recently released the SLK ti Chronograph, which offers the latest digital features in a solid titanium casing. Titanium provides light weight with exceptional strength and durability and with a depth rating of 10 ATM or 330 feet the SLK is more than adequate for any sport diving activity. The SLK has a large, double display which allows you to see the time and date or time and stopwatch function simultaneously. Four buttons, mounted around the case, are easily accessible, even with thick gloves on, to change or bring up desired displays. The programmable stopwatch timer can be set for up to 99 minutes with an audible alarm at the end of the desired time. To read the watch in the dark, the touch of a button turns on the electro-luminescent display which illuminates the entire face of the watch for easy reading. The heat-hardened mineral glass crystal is also treated with an anti-reflective coating for easier reading under all conditions. The SLK is powered by a long-life lithium battery which, under normal use should last 3-4 years. The watch strap is made of real rubber and has good stretch allowing it to fit over a wet or dry suit.
For more information contact St. Moritz Watch Corporation, 1140 West 7th Ave., Vancouver, B.C., V6H 1B4. (604) 734-2316. Fax (604) 734-3144.

One glance at Zodiac's Super Sea Wolf will tell you that this is a serious diver's watch. The Super Sea Wolf is an analogue watch, built to withstand the most extreme conditions. It has a depth rating of 1000 metres which is 960 metres deeper than I took it, but this watch has regularly joined members of the Canadian Deep Wrecking Crew to depths in excess of 90 metres. The shotblasted stainless steel case is topped by a scratchproof sapphire glass crystal which is designed to be compression-proof, enabling the watch to withstand tremendous pressure. The double screw-in design of the crown also helps to ensures the water tightness of the case. The large face of the Super Sea Wolf is easy to read. Even in the dim light at 40 metres I had no problem, thanks to luminous hands and hour marks. The face is surrounded by a unidirectional, self cleaning bezel which is shaped and easy to manipulate even with thick gloves on. The stainless steel band has a solid clasp with a reinforced safety buckle.

The presentation of the Super Sea Wolf is impressive. It comes in a natural leather storage case with several accessories including a rubber strap, with an extension piece so the watch can be worn over a dry suit and a special tool for changing straps. Also included in the case is a waterproof, wallet size, set of dive tables. And don't worry about getting water in the leather case, it's also water resistant.
For more information contact Wittnauer International, 188 Wilkinson Road, Unit 3, Brampton, Ontario L6T 4W9 (905) 454-5408.

Some dive watches, besides telling the time, also provide some present status dive information. While this information can be quite useful, these watches are intended to serve as auxiliary or backup instruments and should always be accompanied by dedicated depth gauge.
Casio produces a full line of watches for just about every conceivable activity or occasion. The DEP-600C Twin Sensor is a digital watch but during a dive also displays present depth and elapsed dive time, monitors start and end time for a dive, maximum depth, average depth, total dive time and surface interval. This information is automatically logged and can be recalled for future reference. The log will store this information on the previous 20 dives. The battery powered DEP-600C, with its stainless steel case and mineral glass crystal is depth rated to 200 metres.
For more information contact Casio Canada, 2100 Ellesmere Road, Suite 240 Scarborough, ON M1H 3B7. (416) 431-3747 fax (416) 431-3664.

The Citizen Aqualand Duplex housed in a stainless steel case with a mineral glass crystal is an analogue watch but also displays time digitally. During a dive it also displays current status information such as depth, bottom time and water temperature. Dive information such as maximum depth, dive time, dive start and end times, average depth and lowest temperature is automatically logged for four dives and can be recalled for future reference. The depth indicator will measure depths to 80 metres although the watch is tested to 200 metres. Alarms can also be programmed to sound at desired depths down to 80 metres or for desired dive times up to 95 minutes. An audible rapid ascent alarm will sound automatically when ascent rate exceeds 1.5 metres in ten seconds. The battery powered Aqualand Duplex comes with either a black face with luminescent hands and hour markings or with a luminescent face.
For more information contact Citizen Watch Company of Canada, 380 Bentley St., Markham, Ontario L3R 3L2 (905) 415-1100. Fax (905) 415-1122.

Diver Magazine would like to thank The Diving Locker for assistance with this article.