1. Maximize bottom time or maintain a cushion?

Your preference will determine whether you should be looking for a dive computer with a liberal or conservative algorithm (see above). Remember, all dive computers can be made more conservative by programming in safety factors or backing off on bar-graph pixels, but only in very rare cases can a computer be made more liberal.

2. How many gas mixtures?

Multiple gas mixes let you switch to higher concentrations of O2 during deco or safety stops to wash the N2 out of your body faster. Of course, to make this work, you also need to carry a second gas system. If the type of diving you do doesn’t justify this additional complication, why pay extra for a computer that offers more mixes than you use?

3. How much nitrox is enough?

Diving on nitrox mixes exceeding 40 percent requires special training. It also requires gear specially dedicated to these higher mixes. Since virtually all recreational diving is done on either air, 32 percent nitrox or 36 percent nitrox, a DC that’s nitrox capable to 50 percent is plenty for most divers.

4. Air integration?

Some divers like having everything on one screen; others like the idea of breaking out the psi info separately. These days, you can get air integration on both console and wrist-mount-style DCs.

Want more info???

Find everything you need to know about dive computers right here with our All About Dive Computers guide!

Do you know how to read algorithms on your dive computer? Check out our Guide to Algorithms!

Looking for a dive computer? Here's a gallery of some of our favorites!