Looking to get a dive watch for my son. He is a diver but would probably use more as all purpose. Any suggestions under $150? (he is in the marines and concerns about loosing or getting stolen).

Elaine, I don't know of any dive watch for that price...they are pretty expensive. Good luck

Hi Elaine,
I just get a watch that is waterproof/resistant to 100 meters.. Once I got an Anne Klein dress watch that I wore in the water diving for years.. You have to really look at the back of the watch to make sure.. when I go watch buying I take a magnifying glass with me to read the tiny print on the back of the watch..and for anywhere from $40 to $75 I get a watch that lasts for a couple of years{until the battery needs to be changed, and then it won't be water proof anymore unless you send it back to the company}

(Message edited by scubahb on September 19, 2006)

I just did a www.google.com search of "waterproof watches" and came up with a slew of them under $100.. Fossil has a few nice mens watches that are good to 100 meters {not that he would ever go that deep I hope..}

Elaine,

My husband and I buy Timex marathon watches, from Target, they are waterproof to 130 ft and have all sorts of internal and stop watch features too, in case he is in training in the marines. They are around 50 US..

Elaine, check with your local dive shop. They will either have dive watches in stock, can order one or know where you need to look. You can also check with one of the mail order dive catalogs ie: Leisure Pro or Scuba.com.

I do know the one David has was around $200+

Hope this will help you make your decision.

Andy

Elaine,

I guess that by dive-watch [in this price range]you don't mean one that integrate computer, but an all purpose that will work well while diving. May I suggest the good old Casio G-shock. I use it for years in very watch-unfriendly conditions and it never fails [your son will appreciate it during training]. It is rated to 50 or 100 meters, and it will survive more! You will get it well within the price range.
yuval

you can get the luminox navy seal watch for that - if you can get a marine to wear something that says navy on it

Timex expedition series...usually under $50.00 at your local Target store. It is good up to 100 meters. Mine has logged several dives and keeps on ticking.

Bob and I have Casios that are good to 300 meters and didn't cost the earth. We have been very pleased with them.

As bob says, the Luminox is a great choice, always illuminated when it's dark, never needs to be "charged up" due to using tritium. We've been wearing them for years, a little savvy shopping on e bay you should be able to get one within your budget

(Message edited by seb on September 20, 2006)

Don't buy a 'shark' watch. These are usually found in sporting goods stores & some dive shops. I went through at least 3 of them before I realized that they suck for diving. I used to wear them all of the time for swimming. They're supposed to be good to 100m, but it's a lie. Ironically, the 'shark' knockoff watch I bought at Target for $12 is still going after at least 50 dives.

I "third" Bob and Seb's thumbs up on the Luminox. So darn bright you can almost use it as a flashlight! Great, simple dive watch with a very smooth rotating bezel for timing. They even make certain models that don't say "Navy Seals." Hah!

Wow, I guess I was thinking of the mosquito, scubapro, extender, etc. (dive COMPUTER watch) good to know there are some watches that are not so pricey out there! I have a watch that says it's good to 130 feet...and I wore it on every dive on one dive trip just because I was lazy and didn't want to have to take it off...well, it was wet by the end of the trip!

Hi all,
Whatever watch you do wind up (pun intended) buying, make sure to give it a soak in some warm fresh water after the dive(s).
And, if you buy the luminox, when the batteries run down, don't bring it to your local jewelry store. My local jewelry shop put a new battery in for me and, next dive, it leaked.
mare

Oh- I second on the Timex Expedition series!! I bought one several years ago as a last minute thing 'just in case'- the darn thing has been on over 50 dives now and will NOT DIE!! (I was kind of hoping that it would so I could get a classier one- this has your basic velcro strap). I wear it all the time to work because I am a nurse and wash my hands a lot. The strap is going to wear out before the watch does. In fact- I think that my first dive watch is still alive in the drawer- I needed to get something with a bigger face so I could read it easier- but I looked- its still in there telling time!! (and I bought THAT one probably 8 years ago.) But yes- do soak the band after diving otherwise it will get that seawater stink and you will wonder when you go out to dinner where that awful smell is coming from!!

From the Seiko website:

Question: What does water resistant really mean?

Answer: Two-thirds of all Seiko watches are designated water resistant. (Government guidelines prohibit manufacturers from labeling their watches "waterproof.") While you might think a water resistant rating such as "water tested to 50 meters" would mean that someone could safely wear a watch, say, scuba diving, it's really not that simple. Why? Because testing is done in still water, with a stationary watch. Movement greatly increases pressure, so it's necessary to translate the water resistance ratings into practical guidelines.

From the least to the most water resistant, the ratings are as follows:

* Water Resistant These watches have withstood testing to depths of 24 to 30 meters (100 feet) and will tolerate splashes of water or rain, but should not be worn while bathing, showering, washing dishes, swimming or diving. Watches with this designation will have the words Water Resistant engraved on the caseback.
* Water tested to 50 meters (165 feet) Okay for showering, bathing, dishwashing and swimming in shallow water. Not while snorkeling or scuba diving. The designation engraved on the caseback will be Water Resistant 5 BAR (BAR is a European equivalent of the international measurement ATM, or "atmospheres." To calculate the water-tested depth in meters, multiply the BAR number by 10.)
* Water tested to 100 meters (330 feet) These watches are suitable for swimming and snorkeling, but not scuba diving. The caseback designation will read Water Resistant 10 BAR.
* Water-tested to 150 meters (500 feet) These watches can be worn for general water sports, including snorkeling. The caseback designation is Water Resistant 15 BAR.
* Water tested to 200 meters (660 feet) These watches can be worn for general water sports, including snorkeling and skin diving (without scuba gear). The caseback designation is Water Resistant 20 BAR.
* Diver's 150 meters (500 feet) Meets ISO standards and is suitable for scuba diving.
* Diver's 200 meters (660 feet) Seiko's diver's watches with the Water Resistant 20 BAR designation on the caseback are our most water-resistant models. They can be worn for recreational scuba diving but not for professional deepwater diving.
------------------------------------------
Conclusion: it's a gamble, but the cheaper ones might work for you...and many do. I'd stick with the 50m or 100m ones, myself.

- Mel

If you just want a watch which will work for diving, and not one with depth, etc., go to eBay and search for "Timex Humvee" They don't make it any more, but someone is selling them for about $32 delivered. I've used mine on maybe 50 dives. I usually time the dive with the stopwatch function, and set up the countdown timer ahead of time for timing my safety stop. Buttons are pretty easy to use, even with gloves. I just bought another one, for BB to use on our trip to Bonaire (9 days and counting).

The Timex watches that are rated 200M allow the buttons to be pressed underwater; their others don't.

I paid $20 bucks for my Timex Marathon 3 years ago. We are due at Dive Inn Oct14th for two weeks of diving and my Timex is still ticking. It is a 50m watch and I use the buttons underwater every dive... Ron

Citizen Aqualand BJ2000-09E...an absolutely amazing watch!!! I have over 200 dives on it, with more than 50 of 100'+ including 184' on the Windjammer. Sun powered [no battery, no winding], adjustable rubber strap [with NDL tables!] and a built in dive guage that is as accurate as my dive computers! It's +/- $250 online, and worth every penny! Your son will love it. I think I'd weep if anything ever happened to it!

I have the "shark" watch Jenny was talking about I think (it has a little shark logo on the band) and I LOVE mine! I wear it for everyday use in Bonaire and also underwater. I've had it for about 5 years, changed batteries once, and it works great!

search luminox on ebay and you can find something within your budget on a "buy it now" auction.

If $$$ was no issue, it'd be hard to beat the Rolex Sea-Dweller!

"Designed to respond to the toughest demands of professional mariners and the spectacular exploration carried on in the development of underwater research, the authentic Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller is guaranteed to be waterproof to a depth of 1,220 meters/4,000 feet."

Some of these watches do not fit in with the questioner's criteria "less than $150"

I have used the Casio "G" Shock for almost 20 years now...love it! Rog

The two most important features of an analog dive watch are a screw-down crown and screw-down back. If an analog watch doesn't have both, it will probably leak. St. Mortiz makes a good one for around $100. You might also be able to find a Casio Marlin series on eBay.

I use a Casio "G" Shock as a back up timer on all my dives. The one I have now has at least 200 dives on it, many of them down to more than 100fsw. Hasn't failed yet. I use all the buttons underwater with no ill effects. You can buy them at discount stores for under $50.

I have a Casio stainless steel dive watch with rotating bezel, water resistant to 100 meters ($62 on Amazon.com). But for actual diving, I use a Suunto Mosquito. For around $240, Suunto also makes a nice "bottom timer," which has all the features of a dive computer (depth, time, temperature, alarms--but no decompression tables. But if he's mainly going to use it as an everyday "surface" watch, something like a Casio or Timex might be better. Some of the advanced G-Shock Casios have dozens of features like compass, barometer, elevation, GPS, etc.

I have a cheap digital dive watch that's about 10 years old. My Cousin originally bought it for about $30 or $35 and I bought it from him in 1998. I still use it, the batteries have never been replaced and it just keeps on working. It has all the features you'd expect of a dive watch so as a previous poster recommended, check your local dive shop.

Look for a Timex Helix dive watch on Ebay. They do not make them any more but it is what we use as a backup for our Cobras. Records the dive time, depth, temp. They generally go for around $60, just make sure that it is the dive version (they made several different watches under the Helix name).

Another good option is to go to www.leisurepro.com. They have the best online prices and a very wide selection.

A third option is to find a Seiko outlet store. They will generally have very good watches for less than $150. Mine cost me $90 about 6 years ago.