TESTCENTRE
Battery life and displays
The standard , rechargeable battery , non-solar G1 has a specified battery life of 25 hours in dive mode , 21 days in smartwatch mode or 48 days in battery saver watch mode . This is less than previous models , and the G1 Solar offers similar performance , albeit with the added advantage of being able to sustain battery duration when exposed to sunlight .
The manufacturer-recommended “ three hours at 50,000 lux ” is a difficult thing to quantify , but I tried a few different methods that helped me top up at home or on the move .
I ’ ll often remove my watch when working at the computer , so placing the G1 at a sunlight-facing window was one option . The other was on long car journeys where I lay the device on my dashboard to soak up the sun quite successfully . There ’ s also a solar intensity graph , which shows its performance over the preceding six hours .
The obvious advantage of this system would be on foreign trips , where simply having the Solar on your wrist over the course of a day should help keep it nicely topped-up . If you ’ re in the midst of a long , dark British winter , then simply revert to the normal clip-on USB charging option .
When wearing the G1 over a bare wrist or a wetsuit cuff , the standard strap should provide ample length , but Garmin ’ s clever quick-release mechanism makes substituting it for the extended version a 10-second job .
The display may be monochrome but it ’ s very easy to read and has a backlight function that can be accessed at the
push of a button for a chosen duration , or left on for the full term of your dive . All the information is concise and although slightly smaller than the others in the range remains perfectly readable . For longsighted divers , this may be one case where prescription lenses become necessary .
As an entry-level diving computer , the G1 / G1 Solar may omit the colour screen and air-integration of the top-of-the-line Descent MK2i , but it has everything else a diver needs to accompany them from recreational air to mixed gas and even closed circuit rebreather .
The more compact size also makes it a much more wearable device for everyday use , and perfect for a multitude of outdoor sports activities such as running , swimming , golfing and training . If that ’ s the case , then this is clearly the computer for you , especially if the more-expensive MK2S is a little too much of a hit on your pocket . Neil Hope
SCUBA SAYS
Garmin redefined and raised the bar of what ’ s expected of a dive computer with the original Descent series . Its latest additions , the G1 and the G1 Solar , offer the same excellent software and operating system in a compact , more affordable package .
61