🏆 The 3 dive computers in detail
#1
💰 Best value
Mares Puck Lite
Mares' simplest current wrist computer: one button, a sharp segment display and the Bühlmann ZH-L16C algorithm with two gradient-factor settings. It handles a single gas, air or nitrox from 21 to 50%, which covers recreational diving. Bluetooth sends your dives to the Mares and SSI apps, and the CR2450 battery is changed by the user (up to 100 dives according to Mares).
✅ Pros
- · Bühlmann ZH-L16C with two gradient-factor options
- · Air and nitrox 21 to 50%
- · Bluetooth with the Mares and SSI apps
- · User-replaceable CR2450 battery, up to 100 dives
- · One button, watch-style format
❌ Cons
- · One gas per dive
- · No colour screen
BühlmannNitrox 50%BluetoothOne button
Check price on Amazon.com.au →#2
🖥️ Big screen
Cressi Raffaello
Cressi's step up from the Leonardo. Its strong point is a large, high-contrast backlit display, with air and nitrox up to three mixes, plus gauge and freediving modes. The battery can be replaced by the user, and the Amazon.com.au listing mentions a built-in digital compass. The listing we link is the black and red version.
✅ Pros
- · Large, high-contrast backlit display
- · Air and nitrox, up to 3 mixes
- · Gauge and freediving modes
- · User-replaceable battery
- · Digital compass mentioned on the listing
❌ Cons
- · Several colour versions at very different prices: check the one you order
- · No colour screen
Big screen3 mixesFreedive modeReplaceable battery
Check price on Amazon.com.au →The most capable computer of the three: a colour screen you read at a glance, up to three gases from 21 to 99% O₂, a digital compass, vibration alarms and wireless tank pressure with the optional Suunto Tank POD. It charges over USB and is worn like a watch. It was in stock on Amazon.com.au, sold by Amazon AU, when we checked.
✅ Pros
- · Very readable colour screen
- · Up to 3 gases (21 to 99% O₂), Suunto Fused RGBM 2
- · Air integration with the optional Tank POD
- · Digital compass and vibration alarms
- · USB charging, no battery to buy
❌ Cons
- · About 6 to 12 hours of dive time per charge: plan charging on a liveaboard
- · Tank POD sold separately
- · The most expensive of the three
Colour screen3 gasesFused RGBM 2100 mUSB
Check price on Amazon.com.au →🧭 How to choose a first dive computer in Australia
1. Make sure it does nitrox
Nitrox is everywhere on Australian reef boats and liveaboards, because it lengthens no-decompression time on repetitive dives. All three computers here handle it: the Puck Lite one mix at a time, the Raffaello and the D5 up to three.
2. Liveaboard: battery or charger?
On a three- to seven-day Coral Sea or Great Barrier Reef trip you may do four or five dives a day. A replaceable coin cell (Puck Lite, Raffaello) never needs a socket; just start the trip with a fresh one. A rechargeable unit like the D5 needs a USB port every day or two, which most liveaboards provide.
3. Readability in bright water
In clear tropical water with strong sun, contrast matters. The D5's colour screen and the Raffaello's large display are the easiest to read at a glance; the Puck Lite's segment display is sharp but smaller.
4. Keep it simple
A computer you understand beats one you don't. Set your mix and your conservatism on dry land, and learn the no-decompression and ascent-rate warnings before the first dive.
5. One computer per diver
A dive computer tracks the nitrogen loading of the person wearing it. Never share one between two divers or lend it between dives, and always follow your own computer rather than your buddy's.
❓ Frequently asked questions
What is the best entry-level dive computer available in Australia?
Of the models we found in stock on Amazon.com.au, the Suunto D5 is the most complete: colour screen, up to three gases, compass and optional air integration. On a tighter budget, the Mares Puck Lite covers air and nitrox with a Bühlmann algorithm and Bluetooth.
Do I need nitrox on my first dive computer?
It is worth having. Nitrox is widely offered on Australian dive boats, and a computer without it would have to be replaced. All three models in this guide support nitrox.
Which of these computers has a colour screen?
Only the Suunto D5. It is also the only rechargeable model; the Mares Puck Lite and the Cressi Raffaello run on a battery you can replace yourself.
Is a dive computer allowed in carry-on luggage?
Dive computers are usually carried in cabin baggage, which also protects them from knocks. Check your airline's rules on lithium batteries for rechargeable models like the D5.
Why are dive computers expensive in Australia?
Many models are imported and some Amazon.com.au listings are shipped by overseas sellers. Check the seller and the delivery date before ordering, and compare colour versions: prices can differ a lot.