Garmin

Garmin Descent Mk2

A full multisport GPS smartwatch that's also a serious dive computer.

Manufacturer app only

Not supported by libdivecomputer. You're locked into the manufacturer's own app to get dive logs off this computer.

Garmin Descent Mk2
3.5Comparison Score
$1099
Released2020
Max depth rating100m
AlgorithmBühlmann ZHL-16C with gradient factors
Air integrationnone
Wirelessbluetooth, wifi
Display1.4" sunlight-readable color MIP display
Batteryrechargeable
Digital compassYes
Gas typesair, nitrox, trimix
Gas switches12
CCR capableYes

"Gas switches" is how many different mixes this computer can be programmed to switch between mid-dive, mostly relevant for technical/staged-decompression diving. It doesn't tell you which gas types (air, nitrox, trimix) are supported. See Gas types and the product description above for that.

Pros
  • Doubles as a full Garmin multisport GPS watch, running, cycling, heart rate, Garmin Pay
  • MIP display sips power for up to 80 hours in raw dive-battery mode
  • Supports up to 12 gases per dive, plus CCR bailout mode
Cons
  • No wireless air integration, see the Mk2i for that
  • Premium smartwatch price for a computer many divers will only use underwater
  • Stainless steel case is heavier than the Mk2S
Diver community sentiment
Mixed opinions

Divers on Scubaboard and Garmin's own forums generally praise the Mk2 line for its dual-purpose smartwatch/dive-computer functionality, build durability over years of use, and the Subwave sonar system for sharing tank-pressure data with buddies underwater on AI-equipped siblings. The most recurring complaint (largely on the Mk2i, which shares this platform) centers on the Descent T1 air-integration transmitter: lost connections on descent, inconsistent standby behavior, and finicky proprietary charging contacts. A second common friction point is the gauge-mode 24-hour lockout, which some find confusing though veteran posters defend it as a deliberate safety measure. Reports on defect rates are mixed, with some owners logging 40-150+ dives with zero issues.

Scubaboard: gauge-mode lockout discussionScubaboard: Descent Mk2-series impressionsScubaboard: Descent Mk2 mega-thread

Summarized from public forum discussion (Scubaboard, Reddit, and similar), not a survey we ran ourselves. See the linked threads for the original conversations.

The Descent Mk2 is Garmin’s do-everything dive watch: the same device tracks a morning run and a wreck dive. It shares its Bühlmann ZHL-16C engine with every other Descent model, and the main thing separating it from the Mk2i is the lack of built-in wireless tank pressure monitoring.