Garmin

Garmin Descent Mk2S

A smaller-cased Mk2 for divers with smaller wrists.

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 Mk2S
3.9Comparison Score
$999
Released2021
Max depth rating100m
AlgorithmBühlmann ZHL-16C with gradient factors
Air integrationnone
Wirelessbluetooth, wifi
Display1.2" 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
  • Smaller, lighter case than the Mk2/Mk2i while keeping the full dive feature set
  • Lower price than the full-size Mk2
  • Same Bühlmann ZHL-16C GF algorithm and CCR support as the rest of the line
Cons
  • No wireless air integration
  • Smaller display than the Mk2/Mk2i
  • Still a premium price versus dedicated dive-only computers
Diver community sentiment
Mostly positive

Divers who use the Mk2S as a backup to a dedicated dive computer (commonly a Shearwater Perdix AI) generally report it tracks closely with those units on NDLs, depth, and surface GF across multiple dives, building confidence in its accuracy. The most common gripe is usability polish: the menu system is considered less intuitive than Shearwater's, the ascent-rate alarm is described as overly sensitive, and some features (like Surface GF) were only added later via firmware update. A narrower but recurring complaint is that GPS dive-log coordinates are locked to decimal-degrees with no way to switch formats, confirmed by Garmin as having no such option. Consensus: capable and accurate, but the smartwatch/GPS features are the real differentiator, not essential as a pure dive computer.

Scubaboard: Mk2S vs Shearwater Perdix AI comparisonScubaboard: GPS coordinate-format limitationScubaboard: Mk2-series as a backup computer

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

The Mk2S shrinks the Descent Mk2’s case for smaller wrists without cutting dive functionality, making it Garmin’s answer to divers who found the full-size Mk2 too bulky.