Garmin

Garmin Descent X50i

Garmin's premium large-format computer. Touchscreen, sonar diver-to-diver messaging, air integration.

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 X50i
3.8Comparison Score
$1499.99
Buy on AmazonBuy on Scuba.com
Released2024
Max depth rating200m
AlgorithmBühlmann ZHL-16C with gradient factors
Air integrationwireless
Wirelessbluetooth
Display3in color touchscreen
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
  • 3in color touchscreen, the largest and most premium display in Garmin's dive lineup
  • SubWave sonar tech for diver-to-diver messaging underwater, no other brand offers this
  • Up to 60 hours of battery life, T2 tank-pod air integration, CCR support
Cons
  • $1,499 puts it above even the Shearwater Perdix 3
  • Large case size, overkill if you just want a wrist computer
  • Sonar messaging only works diver-to-diver with another SubWave-equipped unit
Diver community sentiment
Mixed opinions

Divers on Scubaboard generally praise the X50i's large, crisp touchscreen display, intuitive menus, GPS/inReach messaging features, and its unobtrusive feel underwater despite being bulky on land, with no signal crosstalk noted versus other brands. Recurring complaints center on battery life falling short of expectations for a modern dive computer (one user reported dropping to 60% after just two dives with a surface interval), the stock elastic strap being poorly designed (dangling material, slow to dry, prone to sliding), wasted bezel space around the screen, and the high price. Overall sentiment from experienced technical divers is cautiously positive on features and usability but tempered by battery/strap gripes.

Scubaboard: Descent X50i experience threadScubaboard: Petrel 3 vs Descent X50i comparisonScubaboard: X50i announcement/reaction 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 X50i is Garmin’s flagship: a 3in color touchscreen, T2 tank-pod wireless air integration, and SubWave sonar for diver-to-diver messaging underwater, a feature no other brand offers. It runs the same Bühlmann ZHL-16C algorithm with adjustable gradient factors as the rest of Garmin’s dive lineup, off a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery rated for up to 60 hours of dive time. It’s a large, expensive unit aimed at divers who want Garmin’s full feature set rather than a minimal wrist computer.