Mares

Mares Smart

A simple two-button wrist computer for air and nitrox recreational diving.

Open BLE sync (libdivecomputer)

Syncs wirelessly with third-party apps (Subsurface, Currents, etc.), not just the manufacturer app.

Mares Smart
2.6Comparison Score
$300
Released—
Max depth rating150m
AlgorithmRGBM
Air integrationnone
Wireless—
DisplayLCD segmented display with backlight
Batteryuser-replaceable
Digital compassNo
Gas typesair, nitrox
Gas switches1
CCR capableNo

"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
  • Very simple two-button interface, easy for first-time computer users
  • User-replaceable battery rated for 2-3 years of typical use
  • Doubles as an everyday watch with stopwatch and dual time
Cons
  • No Bluetooth or app sync
  • Single gas only
  • No digital compass or air integration
Diver community sentiment
Mostly positive

Divers on Scubaboard and diving forums generally describe the Smart as a solid, affordable entry-level computer, praising its scratch-resistant mineral-glass screen, sports-watch-like build, simple two-button interface, and strong value (it won a ScubaLab Best Buy award). Recurring complaints center on its small, low-vision-unfriendly display, absence of air integration/compass on the base model, and a limited onboard log capacity that some found inadequate for a multi-day liveaboard. A minority of reports describe reliability hiccups, including implausible decompression readouts on a secondhand unit (other posters attributed it to a defective unit or misreading the display) and a unit traced to a dead battery.

Scubaboard: build quality and value discussionScubaboard: anomalous deco/desaturation readout reportDeepBlueDiving: Mares Smart review

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

The Smart is Mares’s basic wrist computer, built around Air, Nitrox, and Free-Dive modes with nothing extra layered on top. It’s aimed squarely at divers who want a low-cost, low-complexity computer and don’t care about phone syncing.