In the past you did not technically need a dive computer to do your divemaster course, you could pre-plan your dives with dive tables, so you knew what dive profile you had to stick to during your time in the water. in laymen’s terms this means you planned how deep you could go and for how long with out running the risk of decompression sickness, which you can get if you absorb too much nitrogen in your bloodstream while you dive.

Now adays the PADI divemaster syllabus takes into account the use of Dive computers, because, quiet frankly yo would be nuts not to use one.

The computer takes away all the maths, and constant planning and figuring out how long you have to wait between dives which is a real pain in the butt, because it does it all for you. I would equate diving with out a dive computer to being equal to taking an algebra test with out a calculator.

Now we are not saying that you don´t need to know how to compute all this manually, you should – especially if you are serious about becoming a divemaster, but a computer makes you life as a diver 100 times easier.

If you are doing the Thailand Divemaster course or the Philippines divemaster course you can buy a dive computer on the Islands, you would pay roughly the same amount you would pay back in the UK, depending on exchange rates, how much you spend depends on your own personal tastes and budget.

Many go for a fashionable wrist watch style which they can wear as an everyday watch as well. Makes you feel a little bit like James Bond or Micheal Knight from Knight Rider knowing you have a special clever watch that comes alive when you get it wet, but that is entirely optional!You may get some funny looks if you start talking into your watch or attempt to use it to magnetically unzip girls wetsuits.

The larger dive computers are just as good, something like a Suunto Zoop (or Gekko the older version). These cost a little over £100 and Ebay is a good place to start.

Just remember if you are buying second hand you need to make sure the battery is fresh, some dive computers are pressure sealed and can not be easily changed in Koh Tao, they have to be sent off to a specialist in Phuket, so ask before you buy if the model you are looking at can have the battery replaced easily or if it requires special attention.

Here is a link to Dive Computers on Ebay, and you can also see all our gap year diving programmes here.