The dive variometer provides haptic and/or audible feedback to a diver that varies according to their vertical speed, also known as descent rate or ascent rate. The variometer provides feedback by pulsing and/or beeping at a specified depth interval. Every time a diver changes depth by that amount, the dive computer will pulse with a beep, vibration or both.

As a diver changes depth, the pulsing will increase or decrease in frequency according to the vertical speed of the diver. For instance, if a diver is descending at 1 meter/second with the default variometer depth setting of 1 meter/second, the watch will pulse every second. If the diver speeds up to 2 meters/second, the dive computer will pulse every half second. The tempo of pulsing can be used by a diver to understand their rate of ascent or descent.

Variometer Settings

• Status: Enable or disable the variometer.
• Depth: A smaller variometer depth setting will increase the frequency of pulses, while a larger variometer depth setting will reduce the frequency of pulses.
• Direction: Variometer can be set to pulse while descending, ascending or both. The tone is different when descending versus ascending to help differentiate between the two.

High-speed and Low-speed Alarms

A diver can use the high-speed and low-speed alarms to know when their vertical speed is above or below a certain threshold. A low-speed alert could be used to ensure the diver is kicking hard enough to maintain a certain speed, and a high-speed alert can help a diver know if they are going too quickly, which may be less efficient.