A short review from a freediver’s perspective. One that doesn’t use the watch for phone notifications but does track health, sleep and fitness (running, swimming, cycling, strength).
My previous watch was the Garmin Descent G1. Is this one better? Overall yes, but there are a few things to consider.
All in all, the G2 is awesome, and the screen is beautiful. It’s lightweight, sits small on the wrist, and is very comfy. The bright screen is easy to read in direct sunlight, although the G1 was slightly better in that regard due to its monochrome display.
Battery
What was also better on the G1 was the battery. I only had to charge it once every two weeks or so.
With the G2, this is what I’ve noticed so far:
Night’s sleep: 4%
Full day of wearing without any activity (7 a.m. – 10 p.m.): 8 – 10 %
Activity: about 6% per hour, but this depends a lot on GPS and screen settings (on/off/brightness).
For me, I move (and track) practically every day. This means about 20% battery usage every 24 hours, so I need to charge it every 4 to 5 days. That’s no big deal to me. I just take it off during my morning routine, and it’s good to go again by the time I leave the house.
So yes, be prepared to charge twice a week. A lot more frequent than with its predecessor, the G1! However, a dive session itself seems to be more battery-efficient than on the G1, not even 10% for a 1-hour freediving session.
Screen and info
The screens, and the information it presents, are highly customizable.
Take Apnea (depth) for example: these are depth-related data that can be shown at a screen and position of your liking: maximum depth, last dive depth, surface time, dive number, last dive time, avg. asc/desc rate, asc/desc time, hangt time, max asc/desc rate.
Plenty to choose from! Of course, key information like surface time and last dive time/depth would be on the main screen, but why not also display sunset time and heart rate?
After the dive, it’s still best to use the app on your phone to analyze the data, but there’s already a lot to see on the watch itself, including nice graphs like these:
For pool (dynamic / STA)
Maybe I was naive, but I expected this next-generation Garmin to support proper lane tracking. It has a movement sensor and a compass, and it should be able to detect turns after completing a lane submerged. But, it doesn’t quite work like that.
For regular pool swimming, lane tracking seems fairly accurate. For apnea, though, you have to get a bit creative. That’s where “Pool Apnea,” the newest activity type on the G2, comes in.
With Pool Apnea, you can build structured training programs, including static sessions. Once you’re in the water, it’s just a matter of pressing “start” and following the workout. Downside it that these training sessions have to be made on the watch itself. That works okay-ish, but I’d prefer the option to program in the phone-app.
I’ll do more testing of this activity type and will update in a week or 2.
In conclusion
Navigating Garmin watches isn’t very intuitive at first, but once you get the hang of it, it starts to make sense. This watch is excellent for freediving and as a health-tracking device. It’s light, sturdy, and the screen is soooo nice. The battery life isn’t bad either.
My advice: buy this watch if you want a solid all-around dive computer that can also serve as your daily wearable. If you’re currently using the G1 and are happy with it, there’s no need to upgrade just yet.