The Mares Smart is a durable and beginner-friendly dive computer with a sleek, watch-style design, offering essential features and excellent value for recreational divers.

Final Verdict: ★★★★☆ (4.2/5)

Mares Smart

The Mares Smart is a sleek and durable dive computer designed for beginners and recreational divers who want a reliable, easy-to-use device without unnecessary complexity. Its watch-style design makes it versatile for both underwater adventures and everyday wear, while its robust construction ensures durability in various diving conditions.

With its clear display, straightforward functionality, and essential dive modes, the Mares Smart provides all the tools new divers need to build confidence underwater. Whether you’re exploring shallow reefs or progressing in your diving journey, the Mares Smart offers a dependable and user-friendly experience.

Best For: Recreational divers, beginners, and those seeking a durable, watch-style dive computer.

Design and Build

The Mares Smart combines durability and practicality with a sleek, watch-style design, making it a popular choice for beginners and recreational divers who value both functionality and aesthetics.

Key Features

• Casing and Durability: The stainless-steel bezel and rugged construction make the Smart resistant to scratches and wear, ensuring it can handle regular dives and rough conditions.
• Strap: The soft, silicone strap provides a comfortable fit for a variety of wrist sizes, offering flexibility for both male and female divers.
• Size and Weight: Lightweight and compact, the Smart is unobtrusive underwater and comfortable enough to wear daily, doubling as a functional wristwatch.
• Buttons: The two-button interface is intuitive and ergonomically placed, making it easy to operate even with gloves.

Aesthetics

With its slim profile and modern watch-like appearance, the Mares Smart appeals to divers who prefer a dive computer they can wear both during and after diving. It’s available in multiple color options to suit individual styles.

Durability

The Mares Smart is built to last, with a depth rating of 150 meters (492 feet), making it a durable option for recreational and even light technical diving scenarios.

Score for Design and Build: 4.5/5

The Mares Smart excels in combining a rugged, durable design with a stylish, everyday look. Its two-button interface and lightweight build enhance usability, but a slightly larger screen could improve readability for some users.

Display and Readability

The Mares Smart features a clean, functional display that prioritizes simplicity and clarity, making it an excellent choice for beginners who need essential dive information presented in an easy-to-read format.

Key Features

• Monochrome LCD Display: The high-contrast monochrome screen provides clear visibility, ensuring critical dive information is easy to read underwater.
• Segmented Layout: The display divides information into distinct sections, such as depth, dive time, and no-decompression limits, allowing divers to locate data quickly at a glance.
• Backlighting: The adjustable backlight enhances readability in low-light or murky conditions, adding versatility for night dives or deeper excursions.
• Screen Size: The display is compact and consistent with the Smart’s slim, watch-style design, but it may feel slightly cramped for divers accustomed to larger dive computer screens.

Strengths

• The segmented layout simplifies data interpretation, which is ideal for new divers.
• The high-contrast screen and backlighting ensure readability in various underwater environments.

Limitations

• The monochrome display, while functional, lacks the vibrancy and modern aesthetic of color-screen dive computers.
• The compact size may not suit divers who prefer larger, more spacious displays.

Score for Display and Readability: 4/5

The Mares Smart delivers a clear and practical display for beginners, with excellent contrast and layout. However, its smaller screen size and monochrome design slightly limit its appeal compared to color-display models.

Features and Functionality

The Mares Smart offers a solid set of features tailored for recreational divers, making it a reliable and straightforward option for beginners. Its no-nonsense approach delivers all the essential dive modes while maintaining simplicity for ease of use.

Key Features

• Dive Modes
  • Air Mode: Supports standard recreational diving with essential data tracking.
  • Nitrox Mode: Handles enriched air mixtures up to 99%, ideal for divers progressing into nitrox certification.
  • Free Dive Mode: Tracks depth, surface intervals, and dive times for apnea divers.
• Depth Rating
  • With a depth rating of 150 meters (492 feet), the Smart is more than capable of handling recreational dives and even light technical diving scenarios.
• Decompression Management
  • The Smart utilizes the Mares RGBM (Reduced Gradient Bubble Model) algorithm to provide safe and conservative decompression calculations, suitable for beginner divers.
• Audible Alarms and Notifications
  • Clear audio alerts ensure divers stay aware of critical limits, such as ascent rates and no-decompression time.
• Logbook Memory
  • Stores up to 36 hours of dive profiles, allowing divers to review their performance and keep track of their progress.

Strengths

• Comprehensive dive modes meet the needs of most recreational divers.
• Simple and effective algorithm ensures safe decompression for beginners.
• Depth rating and robust build make it suitable for a variety of underwater environments.

Limitations

• Lacks advanced features like air integration or Bluetooth connectivity for data syncing.
• No customization options for screen layouts or data presentation.

Score for Features and Functionality: 4/5

The Mares Smart delivers essential features in a simple, reliable package. While it lacks some modern conveniences like wireless connectivity, its robust functionality and depth rating make it a dependable choice for beginners.

Ease of Use

The Mares Smart is designed to provide a straightforward and accessible user experience, making it an excellent choice for beginners who need a device that’s easy to operate both above and below the water.

Key Features

• Two-Button Navigation
  • The Smart features an intuitive two-button interface, allowing divers to easily switch between modes and access settings. The buttons are ergonomically placed and responsive, even when used with gloves.
• Clear Menu Layout
  • The menus are simple and logically structured, helping new divers navigate through options such as dive modes, nitrox settings, and logbook review without confusion.
• On-Screen Prompts
  • Clear on-screen prompts guide users through critical operations, such as setting gas mixes or configuring alarms, making it especially user-friendly for first-time divers.
• Compact Design
  • The watch-style design is lightweight and comfortable, reducing bulkiness and ensuring it doesn’t feel cumbersome underwater.

Strengths

• Simple two-button interface ensures quick and hassle-free operation.
• Logical menus and clear prompts make it ideal for beginners.
• Compact, comfortable design enhances usability during dives and everyday wear.

Limitations

• The smaller screen size may make navigation slightly less intuitive for divers accustomed to larger displays.
• Lacks smartphone connectivity, requiring manual logging for divers who want to track dives digitally.

Score for Ease of Use: 4.5/5

The Mares Smart delivers a smooth and straightforward user experience that’s perfectly suited for beginners. Its intuitive interface and clear menus make it easy to operate, with only minor limitations related to its compact screen and lack of connectivity.

Battery Performance

The Mares Smart offers a practical and reliable battery system, ensuring consistent performance for recreational divers and beginners. Its long-lasting battery life minimizes maintenance, making it a dependable choice for those diving regularly.

Key Features

• User-Replaceable Battery
  • The Mares Smart is powered by a CR2430 coin-cell battery, which is easy to replace and widely available. This feature ensures divers can handle battery replacements themselves without professional assistance.
• Battery Life
  • The battery provides approximately 2 years of use for average recreational diving (about 50 dives annually). This longevity is ideal for divers who want minimal interruptions between replacements.
• Battery Status Indicator
  • A clear on-screen indicator notifies users when the battery is running low, providing ample time to replace it before a dive trip.

Strengths

• Long battery life reduces the need for frequent replacements, ideal for budget-conscious divers.
• User-replaceable design minimizes maintenance costs and downtime.
• The widely available CR2430 battery ensures replacements are convenient.

Limitations

• As with all non-rechargeable systems, disposable batteries are less environmentally friendly than rechargeable alternatives.
• Lack of wireless charging may feel dated compared to some modern dive computers.

Score for Battery Performance: 4/5

The Mares Smart’s battery system is reliable, cost-effective, and beginner-friendly. While it lacks the convenience of rechargeable options, its long lifespan and ease of replacement make it a solid choice for recreational divers.

Value for Money

The Mares Smart offers excellent value for recreational divers and beginners seeking a durable, no-nonsense dive computer at an affordable price. Its balance of essential features, robust design, and long battery life makes it a worthwhile investment for those starting their diving journey.

Why It’s a Great Value

• Affordable Pricing: Priced around $300-$350 USD, the Smart delivers reliable performance at a cost that’s competitive for a watch-style dive computer.
• Durable Construction: Its stainless-steel bezel and sturdy design ensure longevity, providing good value for divers seeking a lasting device.
• Beginner-Friendly Features: Simple interface and clear display make it ideal for new divers who don’t need advanced technical capabilities.
• User-Replaceable Battery: Reduces long-term maintenance costs by allowing divers to handle replacements themselves.
• Depth Rating: A 150-meter depth rating offers flexibility for recreational and light technical diving, providing added value for divers exploring a range of environments.

Trade-Offs

• No Bluetooth Connectivity: Divers must log dives manually, which may feel limiting compared to models with wireless syncing capabilities.
• Monochrome Display: While functional, it lacks the modern appeal of color screens found in similarly priced competitors.

Score for Value for Money: 4.5/5

The Mares Smart is a durable, reliable, and cost-effective option for beginners. Its lack of advanced connectivity features is offset by its affordability and strong focus on essential functionality.

Pros and Cons

Comparison

The Mares Smart is one of the top three dive computers for beginners, alongside the Shearwater Peregrine and the Aqua Lung i200C. Each of these models offers unique strengths tailored to recreational diving, allowing divers to choose the best option for their specific needs and budget.

For a detailed side-by-side comparison of these three models, including their features, pricing, and best-use scenarios, visit our dedicated page:

Click here to compare – Shearwater Peregrine vs. Aqua Lung i200C vs. Mares Smart

This comparison page will help you determine which dive computer is best suited for your diving journey, whether you prioritize simplicity, durability, or affordability.

Overall Rating

Here’s the Overall Rating section with the rating table for the Mares Smart:

The Mares Smart is a durable and beginner-friendly dive computer that combines essential features with a sleek, versatile design. With its robust construction, simple interface, and competitive pricing, it’s an excellent choice for recreational divers and those new to the sport. While it lacks advanced connectivity and customization features, its reliability and value make it a standout option for its target audience.

Final Scoring

Best For

• Beginners: Intuitive controls and essential features make it perfect for new divers.
• Recreational Divers: Robust depth rating and multiple dive modes support varied underwater adventures.
• Budget-Conscious Divers: Affordable pricing and low maintenance costs ensure excellent value.

Final Verdict: ★★★★☆ (4.2/5)

The Mares Smart is a reliable and cost-effective dive computer that prioritizes functionality and durability, making it an ideal choice for recreational and beginner divers.

Dive Computers

• Diving Computers for Female Divers
• Wreck Diving Computers
• Beginner Diving Computers
• Low-Light Diving Computers
• Technical Diving Computers
• Freediving Computers
• Underwater Photography Diving Computers
• Cold-Water Diving Computers
• Travel-Friendly Diving Computers
• Multi-sport Diving Computers
• Budget-Friendly Diving Computers
• Advanced Recreational Diving Computers
• Smartwatch-Compatible Diving Computers
• Child-Friendly Diving Computers
• Military or Professional Diving Computers