The Ultimate Freedive Computer
Posted By Paul Kotik on 17 July 2006
The investment shows. I tried the F1 last month in the cold, dark waters of Catalina Island. The first thing that struck me was the stark, functional appearance of the device. The F1 does not pose as costume jewelry. I had a tiny bit of trouble threading the limp wrist strap and getting the buckle tongue through a hole, especially in contrast to the semi-rigid plastic straps seen on other models. That, however, is the only point the F1 concedes to any rival.
The first day I dived the F1 at Catalina the visibility was on the order of 5m/16ft, meaning it was pitch black water from 20m /66ft on down. The F1 display was simply brilliant. I didn't quite get the computer down to its rated depth of 275m/902ft (I was having an off day) but on the 35m/115ft bottom the OLED characters were crisp, bright and easily readable from any angle. Even to my aging, presbyopic eyes. I wish my morning newspaper were so readable.
And what a readout! The F1 display provides an array of information that yields a complete picture of the dive and the dive environment. There's a lot of info there, but the ergonomics of the display layout and the OLED presentation make it effortless to absorb it all.
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