Double Gauges: Depth and Pressure

Double Gauges

Double gauge consoles are important pieces of safety equipment for scuba divers. They clearly display vital information like depth, cylinder pressure, elapsed time of your dive, and the direction you’re traveling in.

Using Double Gauges for Safer Scuba Diving

Whether you prefer to wear your double gauge on your wrist or attach the gauges to your regulator, you need to select a unit that you can easily read and understand. Plenty of things can go wrong during a scuba dive, so it's best to track as much information as possible at all times.

Double gauges have a few different variables to consider as you shop. Even if you don’t scuba dive very often, you become intimately familiar with your new double gauge so you don’t have to spend vital time deciphering the displayed information.

Digital Gauges vs Analog Gauges

The first thing to consider when selecting a double gauge is whether you prefer a digital or analog model.

Digital gauges generally display more information because you can toggle between different screens and settings with the push of a button. Some digital gauges offer many of the same measurements and data you may expect to find on a dive watch.

While digital gauges can display measurements with a greater degree of specificity and accuracy, many divers prefer analog gauges because they’re easy to read.

Combined Digital and Analog Double Gauges

Some double gauges for scuba diving provide the best of both worlds. The top gauge features a digital format for improved accuracy and quantity of information, while the bottom gauge shows your gas pressure in an analog format.

Metric Gauges vs Imperial Gauges

Scuba divers trained in the U.S. usually prefer to use imperial gauges for the most familiar units of measurement. Imperial gauges display depth in feet and pressure in PSI (pounds per square inch).

European-trained divers are more familiar with metric measurements, so it makes sense to select a double gauge that displays depth in meters and pressure in bars.

High-Quality Brands for Double Gauges

Scuba diving safety equipment is too important and specific to rely on anything but the highest-quality brands. Trusted manufacturers like Aqualung, Scubapro, Cressi, XS Scuba, Genesis, and Mares manufacture a range of must-have double gauges.

Whether you prefer metric or imperial, digital or analog, these and other industry-leading brands are the first place you should look when shopping for important scuba diving safety gear.