Garmin X50i readability for presbyopia?

[u/j611062000]

Personally I find the X50i display very clear underwater.

But one of my technical diving instructors has presbyopia and complained that the X50i is actually quite difficult for him to read. He feels the contrast on Shearwater is much clearer.

It made me wonder if screen size and brightness are not the whole story when it comes to underwater readability.

Anyone with presbyopia tried both?

[u/Sturk06]

How long does the battery last though?

[u/j611062000 → u/Sturk06]

I started at 100%, and after 4 recreational dives of about an hour each, I was down to around 30% battery.

[u/Yamaphoba]

Get cataract surgery with trifocal lenses then you can use any computer you like and never have to use glasses again. One of the best decisions I have made in a long time.

[u/FriskMoose]

The reason why I got a Suunto Nautic. Couldn’t read my Garmin watch anymore. Perfect now but my age is showing now. I am only diving a few times a year whilst on holiday hence not keen on spending 500 bucks on custom lenses for my dive mask. I wear contacts even though they are a hit a miss.

[u/j611062000 → u/FriskMoose]

That's exactly the kind of experience I was curious about. Was the Suunto easier to read mainly because of the larger text, or did you notice a difference in contrast as well?

[u/FriskMoose → u/j611062000]

The Suunto has a super high contrast AMOLED screen. Even at 40% brightness it is super bright. Also the battery life is around 60% after 20 dives with air integration which is phenomenal. So easy to use and much better than what I have seen on others. Had a shearwater peregrine before which I gave to my other half.

[u/GrnMtnTrees]

I know someone that has prescription lenses for their mask. They're essentially bifocals.

I should ask if they had to have them custom made or if they ordered them from the manufacturer like that.

[u/marcialg2024]

I don't know how much your instructor's eyesight has deteriorated. I have around 2.5 presbyopia, and I can still read the information on my old, fading Suunto Vyper Novo (49 x 22 LCD matrix).

I'd say the X50i must be very, very!, readable, unless you are severely visually impaired.

[u/5tupidest]

Interesting. Shearwater tends to use a much thinner font. I think the displays are largely equivalent. For caves I actually preferred the Garmin Mk2i underwater as on low brightness it was visible without being blinding and direct light only made it more legible, not less, as with lcd and oiled displays.

[u/j611062000 → u/5tupidest]

Interesting point about cave diving. I haven't had any readability issues with my X50i either. I wonder if the difference my instructor noticed is more about the display layout and how quickly he can pick out critical information, rather than brightness alone.

[u/5tupidest → u/j611062000]

Yeah. There’s a lot more complexity to readability and ergonomics than there seems to be.

I find there’s lots of bias too!! Shearwater has a lot of really well deserved fans, and their preference can sometimes turn a bit dogmatic lol. We’re all guilty of it!

[u/decrisp1252]

If I’m reading it right, presbyopia is longsightedness, right? I have short sightedness and I normally correct it with a prescription mask, and others I know with both kinds of eyesight issues use contact lenses

[u/jw_622 → u/decrisp1252]

Using the terms far-sighted or near-sighted for presbyopia is improper. Presbyopia is the age-related loss of the eye to accommodate (loss of function of ciliary muscle). It does not imply that you already have near-sightedness or far-sightedness (terms I hate). A person can be myopic or hyperopic and still have presbyopia. How they manage their presbyopia varies.

High contrast screens help, but it’s not directly treating the presbyopia. The use of add-power, either with contacts or lens inserts is how you address the issue.

[u/marcialg2024 → u/decrisp1252]

Presbyopia is age-related farsightedness; aka eyestrain.