# Can I dive with a 30m WR watch? An empirical experience



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

We often see around the forum new topics asking questions like: "can I shower with my 8000m WR watch?" or "can I be at the pool with my 100m WR watch?"
Unless these questions are a sort of preemptive excuse to get a new tuna (in which case I fully support it and would answer "no! Are you crazy? You NEED a tuna for your pool party!), I always thought the risks and effects of water on watches have been extremely exaggerated within our community. 
We often hear about dynamic pressure (which I think is BS) and other hazards. 
I had no way to prove my point so I decided to make a test myself on my recent dive trip to key largo. 
Enter the Casio A158W-1, a 30m WR watch available on Amazon for less than 15 bucks:







(pic stolen).

So I set up an prepare to get wet:










Since it is common knowledge that a Rolex DSSD is about the minimum you need to stand a hot tub, I am sure my Casio will stop working as soon as I jump into the wat...










Oh.

Well, it is sure a matter of time, the light seals can probably stand a couple minutes but certainly after a while everything will break and the watch will fail...










Uh?

Time goes by...










I go through my dive and the watch keeps ticking...










Well, that didn't go as expected really. 
Back on the boat I was puzzled, and quite sure that the watch will eventually burst into flames at night, succumbing the unbearable effort it went through during the day.

In the morning I woke up, and to my biggest surprise, the $15, 30m WR Casio was still working.

Upset by its arrogant will to live, I decided to give it a lesson: I was about to dive the USS Spiegel Grove, a ship wreck situated in approximately 30m of water.

How dare you cheap watch resist the hardship of the deep? Why did you upset the gods of water resistance and dynamic pressure?
We will see how you handle 20m!










Mumble, pretty well apparently. 
How about 24m?










This is not going as planned. 
30m!










30m for longer time!










Well, I am starting to feel uncomfortable, so cut to the skx009 to distract me a second










Midway through the dive and this little bastard is still alive. 
I am now convinced this watch is capable of black magic, and start to fear its wrath.










Back on the boat, surprisingly the Casio did not explode tearing apart my arm in the process to punish me for having tested it. 
I consider myself lucky I am alive (I should probably say that it let me live)










This morning, it was still there, defiantly working and keeping great time. 
I will sacrifice small animals to it in order to avoid his vengeance.










So, what can we conclude?
While obviously 1 test cannot mean ALL 30m WR watches can stand diving (that was not the point of this test), I think we can confidently say that fear of water in 100m WR watches and above is probably overblown. 
I have learned, to my utmost surprise, that a 30m WR watch is water resistant to... Uhm... Approximately 30m (WHO KNEW?).

Thanks for reading and cheers from Seppia!


----------



## gillmanjr (May 17, 2012)

lol nice test. Where were you diving? It looks like Florida Keys waters to me, I've done hundreds of dives down there.


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

Yep Key Largo


----------



## mdsaitto (Aug 27, 2014)

this so awesome Seppia 

great idea for thread/review/article and excellent execution with awesome pics and irony all around


----------



## knightRider (Jan 6, 2013)

Nice! - thanks for the effort :-!


----------



## CM HUNTER (May 16, 2011)

Absolutely one of the best threads started in some time. Is it going to put an end to the goofy "can I shower with my dive watch posts", or the even more absurd "unless you have lume on the bezel and center seconds hand, have a lume pip, etc, etc, etc, you don't truly have a dive watch" nonsense, unfortunately you know it won't. The irony will be ignored by most.


----------



## valuewatchguy (Jun 16, 2012)

This was great! This reminds me of the durability tests that were done on the Seiko BFK a few years ago. Okay so let me make sure I understand, does that mean my MM300 will survive swimming in the surf this summer in Florida? 

How come you didn't inaugurate the Alpina?


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

Thanks to all for the kind words 
I did not bring the Alpina as I was not sure it could handle the diving, have to test it in the shower first


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

CM HUNTER said:


> Absolutely one of the best threads started in some time. Is it going to put an end to the goofy "can I shower with my dive watch posts", or the even more absurd "unless you have lume on the bezel and center seconds hand, have a lume pip, etc, etc, etc, you don't truly have a dive watch" nonsense, unfortunately you know it won't. The irony will be ignored by most.


I always wanted to respond "no, no, nooooooo!" to all the "at least 261836383m WR for your shower" posts, but never had any "evidence" to support any of my claims, except from my experience. 
When I was 5 years old (sadly, 30 years ago), my dad gave me a swatch (a regular, 30m WR one) for me to learn how to read time. 
I wore that watch till I was 15, day and night, and swam with it in the lake (I am from lake Como in Italy), in pools, showered with it, etc. 
it went through two battery changes, it was never pressure tested or anything obviously, and it never failed due to leaks. 
So I decided to do this test, and keep it light hearted. 
I picked a $15 Casio for two reasons:
1- as much as I was confident it would not fail (at least the first shallow dive), I would not have done this with my speedmaster reduced (I am a financially average guy)
2- wanted to prove it with the cheapest possible watch 
Happy it worked, it was fun for me and now I will finally be able to respond to the users that claim you need a screw down crown to brush your teeth directing them here


----------



## matthew P (Aug 1, 2013)

I guess the only pressing issue to still address is...

"how does the "ZOOP" wear under cuffs? - Can you wear it in the board room?"


----------



## Tym2relax (Oct 23, 2008)

That was a fun read. Thanks Seppia, well done.


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

Thanks for your question Matthew, all I can say is that it wears smaller than the pics suggest (go pro has fisheye effect), so I think it will work on a 6.75+ wrist. 
Its specs suggest it's just a little smaller and thinner than the last LE seiko MarineMaster 1000m presented at Basel FYI


----------



## GregoryD (Jan 31, 2009)

Fantastic, funny, and entertaining post. Someone make a sticky out of this!


----------



## ckelly49 (Dec 31, 2009)

I was on the edge of my seat in disbelief all the way through. Fantastic thread.


----------



## andrewlogan1987 (Jul 9, 2013)

Great thread well done


----------



## Toothbras (Apr 19, 2010)

Very nice write up, without humor this forum will slowly decay and die, thanks for the laugh!!

PS-- All hail the mighty Casio, now you must sacrifice an Invicta in its honor each day to keep it appeased and stay vengeance free!


----------



## whiterabbit05 (Mar 7, 2013)

I'd like to see it go beyond 30M until failure.


----------



## Nemoskywalker (Sep 12, 2014)

Clearly the best thread I've read in quite a while! This should become a reference to paste on "can I wash the dishes with my Sub threads"


Inviato dal mio iPhone utilizzando Tapatalk


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

whiterabbit05 said:


> I'd like to see it go beyond 30M until failure.


I wanted to, but I was diving on Nitrox so couldn't go any deeper than 34m for security reasons. 
The plan is to bring this same watch on all my future diving trips and see how it performs. 
Next February I'm probably heading to Turks and Caicos and I'll bring it to 40m.


----------



## dmcutter (Apr 5, 2006)

I'm jealous. I was in Key Largo just about a year ago exactly and the wind kicked up halfway through the week and it got too rough to dive. I was supposed to do the Spiegel Grove at the the of the week but never got the chance. Interesting that your computer is set up for meters instead of feet, and you need a new wetsuit...


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

dmcutter said:


> I'm jealous. I was in Key Largo just about a year ago exactly and the wind kicked up halfway through the week and it got too rough to dive. I was supposed to do the Spiegel Grove at the the of the week but never got the chance. Interesting that your computer is set up for meters instead of feet, and you need a new wetsuit...


Sorry for your dive, hopefully you'll be able to do it in the future, the Spiegel is really majestic. 
If you are a low consumption guy I would recommend you pick your partners well: I am not a pro by any means but had to get back to the ascent line with 1800 psi because a couple of divers were already at 1000. 
If you are overweighted and do not have good buoyancy control the current will have you suck air pretty fast. 
Not a big deal because you obviously always dive the weakest profile but I would have liked an additional 5 minutes, it's that great. 
Yes I use the metric system because I'm European, I have been living in the U.S. five years now but still my genetics refuse to assimilate the imperial system, I just like the simplicity of the 1-10-100-1000 much better 
As for the wetsuit, I love to travel light so it's always rental for me. Since I don't live in a dive area (nyc) I think the additional costs of service and transport outweighs the advantages of having my own.


----------



## matthew P (Aug 1, 2013)

Seppia said:


> Thanks for your question Matthew, all I can say is that it wears smaller than the pics suggest (go pro has fisheye effect), so I think it will work on a 6.75+ wrist.
> Its specs suggest it's just a little smaller and thinner than the last LE seiko MarineMaster 1000m presented at Basel FYI


.

The buttons on your ZOOP are very dressy, Ive been looking for a good dress dive computer , this may be a good choice if it fits under my french cuffs.

Appreciate your thoughts. Do you have any opinion on what you think other people may think of me if I wear this in the board room?
It dosnt say professional on the dial - that worries me a bit as Id hate to be thought of as an amateur?

PS - that whole "diving" thing looks like fun, I'd like to try it one day, thanks for the pictures.


----------



## calquail (Apr 4, 2014)

Great post. I know what you mean about partners and consumption. I dove a lot many years back and my dive partner and I would switch tanks about 1/2 way through as I always had lots of air left.

John.


----------



## 59yukon01 (Aug 27, 2014)

What a fun read and love your humor!!! To say I'm jealous that I'm not there diving also would be an understatement. I to have often rolled my eyes at all the "can my 200m watch withstand a warm shower posts". By the way WHERE"S YOUR TUNA IN THE WILD PICS???


----------



## vintageguy (Mar 22, 2009)

do people give you grief when they see you wearing it?


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

matthew P said:


> .
> 
> The buttons on your ZOOP are very dressy, Ive been looking for a good dress dive computer , this may be a good choice if it fits under my french cuffs.
> 
> ...


Thanks again for your reply Matthew. 
Regarding your concerns:
- I have had my tailor fit me a custom shirt with special 10.5" diameter cuffs, now the zoop slides under it like a champ, problem solved!
- I agree the silver buttons seem quite dressy, I am thinking about a customization (have them made of solid gold) to give this subtle timepiece the punch it needs to be recognizable from 3km (approximately 2 miles) away. 
- no "professional" on the dial: major downside, I agree with you, but I've solved this by wearing my wetsuit and tanks above my dress. 
Customers are sometimes puzzled by my outfit, but there's no confusing me with a n00b now
Kind of like this: https://alligatorwine.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/http-makeagif-com-media-9-27-2013-8try92.gif



59yukon01 said:


> What a fun read and love your humor!!! To say I'm jealous that I'm not there diving also would be an understatement. I to have often rolled my eyes at all the "can my 200m watch withstand a warm shower posts". By the way WHERE"S YOUR TUNA IN THE WILD PICS???


I dove with it last December, I had to baptize the skx009 this time


----------



## matthew P (Aug 1, 2013)

Seppia said:


> Thanks again for your reply Matthew.
> Regarding your concerns:
> - I have had my tailor fit me a custom shirt with special 10.5" diameter cuffs, now the zoop slides under it like a champ, problem solved!
> - I agree the silver buttons seem quite dressy, I am thinking about a customization (have them made of solid gold) to give this subtle timepiece the punch it needs to be recognizable from 3km (approximately 2 miles) away.
> ...


I see.
Ask not, "does this dive computer fit under my cuffs", 
but instead, "does my tie clash with my tank?"

You sir , are a visionary..... I tip my hat in your general direction.


----------



## dmcutter (Apr 5, 2006)

Matthew, I think a Suunto D6 or an Oceanic OC1 like I wear is much better suited for the board room than a Zoop. Plus, Zoop is a goofy name unless you're Dutch, maybe. The only downside of my OC1 is that it's rated for a mere 250 meters, so I would worry about the board room BS when it gets really deep.


----------



## inkonx (Jan 2, 2015)

Seppia said:


> Since it is common knowledge that a* Rolex DSSD is about the minimum you need to stand a hot tub*, I am sure my Casio will stop working as soon as I jump into the wat...


Here is where your test went wrong. It is clearly known that water heated to 100°F or over (like in hot tubs and showers) changes the properties of water and makes it highly unstable and extremely corrosive to steel and rubber. Had you tried the test in heated water your watch would have reacted like a mento in Diet Coke and exploded. #Science #Truth #PublicKnowledge

But seriously, nice thread. Goes to show that people are overly concerned with WR. I'll be looking forward to more pics of the watch in 40M water if you follow through with your plans.


----------



## Pakz (Aug 16, 2011)

Nice thread, Seppia!
Now, instead of going all professor-y and try to explain to all those guys why the "dynamic pressure" was absolute nonsense unless you swim faster than a nuclear submarine, I'll just point to this thread!
Great write up, full of humour!


----------



## enderinheaven (Aug 13, 2013)

finally some one debunked this marketing stupidity of having to have a supreme diver watch to get it wet.

thank you sir for your time and great post. :-!

i have always known this and laugh at the people who take off their $8k dive watch to get into the pool. :-x










regards


----------



## orangenSaft (Oct 6, 2011)

Reminds me of some priceless Amazon nuggets : 









Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## 59yukon01 (Aug 27, 2014)

Seppia said:


> Thanks again for your reply Matthew.
> Regarding your concerns:
> - I have had my tailor fit me a custom shirt with special 10.5" diameter cuffs, now the zoop slides under it like a champ, problem solved!
> - I agree the silver buttons seem quite dressy, I am thinking about a customization (have them made of solid gold) to give this subtle timepiece the punch it needs to be recognizable from 3km (approximately 2 miles) away.
> ...


009 is always an excellent choice, but can you sense I have Tuna fever?


----------



## mpalmer (Dec 30, 2011)

Great thread. Underestimating water resistance is borderline ridiculous here. 3 atm watches are meant to survive short term submersion and will if the gaskets have been tested. If a 3atm watch cannot survive accidental submersion, then we would see all kinds of threads dicussing how their Jazzmaster or FC was ruined by water. Just think to yourself how many threads you have *ever * read like that...

The idea that 10 atm with a screw down crown is required to swim is also nuts. The instruction manual on the last Seiko I owned said that my Seiko Cocktail Time 5atm was fine for swimming...


----------



## Cobia (Nov 24, 2013)

Fantastic thread mate, really enjoyed it, thankyou, whats the chances of you doing the same with a few other ultra affordables or novelty watches in the future?
I think youve opened a can of worms with this thread, it was so good we expect more of the same now


----------



## Izzy_Does_It (Apr 15, 2015)

Epic thread! Casio once and always for the win! Priceless!


----------



## kesharoo (Mar 16, 2007)

*May i Sir, raise a glass to you and your empirical study!*

What a great way to do a test. You Sir have my admiration and so does Casio!


----------



## Tetsu Tekubi (Jan 13, 2010)

Seppia said:


> Sorry for your dive, hopefully you'll be able to do it in the future, the Spiegel is really majestic.
> If you are a low consumption guy I would recommend you pick your partners well: I am not a pro by any means but had to get back to the ascent line with 1800 psi because a couple of divers were already at 1000.
> If you are overweighted and do not have good buoyancy control the current will have you suck air pretty fast.
> Not a big deal because you obviously always dive the weakest profile but I would have liked an additional 5 minutes, it's that great.
> ...





Seppia said:


> Thanks again for your reply Matthew.
> Regarding your concerns:
> - I have had my tailor fit me a custom shirt with special 10.5" diameter cuffs, now the zoop slides under it like a champ, problem solved!
> - I agree the silver buttons seem quite dressy, I am thinking about a customization (have them made of solid gold) to give this subtle timepiece the punch it needs to be recognizable from 3km (approximately 2 miles) away.
> ...


hi seppia, i see youre a man of both business and leisure and i agree with having to carry clothes for both while on holidays is hardly ideal, perhaps this may interest you. youll be able to look professional in and out of the water |>


----------



## chasecj7 (Sep 23, 2013)

*Re: May i Sir, raise a glass to you and your empirical study!*

Well done








All that real world testing probably increased the value of that Casio to at least $18 now. Enjoy your profits, sir.


----------



## Maffy (Aug 19, 2008)

Great post!!!


----------



## Simone_Basso (Apr 24, 2015)

Very funny and interesting post. A basic swatch was also my summer watch when I was a kid. Never had any problems with water. I had problems with it getting stolen at the swimming pool (I should have kept it on).


----------



## Positively-Negative (Mar 12, 2013)

When the human race becomes extinct, somewhere out there, a digital Casio will keep on telling the time.


----------



## Desert (Jul 3, 2013)

Pardon these dummies ...at least they wear watches, but sometimes I wonder why! Oh brother...!


----------



## captain_hx (Apr 27, 2013)

Nice!

Fill it up with extra virgin olive oil and you will increase your waterproof rating by 954.5m !!!!

Here is how


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

soulbridgemedia said:


> hi seppia, i see youre a man of both business and leisure and i agree with having to carry clothes for both while on holidays is hardly ideal, perhaps this may interest you. youll be able to look professional in and out of the water |>


Only in Japan (even if the brand is QuickSilver ). 
That's so awesome



captain_hx said:


> Nice!
> 
> Fill it up with extra virgin olive oil and you will increase your waterproof rating by 954.5m !!!!
> 
> Here is how


See? Black magic, there's no other explanation. 
That test puts mine to shame though, great post


----------



## dmcutter (Apr 5, 2006)

I don't get to the coast too often but our local quarry bottoms out at 90 ft. If people want to send me watches, I'll take them all down to the bottom and see how they fare. Of course, that's not quite 30 meters, but on the other hand it's 42 degrees year round so we can see how cold affects them as well.


----------



## swissgmt (Jun 18, 2013)

Excellent post Seppia! Great idea and should be a sticky to answer all the "if you move your arm rapidly under water you will defeat the seals on your 1500m diver" comments.


----------



## serge70 (Nov 16, 2010)

Ultra post of the year! Hearty congratulations!

I hope Casio make you their president,richly deserved.

Additionally,if anyone reading doesn't own at least one Casio watch then shame on you.As you can now see,Casios genetically have bull's testicles.


----------



## bigclive2011 (Mar 17, 2013)

Great thread, loved the pics!!!

Roll on April and the Maldives, where my watch of choice will be the 007 or Monster )


----------



## DesertDweller (Jun 16, 2013)

Bravo! Bravo!


----------



## Rocat (Sep 17, 2013)

Nice light-hearted post about diving with cheap Casio. Us resin watch geeks over at the Casio forum are coming over here for a good fun read.


----------



## Ajax_Drakos (Aug 20, 2014)

Wait, you mean I don't need a 500m depth rating on my watch to dive? 

But the advertisements tell me I do...


----------



## hidden830726 (Oct 23, 2013)

Very entertaining post. Thanks. Looking forward for more write up from you.


----------



## Time4Playnow (Jun 27, 2011)

Great post! Entertaining story. Looking at those pics, at first I thought that must be the newest Invicta on your wrist, at about 120mm, then I realized it was your dive computer! :-d

So, my take away is, if I'm wearing one of my 200m WR g-shocks during some type of exercise and a little sweat happens to splash on it, it should be o.k.!! :-! Thanks!!


----------



## Ipromise (Jan 14, 2013)

Great post, and very entertaining!

That being said, it's a bit like a Michael Moore movie - some sensationalism. Sure, it worked fine, and it might do so for a long time. Who really cares at that price point anyway. But when you see people talking about taking something like Speedmaster in the water, I still think it's a silly idea. It would be a pretty dumb way to mess up a $4k watch. 

I think of it like my hatchback car when I was young. Not exactly an off-road vehicle, but I took it up mountains and all kinds of places it didn't belong. It did it, it worked, but I don't think it did it much good. That was a crappy Hyundai Excel, so who cares. I wouldn't have done that with a Lexus sedan though.

I guess my point is just because you can do something, doesn't mean it's wise. It's all about scale. At a higher price point, I'd want a screwed down crown (WR is usually negligible at that point).


----------



## chriscentro (Nov 11, 2012)

I can't trust Casio anymore, LOL.


----------



## yankeexpress (Apr 7, 2013)

chriscentro said:


> I can't trust Casio anymore, LOL.


Realize the joke, but seriously, been trusting Casio a long time after finding Timex, Citizen and Seiko let me down with supposedly well-made broken watches that could not take the pounding that Casio can.


----------



## domoon (Apr 13, 2014)

Great post, thank you! But it baffles me that none noticed 009's bezel is not used as intended and the pip still pointed straight at 12 

Carpatalked


----------



## adventure95004 (May 16, 2014)

domoon said:


> Great post, thank you! But it baffles me that none noticed 009's bezel is not used as intended and the pip still pointed straight at 12
> 
> Carpatalked


Ha! Knew it.... This was fake he probably had his hand in a fish tank, AND he was probably was involved with the fake moon landing too.. 
Personally I don't think you can trust anyone wearing a Casio and any kind of rubber suit..


----------



## hidden830726 (Oct 23, 2013)

Better buy the dive computer. So biggg


----------



## BDIC (Jan 6, 2014)

Uch, I'm totally and thoroughly despondent now !!! I bought all my divers on the off-chance that one day I might snorkel. I had to maniacally research the Din and Iso specs, try to understand static and dynamic pressure and of course all the advertising and sales pitches at the AD and it was all a lie !!! Damn you Casio, Damn you dive watch gods !!!. -EDIT - So far all of them have held up really well to showering and thunderstorms !!!


----------



## Uhrentraeger (Jul 16, 2012)

Seppia said:


> We often see around the forum new topics asking questions like: "can I shower with my 8000m WR watch?" or "can I be at the pool with my 100m WR watch?"
> Unless these questions are a sort of preemptive excuse to get a new tuna (in which case I fully support it and would answer "no! Are you crazy? You NEED a tuna for your pool party!), I always thought the risks and effects of water on watches have been extremely exaggerated within our community.
> We often hear about dynamic pressure (which I think is BS) and other hazards.
> I had no way to prove my point so I decided to make a test myself on my recent dive trip to key largo.
> ...


Thanks. Really great thread. You are a man of actions and not just all words.

However, am I the only one here who thinks it proves nothing?

PS: When I was a boy in the 80's I owned a similar Casio and after the first shower it was full of water.


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

Hi
I don't think it proves you can consistently dive with a 30m WR watch, but that was not the point. 
The point was to
1 have fun
2 "prove" that fear of water leaking in watches is definitely overblown. 
According to some, it is not safe to swim in the pool with a 100m watch. 
If a 30m can stand, well, 30m, maybe we are exaggerating a bit. 
Obviously it would need a lot more tests to be a "proof", I am not claiming anything like that. 
But it's an indication I think. 
I will run this test again in the future with other similar watches (next candidates are a swatch and an snk805), and the more data, the more we will be able to conclude.


----------



## watchimus (May 1, 2010)

Well done, I do like the style !

Casio is not a 'cheap' manufacturer - metal case, glued/sealed glass, probably using appropriate joints for the pushers, etc ...

I am quite sure some other sub 20$ would not pass the test as easily - thinking of some of my kids cheap 30M rated plastic watches...

--

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


----------



## BDIC (Jan 6, 2014)

Seppia said:


> Hi
> I don't think it proves you can consistently dive with a 30m WR watch, but that was not the point.
> The point was to
> 1 have fun
> ...


I wonder what would happen if your ran the test in the Hudson. I think it would explode at 2m bwahahaha.


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

You'd have to pay me the big bucks to convince me to dive in the Hudson 
I am a spoiled, lazy Italian that likes warm and clear water like the one in the Caribbean


----------



## dmcutter (Apr 5, 2006)

Seppia said:


> You'd have to pay me the big bucks to convince me to dive in the Hudson
> I am a spoiled, lazy Italian that likes warm and clear water like the one in the Caribbean


But think how much more you would appreciate crystal clear 82 degree water after hanging out every weekend in murky 43 degree water? I mean our quarry. I wouldn't go in the Hudson without an environmentally sealed suit and a Kirby Morgan Superlight.


----------



## BDIC (Jan 6, 2014)

dmcutter said:


> But think how much more you would appreciate crystal clear 82 degree water after hanging out every weekend in murky 43 degree water? I mean our quarry. I wouldn't go in the Hudson without an environmentally sealed suit and a Kirby Morgan Superlight.


Even the suit won't save you in the Hudson. lol. I don't even walk within 2 miles of it lol.


----------



## pbj204 (Oct 23, 2008)




----------



## jiminpotomac (Feb 20, 2009)

So did you have to hold your breath the whole time you were underwater?

Did the lap timer and date function work underwater?

Did you eat something before diving, or afterwards?

When did you notice that large shark off in the distance?


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

Which shark?









Oh sh*t!


----------



## blowfish89 (Apr 15, 2014)

Epic thread Seppia! Excellent work...


----------



## eddiea (Mar 26, 2006)

Nicely done |>


----------



## Jeep99dad (Sep 4, 2009)

Very cool thread 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalkblahblahah


----------



## EMVAMPYRE (Aug 21, 2007)

So, I've read the OP original post 11teen times now and have come to the only ethical conclusion one can make. Seppia deserves a permaban from the Dive Watch thread, possibly even a ban from the entire forum for 6-9 months for his heretical statements, and the audacity to actually prove his theory of a 30m rated wrist watch surviving the trip to the depths of the ocean floor, as evidenced in his photographs. How dare you, sir??? If you continue to prove that I don't need my vaunted U1 for an excursion to the bottom of my 8ft deep residential swimming pool, then I will speak to the proper authorities.

Good day, sir!


Great post, great pics, and I envy your dives!


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

Ah ah the dynamic pressure police is watching me now, there's no escape!


----------



## dmjonez (Jul 14, 2013)

Seppia said:


> Ah ah the dynamic pressure police is watching me now, there's no escape!


Loved the thread! I've been swimming with my 100M watches for decades. Only one I ever "lost" was a Citizen quartz on its third or fourth battery, which I had replaced at a cheap battery store. I'm convinced it wasn't the watch, but the careless battery replacement. If you want to borrow an auto for the next excursion, maybe I can drop one by next time I'm in NYC. Are you in the City?


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

Yes I am in the city, and I already have the next candidate, an SNK805 (also 30m WR), but it would be cool to hang for beers and watch talk nonetheless


----------



## SomeAssemblyRequired (Jan 19, 2015)

Seppia said:


> Ah ah the dynamic pressure police is watching me now, there's no escape!


Yes, watch your back and keep an eye out for henchmen from the manufacturers who are convinced you are bent on trashing the market for their latest line of watches that will be certified to function at the bottom of the Marianas Trench. Or to 8000m anyway.


----------



## dmjonez (Jul 14, 2013)

Seppia said:


> Yes I am in the city, and I already have the next candidate, an SNK805 (also 30m WR), but it would be cool to hang for beers and watch talk nonetheless


Hanging for beers is one of my favorite pastimes! I'll PM you next time I'm headed up. It may be a month or so, my latest trips are all going south-bound. We stay at the Roosevelt, 45th and Madison.


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

Count me in man!


----------



## kleinbus (May 7, 2015)

With larger cuffs it would be the sign of manly man.

Suunto OY (Finnish company) makes lots of hand held diving, navigation and exercise devices....


----------



## Luminated (Dec 1, 2012)

Thanks for such a wonderful and informative thread. What this has done is made a mockery of the need for watches with a WR beyond 200/300m never mind several thousand as is so often the case these days.


----------



## Camguy (Nov 23, 2012)

One of the best threads in...I can't remember how long! A well-executed, well-documented test, and I really enjoyed your writing..."capable of black magic..." *snicker*


----------



## Ramblin man (Feb 7, 2011)

OP: nice work!

I would respectfully consider the extra 170/270m WR in the 200-300m watches as "insurance policy" or factor of safety. Not so much for the wearer, but for the watch itself.


----------



## duke4c (Feb 12, 2006)

I read somwhere long time ago that there is a fundamental difference in the way Japan and everyone else uses "30m WR" rating.

Everywhere else "30m WR" stands for "tested for water splashes only" (apparently this is because 30mWR reffers to raiting , not for actuall WR).

In Japan things are different. "30m WR" actually means "tested and guaranteed to 30M WR but capable for more than that".

In otherwords your 30m WR Casio should probably be perfectly fine for 50 if not even 100m.

There was also a post long time ago where someone set the dive record for 300+ M. He was wearing 200m rated frogman and watch was perfectly fine.

Not sure if this is true or not but if it is, it would explain a lot.

Cheers

EDIT:
This might be the old thread from 2006 that talks about it... I think...
https://www.watchuseek.com/f74/g-shock-frogman-used-nuno-gomes-scuba-record-attempt-1131.html


----------



## Luminated (Dec 1, 2012)

duke4c said:


> I read somwhere long time ago that there is a fundamental difference in the way Japan and everyone else uses "30m WR" rating.
> 
> Everywhere else "30m WR" stands for "tested for water splashes only" (apparently this is because 30mWR reffers to raiting , not for actuall WR).
> 
> ...


If you are indeed correct then how can you be sure that their much higher WR are truthful too?

I'm of the opinion what ever is stated *should* be the minimum of it's capability, so 30mWR means 30m, 50mWR means 50m, etc, etc


----------



## md29 (Dec 20, 2013)

Great post! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it :-!


----------



## VabaX (Jun 30, 2014)

duke4c said:


> I read somwhere long time ago that there is a fundamental difference in the way Japan and everyone else uses "30m WR" rating.


yeah, i was gonna mention this. Seiko, Casio, etc, actually do test their watches 'properly'. it'd be interesting to try this with a cheap Chinese made fossil or something of that ilk, even if just to demonstrate that you can never really know for sure how robust the makers testing process is


----------



## cmhwatch (Oct 5, 2014)

Dove at over 100 ft. in Cozumel for a week with this POS (Aquatech brand). $9 at Wal-Mart in Playa Del Carmen. It is now 7 years old and I have not changed the battery. The alarm rings every morning because I can't turn it off. Talk about Black Magic...


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

That is really badass!


----------



## MrCairo (May 21, 2015)

Seppia said:


> (...) I already have the next candidate, an SNK805 (also 30m WR)(...)


Already looking forward to your report of that, if you'll do one!


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

MrCairo said:


> Already looking forward to your report of that, if you'll do one!


If everything goes according to plan, my next dive trip should happen before Christmas. 
I am definitely going to keep this up and test a different (cheap) 30m WR watch every time I go diving, which unfortunately doesn't happen nearly as often as I would like.


----------



## colorado4wheel (Jul 14, 2014)

I call BS.... No way that watch actually survived what it said it could survive. Next thing your going to do is tell me it actually tells time as well. INSANITY.


----------



## jeffgo888 (Jun 13, 2013)

VERY NICe article.
There is actually a thread going on in the OMEGA forum about WR and the Speedy pro

People keep saying NOT to swim in a watch rated at 50 M and I keep telling them OMEGA WR chart says its fine. I do mine.
and a lot of people do. Whether its a Casio or Omega, 50M is 50M.
thanks


----------



## blowfish89 (Apr 15, 2014)

jeffgo888 said:


> VERY NICe article.
> There is actually a thread going on in the OMEGA forum about WR and the Speedy pro
> 
> People keep saying NOT to swim in a watch rated at 50 M and I keep telling them OMEGA WR chart says its fine. I do mine.
> ...


I say the same thing but people tell me it didn't fail in just this one dive. Take it again. And again.

How about 30 dives to 30m with the same watch - up for it Seppia ? :-d


----------



## jeffgo888 (Jun 13, 2013)

blowfish89 said:


> I say the same thing but people tell me it didn't fail in just this one dive. Take it again. And again.
> 
> How about 30 dives to 30m with the same watch - up for it Seppia ? :-d




That wouldnt make any sense and would not be fair to any watch at all.
So for the SMPc, 300 dives to 300 meters?
No, those people that had their watch fail is because they failed to have to checked, its that simple.

if I was diving everyday with my SMP, I would have it checked every 6 months.

But a few times a year IF that, plus rotate among otjer watches, its fine


----------



## dorianinside (Nov 15, 2007)

You kidding?

I remember my diving instructor wearing this one but in black color + computer.

i asked him why this watch and how long he dives with it.. well, guess what? - 2 years + using the stopwatch underwater. i even remember that when i did the deep diver course which allows you to go deep up to 40m, he wore this..


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

As promised a while back, I will try keep this up with additional tests.

Unfortunately I don't dive nearly as much as I would like, but I always manage at least a week long dive trip (usually in winter, in the Caribbean), a 2-3 days dive escapade somewhere between April and August, and (great perk coming with working in sales) I also sneak in one or two one-day trips by just taking an additional day off work before or after a dive trip to Miami.

Reminder: my purpose here is simply to light heartedly ridicule and belittle as much as possible all of those brands (and people) who try to convince you that 100m WR is not enough for showering, or that the absence of a screw down crown basically prevents you from wearing your watch on a rainy day.

I try to do this by scuba diving with the cheapest possible 30m WR watches, and and trying to see when they will eventually fail.

Unfortunately this time my dive trip was pretty disastrous. 
We had planned a pretty intense 4 dive day, including a deep dive in the morning (Spiegel Grove) outside of key largo, but first the other divers that were supposed to dive deep cancelled, forcing us to join the shallow dive boat, then my buddy suffered some nausea in the second morning dive, leading to aborted afternoon dives.

So this time the test could not be as extensive as the first time.

So we have our old contender, nicknamed Poseidon Lord Of The Depths, protagonist of the first dive test. 
This is the possessed Casio A158W-1










Here seen in action while spanking most 40000m WR divers around the Spiegel grove in April:










The second is a recently purchased, $59 snk805 automatic from seiko, also a 30m WR watch, featuring an absolutely non screw down, minuscule wobbly crown, a plasticky feeling display case back and the overall feeling of a watch that could not survive an accidental beer splash at your typical barbecue party with multiple drunk friends (I happen to do this a lot, if you don't please don't judge. Also, I have an awesome life so you should probably consider inserting some more beer induced drunkness among your circle of friends).










So how did they perform?

We weren't able to dive below 9 meters unfortunately (still approx 20 times deeper than a hot tub though), but....

Beginning of the dive:










Later










My dive buddy (he has a DSSD but he obviously thought 9m was too much so he went watchless)



















After an hour:










So again, to the surprise of nobody who ever actually dove, a relatively new, cheap 30m WR watch from a respectable brand survived a dive. 
The Casio on the other hand survived after having already endured multiple dives a few months ago.

I expect them to fail sometime obviously (all watches will fail eventually), but will continue to test them till they do.

On my next dives, probably happening this coming winter, I will bring both the Casio and the seiko, plus a new test specimen.

Do you have any 30m WR, cheap watch from a respectable brand to recommend? I was thinking a swatch.

Here's the two test survivors after a thorough rinsing


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

I was trying to link the post above in the first post, to keep the reading easy for new readers (maybe with something like "second test" then the link) but cannot edit the first post. 
Maybe a mod can help


----------



## dmjonez (Jul 14, 2013)

Once again, THAT WAS AWESOME.

And I'm still trying to get to NYC for a beer. All my trips have been southbound lately.


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

Any time man!


----------



## hanshananigan (Apr 8, 2012)

Seppia said:


> As promised a while back, I will try keep this up with additional tests.
> 
> [snip]
> 
> ...


Yeah, that's all fine and good, but how much did you flap your arms around? The increased pressure from motion is what REALLY causes leaks. 

Thanks for the test and posting results!


----------



## supawabb (Aug 27, 2007)

Not sure why I didn't see this post back in late April when it was started, but got to it now and it certainly was highly entertaining and made me smile. As others mentioned, hopefully all the ridiculous posts of "can my 100m withstand being inserted in the... pool - tub - shower - kitchen sink - drinking glass overnight - dishwasher - washing machine, possibly on spin cycle - swimming at the beach, water depth 4ft - washing dishes - washing my face - washing my hands - thinking about washing my hands - walking on the shore when overcast with potential for rain - walking dog in the rain - sitting by the pool" can finally stop. My wishful thinking.

If one is so worried about water resistance, purchase a g-shock or an skx007/009. End of worries.

Thank you Seppia, GREAT post.


----------



## Rallyfan13 (Feb 23, 2013)

This is a tremendous thread. 

Nobody seems to have considered the hundreds of thousands of dive watches that never met the precious ISO standard and never cared. People won't shower with a Sea Dweller. 

Recently, a thread was started by a member that has since been ushered out, who was apparently under considerable psychological stress and/or facing cognitive challenges. He'd questioned the wisdom of diving with what he termed "air divers." 

People just can't accept reality and seem to treat WR as a selling point (just like the makers wanted...).

If you use it enough anything can flood. Conversely you can submerge things and they will survive. It's always been this way.


----------



## jeffgo888 (Jun 13, 2013)

supawabb said:


> Not sure why I didn't see this post back in late April when it was started, but got to it now and it certainly was highly entertaining and made me smile. As others mentioned, hopefully all the ridiculous posts of "can my 100m withstand being inserted in the... pool - tub - shower - kitchen sink - drinking glass overnight - dishwasher - washing machine, possibly on spin cycle - swimming at the beach, water depth 4ft - washing dishes - washing my face - washing my hands - thinking about washing my hands - walking on the shore when overcast with potential for rain - walking dog in the rain - sitting by the pool" can finally stop. My wishful thinking.
> 
> If one is so worried about water resistance, purchase a g-shock or an skx007/009. End of worries.
> 
> Thank you Seppia, GREAT post.


just when you want it to stop, there are some out there who think they are scientists and would disagree just cause..lol.

you cannot believe the amount of speedmaster pro threads about people who wont even wash dishes with it..so i dunked mine in a glass of water and posted it...lol.

this post has been educational. .thanks


----------



## Rallyfan13 (Feb 23, 2013)

jeffgo888 said:


> you cannot believe the amount of speedmaster pro threads about people who wont even wash dishes with it..so i dunked mine in a glass of water and posted it...lol.


That must have caused several cardiac episodes among the members. It's almost cruel to do this to them.

Anyway, onto a serious question: I'm in Southern California. There is rough weather off the coast of Mexico, roughly 400 km to the south.

Can I risk wearing my Seamaster Pro to the grocery store? It's only rated 300m and doesn't say "diver's." However it does have an He valve.


----------



## jeffgo888 (Jun 13, 2013)

Rallyfan13 said:


> That must have caused several cardiac episodes among the members. It's almost cruel to do this to them.
> 
> Anyway, onto a serious question: I'm in Southern California. There is rough weather off the coast of Mexico, roughly 400 km to the south.
> 
> Can I risk wearing my Seamaster Pro to the grocery store? It's only rated 300m and doesn't say "diver's." However it does have an He valve.


well i dont know....you may have a water leakk...make sure you wrap it in cellophane....just in case...lololol


----------



## Will_f (Jul 4, 2011)

Rallyfan13 said:


> That must have caused several cardiac episodes among the members. It's almost cruel to do this to them.
> 
> Anyway, onto a serious question: I'm in Southern California. There is rough weather off the coast of Mexico, roughly 400 km to the south.
> 
> Can I risk wearing my Seamaster Pro to the grocery store? It's only rated 300m and doesn't say "diver's." However it does have an He valve.


That depends. Is the store in a high crime area?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Rallyfan13 (Feb 23, 2013)

The more I think about all this the more absurd it seems. 

Can I shower wearing a dive computer? Can I use a camera case in a hot tub? Can I submerge a strobe in a sink full of water and dish detergent designed to remove oils? 

I think watches, with their little gears and promises of accuracy and ticking noises, may attract people that are detail-oriented to a point where it's not healthy...


----------



## Robotaz (Jan 18, 2012)

Great post for a great topic.

I hope more members can post validation results.

I've had a 15 year old, $80 Seiko in any and all bodies of water and never a leak. I think it's a 10m water, maybe 20.

One thing I will say about lower depth ratings: I'll trust an Oris 100m "diver" long before I'll trust a 100m micro. That may be unfounded, but that's my thinking. Maybe this thread will help me trust micros better.


----------



## Pakz (Aug 16, 2011)

Great addendum to an already great thread.

And I so happen to have this very same (well not exactly, mine is "desert sands" in colour) watch. Which, for whatever reason (most likely because it says "Seiko" on it), I thought to be 100m WR. So I did take it on one or two dives. I think it went to 20 or 23m and I wasn't even afraid. "Plenty of room to go". Well, it didn't leak and kept good time... And if I had banged it I wouldn't have felt as bad as with the MM300 ;-)


----------



## hanshananigan (Apr 8, 2012)

Robotaz said:


> Great post for a great topic.
> 
> I hope more members can post validation results.
> 
> ...


I think that is fair. My impression is that micros, but with exceptions, are not going to bother testing to see if the watch they ordered from a factory in China is actually 50M WR or whatever. I recall that the "Sea Gull" Sea Master ATs (not a micro, exactly, but apparently the same ordering process) cases variably were produced with both 100m and 200m on casebacks. That kind of stuff is why I think it's fair to be skeptical.

That said, I've yet to hear a L&H, MWC, or another micro watch owner complain of failed WR.


----------



## dmjonez (Jul 14, 2013)

hanshananigan said:


> I think that is fair. My impression is that micros, but with exceptions, are not going to bother testing to see if the watch they ordered from a factory in China is actually 50M WR or whatever. I recall that the "Sea Gull" Sea Master ATs (not a micro, exactly, but apparently the same ordering process) cases variably were produced with both 100m and 200m on casebacks. That kind of stuff is why I think it's fair to be skeptical.
> 
> That said, I've yet to hear a L&H, MWC, or another micro watch owner complain of failed WR.


I have two L&Hs and swim with both. Don't dive, but do snorkel. Never had them officially tested, but never thought I needed to. I did have a Citizen quartz leak, after a battery change. One of the primary reasons I started wearing autos.


----------



## black watch (Aug 3, 2013)

Seppia said:


> If everything goes according to plan, my next dive trip should happen before Christmas.
> I am definitely going to keep this up and* test a different (cheap) 30m WR watch every time *I go diving, which unfortunately doesn't happen nearly as often as I would like.


I assume the Casio was fairly new, and the different (cheap) watches will be new. Try to bring the Casio every dive along with your new cheap watch to test, my thoughts are that you're eventually going to have a problem with the Casio, since the WR is also some indication how well it's made. I love your post, so much fun to read, I'll be sure to keep an eye out for any of your dive posts, be safe.


----------



## ttmaxti (Mar 7, 2010)

Nice test! I would be hesitant to try that with an older watch however. I've sunk 2 Timex Ironman watches after submerging in water (not even diving). I suspect that the seals should be replaced after a battery change if you want to retain the water resistance for a cheaper watch.


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

That's exactly what I plan to do. 
Every watch (even a DSSD) will fail eventually with time, I'll bring all the tested watches till they leak, that's why I'm using cheap ones, not willing to sacrifice a speedy pro for this 
Both the Casio and the seiko were purchased new specifically for the test


----------



## black watch (Aug 3, 2013)

> not willing to sacrifice a speedy pro for this


Any donor's out there?


----------



## Pro Diver (Nov 15, 2007)

I was going to be a smartass and answer your question "Yes, but only ONCE." Boy, would I have been wrong. Maybe the depth of the Casio is a typo--instead of 30 it should be 300? Good thread, Seppia.


----------



## trekDS (Feb 18, 2012)

Rallyfan13 said:


> I think watches, with their little gears and promises of accuracy and ticking noises, may attract people that are detail-oriented to a point where it's not healthy...


Oh yeah.


----------



## Marrin (Feb 8, 2011)

Awesome thread, I just fount out about it!!

The funny thing is I own an SNK805 and it is my cheapest and best watch IMO next to my DW5000SL, and I was thinking of getting a Casio A158!! Such a great little watch!!

I cant wait for updates and tests!!

I can tell you one thing, the SNK805 will survive a lot - mine has seen things my G-Shock would be affraid of, and I really use my G-Shock everywhere


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

Thanks for the kind words. 
Actually I'll be doing a full week of diving from November 20-27, and will be getting my rescue certification, so plenty of watch abuse will take place. 
Keep you guys posted.


----------



## Spunwell (Feb 2, 2014)

Seppia said:


> Thanks for the kind words.
> Actually I'll be doing a full week of diving from November 20-27, and will be getting my rescue certification, so plenty of watch abuse will take place.
> Keep you guys posted.


Nice! Can't wait for this, always enjoy your posts, especially these.


----------



## Will3020 (Aug 28, 2012)

Wow, great photos...it'll be interesting to see how long it holds up with future dives.


----------



## Its-an-addiction (Jun 17, 2015)

Wow I'm actually quite surprised really. Had you asked me before, I probably would have bet against it. Good to see the Casio holding up!


----------



## Cana (May 6, 2008)

I also wear my Speedmaster in the shower. Omega says it's OK. I also wear my Citizens, Seikos, Casios and my Oris 300M in the shower because I wear a watch 24/7 and unless it's a vintage watch (over 30 years old), if it's rated 50M of more a little shower doesn't hurt it, the shower soap that doesn't eat my skin has never hurt the watches either. I say Relax and Enjoy your watches and don't worry for nothing - if water was to get in, you have a reason to get another watch - which is a good thing! You can never have to many watches.


----------



## 1434 (Mar 10, 2014)

Seppia said:


> We often see around the forum new topics asking questions like: "can I shower with my 8000m WR watch?" or "can I be at the pool with my 100m WR watch?"
> Unless these questions are a sort of preemptive excuse to get a new tuna (in which case I fully support it and would answer "no! Are you crazy? You NEED a tuna for your pool party!), I always thought the risks and effects of water on watches have been extremely exaggerated within our community.
> We often hear about dynamic pressure (which I think is BS) and other hazards.
> I had no way to prove my point so I decided to make a test myself on my recent dive trip to key largo.
> ...


This is such an entertaining post! It's a shame it took me so long to find it. Thanks for sharing. Good stuff!


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

And to think I have a new test post to write!
I went diving two weeks ago, and the testing got even more extreme this time. 
Will try transfer the GoPro pictures soon. 
Thanks for the kind words


----------



## pacorolex (Oct 27, 2013)

1434 said:


> This is such an entertaining post! It's a shame it took me so long to find it. Thanks for sharing. Good stuff!


Superb!!!! Thanks so much!

Enviado desde mi iPhone utilizando Tapatalk


----------



## wagenx (Dec 30, 2010)

Just had to comment that this is an awesome post, this is why I hang out and read these forums...


----------



## Jimmy74 (Mar 13, 2014)

+ 1 for me. This sort of stuff is great. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Alden (Jul 24, 2015)

I've showered with all my 200m dive watches, Seikos and Invictas, and my 100m watches (which I also consider dive watches) and have yet to see one fog up. 

I'll keep trying though. Eventually one HAS to fail.


----------



## Jimmy74 (Mar 13, 2014)

Alden said:


> I've showered with all my 200m dive watches, Seikos and Invictas, and my 100m watches (which I also consider dive watches) and have yet to see one fog up.
> 
> I'll keep trying though. Eventually one HAS to fail.


I do the same. Only one I've ever had fog (it was possibly foolish in hindsight) was a 30 year old Seiko diver with original seals. Good excuse to service it the next day I guess&#8230;

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Ticonderoga (Apr 4, 2015)

Seppia said:


> I wanted to, but I was diving on Nitrox so couldn't go any deeper than 34m for security reasons.
> The plan is to bring this same watch on all my future diving trips and see how it performs.
> Next February I'm probably heading to Turks and Caicos and I'll bring it to 40m.


Any fishermen here? Tie a cheapie 30mWR on a rope along with a depth guage (dive computer or other) and lower to 35m, raise and photgraph, 40m, 50m, etc...

Curious to see how deep you have to go to fail...?

BTW: OP great post. Was crying from laughing so hard.


----------



## bythesea (Nov 23, 2010)

Great post.

I use my £8.50 *Casio W-800H-1AVES*

for everything - diving, kitesurfing, swimming, mountain biking, snow boarding, climbing (well, bouldering) working offshore on submersibles.......just keeps on going. Looks ok too imho.
Lasted 8 years so far without a battery change. Got from a chinese seller on the bay.
I did put a rubber strap on it the day I bought it though.

100m water resistant & 10 year battery - very clear display with stop watch etc....

just looked & it now cost £15 though - yikes.!


----------



## Horological_Dino (Feb 27, 2015)

I would not take it too lightly from my personal experience.
There was once I forgot I was wearing my watch and I jumped into the pool... I was wearing a 30m rated Girard Perregaux dress watch and it turned into a 600 dollar mistake.
Still feeling pretty damn stupid about that alright


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## ebtromba (Oct 18, 2015)

Horological_Dino said:


> I would not take it too lightly from my personal experience.
> There was once I forgot I was wearing my watch and I jumped into the pool... I was wearing a 30m rated Girard Perregaux dress watch and it turned into a 600 dollar mistake.
> Still feeling pretty damn stupid about that alright
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Sounds like that was the watches fault, not your fault.

Unless it was older (and hadn't had gaskets changed) then I guess it was your fault.


----------



## Rallyfan13 (Feb 23, 2013)

Alden said:


> I've showered with all my 200m dive watches, Seikos and Invictas, and my 100m watches (which I also consider dive watches) and have yet to see one fog up.
> 
> I'll keep trying though. Eventually one HAS to fail.


Absolutely true. Stuff fails. I've flooded proper dive watches, seen others do the same, and camera cases aren't immune either. Only humanity's capacity for cruelty does not fail. Watches do.

I think though that the take home message here isn't that watches don't fail; to me it's that the "WR race" among makers is silly marketing and nothing more.

I've never stopped to worry whether the ISO considers my watch a diver. I don't care. I won't pay more for more WR beyond what I need and don't consider 100m better than 200m.

What I can't figure out is whether people that won't shower with 500m diver are mentally ill. Probably just nervous I guess.


----------



## maritime (Aug 30, 2011)

Well i have flooded a Seiko Monster (i think it was rated 200 m) on a dive! Not happy at all. Seiko refurbished for free but still...
Got a Squale wich stopped after i probably did not screw the crown properly, just the sea breeze was enought to fog it and then rust. Had to pay this time but i recover a new watch!

On my cheap digitals i change the batteries myself, just add a little silicon grease on top of the rubber seal and never had any floding issues!


----------



## Horological_Dino (Feb 27, 2015)

ebtromba said:


> Sounds like that was the watches fault, not your fault.
> 
> Unless it was older (and hadn't had gaskets changed) then I guess it was your fault.


My watchmaker attributed it to one of the screws on the caseback being not tight enough. Oh well...


----------



## bythesea (Nov 23, 2010)

Always change my own batteries in all my watches (just use a very light smear of silicon grease on the o ring) & never had one fail yet.
They're not expensive ones though (less that £200)

tested some to 150m on dives & good as gold - so far.

nothing's ever certain though but i've easily saved way more cash than the price of a watch over the years.


----------



## yankeexpress (Apr 7, 2013)

Dredging up this wonderful old thread (see what I did there?) as it is a timely reminder that Casio make affordable, reliable everyday watches to be worn anywhere.


----------



## Ticonderoga (Apr 4, 2015)

yankeexpress said:


> Dredging up this wonderful old thread (see what I did there?) as it is a timely reminder that Casio make affordable, reliable everyday watches to be worn anywhere.


On Saturday I wanted to go swimming in the ocean and all I had was my Casio 5 Alarm Tough-Solar Illuminator and remembering this thread, & I jumped right in, swam around for about a 1/2 hour and guess what? Watch still works fine 3 days later!


----------



## soukchai (Mar 29, 2015)

Ticonderoga said:


> On Saturday I wanted to go swimming in the ocean and all I had was my Casio 5 Alarm Tough-Solar Illuminator and remembering this thread, & I jumped right in, swam around for about a 1/2 hour and guess what? Watch still works fine 3 days later!


It is a 100m water resistant watch. Swimming around you would probably be submerging it around 1m.


----------



## brett (Jul 12, 2006)

This fantastic thread started by Seppia inspired me to purchase the same watch to do some testing of my own. Although I haven't used it scuba diving yet, I've used it for over 6 months now surfing a couple of times a week here in South Africa and have had no problems whatsoever. It certainly copes with some of the heavy surf here better than it's owner ;-)


----------



## TimeZone.72 (Jan 9, 2013)

I can't believe i actually read all 15 pages of this thread (which i normally don't have the patience to do)! Hope Seppia will do a 50 - 100 meter dive on these 2 watches and post the results here.


----------



## dmcutter (Apr 5, 2006)

TimeZone.72 said:


> I can't believe i actually read all 15 pages of this thread (which i normally don't have the patience to do)! Hope Seppia will do a 50 - 100 meter dive on these 2 watches and post the results here.


Unless Sepia has gone tech and gotten certified for trimix and extended range, I don't think he'll be venturing beyond 40 meters, sorry.


----------



## Ticonderoga (Apr 4, 2015)

dmcutter said:


> Unless Sepia has gone tech and gotten certified for trimix and extended range, I don't think he'll be venturing beyond 40 meters, sorry.


Like I said before in this thread, how hard is it to tie a Seiko to a lead weight and drop it off the side of the fishing boat with 100 meters of 20 pound test?


----------



## chefmateo (Mar 31, 2015)

Fantastic post. Thank you for sharing!!! Cheers!


----------



## Drumguy (Jun 24, 2014)

Excellent thread!


----------



## DocJekl (May 19, 2014)

Ticonderoga said:


> Like I said before in this thread, how hard is it to tie a Seiko to a lead weight and drop it off the side of the fishing boat with 100 meters of 20 pound test?


And we're still waiting for you to go do that...


----------



## tokeisukei (Apr 17, 2014)

Don't know how I missed one of the best and humerus treads I've ever read here. Thank you Seppia. That new frogman I was thinking of getting seems like overkill now. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## Ticonderoga (Apr 4, 2015)

larryganz said:


> And we're still waiting for you to go do that...


Water isn't so deep here & I'm not going fishing any time soon...

If it isn't done by the time I DO go fishing, I'll be sure to give it a try.

Anyone else a regular fisherman here?


----------



## dmcutter (Apr 5, 2006)

But the thread isn't "Can I use my 30 m water resistant watch as bait for deep sea fishing", it's about diving. You need to start a new thread. Maybe over on the fishing watch forum...


----------



## DocJekl (May 19, 2014)

Ticonderoga said:


> Water isn't so deep here & I'm not going fishing any time soon...
> 
> If it isn't done by the time I DO go fishing, I'll be sure to give it a try.
> 
> Anyone else a regular fisherman here?


I do love your signature line.

Wearing the 30M watch during a dive is more helpful because it can be bumped or flexed while on the arm, and spring a leak. I don't believe that swimming increases the active pressure a watch experiences in any significant way, but sitting static on a fishing line isn't going to be of any more help than taking the 30M watch to the watchmaker and asking him to do a 50M or 100M pressure test on it.


----------



## Triton9 (Sep 30, 2011)

200m water resistance means it can withstand diving 200m deep.


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

Thanks to all for the kind words 
I have now moved back to my home country (Italy) and haven't gone diving since. 
I will not be able to do diving twice a year like I used to when in NYC, but for sure once per year (probably winter time). 
I'll make sure to keep bringing the same watches obviously, to see if aging affects their performance. 

As dmcutter said, I do not plan to venture beyond 40m, as I think there's more than enough to be seen within the recreational diving depths. 

Thanks again to everybody.


----------



## dmcutter (Apr 5, 2006)

We're going to miss you! Where are you in Italy? Surely the Med or Adriatic would present marvelous diving opportunities...


----------



## mattsd (May 5, 2013)

Fantastic post, very well written, and supremely entertaining!!! Thank you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## psychosan (Apr 6, 2016)

TimeZone.72 said:


> I can't believe i actually read all 15 pages of this thread (which i normally don't have the patience to do)! Hope Seppia will do a 50 - 100 meter dive on these 2 watches and post the results here.


Same here! And I'm glad I did coz I got to see the seiko review too. I bought a diver watch just so I could not worry about water but never had the balls to test it coz of my tiny budget.I bought my seiko sne293p2 a few weeks ago and was endlessly researching how safe it was for shower & what not. But along with this thread & seiko's own WR table, i am not gonna give 2 fcuks any more!

Ahh and there was a thread around here where people went as deep as the laws of physics talking about WR. MY GOD!Insane!

Thank you Seppia! for this thread and to actually do some testing!


----------



## hoss (Nov 1, 2014)

I just purchased the same exact A158W-1 that Seppia used for his water resistance diving tests. The only thing is that the newer A158W-1 doesn't say on the back of the watch or in the user's manual that the watch is water resistant to 30m (meters) anymore. Has Casio changed the water resistance standard on the newer A168W-1 resulting in the watch not to having the 30m (meters) engraved on the back of the watch and printed in the watch's user's manual?

I also purchased an A168W-1 too and the back of the watch only says water resistant. It doesn't say anywhere on the from or on the back of the watch that the watch is water resistant to 30m (meters). Also, the user's manual for the A168W-1 does not say anywhere in it that the A168W-1 is water resistant to 30m (meters) either.

Are the Casio A158W-1 and A168W-1 watches both still water resistant to a depth of 30m (meters) or did Casio stop making them 30m (meters) water resistant? Why did Casio stop putting 30m (meter) water resistance on the back of the A158W-1 and 168W-1? Does anybody in here know if this is a result of any changes that might of been made to these 2 models so they are no longer water resistant to 30m (meters)? What's the story behind the disappearance of the 30m (meters) that used to be engraved on the back of the watch and printed in the user's manual for these 2 models?


----------



## lvt (Sep 15, 2009)

I think 30m is the minimum standard for water-resistance, no need to specify that the watch is 30m WR because it's meaningless.

_I'm a professional [desk] diver._


----------



## Philadelphia Collins (Jun 30, 2016)

This is an empirical ideation. A mall watch shop with a tester can answer it.

If the watch floods you can take it off your wrist and throw it into the ocean, or if you prefer not to litter you can recycle it and buy another.


----------



## hoss (Nov 1, 2014)

Philadelphia Collins said:


> This is an empirical ideation. A mall watch shop with a tester can answer it.
> 
> If the watch floods you can take it off your wrist and throw it into the ocean, or if you prefer not to litter you can recycle it and buy another.


I'm not the type of person who wants to throw away a watch just because it's a $20 watch. I would rather hold on and keep the watch and get the "most" out of it. Also, most mall watch shops don't know much about which watches which are and are not water resistant for swimming and diving unless they have the owner's manual of the watch handy.

The "current" owner's manual for the A158W-1 and for the A168W-1 does NOT say anywhere in it that these 2 particular models are water resistant to 30m (meters). The manuals ONLY say that they are "water resistant" and that the watches can ONLY withstand rain and splashes, but NO swimming, NO diving and NO snorkeling.

Did Casio at one time back a few years ago "rate" the A158W-1 and the A168W-1 to be water resistant to 30m (meters)? If so, then why does Casio no longer specify this in the watch's owner's manual that comes together with the watch? Has Casio "changed" the engineering of the watch case, crystal, crystal gasket or rear bezel gasket on the A158W-1 and A168W-1 to not make it water resistant to 30m (meters) anymore?

It's very confusing to say that the newer years 2015 and 2016 Casio A158W-1 and A168W-1 watches are water resistant to 30m when there is nothing like this specified in their current owner's manuals. Who in here knows the real deal about the "true" water resistance of these 2 Casio models to clear up the confusion and ambiguity?


----------



## Philadelphia Collins (Jun 30, 2016)

I meant to have the watch tested.


----------



## hoss (Nov 1, 2014)

The big question here is why did Casio only put the words "water resistant" on the watch and why they did not put "30m water resistant" on the watch crystal and on the back bezel on the A158W and A168W? When I see only the words "water resistant" on the watch without the "30m" on it, I start becoming a detective and I question what changes that Casio did to the watch for them to not have the 30m water resistance depth rating printed on it? There has to be a reason for them to omit the 30m water resistance depth rating from the watch crystal and back bezel. Don't you think so?


----------



## Philadelphia Collins (Jun 30, 2016)

I don't, frankly. We're talking about a watch priced at $13 USD and made in countless copies. I think the official info is here:

http://www.casio.com/products/Watches/Classic/A158WA-1/

You could consider emailing Casio and asking. I'd be surprised if the first responder knows either but they could ask. My guess would be a production difference.


----------



## Philadelphia Collins (Jun 30, 2016)

Your best bet is still a pressure test (that might exceed the cost of the watch). Or, recycle upon flooding.


----------



## yankeexpress (Apr 7, 2013)

Philadelphia Collins said:


> Your best bet is still a pressure test (that might exceed the cost of the watch). Or, recycle upon flooding.


It ain't gonna flood. Just wear the watch as normal, swimming, whatever. It will be fine. It's a Casio.


----------



## Philadelphia Collins (Jun 30, 2016)

I had the non-chrono version in the 80s. The backlight was a cool space age advanced feature at the time. Swam with it no problem. Fun watch.


----------



## Philadelphia Collins (Jun 30, 2016)

Browsing for nostalgia's sake, I think I'd splurge and spend an extra $2 USD and go for the 1200 model Casio, with world time zones, five alarms, and stated 100m WR. The $2 extra is probably worth it plus I think the little global map display is cool and the battery is for 10 years.


----------



## hoss (Nov 1, 2014)

Philadelphia Collins said:


> Browsing for nostalgia's sake, I think I'd splurge and spend an extra $2 USD and go for the 1200 model Casio, with world time zones, five alarms, and stated 100m WR. The $2 extra is probably worth it plus I think the little global map display is cool and the battery is for 10 years.


I own a total of 5 of the 1200 Casio World Time model, 2 in the black resin and 2 in the silver resin with the stainless steel bracelet. You are right about the 1200 looking cool with the LCD global map and LCD circular clock setup that it has.


----------



## hoss (Nov 1, 2014)

Philadelphia Collins said:


> I had the non-chrono version in the 80s. The backlight was a cool space age advanced feature at the time. Swam with it no problem. Fun watch.


I also had a similar version of it back in the 80's, but mine had a chrono in it. It also has either 30m or 50m water resistant written out on the crystal of the watch.


----------



## jaeiger (Mar 9, 2014)

Glad this thread got revived, else I would've never come across it. This is sure to become a bookmarked link for the next time someone's afraid to take their watch in the pool. It kind of echos the other megathread on water resistance - that whether or not a given watch will flood is down to QC and proper assembly, not due to a given watch's design flaws. Just look at all the diver's watches that have flooded, and all the non-divers that have been swum with sans issue.


----------



## hoss (Nov 1, 2014)

If all you guys think that it's safe to swim and dive with the A158W-1 and the A168W-1 on the wrist, then I'm just going to go ahead and swim with both watches. I have a few of each model in my collection, so I can put each one through the "test" to see what the results will be and to see if both models can hold their water resistance while swimming and diving in the ocean no less than 30m in depth. Hopefully, they will not leak.


----------



## Philadelphia Collins (Jun 30, 2016)

I would not dive with a sentimental watch regardless of cost or WR rating. 

I would dive with a watch that is not something sentimentally valuable to me, that costs $13 -- to put that in a meaningful perspective, that's about the cost of a sleeve of frozen burger patties.


----------



## hoss (Nov 1, 2014)

The Casio A158W-1 and the other model, the Casio A168W-1 are both excellent watches to wear as beater watches. They are very light and very comfortable to wear on the wrist. I own a few of each model and I'm wearing them and constantly getting them wet a lot. I shower and I wash my hands with the watch on my wrist and so far, I haven't had any problems with water leaking inside the watch. The next step will be going swimming with both models in the ocean.


----------



## Ticonderoga (Apr 4, 2015)

As soon as I have a few days, I'm making one of these.

If your watch passes, swim without worries.

*Do it yourself Water Resistance Tester 3 bar*


----------



## hoss (Nov 1, 2014)

That's an excellent contraption. I wish that I was mechanically inclined to be able to build one of these things to use for my watches.


----------



## Ticonderoga (Apr 4, 2015)

hoss said:


> That's an excellent contraption. I wish that I was mechanically inclined to be able to build one of these things to use for my watches.


That's what I thought, but in looking at it, you just take a water filter, get some similar sized pipe fittings, wrap some Teflon tape, even my kid sister could do it!


----------



## cpscott84 (Sep 12, 2014)

This reminds me of when I used to teach scuba classes 4 or 5 days a week wearing a Timex Weekender. It eventually got a little bit of moisture on inside but it still kept going. I think it even went on a dive to 175' to retrieve a customers' mask at one point if memory serves me correctly.


----------



## macotono (Mar 21, 2013)

I have the same watch and probably will take it to honey moon in Argentina. I am not too worried about its water resistance capabilities now. Great read. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## hoss (Nov 1, 2014)

macotono said:


> I have the same watch and probably will take it to honey moon in Argentina. I am not too worried about its water resistance capabilities now. Great read.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Which of the 2 Casio watches do you currently own that you will be taking with you on your honeymoon to Argentina? The Casio A158W-1 or the Casio A168W-1?


----------



## hoss (Nov 1, 2014)

I'm currently vacationing in southern Greece right now. I took my all resin Casio F-105W-1 together with me and I will be using it while swimming and diving in the Mediterranean Sea for the next 6 weeks. 
I believe that the F-105W-1 has the same exact internal LCD module that the A168W-1 has.


----------



## westywatch (May 21, 2016)

I am stunned that the crystal on the Casio did not blow off as you were coming to the surface. It must have a hidden helium release valve somewhere.

Did you borrow your girlfriend's mid-size Zoop? It looks ridiculously small on your manly 7 inch wrist. You gotta go for the full size (600mm without crown). The 600mm won't be too big for you, since the Zoop has a quite modest lug-to-lug measurement and LTL is really what matters.


----------



## hanshananigan (Apr 8, 2012)

hoss said:


> I'm currently vacationing in southern Greece right now. I took my all resin Casio F-105W-1 together with me and I will be using it while swimming and diving in the Mediterranean Sea for the next 6 weeks.
> I believe that the F-105W-1 has the same exact internal LCD module that the A168W-1 has.


Met a river rafting guide over the weekend who wears a168w-1 on the job. He said he's had a couple and never had any trouble with it. He likes that he can just throw it out if something happens to it.


----------



## James Haury (Apr 10, 2008)

No it won't stop the posts asking if I can go near a shower with my dive watch? or is my super compressor able to withstand raindrops? posts.


----------



## hoss (Nov 1, 2014)

Don't worry. A simple Casio A158W and A168W can take it during a 30 meter dive in the ocean.


----------



## timetellinnoob (Sep 23, 2010)

somebody say amen!


----------



## yankeexpress (Apr 7, 2013)

Ahem


----------



## Impulse (Dec 13, 2014)

Another timely bump for this thread.

Saw when some unfortunate soul commented in F71 that he/she wouldn't even wash hands without a screwdown crown. Now, I can't find the post (dang it).

LOL.


----------



## abstruse1 (Mar 25, 2017)

I often think about which watches are really rugged, which one I'd take if I were going to be away from civilization for awhile, or for many short episodes, and really needed accurate time and dependability (e.g. probably a military situation). This is just fantasy for me, I'm very unlikely ever to be in such a situation, but I enjoy the mind game.

The G-Force watches are said to be the ones most often used in such situations, perhaps in part since they're cheap. And, I must say, to me they look it!

So I'd look for a solar quartz, titanium, excellent lume, on a one-piece strap. Like several Seiko JDM divers. In part, this is due to my understanding of the tests a "divers" watch must pass, e.g. g-forces, heat then cold, cold then heat, negative pressure, springbar retention, etc. These are ~$500 watches. And, for me, they're nice to look at and appreciate for their "form-follows-function" design.

Counterpoint?


----------



## grayfox8647 (Apr 1, 2016)

Casio.. that little cheap bastard, it keeps surprising me everyday. Best $24 ever spent


----------



## pikers (Jan 4, 2016)

This may be the best post that I've read on this site. Insightful, witty and it definitely puts things into perspective.


----------



## yankeexpress (Apr 7, 2013)

pikers said:


> This may be the best post that I've read on this site. Insightful, witty and it definitely puts things into perspective.


Agree, totally.


----------



## Carl.1 (Mar 27, 2006)

I think I am going to copy the thread link and post it every time a silly comment is made about water resistance and showers etc.

This was a fun post by the OP


----------



## yankeexpress (Apr 7, 2013)

Carl.1 said:


> I think I am going to copy the thread link and post it every time a silly comment is made about water resistance and showers etc.
> 
> This was a fun post by the OP


This thread never gets old. 
3 years on and still cookin'.
The OP has moved overseas and don't think he dives anymore.


----------



## dimsoug (Apr 12, 2017)

Nice test, thanks for the effort!!


----------



## Ruthless750 (Aug 18, 2013)

I dive with my Suunto Core and no problems at all


----------



## burdy (Aug 7, 2007)

Ruthless750 said:


> I dive with my Suunto Core and no problems at all


I've only broken and/or flooded 4 of those. On my last NIB replacement from Suunto, I sold it and bought a GDF100-1B and it's been through all the same stuff with not a single failure and it's been doing this for years.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


----------



## Ruthless750 (Aug 18, 2013)

burdy said:


> I've only broken and/or flooded 4 of those. On my last NIB replacement from Suunto, I sold it and bought a GDF100-1B and it's been through all the same stuff with not a single failure and it's been doing this for years.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


I have a G as well just find the Suunto a little more usable due to larger screen and easier interface. I'm thinking of Garmin Tactix Bravo for the outdoors

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Lqdtr (May 13, 2018)

Where are all the pictures in the first post? I don't see any


----------



## jhb (May 5, 2006)

been away over a decade....wow time flies by......but this is a great thread...glad i ran into it 

ive dove back in late 80s and early 90s with a seiko push pull crown 50m water resistance to just over 200 ft. about 61m more than a few times. never leaked or failed. i agree on folks over think water resistance. on a quality made and branded watch i have no gear of swimming snorkeling or diving with one less than 200m wr or a screw down crown.


----------



## jhb (May 5, 2006)

jhb said:


> been away over a decade....wow time flies by......but this is a great thread...glad i ran into it
> 
> ive dove back in late 80s and early 90s with a seiko push pull crown 50m water resistance to just over 200 ft. about 61m more than a few times. never leaked or failed. i agree on folks over think water resistance. on a quality made and branded watch i have no fear of swimming snorkeling or diving with one less than 200m wr or without a screw down crown.


sorry havent figured out new software than when i started on this site.... for editing post and made some typos on phone and left out a word. so fixed in quote.


----------



## vzanello (Apr 27, 2019)

Useful, interesting. Very summery


----------



## eleven pass (Oct 6, 2018)

Old thread but yes, this was great! Thank you.


----------



## Rostislav Persion (Sep 11, 2014)

They lied about the quality of the back light though for the A158 ...


----------



## Rostislav Persion (Sep 11, 2014)

Has anyone tried pressing buttons while under water?


----------



## memento_mori (May 1, 2009)

Great photos and story telling . Thank you!


----------



## johnMcKlane (May 14, 2017)

I liked that story … that Casio still alive ?


----------



## dmcutter (Apr 5, 2006)

I was just thinking about this thread earlier today. Deja vu all over again.


----------



## Pj66 (Feb 3, 2019)

My love for dive watches is what is pushing me to learn how to dive! Great post! Thank you!


----------



## Seppia (Sep 1, 2013)

johnMcKlane said:


> I liked that story &#8230; that Casio still alive ?


yes!
I gave it as a present to the boyfriend of my wife's sister three years ago. 
still ticking and not even a battery change!


----------



## dmcutter (Apr 5, 2006)

Wait, that watch ticks? 🤯


----------



## berni29 (Sep 8, 2007)

Hi

Before I was a WIS I used to regularly dive in my original series Longines Titanium VHP with a push on back and no screw down crown. 3 or 5 atm water resistance as I remember. Lots of the gold plating came of the bracelet but no other ill effects. In fact Longines replaced the bracelet when I complained. 

My Rolex GMT II came with me canoeing many times. I used to wince a bit every time I would plunge that arm into riverbed gravel. Now I am a WIS I would never do that. Casio 2100 all the way!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Awesom-O 4000 (Sep 20, 2018)

Bump for awesomeness


----------

