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Starting a Dive Session

CAUTION

For best results, you should calibrate the compass before every dive. Failure to calibrate the compass may result in poor location data, and divers may receive incorrect data about the direction to the buoy.

NOTICE

Calibrate the electronic compass outdoors. To improve heading accuracy, do not stand near objects that influence magnetic fields, such as vehicles, buildings, and overhead power lines.

Before you start a dive session, you must set up the buoy with the Garmin Dive™ app (Setting Up the Buoy with the Garmin Dive App), and set up the dive network for all the divers in the group (Dive Network).

  1. To turn on the buoy, hold the button for two seconds until you hear a beep.

    The buoy beeps, and the status LED flashes green while the buoy is powering on. A tone plays, and the status LED slowly flashes white.

  2. On your mobile device, open the system settings, and connect to the Descent™ S1 buoy's Wi‑Fi® network.
  3. In the Garmin Dive app, select More > Garmin Devices, select the buoy, and select Start Session.
  4. Follow the on-screen compass calibration instructions and slowly rotate the device through the 3-axis rotations.

    The Garmin Dive app indicates when the calibration is complete.

  5. Select Divers, and confirm that all the divers appear in the list.
  6. Use a tether to attach the buoy to the boat or surface marker buoy, and deploy the buoy into the water (Buoy Positioning Tips).
  7. Begin the dive, and use the Garmin Dive app to monitor the divers from the surface.
  8. Select Location to view the approximate location of underwater divers.
    TIP: Divers can navigate back to the buoy during a dive using location data shown on their dive computer. See your Descent owner's manual for more information.
  9. Select Messaging to send messages to one or more divers and view received messages.
  10. Select Stats to view data about each diver's depth and tank pressure.
  11. At the end of the dive session, select Menu > Exit Session.

At the end of a dive when the paired dive computers are out of the water and within range of the buoy, they connect and sync automatically, and you can view your underwater heat maps for approximate location information in the Garmin Dive app. If necessary, you can select Dive Setup > Dive Network & Air Integration > Buoys, select the buoy, and select Sync to manually sync with the buoy after a dive.

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July 2025
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