Dive's Charles Hood recently grabbed 7 popular dive computers -- all of which retail for $500 or less -- and took them diving. The computers had two things in common: they all performed well, and they all had user-replacable batteries. That's where the similarities ended. Their algorithms were all slightly different (the TUSA IQ 700 was the most conservative model he tested), and their user interfaces varied substantially.

Interestingly, Hood's only complaint was that many of the owner's manuals didn't accurately describe the model he had, or -- worse -- they were simply too confusing to be useful (like the manual for the Aladin Prime). The model Hood liked most -- the Suunto Gekko -- had the best user interface, the clearest manual, was the simplest to use, and -- surprisingly -- was the least expensive computer he tested. Don't let that spoiler prevent you from checking out the rest of the list, but if you want to learn more about the Gekko, head over to Suunto's website.