Garmin advances dive safety technology with revolutionary Descent S1 Smart Buoy
Track, monitor and communicate with those above – and below – the surface for greater situational awareness while exploring the depths
OLATHE, Kan., July 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --/July 15, 2025/PR Newswire – Garmin (NYSE:GRMN) today announced the Descent™ S1 Buoy, a revolutionary addition to the Garmin dive lineup that helps strengthen diver communication and enhances peace of mind for divers and crew. Using Garmin's unique SubWave™ sonar networking, the buoy integrates seamlessly with Garmin dive computers to help crew members on the surface track and monitor up to eight divers—and exchange preset messages with those using a compatible dive computer and Descent T2 transceiver. For increased situational awareness, connected divers can also see the distance and direction to the buoy and receive clear guidance to help them know where to surface1.
"Garmin is focused on creating essential products designed to help keep divers safe. The groundbreaking Descent S1 buoy adds game-changing communication, navigation and safety capabilities between divers and their surface crew, making it the next must-have piece of kit for dive teams, charter operations, instructors and more."
–Susan Lyman, Garmin Vice President of Consumer Sales and Marketing
Advancing the diver experience
- Find my buoy: Connected divers can see the distance and direction back to the buoy – whether it's tethered in place, on the anchor line of a boat or on the boat's tag line during a drift dive – and use it to navigate back to the buoy2.
- Diver-to-surface messaging: When using a connected Descent dive computer, divers can tell those on the surface where they are, where they're going, if they need to come up early and their remaining decompression time1.
- Extended diver-to-diver messaging: While beneath the surface, the buoy extends the range of diver-to-diver messaging capabilities. Divers with compatible Descent dive computers can exchange preset messages with one another up to 100 meters away1.
- Post-dive review: After returning to the surface, view underwater heatmaps on the Garmin Dive™ smart-device app to see where explorations took place.
Revolutionizing the diving experience from the surface
Topside crews can better track divers below the surface when using both the Descent S1 Buoy and Garmin Dive app.
- Remote diver monitoring: Track tank pressures, diver location and depth, and more when divers are equipped with a compatible dive computer and Descent T2 transceiver. Automatic alerts can also let topside crew members know when a diver's tank pressure is low2.
- Surface-to-diver messaging: Topside crews can exchange preset messages with connected Descent dive computers underwater, allowing them to communicate with divers and send out a diver recall if the dive needs to be cut short.
- Diver location tracking: Track the approximate range to each diver in the SubWave sonar network—up to 100 meters away from the buoy2.
VIDEO: See how the Descent S1 Buoy can keep divers and topside crew connected
Rugged and connected
The compact Descent S1 Buoy weighs just 2 pounds and has an IPX8 water rating to 10 meters. The rechargeable lithium battery provides up to 15 hours of battery life so it can be used during a typical weekend dive trip before needing to be recharged. To keep divers connected to their topside crew, the buoy uses Wi-Fi® technology to wirelessly connect to the Garmin Dive app, up to 60 meters away.
Available now, the Descent S1 Buoy has a suggested retail price of $2,499.99.
Engineered on the inside for life on the outside, Garmin products have revolutionized life for adventurers, athletes, off-road explorers, road warriors and outdoor enthusiasts everywhere. Committed to developing products that enhance experiences, enrich lives and help provide peace of mind, Garmin believes every day is an opportunity to innovate and a chance to beat yesterday. Visit the Garmin Newsroom, email our media team, connect with @garminoutdoor on social, or follow our blog.
1 Some compatible dive computers can receive, but not send, messages. Conditions such as surface, waves, chop, objects and diver position can obstruct the signal and reduce range; for more details, visit Garmin.com/subwave.
2 Conditions such as surface, waves, chop, objects and diver position can obstruct the signal and reduce range; for more details, visit Garmin.com/subwave.
About Garmin International, Inc. Garmin International, Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (NYSE:GRMN). Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Garmin is a registered trademark and Descent, SubWave and Garmin Dive are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance.
Notice on Forward-Looking Statements:
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd. and its business. Such statements are based on management's current expectations. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Garmin, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 28, 2024, filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 0-31983), and the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 29, 2025 filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 001-41118). Copies of such Form 10-K and Form 10-Q are available at https://www.garmin.com/en-US/investors/sec/. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
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SOURCE Garmin International, Inc.