When starting scuba diving, many newbies are getting a analog pressure gauge to check on their air consumption. Nowadays more and more divers are switching to digital consoles. However, is it really worth the extra money? Let's dig into it. 

Analog pressure gauge

We entrust one of the most important data related to our safety, if not the most important, that of the air pressure of the bottle, to an extremely simple and not very precise instrument, the analog manometer, a copper spiral through which a hole detects the pressure and offers the reading in a sphere moving the needle.

The plus? You do not need a battery to get the pressure gauge going. 

Digital pressure gauge (console)

There are plenty of digital pressure gauges (consoles) on the market nowadays, for instance the Cressi Digi 2. The Digi 2 comes with the hose and easily replaces your current depth gauge including hose.

With DIGI 2 Cressi proposes a high precision instrument that also provides other data of constant interest to the diver like water temperature, dive time, dive depth and of course most importantly - the tank pressure with 3 digitals between 0 - 340 bar. It can be used as a little back-up computer in case your dive computer fails to work. Usually these digital consoles work up to 120m depth and up to 340 bar. They can even work in extreme water temperatures up to minus 10 degrees celsius. Of course the digital pressure gauges can distinguish between 'normal air' and 'nitrox'. You can change the details on the high contrast digital console. 

The minus? You need to change the battery after approximately 700 dives. The device has a low battery indicator. 

See more details on the Digi 2 here: