| By :
Roger Brown
So, you thought watches with altimeters were just for hikers. Well that's not exactly the case. For skydivers, a watch with altimeter function can be a very cool addition to the experience. Most skydivers who spend a lot of time in the air have an altimeter watch. Watches with altimeters measure the height above sea level. They do this with a barometric pressure sensor that's inside the watch. The standard that is used is called "International Standard Atmosphere". This just makes it so that everybody is singing off the same sheet of music, so to speak, and calibrating according to the same set of rules. Basically, instruments that adhere to the standard measure the height above sea level using the pressure, or weight of the atmosphere. Calibrating your altimeter watch is something you must do whether you're skydiving or just taking a hike in the woods. But, the skydiving application requires an extra level of care. Skydivers cannot be "approximately" right they need to be as close to perfect as possible. That's because the amount of time that you spent in the air is defined by what you actual height above sea level was. Freefall time for skydivers is the most important variable. The more accurate and higher end the altimeter watch the better it will be supplying accurate information on the correct altitude. As you'd imagine there are a number of manufacturers that make altimeter watches and all vie for your sports recreation dollar. Some of the brands that specifically cater to skydivers are Nixon and Graf Zeppelin. While experience is probably the best teacher here, it makes sense to talk with someone more experienced skydivers to find out what watches they use. Somebody that has run the gamut and used all of these products will be a lot better at sorting it out for you than someone who has only reviewed watches for generalist outdoor activities. Of course, when you're skydiving you'd like to have as large of on the watch as possible, so it's easy to read in turbulent conditions. The Suunto watches have large round faces are quite easy to read because the numbers and letters are equally large. Some of the more cost-effective and better priced watches like Timex, for example, have a lot of information going on and may be more difficult to read, especially in awkward angles and less than ideal lighting conditions. When watches with altimeters are concerned, you simply can't get enough information before you purchase - especially, if you are looking at this type of watch for use in a safety critical sport like skydiving. There's a lot of information available that will help you evaluate which watches might be applicable and which might serve you best.
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