Diving as a way of life: My journey into depths with the HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 Pro
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Written by Sabine Kerkau
Diving as a way of life: My journey into depths with the HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 Pro
7 min readPublished on 21/11/2025 · 11:00
Published on 21/11/2025 · 11:00
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About the Author
01. From the first dive to a great passion: my journey into the depths of the oceans
02. Fitness and technology as life insurance in a hostile environment
03. Dangers of diving
04. How to start diving: prerequisites and the path to your first dive
05. The best diving spots in Europe: recommendations for beginners and pros
06. Smartwatch underwater: how it supports you when diving and which functions really count
From the first dive to a great passion: my journey into the depths of the oceans
Even as a child I loved the water, we spent every summer at the Baltic Sea and my parents claimed I could swim before I could walk. My enthusiasm for the sea grew steadily and when I was about 6 years old, my father gave me a Hans Hass scrapbook in which you could stick pictures of colorful fish. He had got it at the gas station and from then on brought me new sticky pictures every time we stopped for gas. This book and the films by Hans Hass and Jacques Cousteau sparked my love of the underwater world and diving.
I used to snorkel and swim a lot in my youth, but I started diving in the Maldives in 1986. I still clearly remember that first dive today.
Fitness and technology as life insurance in a hostile environment
There is hardly any other sport that is as diverse as diving. Whether you practice it as a pure vacation diver in tropical waters or, like me, prefer to explore unknown wrecks in cold, dark waters at great depths is up to you. What all dives have in common is that they are carried out in an environment that is hostile to human life.
They are only possible with the help of well-functioning equipment. And, just as importantly in my opinion, they should only be carried out if you have a certain level of physical and mental fitness. The HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 Pro can help me monitor my vital signs and specific diving-related metrics. For me, my oxygen levels, breathing and pulse rate are important factors. The sleep values, especially the observation of sleep breathing on days after very deep dives with high oxygen partial pressures, also give me relevant information about how my body reacts to such dives. For freedivers, it can monitor important stats like dive time, depth, and recovery time between dives. While the HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 Pro may not replace a traditional dive computer for more technical or device-based diving, it offers a reliable and useful set of tools for freediving and apnea, making it a great complement for divers focused on tracking and optimizing their dives.
Sculpted look, geometric feel. Crafted with titanium and ceramic.
Pro-Level sports: golf, free diving, and trail running.
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Dangers of diving
The unpredictable and fluctuating conditions during a dive place high demands on physical fitness and equipment. In addition to the correct handling of the equipment, it is crucial to keep an eye on your own vital signs in order to minimize health risks.
• Damage to the lung mucosa: Breathing gas mixtures with a high oxygen content and under high pressure can cause reversible damage to the bronchial mucosa. This impairs gas exchange in the lungs and leads to reduced oxygen saturation in the blood.
• Impaired decompression: Reduced oxygen saturation can negatively affect the decompression process on the way to the surface and lead to health risks.
• Cardiovascular problems: Many diving accidents are due to cardiovascular problems; regular monitoring of vital signs is crucial.
• Breathing problems during sleep: After deep and long dives, breathing difficulties may occur during sleep, which may indicate strain on the lungs.
By keeping an eye on the metrics, wearables like the HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 Pro can assist divers in minimizing health risks related to lung function, cardiovascular issues, and overall post-dive recovery, making them an essential tool for safer diving practices.
How to start diving: prerequisites and the path to your first dive
Diving is a sport that is open to almost everyone, as the requirements are minimal. Anyone who feels comfortable in the water and is not claustrophobic can get started! A certain level of fitness doesn't hurt, but a health check is more important: ears, lungs, heart and blood pressure should be in order. So, almost anyone can dive!
The best diving spots in Europe: recommendations for beginners and pros
When starting out in diving, I always advise: "Learn at the dive store around the corner!" If you master diving in a lake, you can find your way around anywhere later on. So you can start your vacation in the Mediterranean or on the Baltic Sea with great diving adventures instead of spending your days in course rooms or with textbooks. A diving course at home also has the advantage that you have less time pressure and often receive more thorough training. Great diving destinations in the Mediterranean are the Maltese islands, Croatia and Sardinia - ideal spots for beginners and advanced divers. If you prefer it colder, you should definitely consider Norway!
"During my dives, the HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 Pro proved to be extremely reliable. It provided clear and precise data like depth, temperature, and ascent speed."
Smartwatch underwater: how it supports you when diving and which functions really count
Physical and mental fitness is essential for any type of diving- and a smartwatch also supports me in this. Functions such as sleep monitoring are particularly valuable for assessing my performance and deciding whether I'm ready for challenging dives or whether I should skip a dive if the values are not optimal.
During my dives in the Baltic Sea on an expedition, we must stick to precise timing because poor visibility leaves us with limited communication options with both the underwater team and the surface team. While my smartwatch doesn’t replace my dive computer, it’s a great complement and works well as a backup bottom timer. The display, even in the darkness of the Baltic Sea, was impressively bright and clear. I was able to switch from dive mode to the compass function with a simple press of a button. The was easy to use even with thick gloves in 3 to 5°C water temperature.
Mostly, diving is a peaceful and accessible sport to learn, and technology can gently enhance the experience—whether you're a novice or more experienced. During my last dives, I found the HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 Pro to be a very reliable device for diving. It has shown me many important values such as time under water, depth (current and maximum), temperature, ascent and descent speed, distance traveled and more. The display, even in the darkness of the Baltic Sea, was impressively bright and clear.
Conclusion
In conclusion, diving is much more than just a sport - it is an inexhaustible source of fascination and discovery. Every depth, every wreck and every moment underwater reveal the diversity and uniqueness of the underwater world. With modern technology, such as a smartwatch that monitors important health data and helps with orientation, diving becomes even safer and more versatile. This passion drives divers to constantly explore new things and push their limits. Diving is not just an adventure, but a way of life that inspires and shows that there is still a lot to discover beneath the surface.
The product complies with the EN13319 standard for diving accessories, and supports free dives at depths of up to 40 metres. It can be worn during shallow water activities such as swimming in a pool or along the coast. After wearing the device in water activities, clean and dry it promptly, remove the water stains from the product surfaces and all holes, and use the device's drainage feature to avoid negative impact on device performance. Leather and metal straps are not designed to withstand swimming or sweat. It is recommended that you wear other types of straps, in such scenarios. For more information about the water resistance of Huawei wearables, please visit: https://consumer.huawei.com/en/support/content/en-us15851428/. Water resistance is not permanent, and protection may decrease with daily wear and tear.
Sabine Kerkau
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