Mares Quad Air setup guide

Four-button air-integrated wrist dive computer (Mares RGBM). Shows tank pressure from up to 3 optional wireless tank modules. Air, Nitrox (up to 3 gases) and bottom timer modes; manual altitude setting; user-replaceable CR2450 battery.

Buttons

Button	Where	What it does
`UP`	upper side button labelled UP	Surface: next item / increase value. Dive: either upper button changes the top row; press and hold for backlight.
`DOWN`	lower side button labelled DOWN	Surface: previous item / decrease value. Dive: either lower button changes the bottom-right field.
`ENTER`	side button labelled ENTER	Surface: open a menu / confirm a setting.
`ESC`	side button labelled ESC	Surface: leave a menu / go up one level.

Turn on / wake

The manual does not say which button wakes the Quad Air from sleep. It does say the computer switches on in pre-dive mode and starts a dive automatically when submerged. Make sure the pre-dive screen is showing before you get in.

Once awake, the Quad Air always starts in pre-dive mode, ready to dive.
Manual p. 7
In pre-dive it starts logging at 1.2 m / 4 ft. If you get in without pre-dive, the dive still starts, but up to 20 seconds late.
Manual p. 7
In pre-dive it switches off after 3 minutes without a button press. On other screens it sleeps after 1 minute.
Manual p. 7
Even when the screen looks off, it keeps tracking nitrogen and checks the pressure every 20 seconds.
Manual p. 4
Press ESC to leave a menu and go back one level.
PressESC
Manual p. 4

Date and time

In pre-dive, press UP or DOWN until SEt appears, then press ENTER.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 7
Press UP or DOWN to reach SEt tIME, then press ENTER. 24h or AMPM starts to blink.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 10
Press UP or DOWN to choose 24h or AMPM, then press ENTER.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 10
Set the hour, then the minutes, then the date: UP/DOWN to change, ENTER to confirm each one.
PressUPPressDOWNPressENTER
Manual p. 10

Units (m/ft, °C/°F)

In pre-dive, press UP or DOWN until SEt appears, then press ENTER.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 7
With SEt dIVE shown, press ENTER.
PressENTER
Manual p. 8
Press UP or DOWN to reach UNItS, then press ENTER.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 8
Choose metric (m, °C, bar) or imperial (ft, °F, psi) with UP/DOWN, then press ENTER. All units change together.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 9

Water type (salt/fresh)

In pre-dive, press UP or DOWN until SEt appears, then press ENTER.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 7
With SEt dIVE shown, press ENTER.
PressENTER
Manual p. 8
Press UP or DOWN to reach WAtR, then press ENTER.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 8
Choose SALt, FRSH (fresh) or EN13 (EN13319) with UP/DOWN, then press ENTER.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 9
A wrong water type changes the shown depth by 1–3%. The decompression calculation is based on pressure and is not affected.
Manual p. 9

Dive mode (Air / Nitrox / Gauge)

In pre-dive, press UP or DOWN until MOdE appears, then press ENTER.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 7
Press UP or DOWN to choose AIR, EAN (nitrox) or bottom timer, then press ENTER. AIR is the same as 21% with a 1.4 bar limit.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 7
Bottom timer shows only depth, time, tank pressure and temperature. There is no decompression calculation and only low-battery and tank-reserve alarms.
Manual p. 16
You can only choose bottom timer when the computer is fully desaturated (no nitrogen left from earlier dives).
Manual p. 16
After a dive in bottom timer mode, wait at least 24 hours before diving with a decompression computer.
Manual p. 16
After an uncontrolled ascent or a missed deco stop, Air and Nitrox are blocked for 24 hours; only bottom timer works.
Manual p. 17

Nitrox O₂% and ppO₂ limit

The manual does not describe any automatic reset of O2% to 21%: the setting stays until you change it. A P or nP in the top left of the nitrox screen shows whether a tank module is paired to that gas (p. 7).

Open MOdE, choose EAN with UP/DOWN and press ENTER.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 7
Press UP or DOWN to set the oxygen % (O2%). Watch the maximum operating depth (MOD) change.
PressUPPressDOWN
Manual p. 7
Press ENTER to move to ppO2max, then use UP or DOWN to set it (1.2–1.6 bar; factory setting 1.4 bar).
PressENTERPressUPPressDOWN
Manual p. 12
Press ENTER to save. The G2 OFF screen appears (second gas); press ESC to leave.
PressENTERPressESC
Manual p. 7
Before every dive and after changing tanks, check that the O2% matches the analysed tank.
Manual p. 8

Conservatism / personal setting

A higher P means a more conservative calculation (more safety margin). The manual suggests it, for example, after a long break or for a hard dive. The dive planner uses the chosen P factor.

In pre-dive, press UP or DOWN until SEt appears, then press ENTER.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 7
With SEt dIVE shown, press ENTER.
PressENTER
Manual p. 8
Press UP or DOWN to reach P FACt, then press ENTER.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 8
Choose P0 (standard), P1 (more conservative) or P2 (most conservative) with UP/DOWN, then press ENTER.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 8
The pre-dive screen shows p+ for P1 and p++ for P2. Nothing is shown for P0.
Manual p. 9

Altitude

Altitude is set by hand. Set it before diving in a mountain lake. Above 3700 m / 12100 ft use bottom timer and altitude tables.

In pre-dive, press UP or DOWN until SEt appears, then press ENTER.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 7
With SEt dIVE shown, press ENTER.
PressENTER
Manual p. 8
Press UP or DOWN to reach ALt, then press ENTER.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 8
Choose A0 (sea level to about 700 m / 2300 ft), A1 (to 1500 m / 4900 ft), A2 (to 2400 m / 7900 ft) or A3 (to 3700 m / 12100 ft).
PressUP
Manual p. 9
Press ENTER to confirm. A mountain symbol with 1–3 segments shows A1–A3. No symbol means A0.
PressENTER
Manual p. 9

Audible alarms (depth / time)

The manual describes no user-set maximum-depth or dive-time alarm for this model.

In pre-dive, press UP or DOWN until SEt appears, then press ENTER.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 7
With SEt dIVE shown, press ENTER.
PressENTER
Manual p. 8
Press UP or DOWN to reach ALRM, then press ENTER.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 8
Choose on or off with UP/DOWN and press ENTER. Keep the sound on.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 10
run AWAy dECO (in SEt dIVE) sets a warning for fast-growing deco time: OFF, 10, 15 or 20.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 10
Tank alarms (with a paired tank module): in SEt dIVE > GAS INTEGR, set tANK WARN (half-tank, default 100 bar / 1500 psi) and tANK RSRV (reserve, default 50 bar / 750 psi).
PressENTERPressUP
Manual p. 9
When a tank alarm sounds under water, press any button to acknowledge it.
Manual p. 13
Built-in alarms (no setup): ascent rate, MOD/ppO2, CNS, missed deco stop, low tank pressure and low battery.
Manual p. 12

Reading the log after a dive

In pre-dive, press UP or DOWN until LOG appears, then press ENTER.
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 7
The first page sums up all dives: deepest depth, number of dives, hours underwater and coldest water.
Manual p. 10
Press UP or DOWN to scroll through the dives (1 = most recent).
PressUPPressDOWN
Manual p. 10
Page 1 of a dive: max depth, lowest temperature and average depth, time in and out, date and O2%.
Manual p. 10
Press ENTER for the next page: surface interval, tank pressure and CNS.
PressENTER
Manual p. 11
Press ESC to go back to the logbook list.
PressESC
Manual p. 11

Battery

No battery symbol means there is enough charge to dive.
Manual p. 4
A steady battery symbol means a few dives are left. Replace the battery soon.
Manual p. 4
A blinking battery symbol (on the surface) means the battery is too weak. Do not dive: the Quad Air will not work as a dive computer.
Manual p. 4
INFO shows the battery as OK (good), LOW (a few dives left) or KO (too low to dive).
PressUPPressENTER
Manual p. 11
It uses a user-replaceable CR2450 battery; Mares suggests having it changed at an authorised Mares centre.
Manual p. 17

What the main screen shows

Pre-dive screen: P factor, altitude, time of day and surface interval, tank pressure (if a module is paired); with nitrox also O2% and MOD.
Manual p. 7
During the dive: depth, temperature, NO DECO time, dive time, tank pressure, TTR (time to reserve) and a nitrogen bar graph.
Manual p. 13
In a deco dive, the NO DECO time is replaced by the deepest stop depth and time and the total ascent time (ASC).
Manual p. 14
Nitrogen bar graph on the left: the more black segments, the closer you are to the no-deco limit.
Manual p. 14
Press either upper button to change the top row (max depth, average depth, MOD with nitrox, deep stop).
PressUP
Manual p. 13
Press either lower button to change the bottom row: TTR, gas use, O2%, CNS, ppO2, ASC+5, time of day.
PressDOWN
Manual p. 14
Ascent speed replaces the dive time while you go up. At 10 m/min / 30 ft/min or faster it beeps and shows SLOW.
Manual p. 12
Press and hold an upper button for the backlight.
HoldUP
Manual p. 4

Pre-dive check

Tick each item before you get in the water.

No blinking battery symbol; INFO shows OK.
Mode is AIR or EAN as planned, not bottom timer.
If EAN: O2% matches the analysed tank and ppO2max is 1.4 bar (or as instructed).
P factor (p+/p++) is as your instructor wants.
Altitude symbol matches the dive site (none = A0 sea level).
Water type (SALt/FRESH/EN13319) matches the dive site.
If using a tank module: tank pressure shows on the pre-dive screen (not nP or - -).
Audible alarms (ALRM) are on.
Pre-dive screen is showing before you get in the water.