Sometimes a new piece of gear offers a feature or capability we didn’t realize we were missing that turns out to be a game changer.

That was the case with Scubapro’s Galileo HUD, a mask-mounted dive computer that makes it surprisingly easy to constantly monitor critical dive info while keeping your hands free.

Head-up dive displays aren’t new, of course. But those for open-circuit diving have tended to be bulky, awkward or impractical enough that we weren’t prepared to give up on our wrist mounts.

Where the Galileo HUD stands out is in the way its design and operation mesh easily and seamlessly with the way we dive.

The heart of it is the full- color OLED display, which is only about the size of a thumbnail. But its precision near-eye optics, and a mount that places the screen right at the mask lens, give the virtual effect of viewing a much larger screen—about the size of an average laptop—from about a meter away.

It’s easy to read, but just as important, your eye doesn’t need to refocus when shift- ing between your surroundings and the computer screen. Also, your vision quickly learns to play the same trick with the HUD that it does with your nose: It’s visible all the time, but your brain simply ignores it and fills in the blocked view with the image from your other eye. The computer essentially disappears from your view until you look for it. The HUD weighs less than 4 ounces and is neutrally buoyant, so its weight on the mask isn’t bothersome or even noticeable in the water, and most of it remains out of view above the mask frame. We were surprised how quickly we became accustomed to the computer’s presence, and how little we actually noticed it during dives.

The simple but clever mount plays a big part in the Galileo HUD’s convenience and ergonomics, letting the computer swivel up out of the way when not needed, but dropping it back into precisely the same spot when lowered.

Like many premium air-integrated computers, the Galileo HUD has Bluetooth, surface GPS, programmable algorithms, a three-axis compass and a rechargeable battery. Those features, along with its readable screen and intuitive operation, made it handy on early trial dives in confined, crystal-clear water—where it’s also no hard-ship to glance at your wrist for the same information. But it was on open-water drift dives in poor visibility and shifting currents that the Galileo HUD really showed its potential.

The ability to constantly monitor depth and compass heading in less than ideal viz while having both hands free to deploy an SMB from depth was a persuasive demonstration of the benefits of this clever bit of technology—the kind of innovation that can change the way we dive.

THE BIG IDEA

The ScubaLab Innovation Award recognizes breakthroughs in products, practices and ideas that can change the world of diving equipment. Periodically, as our imagination is sparked by new concepts and design, we’ll share with you the innovations that enhance our experience in the water today, and might change the way you dive tomorrow.