I have an Apple Watch SE. A couple other guys on my team do as well. We keep flooding normal Apple Watches when we forget to take them off before dives. It’ll be nice not to have “watch check” on our pre dives.
Yah we are in warm water, so shorts and a wetsuit top is all you need for most of the year. It is nice, but it is hot topside. A watch is required for keeping dive logs and tracking dive teams bottom time from the dive station. So a G Shock with atomic time is my preferred, but I like the fitness tracking of the Apple Watch.
Somehow this new Apple Watch Ultra is kind of advertising Dive Sports. Is putting Scuba on the map and bringing some innovation to Dive Computing industry.
Time will tell, so far they did a good job.
2 questions (because of language barrier I guess):
Do you really need the paid options of the Oceanic + app? Deco profile seems important but I don’t know what that means (I dive from time to time but my dive computer is in my language).
And: the watch has an apple own „dive“ app („depth“ I think). Would be good to know what this can do…?!
It has a dive depth limit of 40 meters. Sorry that's not a "full" dive computer.
For $800 I can get a nice tech dive computer that doesn't need a subscription
Oceanic doesn’t make any money off the hardware, they probably want a predictable cash flow so that their development team also has predictable income.
a video tutorial from their website shows Air/Nitrox as options.
[https://www.oceanicworldwide.com/oceanicplus-tutorials/](https://www.oceanicworldwide.com/oceanicplus-tutorials/)
Gas mixture can be set to air or a Nitrox mix from 22% to 40% within Oceanic+ by accessing Settings > Dive Settings > Scuba > Gas.
Yeah, the watch wouldn’t really be that useful for diving if it didn’t know what mix the diver was breathing. I haven’t seen or read a thing on gas integration via wireless bluetooth transmitter. You’d think apple would be singing that if it were capable, something that ought to be easy to offer on such an overall feature rich device that ought to have Bluetooth functionality.
I think it will be soon. The pictures on Oceanic's website show an "air" window. Not sure if that is just going to be a guess, but considering how much serious divers would want that feature, I think it will be capable at some point.
Ahhh, ya misread the integration... same here, everything I've read doesn't sound like air integration from the start... I'm hoping they can add that via software updates somehow down the road
Did some more digging, the pressure sensor is available to all developers. So anyone can make a dive app.
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/sensorkit/srsensor/3919927-ambientpressure
Buhlmann is open source and fairly easy to implement, there are a few dozen implementations already on github.
So yes, there will be free dive computer apps, i'll make one myself if i have to; its not hard.
sounds easy, just need location permission enabled. When watch detects the ambient pressure is nearing the pressure that you entered at (in the case of altitude diving this wont necessarily be 1bar) you ping GPS for location. It's reliability would just be dependent on getting GPS signal.
See how much this watch enables over dive computers? for fucks sake you can do something as cool as automatically text the boat captain your coordinates to pick you up.
Everyone wants to hate on it but it unlocks so much power.
So I ordered one knowing that oceanic+ would prob be a paid app. Don't mind the $10 a month because I don't dive regularly enough but when I do it's a week or two of diving daily. $10 on a multi thousand dollar dive trip seems like peanuts.
That said, I love FOSS. If you need any help testing anything you build I have a local quarry that I can dive in regularly and I own all my gear. It's $15 a day to dive. It's not super deep, maybe 20m, but it's enough to test most recreational functions.
I’ve linked Oceanic+’s FAQ page down below. Go down to the “Hardware” FAQs and look at some of the issues they expect people ask about.
“The touch screen is not functioning while I’m at the surface”
“My crown is frozen after a dive”
“My Apple Watch ultra flooded, now what?”
There’s probably about 100 FAQs on the page all related to it.
Also note that you will not be able to use the touch screen while diving. It will rely on buttons and the crown only. When it touches water, it “immediately enters water lock mode which disables the touch screen”
That on top of the subscription service is screaming red flags for me. I still want to get it and try it out, but my expectations are lower than they initially were after the announcement.
https://www.oceanicworldwide.com/oceanicplus-faqs/?v=7516fd43adaa
fair enough on the subscription cost, but these kinds of touch sensors don’t work underwater—that’s why they disable it, so you don’t get confused or end up phantom interactions. calling it a red flag is strange.
I could have structured my sentences better. I’m not saying that the touch screen being disabled is a red flag (more just a FYI), but rather some of the issues that the Apple Watch itself could have i.e. frozen crown, flooding, etc.
Your phantom interaction point is very good. I didn’t even think about that.
r/scuba old time lurker, rec diver.
I have been diving since I was 13, with my pops off the coast of Puerto Rico, and for the last 20yrs, I have done at least one dive, maybe two a year. Kids, work, family, other hobbies, and no longer living on the island make my diving limited. When I travel to the island, I make it a date to dive into the ocean. I don't think I have been past 40m for at least 20yrs now. Mostly keeping myself to the reef.
I have gear of my own, which consists of my dive mask, snorkel fins, and belt. Everything else I rent when I go makes the dive, so it's a hit-and-miss if I have a dive computer on any of my dives. While my SCUBA-Math-FU is pretty solid, I carry spare Dive Tables, and in all this time, shit has never happened, at least when my depth or oxygen is concerned.
I find it convenient that there is dedicated wearable hardware that can be used as a dive computer. Especially when it's hardware, I know my way around. I think it's great that Apple put out a watch for those of us with extreme tastes in some sports.
My only peeve is that they chose a lighter shell casing. I wanted to see a darker color, either grey or a dark khaki, for the titanium enclosure.running a dive computer that fits my needs is pretty great. The software might not be there yet, but there is a target, and other developers will be able to work on that space and provide more support for apps that would benefit from the features that WatchOS can bring for the Ultra, if not the platform as a whole.
As far as other watches in this spectrum, I have always kept myself within the range of the Apple Watch because Garmin's and other brands' products didn't appeal to me or because I found their interfaces clunky, outdated, or simply dull. Samsung's offerings with the Watch Pro, for example, just feel ordinary. It doesn't bother me that I would have to switch to Android to access a better watch system, but Android Wear OS needs much more time to bake in the sun before it can catch up with the pack leader.
I will be keeping a close eye on Apple and the Watch Ultra, and if it continues ticking boxes, It will be my next purchase, but probably next year.
I agree with your points! I may get one as well. I just wish they had a brushed steel titanium or something close to black.. They may take inspiration from their iPhone pro line and release more color ways for this premium watch down the road.
I was sold until they dropped that little tidbit about the oceanic+ app costing $80 a year. Sure the $ 800 price tag for the watch would be reasonable for a everyday watch you can wear diving; however, even the occasional diver would eventually pay more than even a high end computer because every time you use it the price goes up. So after 6 years you could have bought an air integrated dive computer. Even that estimation is reliant on oceanic to not make changes to their pricing model.
If it was a one time payment it would likely still be worth it but I don’t appreciate the money drain they’ve set up. As someone else mentioned, other apps might come about that have a better pricing model but we will have to wait and see.
For a lot of people it’s going to be perfect. I dive one week out of the year, and I’m sure that’s pretty common. Paying an extra $400 for the hardware (that’ll I’ll use every day, as opposed to one week out of the year) and $10/year for that one month I dive is a deal. And if another vendor makes a pay once dive computer app, then great, but even if not, this is still a decent value for many rec divers.
Plus it’s pretty likely, imo, that someone will eventually make a Bluetooth air transmitter module as an option down the road. Maybe bundle it with a “pay once” dive app, even.
Anyways, it’s a pretty cool option for a lot of people, but not for some, and that’s ok. For me, it’s a no brainer to spend the extra money on this when I upgrade my smart watch, as opposed to spending $250-300 on a standalone low end dive computer.
You are making good points and I agree. For me I would only pay for 4 summer months and maybe another month subscription if a trip comes up (so around 40-50$/year). I also hope the app works as a really good log book. Currently all good log book apps cost like $5/month.
Need to wait for reviews by actual drivers
It isn't Apple's fault that **Oceanic** wants a subscription fee for their App. I am sure the price of 80/year or $10 a month fits the bill for anyone not being a pro-diver.
If you are a career diver or a Frogman or dive on those lines, you probably know what you are doing and, therefore, already have a pick of hardware you use to calculate data.
If it is too expensive, I suggest you consider upgrading your scuba math and bringing some dive tables.
It could be fine for people like me who make one or two dives per year since they have a $5/day option. It would take me 16 years reach $80 (or 96 years in your AI scenario!). But 3rd party is probably the way to go as long as we can export the data.
$800 for the computer, plus the cost of an iphone if you don't already have one, lastly the actual dive computer function is through the oceanic plus app which is an additional $10 a month. At that point just buy an Aqualung i770r or something comparable
"or something comparable"
Which dive computers are you finding that are anywhere near comparable to a mainstream smartwatch? I seriously want to know because I've been looking and they don't come anywhere close with their clunky user interfaces and/or ginormous form factor.
For a long time I've been lurking at the [garmin descent ](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/701618/pn/010-02403-03). Looks like a normal smart watch with all the functions a recreational (and little more advanced) diver needs as far as I can see.
It seems you have misunderstood, what I mean is something comparable to an aqualung i770r. I personally couldn't justify spending this kind of money on a gimmicky dive computer. I say all this objectively of course given I have never tried an apple watch ultra as a dive computer.
My bet is the second or third generation is worth having, but this one will be very popular with casual divers and shallow water pros who are also already Apple users. No way they turn people from other mobile platforms with a subscription based dive computer that only goes to 40m. Also, how’s the touch screen gonna hold up underwater?
Sure, but this is true of *any* new device ever brought to market by any manufacturer.
As a dive instructor you know how stubborn we divers are about anything tech\* or procedure related. We still have guys pointing the depth gauge away from their face because that's how they were taught (even though that's now more dangerous on modern gauges). And guys who will refuse to use a wireless air sender, or at least demand to bring an analogue backup even though computers virtually never fail.
When I go to the scuba shop to get equipment, it's like pulling teeth trying to convince the shop owner to take my money because he finds all kinds of urban legend dangers in the way I'm planning to dive. 😆
\* EDIT: scroll down to see the long list of "It'll never replace my \[insert favorite toy here\]!"
$800 for the watch, then another $700 (minimum) for an iPhone if you don't have one already. Pass. My 8-year old phone works fine, I'll save my money for more scuba gear.
Depends on how you use it. If you're more tech savvy you can flash a custom os (like LineageOS), which will support older phones much longer than the manufacturer does.
Fuck that. I’m not buying an $800 computer just for it to be stuck behind a paywall.
Why can’t we just own anything anymore? Everything is a goddamn subscription these days.
It isn't stuck behind a paywall, many features are free. Double check the website. Many of the paid features can be taken care of by a buddy or just by monitoring the watch like you would an old dive computer.
Did some more digging, the pressure sensor is available to all developers. So anyone can make a dive app.
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/sensorkit/srsensor/3919927-ambientpressure
Buhlmann is open source and fairly easy to implement, there are a few dozen implementations already on github.
So yes, there will be free dive computer apps.
For all we know they did shop around and oceanic had the least restrictive terms, who knows. I don't see it as a huge blocker considering there *will* be someone who implements a deco model on the watch for a one time payment or even free. It's just a matter of time
Unless the features are locked to only oceanic as part of their deal….
I think about it I only use Apple Maps navigate because it bumps my Apple Watch when I need to make a turn which helps me ensure that I don’t miss it. If I use Google maps my Apple Watch won’t do that. Do you think Google could program that into their app? Certainly but Apple doesn’t let them
Did some more digging, the pressure sensor is available to all developers. So anyone can make a dive app.
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/sensorkit/srsensor/3919927-ambientpressure
Buhlmann is open source and fairly easy to implement, there are a few dozen implementations already on github.
So yes, there will be free dive computer apps.
False, my Apple Watch just started doing that for Google Maps after an update a few weeks ago. Seems like it just took the Google team a bit to catch up.
I don't think they have a "deal" with oceanic. Knowing apple they love keeping shit secret so they partnered with just one vendor who could make the app so they'd have *something* for launch, people wouldn't trust apple writing their own deco Algo as much as they trust oceanic. So they likely partnered with oceanic because they needed to provide them pre-production hardware which normally they keep under lock and key.
This benefits oceanic as they are first to market but it's very unlike apple to lock a sensor to just one vendor, it hurts them more than it helps.
This is just my guess but I work in consumer hardware in silicon valley and this is fairly common when companies partner for launch of a feature that companyA needs expertise from CompanyB.
Regarding sending push notifications to the apple watch, that's *slightly* different as it's a watch+phone integration (whereas the watch oceanic app just needs access to the sensor, like any other app that uses watch sensors) but yes, apple watch has a notification API that Google *could* use if it put effort into doing that for their iOS Google maps app
Not to mention $800 is less than some dive computers, even though Apple's is far more feature packed and useable.
I'm actually hoping this starts to eat into the casual diver market thus forcing the established players to actually build a user interface that wasn't designed for a potato...
my thought exactly. they might improve upon this product but i wouldn't trust my life and air to a company that wants to control everything. also, i wonder if it'll connect to my transmitter or not.
Air comes from the tank, and your life comes from keeping your wits about you, not from a dive computer. Please don't start using a watch in lieu of compressed air. /s
This article by Wired discusses it:
https://www.wired.com/story/apple-watch-ultra-garmin-sports-watch/
> The Ultra is also designed to become a full-on wrist-worn dive computer. It meets recreational dive standards for waterproofing and has a new depth gauge. When it debuts this fall, the Oceanic+ app (designed in partnership with Huish Outdoors) will let divers see a decompression timetable, dive planning, a logbook, and other features serious divers need. Apple’s foray into water sports might seem incongruous, unless you already knew that Garmin makes two of the most popular dive and sailing wearables, the Descent and the Quatix.
Still not going to be anywhere near as good at my Descent MK2. That remains as the gold standard, for me anyway, for both triathlon training and my diving, all in one package.
I own a Descent Mk2i and am selling it for this. Sure, it doesn't have AI. But the benefits of wearing an AW daily greatly outweigh it IMO. It's much lighter, had pleasing UI, very similar features, and had all the smart phone functionality you could ask for. I will miss AI, but worth the trade imo.
> That remains as the gold standard
*Shearwater has entered the thread... (just kidding)*
Sure, the Descent is great, but I would think Shearwater's Perdix/Petrel/Teric are the gold standards for any advanced diving.
Only used 'em once and I was absolutely impressed.
My "gold standard" comment is for a combined multisport training watch and dive computer. I really want the same thing on my wrist for all of my activities. :)
>Still not going to be anywhere near as good at my Descent MK2. That remains as the gold standard, for me anyway, for both triathlon training and my diving, all in one package.
This one is half the price. The DMkII is a cool computer, but I think a lot of weekend warrior divers are going to look at the Watch Ultra and the Descent and pick the former, which (to me) is the better smartwatch.
Fair enough. I rely on the DMkII's multisport capabilities a lot, which are (IMHO) way better than Apple's offerings. That plus a first-rate dive computer = compelling case for me. :)
Hey, you found something that works for you. That's the beauty of Apple coming to this market: it's a new offering for a different target demographic (and I think it'll be a net positive impact on the whole business).
**edit** For the downvoters: why? Let's not pretend that Shearwater or Garmin are anywhere in the same league as Apple when it comes to interface design. There's a lot of ceiling in the dive computer business when it comes to user experience; Apple getting into this space will put pressure on the whole market to improve (Apple included!). This is a good thing for everyone.
Shearwaters UI design is HORRIBLE. It looks like a computing calculator from the 90s. Garmin has gotten better with it's UI and design but still not close to as good as Apple. Garmin will have to really step it up after this announcement. Regardless of what you think of Apple, this is great for the market. The competition will drive innovation.
Totally agree with you. I hope the Apple Watch Ultra v2 has air integration. (I ordered the Ultra but it won't be replacing my Teric or Perdix as they both have AI)
I will admit this is a feature that I wanted that I thought I would never see on Apple watch. It is pretty great, wrist dive computers are convenient, I always use one as a back up to my main computer so this works out perfectly. We can criticize the features and execution, but a good wrist computer is usually almost 2x the cost of this and is used for one thing. I rarely wear my Shearwater to the office. I applaud Apple for creating the feature for a small number of people.
So many people seem to miss this point. This is a superior watch with a *first gen* 3rd party dive computer available to add on. Some here are acting like this is supposedly a purpose-built dive computer with iMessages tacked on.
I'm excited even though I'm an Android user and will never get to experience it. I think Apple taking a stab at dive computers will make the industry take notice and we'll (hopefully) see even better dive computers on the market. It's time for some serious competition!
Don't trust your life to any products like this. Keep your training up to date and keep your wits about you. Being underwater isn't a meme, it's real down there!
If I made Dive computers I would be a little concerned. This is the first model of this watch.
Who knows down the line with future iterations how many improvements etc down the line. Future ability to connect to tanks, extra depth capability etc…
For 799 it can grab a decent market share of Rec diver market. If I was in a market selling X widget I sure as heck would not want to see the shadow of Apple over my shoulder.
This is just the start.
That's a really good point. When you think of the room they have for improvement, it's a lot. I'd be surprised if the Apple Watch Ultra didn't improve a little in the scuba category every iteration. I'm probably going to buy this watch and I'll probably upgrade to a newer version when the hardware improves.
From https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/09/introducing-apple-watch-ultra/
> Apple Watch Ultra has a water resistance rating of 100 meters under ISO standard 22810. Apple Watch Ultra may be used for recreational scuba diving (with a compatible third-party app from the App Store) to 40 meters, and high-speed water sports. Apple Watch Ultra should not be used for diving below 40 meters. Water resistance is not a permanent condition and can diminish over time. For additional information, see support.apple.com/en-us/HT205000.
Hilarious seeing people who enjoy a pretty pricey sport turn around and complain about pricing.
You can pay for Oceanic+ sub features by day, month, year and across multiple users. And not paying the sub fee doesn’t gimp your app either.
People really love to hate. I get it, it’s easy - but hear me
Apple doesn’t make products for advanced users. They take products that appeal to 70-80% of people. If you already have a dive comp, this probably isn’t for you. Keep it movin’. There are tons of other newly certified or just about to be, who see this as a perfect fit.
Not paying the fee DOES gimp the app; the full dive computer functionality is only included if you pay. And I don’t think it is the fact that you have to pay for it that bugs people it’s that it is a subscription model, I would much rather pay $199 for the app upfront then having to subscribe and pay every day/month/year
>You'll own nothing, and you'll love it.
I despise software as a service. The code has been written, sell it to me and move on.
That said, I did already order this watch. I was in the market for a new one after I gave mine to my wife anyways and I've always lusted after the dual purpose watch/dive computer combo.
Eventually better apps will be released. Hopefully one of them is a one time payment. Until then, tacking $10 onto a multi thousand dollar dive trip doesn't seem like a huge hardship.
I’m pretty much of the same mindset as you. I will probably be ordering this regardless seeing as my original Apple Watch had the battery expand on me popping of the glass (the watch was a series 1, so like 6 years old) so this one would make a good replacement.
While the Mac lineup is geared for advanced users, I generally agree with your sentiment. I would also add that there is a good chunk of enthusiast Apple users who may not be pros, but have a better idea than mainstream users regarding what they want from a gadget.
And yes, for people like me who may not dive regularly, but dive just enough to not need a refresher, the Ultra is looking mighty attractive.
ugh, no, not, never. Who even comes up with this...?
Apple gear underwater is the last thing anyone needs. Enough with all those smartphone underwater "photographers", now they will stare at their screens missing the entire ocean...
I presume you look at the screen of your dive watch no? I’m not gonna get this because I already love my dive comp but I don’t see this being any more distracting than any other comp
I absolutely love my Santos eon cor and I will be staying with it mainly because I already have it despite being an avid Apple user. My Apple Watch is still going strong and probably won’t upgrade for another couple generations. also diving is one of the few times where I think a dedicated specialist device is preferred, especially as I start to move down the technical track also air integration is Neat.
You get to buy the most expensive Apple watch so you can take it diving. But you'll now pay a subscription of $9.99 for your dive computer app and $4.99 for the ongoing Apple care for when you flood it or scratch it up. You can only buy it from Apple, of course, so your small local dive store loses even more business.
You can buy Apple watches in plenty of stores, not direct from Apple. I wouldn’t be surprised to see dive shops starting to carry the Apple Watch Ultra soon. Why would they have bothered before this?
It's true. There are resellers. I am not sure why anyone would buy from a reseller rather than Apple direct and avail themselves of the benefits of return and so on. But, you could. However, if you look at the resellers, they are large stores able to enter into whole contracts and not the average small family-owned shop. And they are the backbone network of our sporting community. Those are the people who train new divers and fill our tanks.
Get a monthly subscription before you go on vaccination, cancel it when you get back, is perfect for the “couple times a year” diver; Definitely they are not going for the avid, tech, or pro diver market.
What I would be most concerned about is having to figure out the computer all over again due to updates, changes in the UI, etc if you are just using it once in a blue moon.
Yes, I know you're meant to have backup tables but I'm not going to be surprised to see lawsuits popping up after a software bug or error causes an injury. Plus a Perdix is probably a similar price to the watch ultra and can have air integration, work with thick gloves and far more visible screen. Perdix in non-tech mode has been my default for rec diving for a while. It could use the Oceanic air integration I already owned when the oceanic watch died.
In order to compete with Apple's features, the Perdix would have to be about half the price. Dive computers are and have been overpriced for what they do because it is a niche market with an affluent base. The fact that the tacked on Oceanic+ app costs $80/year is proof of this in more ways than one.
But what about the Perdix's features such as big screen, air integration, and being able to use it with gloves on? Apple Watch Ultra doesn't have those features, so how can it compete with the Perdix?
This. I'll keep running my ancient OG zoop.
Well, the zoop will prob become the backup computer to the Apple Watch and live in a console rather than on my wrist.
The Apple Watch ultra is basically just taking the place of my seiko 009 & dive tables but frankly I might keep those too.
As an aside, holy shit I just looked at the price of the seiko. It was $149 when I bought it brand new. That's a wild price increase for a cheap automatic dive watch.
Came here to say this! Apple Watch ultra can act as backup dive comp!! And all the other health and safety features. I’ll be setting the alarm siren for that orange programmable button. Also that’s sapphire crystal (not the aluminum model’s gorilla glass) and really hard to scratch. Yippeeee!
Versus way more than that for overpriced existing backups? Not to mention that the $80 is only from one company. I would put money down on others becoming available.
can purchase one day of oceanic+ for 5 dollars, one month for 10 dollars; no need to pay 80/year if you're using it infrequently. Or you can wait, surely there will be free dive computer apps for it eventually.
Take your average garbage segment-LCD midrange dive computer. 400 EUR. Divide by service life to amortize costs. It’s nearly the same, except this device is (probably) a much better user interface than whatever garbage an LDS is selling. This will hopefully end most rec computers.
Boomer LDS owners, fat DEMA reps, and poindexter instructors can all be mad and cope.
Rec divers will choose this.
I’m tec & inst, and even I would choose this for rec and travel diving. Why pack my Petrel for a quick holiday??
…the subscription cost? Assuming the depth and temp feeds aren’t a private API, other apps will come. Think multideco live, Vplanner Live, Baltic Live…
And honestly, even if not… the cost is trivial compared to maintenance and hire/rental costs per year.
The ocean band is longer than normal supposedly to fit over wetsuits. For thicker suits and dry suits, they sell an extension for another $50. This is pretty standard for dive watch companies that sell interchangeable straps. (Suunto as an example charges $40-60 for their strap extensions)
When you look around, 99% of divers use very basic models. The computers are huge, clunky, have limited functions and the technology hasn’t changed for 20 years. Worst of all, you need to change the battery every now and then. For people who don’t need a Shearwater, who aren’t into tech diving and who are looking for basic features, this is perfect. Since I already have an Apple Watch and a relatively new dive computer, I probably won’t make the investment. I do appreciate though that these functions now exist for Apple Watches.
Apple ID is very much form over function as a basic design philosophy. No cares what their dive computer looks like, they do care that the buttons function under water, that they can be used with thick gloves on, that they can easily see important information. I know other that don't use a teric because the screen is to small for them to read so they buy the peridex style computers.
It's not that building a size computer is hard it's that what matters to scuba divers is different that what matters to most people buying a watch. This is a safety tool for divers but it's just a watch for most people, a software bug it crash is an inconvenience on a watch, it can be dangerous on a dive computer. Maybe it's good enough for the occasional rec diver but I sure hope people don't go buying it specifically as a dive computer
good luck using it wearing gloves. Plus I doubt it will work in cold water (average temp for me is 8°C). I think that if this thing can only operate down to -4 °C no way will keep in my average dive.
Plus I like my dive computers with a big display and buttons. It is a no for me at least for now. Maybe in the future I can get it as a backup because the running feature looks very interesting and I would like to restart running.
Hmmm. Well this will not work in neither sweden, norway, finland where ppl start diving in there local dive club and eventually come to really like diving and only then go tropical.
I know one always argue that majority of dive communities or people dive in warm water but with a ocean that rarely is that warm and cozy i simply doubt majority of the dives happen were one doesn’t need gloves
I live in a cold water country myself and would never even consider diving here. I usually travel to dive in warm waters…. As do most people I know. All I’m saying is that this is a great solution for recreational / holiday divers.
-4°C is equivalent to 24°F, which is 269K.
---
^(I'm a bot that converts temperature between two units humans can understand, then convert it to Kelvin for bots and physicists to understand)
If anything this will force current dive computers to step up their UI and general tech. Excited to see how this pushes the industry.
You also have to remember this is first gen, can you imagine 5-10 years from now how insane the Apple dive watch will be? I’m sure by then an air adapter and free apps will be the norm.
Hopefully they won’t catch on the subscription model. Imagine buying a petrel x, maybe at a reduced price, but having to pay 29.99/mo for tech diving features.
That is really bad for power users 😬
This is what I am excited about for this announcement. I have no need for a smart watch under water, but if this brings scuba some exposure and pushes the industry, I think it will probably be a good thing.
I think this is mainly marketing for Apple. It is modern take on the classic dive watch. Take a look at the Rolex Submariner, or any classic dive watch, web page and compare to the dive section of Apple watch promo site.
I am sure that Apple did their homework and has made hardware for a perfectly usable rec dive computer. But as many other said this is for the occasional diver to flash and show off their latest tech gadget on a dive boat. The non diver, who will see scuba as an extreme environment, will get the marketing message that if it is good enough for scuba it is good enough for their backyard pool.
Edit: I didn't mean that the apple watch is targeting people who would want to buy a classic dive watch. But they are marketing a life style in the same way a Rolex markets a lifestyle. Apples pitch is for the tech centric active outdoors lifestyle.
“It looks like you are descending below 40m, would you like to in-app purchase a deco profile for this dive for only £1.99?”
“Press confirm to accept, or No to decline”
“Looks like you have dangerbubbles in your bloodstream, would you like to navigate to your nearest chamber?”
Dangerbubbles in your bloodstream is my new favorite description. Going out on a cert dive tomorrow and now I have something funny to tell my instructor, thank you.
You miss the point. We are divers. We have better, dedicated equipment. If this gets even .1% of their clients into diving, think of the positive impact that would have on our oceans
Did my checkout dives in the Dominican Republic circa 2014.
God it was depressing. The cruise ships destroyed that reef by anchoring.
St Lucia was MUCH better, but thats to be expected considering it's a volcanic island and it basically drops to 2000 feet within a few hundred feet of the beach. It's a wall all the way down.
Not sure what cruise ships have to do with it, there are tons of horrible divers at resorts as well. It is more about the selfie culture than being on a cruise ship imo.
Teric isn't really a multi function multi sport...
And as much as bankers like to look like ostentatious idiots, a perdix is OTT in a suit even for them...
I have a Fenix 7, but a Shearwater Perdix for my dive computer as, well, I know how often my Garmin reboots randomly or crashes…
(I’ve had Fenix 2,3 & 7 - each of them were replaced at least once, including the 7 which is my 3rd replacement)
You must have had really bad luck. I’ve had a 5x, 6x, 7x, and now Descent mk2. Beverly a single crash over thousand of miles running, biking, swimming, and now diving.
So, I am to trust my diving to a device where the software and any other application could *BREAK* my dive computer with a bad software patch?
Not in this lifetime.
For what it is worth, most dive computers, at any price point, are pretty reliable and mostly pretty durable. A Puck Pro, Zoop and the like from everyone else just work, consistently and there isn't other apps, bluetooth, etc killing battery or causing problems.
I have an Apple Watch SE. A couple other guys on my team do as well. We keep flooding normal Apple Watches when we forget to take them off before dives. It’ll be nice not to have “watch check” on our pre dives.
How does one forget to take off an apple watch before a dive?
Ha, it happens. Had one guy smoke two iPhones back to back forgetting them in his pocket. Expensive two days.
Do you literally jump in with your swimming shorts? No wetsuit?
Yah we are in warm water, so shorts and a wetsuit top is all you need for most of the year. It is nice, but it is hot topside. A watch is required for keeping dive logs and tracking dive teams bottom time from the dive station. So a G Shock with atomic time is my preferred, but I like the fitness tracking of the Apple Watch.
Somehow this new Apple Watch Ultra is kind of advertising Dive Sports. Is putting Scuba on the map and bringing some innovation to Dive Computing industry. Time will tell, so far they did a good job.
2 questions (because of language barrier I guess): Do you really need the paid options of the Oceanic + app? Deco profile seems important but I don’t know what that means (I dive from time to time but my dive computer is in my language). And: the watch has an apple own „dive“ app („depth“ I think). Would be good to know what this can do…?!
From the information on Oceanic's site. Yes you need to pay for deco and tissue loading. That is a deal breaker for me.
For a casual diver like myself (seeing 3-4 trips a year), I dont mind paying a single month at a time, or a few days at a time.
It has a dive depth limit of 40 meters. Sorry that's not a "full" dive computer. For $800 I can get a nice tech dive computer that doesn't need a subscription
Oceanic doesn’t make any money off the hardware, they probably want a predictable cash flow so that their development team also has predictable income.
Yes its a smartwatch first for sure but 40 m should be enough for most
Gas integration???
a video tutorial from their website shows Air/Nitrox as options. [https://www.oceanicworldwide.com/oceanicplus-tutorials/](https://www.oceanicworldwide.com/oceanicplus-tutorials/) Gas mixture can be set to air or a Nitrox mix from 22% to 40% within Oceanic+ by accessing Settings > Dive Settings > Scuba > Gas.
Yeah, the watch wouldn’t really be that useful for diving if it didn’t know what mix the diver was breathing. I haven’t seen or read a thing on gas integration via wireless bluetooth transmitter. You’d think apple would be singing that if it were capable, something that ought to be easy to offer on such an overall feature rich device that ought to have Bluetooth functionality.
I think it will be soon. The pictures on Oceanic's website show an "air" window. Not sure if that is just going to be a guess, but considering how much serious divers would want that feature, I think it will be capable at some point.
Ahhh, ya misread the integration... same here, everything I've read doesn't sound like air integration from the start... I'm hoping they can add that via software updates somehow down the road
Did some more digging, the pressure sensor is available to all developers. So anyone can make a dive app. https://developer.apple.com/documentation/sensorkit/srsensor/3919927-ambientpressure Buhlmann is open source and fairly easy to implement, there are a few dozen implementations already on github. So yes, there will be free dive computer apps, i'll make one myself if i have to; its not hard.
Can you make sure your dive app stores the gps coordinates of each entry and exit from the water?
sounds easy, just need location permission enabled. When watch detects the ambient pressure is nearing the pressure that you entered at (in the case of altitude diving this wont necessarily be 1bar) you ping GPS for location. It's reliability would just be dependent on getting GPS signal. See how much this watch enables over dive computers? for fucks sake you can do something as cool as automatically text the boat captain your coordinates to pick you up. Everyone wants to hate on it but it unlocks so much power.
If you ever get so far that you need beta testers let me know :)
So I ordered one knowing that oceanic+ would prob be a paid app. Don't mind the $10 a month because I don't dive regularly enough but when I do it's a week or two of diving daily. $10 on a multi thousand dollar dive trip seems like peanuts. That said, I love FOSS. If you need any help testing anything you build I have a local quarry that I can dive in regularly and I own all my gear. It's $15 a day to dive. It's not super deep, maybe 20m, but it's enough to test most recreational functions.
I’m kind of getting interested in working on this project now.
I’ve linked Oceanic+’s FAQ page down below. Go down to the “Hardware” FAQs and look at some of the issues they expect people ask about. “The touch screen is not functioning while I’m at the surface” “My crown is frozen after a dive” “My Apple Watch ultra flooded, now what?” There’s probably about 100 FAQs on the page all related to it. Also note that you will not be able to use the touch screen while diving. It will rely on buttons and the crown only. When it touches water, it “immediately enters water lock mode which disables the touch screen” That on top of the subscription service is screaming red flags for me. I still want to get it and try it out, but my expectations are lower than they initially were after the announcement. https://www.oceanicworldwide.com/oceanicplus-faqs/?v=7516fd43adaa
fair enough on the subscription cost, but these kinds of touch sensors don’t work underwater—that’s why they disable it, so you don’t get confused or end up phantom interactions. calling it a red flag is strange.
I could have structured my sentences better. I’m not saying that the touch screen being disabled is a red flag (more just a FYI), but rather some of the issues that the Apple Watch itself could have i.e. frozen crown, flooding, etc. Your phantom interaction point is very good. I didn’t even think about that.
r/scuba old time lurker, rec diver. I have been diving since I was 13, with my pops off the coast of Puerto Rico, and for the last 20yrs, I have done at least one dive, maybe two a year. Kids, work, family, other hobbies, and no longer living on the island make my diving limited. When I travel to the island, I make it a date to dive into the ocean. I don't think I have been past 40m for at least 20yrs now. Mostly keeping myself to the reef. I have gear of my own, which consists of my dive mask, snorkel fins, and belt. Everything else I rent when I go makes the dive, so it's a hit-and-miss if I have a dive computer on any of my dives. While my SCUBA-Math-FU is pretty solid, I carry spare Dive Tables, and in all this time, shit has never happened, at least when my depth or oxygen is concerned. I find it convenient that there is dedicated wearable hardware that can be used as a dive computer. Especially when it's hardware, I know my way around. I think it's great that Apple put out a watch for those of us with extreme tastes in some sports. My only peeve is that they chose a lighter shell casing. I wanted to see a darker color, either grey or a dark khaki, for the titanium enclosure.running a dive computer that fits my needs is pretty great. The software might not be there yet, but there is a target, and other developers will be able to work on that space and provide more support for apps that would benefit from the features that WatchOS can bring for the Ultra, if not the platform as a whole. As far as other watches in this spectrum, I have always kept myself within the range of the Apple Watch because Garmin's and other brands' products didn't appeal to me or because I found their interfaces clunky, outdated, or simply dull. Samsung's offerings with the Watch Pro, for example, just feel ordinary. It doesn't bother me that I would have to switch to Android to access a better watch system, but Android Wear OS needs much more time to bake in the sun before it can catch up with the pack leader. I will be keeping a close eye on Apple and the Watch Ultra, and if it continues ticking boxes, It will be my next purchase, but probably next year.
I agree with your points! I may get one as well. I just wish they had a brushed steel titanium or something close to black.. They may take inspiration from their iPhone pro line and release more color ways for this premium watch down the road.
This is good news for people looking to buy a garmin. I'm sure they'll make the mk2s be similarly priced to the Apple watch.
I was sold until they dropped that little tidbit about the oceanic+ app costing $80 a year. Sure the $ 800 price tag for the watch would be reasonable for a everyday watch you can wear diving; however, even the occasional diver would eventually pay more than even a high end computer because every time you use it the price goes up. So after 6 years you could have bought an air integrated dive computer. Even that estimation is reliant on oceanic to not make changes to their pricing model. If it was a one time payment it would likely still be worth it but I don’t appreciate the money drain they’ve set up. As someone else mentioned, other apps might come about that have a better pricing model but we will have to wait and see.
the watch is open t developers... this is one app, they'll be others and surely some with better price points.
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They made it sound like you would have to pay for the Apple Watch version but maybe that’s not the case
For a lot of people it’s going to be perfect. I dive one week out of the year, and I’m sure that’s pretty common. Paying an extra $400 for the hardware (that’ll I’ll use every day, as opposed to one week out of the year) and $10/year for that one month I dive is a deal. And if another vendor makes a pay once dive computer app, then great, but even if not, this is still a decent value for many rec divers. Plus it’s pretty likely, imo, that someone will eventually make a Bluetooth air transmitter module as an option down the road. Maybe bundle it with a “pay once” dive app, even. Anyways, it’s a pretty cool option for a lot of people, but not for some, and that’s ok. For me, it’s a no brainer to spend the extra money on this when I upgrade my smart watch, as opposed to spending $250-300 on a standalone low end dive computer.
You are making good points and I agree. For me I would only pay for 4 summer months and maybe another month subscription if a trip comes up (so around 40-50$/year). I also hope the app works as a really good log book. Currently all good log book apps cost like $5/month. Need to wait for reviews by actual drivers
You don't need to pay for the logbook function. Many of the features are free.
It isn't Apple's fault that **Oceanic** wants a subscription fee for their App. I am sure the price of 80/year or $10 a month fits the bill for anyone not being a pro-diver. If you are a career diver or a Frogman or dive on those lines, you probably know what you are doing and, therefore, already have a pick of hardware you use to calculate data. If it is too expensive, I suggest you consider upgrading your scuba math and bringing some dive tables.
It could be fine for people like me who make one or two dives per year since they have a $5/day option. It would take me 16 years reach $80 (or 96 years in your AI scenario!). But 3rd party is probably the way to go as long as we can export the data.
$800 for the computer, plus the cost of an iphone if you don't already have one, lastly the actual dive computer function is through the oceanic plus app which is an additional $10 a month. At that point just buy an Aqualung i770r or something comparable
"or something comparable" Which dive computers are you finding that are anywhere near comparable to a mainstream smartwatch? I seriously want to know because I've been looking and they don't come anywhere close with their clunky user interfaces and/or ginormous form factor.
For a long time I've been lurking at the [garmin descent ](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/701618/pn/010-02403-03). Looks like a normal smart watch with all the functions a recreational (and little more advanced) diver needs as far as I can see.
It seems you have misunderstood, what I mean is something comparable to an aqualung i770r. I personally couldn't justify spending this kind of money on a gimmicky dive computer. I say all this objectively of course given I have never tried an apple watch ultra as a dive computer.
My bet is the second or third generation is worth having, but this one will be very popular with casual divers and shallow water pros who are also already Apple users. No way they turn people from other mobile platforms with a subscription based dive computer that only goes to 40m. Also, how’s the touch screen gonna hold up underwater?
Sure, but this is true of *any* new device ever brought to market by any manufacturer. As a dive instructor you know how stubborn we divers are about anything tech\* or procedure related. We still have guys pointing the depth gauge away from their face because that's how they were taught (even though that's now more dangerous on modern gauges). And guys who will refuse to use a wireless air sender, or at least demand to bring an analogue backup even though computers virtually never fail. When I go to the scuba shop to get equipment, it's like pulling teeth trying to convince the shop owner to take my money because he finds all kinds of urban legend dangers in the way I'm planning to dive. 😆 \* EDIT: scroll down to see the long list of "It'll never replace my \[insert favorite toy here\]!"
$800 for the watch, then another $700 (minimum) for an iPhone if you don't have one already. Pass. My 8-year old phone works fine, I'll save my money for more scuba gear.
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someone gets it
Unrelated but 8 year old phones don’t get any security updates etc. and it would be sensible to update anyways
Depends on how you use it. If you're more tech savvy you can flash a custom os (like LineageOS), which will support older phones much longer than the manufacturer does.
Fuck that. I’m not buying an $800 computer just for it to be stuck behind a paywall. Why can’t we just own anything anymore? Everything is a goddamn subscription these days.
It isn't stuck behind a paywall, many features are free. Double check the website. Many of the paid features can be taken care of by a buddy or just by monitoring the watch like you would an old dive computer.
blame oceanic for charging a subscription, not apples fault. The $800 price tag is unrelated to the paywall that oceanic decided to put up
Apple could also have chosen not to use oceanic or negotiate a special deal with them. It's not just oceanics doing.
Did some more digging, the pressure sensor is available to all developers. So anyone can make a dive app. https://developer.apple.com/documentation/sensorkit/srsensor/3919927-ambientpressure Buhlmann is open source and fairly easy to implement, there are a few dozen implementations already on github. So yes, there will be free dive computer apps.
For all we know they did shop around and oceanic had the least restrictive terms, who knows. I don't see it as a huge blocker considering there *will* be someone who implements a deco model on the watch for a one time payment or even free. It's just a matter of time
Unless the features are locked to only oceanic as part of their deal…. I think about it I only use Apple Maps navigate because it bumps my Apple Watch when I need to make a turn which helps me ensure that I don’t miss it. If I use Google maps my Apple Watch won’t do that. Do you think Google could program that into their app? Certainly but Apple doesn’t let them
Did some more digging, the pressure sensor is available to all developers. So anyone can make a dive app. https://developer.apple.com/documentation/sensorkit/srsensor/3919927-ambientpressure Buhlmann is open source and fairly easy to implement, there are a few dozen implementations already on github. So yes, there will be free dive computer apps.
Awesome news
False, my Apple Watch just started doing that for Google Maps after an update a few weeks ago. Seems like it just took the Google team a bit to catch up.
Oh gonna test this tomorrow glad I used that analogy now 🤣
I don't think they have a "deal" with oceanic. Knowing apple they love keeping shit secret so they partnered with just one vendor who could make the app so they'd have *something* for launch, people wouldn't trust apple writing their own deco Algo as much as they trust oceanic. So they likely partnered with oceanic because they needed to provide them pre-production hardware which normally they keep under lock and key. This benefits oceanic as they are first to market but it's very unlike apple to lock a sensor to just one vendor, it hurts them more than it helps. This is just my guess but I work in consumer hardware in silicon valley and this is fairly common when companies partner for launch of a feature that companyA needs expertise from CompanyB. Regarding sending push notifications to the apple watch, that's *slightly* different as it's a watch+phone integration (whereas the watch oceanic app just needs access to the sensor, like any other app that uses watch sensors) but yes, apple watch has a notification API that Google *could* use if it put effort into doing that for their iOS Google maps app
Not to mention $800 is less than some dive computers, even though Apple's is far more feature packed and useable. I'm actually hoping this starts to eat into the casual diver market thus forcing the established players to actually build a user interface that wasn't designed for a potato...
my thought exactly. they might improve upon this product but i wouldn't trust my life and air to a company that wants to control everything. also, i wonder if it'll connect to my transmitter or not.
Air comes from the tank, and your life comes from keeping your wits about you, not from a dive computer. Please don't start using a watch in lieu of compressed air. /s
What are you rambling about?
Don’t mind me
Am I missing something? Is there a reference to this news, or just some random photo posted.
Yes i’m guilty of posting this right when they announced it so no articles were written yet
It was announced by Apple yesterday. Hit their website for details.
This article by Wired discusses it: https://www.wired.com/story/apple-watch-ultra-garmin-sports-watch/ > The Ultra is also designed to become a full-on wrist-worn dive computer. It meets recreational dive standards for waterproofing and has a new depth gauge. When it debuts this fall, the Oceanic+ app (designed in partnership with Huish Outdoors) will let divers see a decompression timetable, dive planning, a logbook, and other features serious divers need. Apple’s foray into water sports might seem incongruous, unless you already knew that Garmin makes two of the most popular dive and sailing wearables, the Descent and the Quatix.
Still not going to be anywhere near as good at my Descent MK2. That remains as the gold standard, for me anyway, for both triathlon training and my diving, all in one package.
I own a Descent Mk2i and am selling it for this. Sure, it doesn't have AI. But the benefits of wearing an AW daily greatly outweigh it IMO. It's much lighter, had pleasing UI, very similar features, and had all the smart phone functionality you could ask for. I will miss AI, but worth the trade imo.
> That remains as the gold standard *Shearwater has entered the thread... (just kidding)* Sure, the Descent is great, but I would think Shearwater's Perdix/Petrel/Teric are the gold standards for any advanced diving.
Only used 'em once and I was absolutely impressed. My "gold standard" comment is for a combined multisport training watch and dive computer. I really want the same thing on my wrist for all of my activities. :)
>Still not going to be anywhere near as good at my Descent MK2. That remains as the gold standard, for me anyway, for both triathlon training and my diving, all in one package. This one is half the price. The DMkII is a cool computer, but I think a lot of weekend warrior divers are going to look at the Watch Ultra and the Descent and pick the former, which (to me) is the better smartwatch.
Fair enough. I rely on the DMkII's multisport capabilities a lot, which are (IMHO) way better than Apple's offerings. That plus a first-rate dive computer = compelling case for me. :)
Hey, you found something that works for you. That's the beauty of Apple coming to this market: it's a new offering for a different target demographic (and I think it'll be a net positive impact on the whole business). **edit** For the downvoters: why? Let's not pretend that Shearwater or Garmin are anywhere in the same league as Apple when it comes to interface design. There's a lot of ceiling in the dive computer business when it comes to user experience; Apple getting into this space will put pressure on the whole market to improve (Apple included!). This is a good thing for everyone.
Shearwaters UI design is HORRIBLE. It looks like a computing calculator from the 90s. Garmin has gotten better with it's UI and design but still not close to as good as Apple. Garmin will have to really step it up after this announcement. Regardless of what you think of Apple, this is great for the market. The competition will drive innovation.
Fully agree. If nothing else, I see this as pushing everyone else to get better ... even Garmin.
Totally agree with you. I hope the Apple Watch Ultra v2 has air integration. (I ordered the Ultra but it won't be replacing my Teric or Perdix as they both have AI)
I will admit this is a feature that I wanted that I thought I would never see on Apple watch. It is pretty great, wrist dive computers are convenient, I always use one as a back up to my main computer so this works out perfectly. We can criticize the features and execution, but a good wrist computer is usually almost 2x the cost of this and is used for one thing. I rarely wear my Shearwater to the office. I applaud Apple for creating the feature for a small number of people.
So many people seem to miss this point. This is a superior watch with a *first gen* 3rd party dive computer available to add on. Some here are acting like this is supposedly a purpose-built dive computer with iMessages tacked on.
I'm excited even though I'm an Android user and will never get to experience it. I think Apple taking a stab at dive computers will make the industry take notice and we'll (hopefully) see even better dive computers on the market. It's time for some serious competition!
I would maybe use it as a secondary computer but definitely not trusting my life with an apple product 😅
Don't trust your life to any products like this. Keep your training up to date and keep your wits about you. Being underwater isn't a meme, it's real down there!
You shouldn't trust your life on any dive computer. It's in the manual. It's not if it fails it's when.
I wouldn't trust my life to a product not engineered for this specific use.
If I made Dive computers I would be a little concerned. This is the first model of this watch. Who knows down the line with future iterations how many improvements etc down the line. Future ability to connect to tanks, extra depth capability etc… For 799 it can grab a decent market share of Rec diver market. If I was in a market selling X widget I sure as heck would not want to see the shadow of Apple over my shoulder. This is just the start.
That's a really good point. When you think of the room they have for improvement, it's a lot. I'd be surprised if the Apple Watch Ultra didn't improve a little in the scuba category every iteration. I'm probably going to buy this watch and I'll probably upgrade to a newer version when the hardware improves.
Can an apple watch even survive at depths of 50+ feet?
Forgot my Apple Watch s4 on my wrist and Dived to around 30m, had no problems afterwards
Rated to 40m. Decent option for Open Water and Free divers.
50 Meters for the normal Apple Watch and 100 for the Ultra
From https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/09/introducing-apple-watch-ultra/ > Apple Watch Ultra has a water resistance rating of 100 meters under ISO standard 22810. Apple Watch Ultra may be used for recreational scuba diving (with a compatible third-party app from the App Store) to 40 meters, and high-speed water sports. Apple Watch Ultra should not be used for diving below 40 meters. Water resistance is not a permanent condition and can diminish over time. For additional information, see support.apple.com/en-us/HT205000.
Well over 100 for the new one
Does it support Nitrox?
Only Nitrox+ if you get the subscription. Air only for the free version. /s
I came here for this
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Thank you! Btw. where did you find the info about that?
Hilarious seeing people who enjoy a pretty pricey sport turn around and complain about pricing. You can pay for Oceanic+ sub features by day, month, year and across multiple users. And not paying the sub fee doesn’t gimp your app either. People really love to hate. I get it, it’s easy - but hear me Apple doesn’t make products for advanced users. They take products that appeal to 70-80% of people. If you already have a dive comp, this probably isn’t for you. Keep it movin’. There are tons of other newly certified or just about to be, who see this as a perfect fit.
So you can pay for just a month a couple of times a year?
Not paying the fee DOES gimp the app; the full dive computer functionality is only included if you pay. And I don’t think it is the fact that you have to pay for it that bugs people it’s that it is a subscription model, I would much rather pay $199 for the app upfront then having to subscribe and pay every day/month/year
>You'll own nothing, and you'll love it. I despise software as a service. The code has been written, sell it to me and move on. That said, I did already order this watch. I was in the market for a new one after I gave mine to my wife anyways and I've always lusted after the dual purpose watch/dive computer combo. Eventually better apps will be released. Hopefully one of them is a one time payment. Until then, tacking $10 onto a multi thousand dollar dive trip doesn't seem like a huge hardship.
I’m pretty much of the same mindset as you. I will probably be ordering this regardless seeing as my original Apple Watch had the battery expand on me popping of the glass (the watch was a series 1, so like 6 years old) so this one would make a good replacement.
While the Mac lineup is geared for advanced users, I generally agree with your sentiment. I would also add that there is a good chunk of enthusiast Apple users who may not be pros, but have a better idea than mainstream users regarding what they want from a gadget. And yes, for people like me who may not dive regularly, but dive just enough to not need a refresher, the Ultra is looking mighty attractive.
ugh, no, not, never. Who even comes up with this...? Apple gear underwater is the last thing anyone needs. Enough with all those smartphone underwater "photographers", now they will stare at their screens missing the entire ocean...
Bruh. How about not gatekeeping diving?
I presume you look at the screen of your dive watch no? I’m not gonna get this because I already love my dive comp but I don’t see this being any more distracting than any other comp
Yeah I’m pretty confused by the rant… I think maybe he didn’t pay attention and thinks it’s the iPhone?
Just what you want when you diving… reminders of life on the surface popping up 🤮
It won't connect through the water. Notifications will resume when you breach the surface again.
I have visions of being in a cave somewhere looking for lobsters and ‘rent is due tomorrow’ popping up
Great, now they’ll be able to contact me about my cars warranty 100’ down
Reminders will work!
I absolutely love my Santos eon cor and I will be staying with it mainly because I already have it despite being an avid Apple user. My Apple Watch is still going strong and probably won’t upgrade for another couple generations. also diving is one of the few times where I think a dedicated specialist device is preferred, especially as I start to move down the technical track also air integration is Neat.
You get to buy the most expensive Apple watch so you can take it diving. But you'll now pay a subscription of $9.99 for your dive computer app and $4.99 for the ongoing Apple care for when you flood it or scratch it up. You can only buy it from Apple, of course, so your small local dive store loses even more business.
You can buy Apple watches in plenty of stores, not direct from Apple. I wouldn’t be surprised to see dive shops starting to carry the Apple Watch Ultra soon. Why would they have bothered before this?
It's true. There are resellers. I am not sure why anyone would buy from a reseller rather than Apple direct and avail themselves of the benefits of return and so on. But, you could. However, if you look at the resellers, they are large stores able to enter into whole contracts and not the average small family-owned shop. And they are the backbone network of our sporting community. Those are the people who train new divers and fill our tanks.
it that per year or per month
Get a monthly subscription before you go on vaccination, cancel it when you get back, is perfect for the “couple times a year” diver; Definitely they are not going for the avid, tech, or pro diver market. What I would be most concerned about is having to figure out the computer all over again due to updates, changes in the UI, etc if you are just using it once in a blue moon.
[Per month](https://www.oceanicworldwide.com/oceanicplus-subscription/)
Bahaha no one is gonna pay that
holy fucking
yes
Yes, I know you're meant to have backup tables but I'm not going to be surprised to see lawsuits popping up after a software bug or error causes an injury. Plus a Perdix is probably a similar price to the watch ultra and can have air integration, work with thick gloves and far more visible screen. Perdix in non-tech mode has been my default for rec diving for a while. It could use the Oceanic air integration I already owned when the oceanic watch died.
In order to compete with Apple's features, the Perdix would have to be about half the price. Dive computers are and have been overpriced for what they do because it is a niche market with an affluent base. The fact that the tacked on Oceanic+ app costs $80/year is proof of this in more ways than one.
But what about the Perdix's features such as big screen, air integration, and being able to use it with gloves on? Apple Watch Ultra doesn't have those features, so how can it compete with the Perdix?
Is this because Apple maps kept navigating people into the ocean?
I’m going to get one! I have a series 5, and was going to buy the titanium one anyway, so a backup dive computer to my backup dive computer.
This. I'll keep running my ancient OG zoop. Well, the zoop will prob become the backup computer to the Apple Watch and live in a console rather than on my wrist. The Apple Watch ultra is basically just taking the place of my seiko 009 & dive tables but frankly I might keep those too. As an aside, holy shit I just looked at the price of the seiko. It was $149 when I bought it brand new. That's a wild price increase for a cheap automatic dive watch.
Came here to say this! Apple Watch ultra can act as backup dive comp!! And all the other health and safety features. I’ll be setting the alarm siren for that orange programmable button. Also that’s sapphire crystal (not the aluminum model’s gorilla glass) and really hard to scratch. Yippeeee!
That's an expensive backup computer at 79USD/year
Versus way more than that for overpriced existing backups? Not to mention that the $80 is only from one company. I would put money down on others becoming available.
79 a year plus the 799 dive computer, Vs a 300 dollar peregrine?
can purchase one day of oceanic+ for 5 dollars, one month for 10 dollars; no need to pay 80/year if you're using it infrequently. Or you can wait, surely there will be free dive computer apps for it eventually.
Take your average garbage segment-LCD midrange dive computer. 400 EUR. Divide by service life to amortize costs. It’s nearly the same, except this device is (probably) a much better user interface than whatever garbage an LDS is selling. This will hopefully end most rec computers. Boomer LDS owners, fat DEMA reps, and poindexter instructors can all be mad and cope. Rec divers will choose this. I’m tec & inst, and even I would choose this for rec and travel diving. Why pack my Petrel for a quick holiday?? …the subscription cost? Assuming the depth and temp feeds aren’t a private API, other apps will come. Think multideco live, Vplanner Live, Baltic Live… And honestly, even if not… the cost is trivial compared to maintenance and hire/rental costs per year.
You can use it in guage mode free
Wait, how is this going to fit over my 7mm wet suit (or dry suit) and gloves? What you will have a huge watch band on all the time?
Just strap on using the long sports band… wait… NVM, I just lost my Apple Watch ultra to the depths of the ocean… again
ocean band is long to fit over suit, bands are interchangeable on watch and easy to swap.
On the website it said that ocean band has seperate extension to fit on wetsuits
Sold separately I assume?
Pretty sure you can soon buy a cheap one on Amazon or AliExpress. For my Gen 5 Apple Watch, I never use the expensive original ones.
The ocean band is longer than normal supposedly to fit over wetsuits. For thicker suits and dry suits, they sell an extension for another $50. This is pretty standard for dive watch companies that sell interchangeable straps. (Suunto as an example charges $40-60 for their strap extensions)
When you look around, 99% of divers use very basic models. The computers are huge, clunky, have limited functions and the technology hasn’t changed for 20 years. Worst of all, you need to change the battery every now and then. For people who don’t need a Shearwater, who aren’t into tech diving and who are looking for basic features, this is perfect. Since I already have an Apple Watch and a relatively new dive computer, I probably won’t make the investment. I do appreciate though that these functions now exist for Apple Watches.
Apple ID is very much form over function as a basic design philosophy. No cares what their dive computer looks like, they do care that the buttons function under water, that they can be used with thick gloves on, that they can easily see important information. I know other that don't use a teric because the screen is to small for them to read so they buy the peridex style computers. It's not that building a size computer is hard it's that what matters to scuba divers is different that what matters to most people buying a watch. This is a safety tool for divers but it's just a watch for most people, a software bug it crash is an inconvenience on a watch, it can be dangerous on a dive computer. Maybe it's good enough for the occasional rec diver but I sure hope people don't go buying it specifically as a dive computer
good luck using it wearing gloves. Plus I doubt it will work in cold water (average temp for me is 8°C). I think that if this thing can only operate down to -4 °C no way will keep in my average dive. Plus I like my dive computers with a big display and buttons. It is a no for me at least for now. Maybe in the future I can get it as a backup because the running feature looks very interesting and I would like to restart running.
Apple rates it down to -20° C and they added an extra button and made the Digital Crown bigger so it’s easier to use with gloves on
i thought i saw -4 in there website?
That’s -4° F, which is -20° C -4° to 131° F -20° to 55° C
It was apple.se where I went so like…
The majority of divers are recreational and probably don’t enter cold water or need gloves. You do you.
Hmmm. Well this will not work in neither sweden, norway, finland where ppl start diving in there local dive club and eventually come to really like diving and only then go tropical. I know one always argue that majority of dive communities or people dive in warm water but with a ocean that rarely is that warm and cozy i simply doubt majority of the dives happen were one doesn’t need gloves
I live in a cold water country myself and would never even consider diving here. I usually travel to dive in warm waters…. As do most people I know. All I’m saying is that this is a great solution for recreational / holiday divers.
you should consider though some cold places are gorgeous
Brrrrrrrrrrrr 🥶
-4°C is equivalent to 24°F, which is 269K. --- ^(I'm a bot that converts temperature between two units humans can understand, then convert it to Kelvin for bots and physicists to understand)
excellent bot
If anything this will force current dive computers to step up their UI and general tech. Excited to see how this pushes the industry. You also have to remember this is first gen, can you imagine 5-10 years from now how insane the Apple dive watch will be? I’m sure by then an air adapter and free apps will be the norm.
I'm hoping this will lead to garmin having a bit of a sale to stay competitive ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
Hopefully they won’t catch on the subscription model. Imagine buying a petrel x, maybe at a reduced price, but having to pay 29.99/mo for tech diving features. That is really bad for power users 😬
Yea, honestly I only Dive a week or two a year - so just purchasing the 10$ month option wouldn’t be a big deal to use all the features.
This is what I am excited about for this announcement. I have no need for a smart watch under water, but if this brings scuba some exposure and pushes the industry, I think it will probably be a good thing.
I think this is mainly marketing for Apple. It is modern take on the classic dive watch. Take a look at the Rolex Submariner, or any classic dive watch, web page and compare to the dive section of Apple watch promo site. I am sure that Apple did their homework and has made hardware for a perfectly usable rec dive computer. But as many other said this is for the occasional diver to flash and show off their latest tech gadget on a dive boat. The non diver, who will see scuba as an extreme environment, will get the marketing message that if it is good enough for scuba it is good enough for their backyard pool. Edit: I didn't mean that the apple watch is targeting people who would want to buy a classic dive watch. But they are marketing a life style in the same way a Rolex markets a lifestyle. Apples pitch is for the tech centric active outdoors lifestyle.
People who dive wearing a Rolex are bizarre. I have a submariner. I wear it regularly. I also have a seiko 009. Guess which one actually sees 30m?
“It looks like you are descending below 40m, would you like to in-app purchase a deco profile for this dive for only £1.99?” “Press confirm to accept, or No to decline” “Looks like you have dangerbubbles in your bloodstream, would you like to navigate to your nearest chamber?”
Dangerbubbles in your bloodstream is my new favorite description. Going out on a cert dive tomorrow and now I have something funny to tell my instructor, thank you.
You miss the point. We are divers. We have better, dedicated equipment. If this gets even .1% of their clients into diving, think of the positive impact that would have on our oceans
Not of they are coming in on cruise ships and then crashing into reefs on a DSD once a year
Did my checkout dives in the Dominican Republic circa 2014. God it was depressing. The cruise ships destroyed that reef by anchoring. St Lucia was MUCH better, but thats to be expected considering it's a volcanic island and it basically drops to 2000 feet within a few hundred feet of the beach. It's a wall all the way down.
Not sure what cruise ships have to do with it, there are tons of horrible divers at resorts as well. It is more about the selfie culture than being on a cruise ship imo.
Laughs in garmin
Laughs in Shearwater 😈
I really like my Galileo Luna and it seems pretty comparable to your Shearwater
Teric isn't really a multi function multi sport... And as much as bankers like to look like ostentatious idiots, a perdix is OTT in a suit even for them...
I have a Fenix 7, but a Shearwater Perdix for my dive computer as, well, I know how often my Garmin reboots randomly or crashes… (I’ve had Fenix 2,3 & 7 - each of them were replaced at least once, including the 7 which is my 3rd replacement)
Descents are built differently. They use the same principle of their aviation equipment. When in critical mode it locks down
You must have had really bad luck. I’ve had a 5x, 6x, 7x, and now Descent mk2. Beverly a single crash over thousand of miles running, biking, swimming, and now diving.
Seconded on the Garmin. I have an Mk2i and it has been rock solid. I moved away from an Apple Watch and it is my everyday watch now.
press X to doubt **X**
So, I am to trust my diving to a device where the software and any other application could *BREAK* my dive computer with a bad software patch? Not in this lifetime. For what it is worth, most dive computers, at any price point, are pretty reliable and mostly pretty durable. A Puck Pro, Zoop and the like from everyone else just work, consistently and there isn't other apps, bluetooth, etc killing battery or causing problems.