Apple has announced that the Oceanic+ app, developed by Huish Outdoors in collaboration with Apple, is now available for Apple Watch Ultra users. The app turns your Apple Watch Ultra into an easy-to-use dive computer and provides all the “key features of an advanced dive computer, robust dive planning, and a comprehensive post-dive experience.”
If Oceanic+ sounds familiar, that’s because Apple touted its new watch as a dive computer back at its keynote in September. The features on the Apple Watch Ultra are a little excessive for homebodies, but for those who are involved with more extreme activities like diving or trekking in the middle of nowhere, the Apple Watch Ultra provides some pretty useful and unique features.
“At Huish Outdoors, our purpose is fueling the human spirit for adventure,” says Mike Huish, the company’s CEO. “Oceanic+ on Apple Watch Ultra is one of the biggest innovations to hit the dive industry in a long time. We’re creating an accessible, shareable, better diving experience for everybody.”
According to Apple, scuba divers starting exploring the seas back in the 1950s and were using pen and paper to create dive tables to establish how long they could stay underwater. In the 1980s and 1990s, dive computers were available but basically required “a degree to understand”, according to Huish. With the new Oceanic+ app, divers will get an intuitive interface that’s easy to understand
The Apple Watch Ultra is certified to WR100 and EN 13319 standards, which are used for dive accessories. The 2,000 nit display also provides “exceptional visibility” underwater, making it ideal as a dive computer. The Action button on the watch can be configured to launch the app’s pre-dive screen and while you’re underwater, you can tap the button to bring up a compass bearing.
Aside from owning an Apple Watch Ultra, you’ll need to be running watchOS 9.1 and be paired with an iPhone 8 or later, or the second iPhone SE, running iOS 16.1. The Oceanic+ app includes a basic plan for free that gives you common dive functions such as depth, time, and logging dives.
You can also pay $9.99 per month or $79.99 annually for access to premium features such as decompression tracking, tissue loading, the location planner, and an unlimited logbook capacity. If more than one person in your family will be using the app, you can get the Family Sharing plan for $129 annually. You can find the app here.