Apple has pulled out all the stops for Oceanic+, the new app that turns the Apple Watch Ultra into a dive computer : there was an announcement with great fanfare during the keynote last September, a Press release in good and due form, and also the distribution of the application, in beta and in preview, to some members of the friendly press.
In his comprehensive test, TechCrunch thus explains that Oceanic+ is an application ” elegant and powerful replicating (almost) everything a dive computer can do. The app’s development team, Huish Outdoors, says there are still features to work on and a long roadmap is on the table.
There would thus be in preparation the possibility for the app and for the Apple Watch to display the volume of oxygen remaining in the bottle (but this will surely require a specific transmitter). The large screen of the watch makes the user interface more pleasant than on most conventional dive computers (“ think of interfaces that look like relics from the Casio era in the 80s and you’ll get a pretty good idea of what it looks like »).
The site notes that if Oceanic+ gives the best of itself once the subscription has been taken out (€12.49 per month), the free functions are sufficient for freedivers and snorkeling enthusiasts. Finally, a dive computer often stays 11 months in a drawer, while an Apple Watch can be used every day outside of diving…
DC Rainmaker also got to the bottom of things, finally to the bottom of a 33-meter pool! Oceanic+ is “ a solid starting point, especially for recreational divers “. The app includes everything a casual user might need, in a clean, simple interface.
What happens when Apple Watch dives beyond 40 meters (water resistant to 100m)? The athlete was able to lower the application counter to 42.2 meters before it began to warn of the maximum depth.
For Apple Watch Ultra wearers who want to get into diving, Oceanic+ gives them everything they need without having to buy a dive computer on the side, according to DC Rainmaker. And with this new option, Apple is putting pressure on the manufacturers of these dive computers who, like Garmin, will have to integrate a diving function into their traditional connected watches.