Recreational diver here, usually only 1 dive a year if even. Have a Shearwater Peregrine that is well regarded and that itself is $500 and no option for integrated air. Hate wearing it due to it's huge obnoxious size. This Ultra will be a perfect replacement and gives me a reason to upgrade from S6 as well.
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Apple Watch Ultra looks like stand alone dive computer. No air integration?
- Thread starter ampm99
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The subscription is actually kind of nice in this situation. You can pay the $5 for one day or $10 for one week.
I really hope other dive computer brands come out with apps. I will use my Ultra as a backup computer, but it would be nice if it was using the same algorithm. I use a Suunto Eon Steel as my primary computer. It uses “Fused RGBM“ algorithm. With different algorithms you can run into situations for example where my Eon Steel says I’m fine, and the Oceanic+ app thinks I’ve exceeded my NDL (no decompression limit).
The importance of a backup dive computer. https://openwaterhq.com/scuba/best-backup-dive-computer/
I'm certain there will be plenty of apps for diving on the way that will cost less.
I'm certain there will be plenty of apps for diving on the way that will cost less.
The subscription is okay for me as I don’t dive as I use to, I can pay for a month when I dive. I sold my 4 year old Eon Core with transmitter for nearly the same price as I brought it.
In my experience RGBM is pretty conservative. Oceanic+ uses Bühlmann 16 which you can get on the EON steel, here.
Please please do some research or training first (unless you have already) if you're going to start adjusting gradient factors!
I'm not keen on the whole subscription thing. £90 a year on top of an already premium priced adventure watch. You can buy somewhat better featured computers without the 40m depth limit) for not a huge amount more than that subscription and if you trawl eBay you can do a lot better.
At the moment I suspect it's aimed at a holidaying / casual diver who perhaps hires all their gear and doesn't have a computer already so I wouldn't have thought the lack of air integration would hurt it.
Also, as I suspect Chris Hawes does, I dive in the UK, and no one I know dives with an air integrated computer, but our diving can be a bit quirky compared to warmer water stuff.
Chris - can you report back as to how you get on with it, it would be interesting to see how it copes with the sort of conditions (abuse?) you get here (pressing buttons with gloves, fitting over a drysuit, coming into contact with rusty metal etc etc)
At the moment I suspect it's aimed at a holidaying / casual diver who perhaps hires all their gear and doesn't have a computer already so I wouldn't have thought the lack of air integration would hurt it.
Also, as I suspect Chris Hawes does, I dive in the UK, and no one I know dives with an air integrated computer, but our diving can be a bit quirky compared to warmer water stuff.
Chris - can you report back as to how you get on with it, it would be interesting to see how it copes with the sort of conditions (abuse?) you get here (pressing buttons with gloves, fitting over a drysuit, coming into contact with rusty metal etc etc)
Hit the nail on the head, I dive in the UK! Quirky is one way to describe it!
Whereabouts are you based @scubachap? I’m from Bristol but live in Cornwall, so well placed for diving (although Scapa is a bit of a trek).
SST is about 17ºc at the moment, so I’m wearing pretty thin gloves – I’ll be interested in how it is to use with my dry gloves when the temp drops. I can hit buttons on a GoPro with my dry gloves (and thick under gloves) on, so I don’t think it’ll be an issue.
I’m also interested in how secure it is over a drysuit – I’ve ordered an extension for my ocean band, which it looks like I’ll need.
I’ll probably be jumping in the sea next week, so will report back! It’s a backup to my Perdix, which it’ll never replace.
I think if you dive in the UK, then you’ll probably be diving fairly often – if you dive fairly often you learn your SAC under different circumstances, so there’s no need for AI and it’s just another set of o-rings that can fail. I can normally guess my remaining gas to within a few bar.
I’m not overly concerned about my backup for deco, I usually use a bottom timer and can either fall back to ratio deco or my buddy’s computer (we’ll always dive the same mix).
I’m not sure if the AWU has any magnets, I know folks who have done wreck dives with magnetic octo holders and they do pick up detritus.
That said, I’m under no illusion it’ll be a full-fledged dive computer, I’m treating it as a fancy bottom timer (which it’s replacing).
Probably ideal for warm water holiday diving, UK diving, we’ll see!
Hi - I'm originally from just up the M4 from Bristol but have long since gone further east and now South London, so Brighton, Eastbourne etc are our usual haunts. Was in Weymouth a few weeks ago. Can't compete with Cornwall though, Atlantic clarity and one side is always out of the wind, eh? Haven't done a lot this year as the viz has been a shocker (with all the hot weather, lack of run off it should have been stellar!) It's been totally weird. For example, we did the Argonaut out of Eastbourne in August, flat calm, blazing hot and we got about 2m tops... Agh! But 20 degrees at depth. My gear is going to go in a sulk now till next March...
Anyways, you'll have to do us all a comparison video - old Uwatec bottom timer strapped to a wrist slate (in a true IANTD 90s style) versus the Apple Ultra...
My bottom timer is an old Uwatec 😂. Never replaced the battery and it’s still going after many year. I can only assume it’s powered by nuclear.
I’ll pop it next to my Shearwater and run through the equivalent screens to compare… aside from gas switching because “recreational limits”.
Awesome, I didn’t realize they’d released BÜHLMANN 16 on the EON Steel! I’ve been diving with RGBM for ~20 years, and have never had issues, so I’ve got a level of trust there. That being said, I’ve heard a lot about BÜHLMANN 16, but will do a lot more research before switching. I don’t do anything new without training. I like being alive. 😁
Took my AWU on a night dive, but only using the depth app (Oceanic+ isn’t out yet).
The Ocean band with an extension worked well over my drysuit, and felt very secure.
The depth data in Health App is very raw and not much use.
Despite being locked due to lack of skin contact, the app automatically started and logged my dive.
I was surprised at how readable the screen was at depth. Very very clear. Easier to see my depth at a glance from my AWU than my Shearwater.
My AWU read the same depth as my Shearwater and buddy’s OSTC.
AWU still looks like new.
A feature I'd love is a GPS point of where I descend and ascend and to see that on a map.
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I did just tip over my NDL on this dive. Unsurprisingly nothing from my AWU (as expected as it’s acting as a bottom timer).
It has all the required sensors, Depth, time, etc. But without the Oceanic+ app, it can't do dive calculations.
Search and Recovery Diver here. I tried air integration but it's a deal breaker for me. It doesn't give me a true picture of my remaining bottom time and we exchange our tanks and continue our dives while working to the extent that I'd rather know my remaining bottom time via saturation profile rather that air consumption. I, for one, have no issue with lack of air integration. Rather, I'm quite please that the Ultra doesn't have it. I will never use the Ultra as a primary dive computer, but I could see it as a redundant system.
Bottom line is I prefer a stand alone old school analog pressure gauge. Don’t need/ don’t want digital air read out.
Air integration works well if you stick to the same tank with the first stage with sensor connected. Any further complication - multiple regs (twins/doubles), deco cylinders, stage cylinders makes it redundant, you're not going to switch your reg to a different cylinder underwater. It's generally a lot easier to just use normal SPGs (even button or shortened ones) on your other cylinders etc.
If I’m diving and accelerating my deco, then I’ll change from my back gas (in two manifolded 12s) to a side slung aluminium 7 (depending on the deco gas, sometimes as around 9m). This’ll often happen where I’ve still got loads of gas left in my twins, I need to have enough to finish my deco the long way if I lose my deco gas.
Admittedly, this isn’t the type of diving an AWU is designed for, but it’s quite easy to see how AI can be more of a pain. That and it’s another set of o-rings to fail.
There’s also trimix to consider where your backgas might not be breathable at the surface so you take travel gas to get you to the depth you can breath your backgas.
You’ll rarely see folks with AI doing these kind of dives.
After many many dives (I’ve lost count but it’s more than 600), I’m familiar with my consumption enough that I can predict how much gas I’ve got (including accounting for if I’m working, teaching or leading), so the extra failure point isn’t worth it. I normally log gas in and gas out so can work out my air consumption if I want.
That said, my first computer had AI, and I loved the data, but now it’s more hassle than brass and glass.
For recreational dives, I’ve replaced a bottom timer with my AWU, for anything complicated I’ll go back to my timer.
My backup to my primary computer on a deco dive is either ratio deco (well worth memorising) or my buddy’s computer.
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I read you on that. You know the wireless is going to crap out when you need it most.
Yep. My computer does not have air. I's cool, but for rec diving, I prefer the analog gauge. I don't need air data through the dive in my log. I just jot down PSI in and PSI out. For most rec divers, the AWU will be fine. I still want real life experience with the app. In a perfect world, the app should launch at a pre-determined depth. I'm used putting on the computer as I get on the boat. I'm busy enough listening to the DM, checking my gear and regulators before entering that I don't want to have to remember to start an app on my watch, action button or not. There should be a setting on the waych that as soon as I'm 1m down, start the Oceanic+ app.
Every dive computer I’ve ever had started once I submerged without having to start it. I expect the Oceanic AU app will function in the same matter. As far as I know the AU starts reading depth once submerged.
You can start either Depth or Oceanic+ on the AWU automatically at 1m. The Watch does not need to be unlocked.
The way I read it, it may start reading at 1m, but you have to start the app first.