Seeking your input for a new diving app

[CorruptedJ]

Hey all. I was hoping to get some input about features you would like to see in a diving related mobile app. I'm involved with a team that is creating an app to assist with recording dive logs and calculating safe dives, but I myself have no experience with diving and therefore have no clue as to what additional features that divers might like to have.
I would really appreciate any input you could offer. I figured it would probably be better to seek input from actual divers rather than to just try and come up with ideas on my own.

 

[drrich2]

Option to hit a button and grab GPS coordinates so as to record a dive site.

 

[billt4sf]

What would the app be used for? Or maybe that is what you are asking ?

 

[SnorkelLA]

GPS location, trimix, nitrox, and compressed air planning functions. Find nearest dive shop, find dealer of XYZ brand. Among other things that will be mentioned


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[Dirty-Dog]

Here's the problem... if you aren't a diver and don't know anything about diving, how are you even going to get started on this app?

Recording dive logs is a great idea. How do you plan on doing it? Is the user expected to enter information manually? If so, how is that any better than a paper log book? Do you plan to import data from dive computers? How? Which ones?

You say the app will calculate safe dives. Very cool. How? Will you be using a variable perfusion model? A bubble model? Maybe you're planning a model based purely on the work of Haldane? How will your app handle accidental (or intentional) deco obligations? What about dives on gases other than air? And since in order to calculate safe dives, you have to have data from other recent dives, does this mean you're going to install the app on something that's placed inside a water and pressure proof case and record the data? Or do you plan to import the data from a stand alone dive computer? If you're importing it, how, and what dive computers will it support?

When you have all those answers figured out, then you'll be ready to add bells and whistles.

 

[ajduplessis]

Option to hit a button and grab GPS coordinates so as to record a dive site.

So just slap that onto v-planner and move on

 

[CorruptedJ]

Thanks so much for the ideas. I will run these by my team members and I'm sure we will be implementing at least some, if not most of them. I hadn't considered any functionality for planning compressed air, but that definitely sounds like something that the app should have. GPS functionality is something me and my team had considered, so I'm confident that we will have features for that too.

In reply to billt4sf: The idea behind the app is to create an app that can serve as a log for dive recording, and utilizing that data be able to calculate safe dives without the hassle of doing it yourself from a dive chart. Additionally, we want to create an app that has many other features that divers will find useful, and those additional features are what I'm seeking input on.

In reply to Dirty-Dog: This is a team project for a college course, and we have one person who has very limited dive experience who suggested we do this app and the rest of the team agreed. I disagreed seeing as how little experience we have, but lost out on that. So I'm just trying to make the best of a bad situation and get some advice on what direction we should go with this app. In answer to some of your questions: The app isn't going to automatically record data, the user will have to input all dive data/logs. For many people nowadays, there is a large preference to get rid of the paper logs in favor of a mobile app option, which I can relate to with keeping track of workout logs. As to actually how the app is going to calculate the safe dives, I honestly don't know yet. I'm doing my own research to figure that out, and our team mate with the limited dive experience is supposed to be the one who will take lead on that.

Again, thanks for all the ideas. I greatly appreciate the input.

 

[beanojones]

To take the diving world by storm, develop an app that allows logbooks to be signed digitally and stores the log info online so people can no longer lose the record of their dives.

And build a robust website that is not tied to any agency (but is still recognized by, say, PADI, as actually counting as a logged and signed dive) that allows divers to share maps and "saw this wildlife at this dive site info".

The app should be the ticket to the website uploads (restricting bad information), but the website should be open to viewing from the public for dive planning purposes. And of course, being able to download info from the website to the mobile app is also crucial.

To realize maximize the usefulness of the app and the website you should get in contact with dive computer logging software writers who have already done the heavy lifting on that front.

 

[RJP]

Suggest you NOT try to create a Swiss Army knife app that does everything. Typically, the best apps out there (for anything, not just diving) do ONE or maybe two things well.

Do you need to actually create the app for this class, or merely come up with ideas?

 

[SeaCobra]

Option to hit a button and grab GPS coordinates so as to record a dive site.

hmmm, that not make you a popular fellow on the dive boat