New Apple Watch is a dive computer

[Rick Brant]

But Garmin and Shearwater do not sell 1-day licenses to use the software. It's very likely that vacation divers will install the app, pay the fee, drop in the water that same day and get surprised by Snorkel mode, and never get any computer use.

 

[Ryebrye]

But Garmin and Shearwater do not sell 1-day licenses to use the software. It's very likely that vacation divers will install the app, pay the fee, drop in the water that same day and get surprised by Snorkel mode, and never get any computer use.

Oh yeah, I agree that there are a number of stupid things about this app. Defaulting it to gauge mode, and calling gauge mode "snorkel mode" is ridiculous.

I heard you can even end dives while under water by pressing the crown button, which would be incredibly stupid.

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

But Garmin and Shearwater do not sell 1-day licenses to use the software. It's very likely that vacation divers will install the app, pay the fee, drop in the water that same day and get surprised by Snorkel mode, and never get any computer use.

You are assuming they will be surprised underwater. They may just not understand. They may happily end their dive, surface and then get surprised at the lock out.

 

[Rick Brant]

I think they will be surprised in the water as the display says "Snorkeling". It also shows an arrow on the touch screen however the touch screen is not active under water.

 

[Belzelbub]

That's actually kind of normal. Garmin and Shearwater both lock you out from diving if you do a dive in gauge mode - but on those computers you can reset it to let you dive anyway.

Yep. Plus the Garmin will default to the last used dive mode. I think Shearwater does as well, I’ve just never used it in gauge mode, and the Perdix doesn’t have an apnea mode.

But Garmin and Shearwater do not sell 1-day licenses to use the software. It's very likely that vacation divers will install the app, pay the fee, drop in the water that same day and get surprised by Snorkel mode, and never get any computer use.

There needs to be some level of personal responsibility here. Even if the user only buys a 1 day license, they should familiarize themselves enough with it to know how to make sure it’s in the right mode. Especially since, IIRC, the snorkel mode is included in the free version. If the subscription starts when the dive starts (not sure if this is the case) you wouldn’t want to start a dive when you jump in the deep end of the pool.

calling gauge mode "snorkel mode" is ridiculous.

Agreed. That seems weird. By the name, I never would have guessed that it was gauge mode.

I heard you can even end dives while under water by pressing the crown button, which would be incredibly stupid.

I hope that’s not right. That would make no sense.

 

[Rick Brant]

Depth/gauge mode, which comes with the watch, is not the same as Snorkel mode in the Oceanic+ app. Different apps, different icons on the watch, totally different look and feel. Depth is part of WatchOS for the Ultra I believe.

I somewhat agree with the personal responsibility requirement, but it would not be that hard to make the dive computer "just work". I'm not asking for the watch to do my thinking for me, as someone else mentioned, instead I am asking it to do the right thing. If a user drops in the water and is underwater for more than three minutes, they are scuba diving. This is a simple safety issue.

I don't expect to sway any of the SB elite, instead I am communicating with the Oceanic people who are reading this thread.

 

[Belzelbub]

Depth/gauge mode, which comes with the watch, is not the same as Snorkel mode in the Oceanic+ app. Different apps, different icons on the watch, totally different look and feel. Depth is part of WatchOS for the Ultra I believe.

I understand that. However, if Snorkel mode in Oceanic+ is not tracking tissue saturations, it’s effectively gauge mode. The lockout for 24 hours seems to confirm that. Similar behavior to other computers that have a lockout period after gauge mode.

I'm not asking for the watch to do my thinking for me, as someone else mentioned, instead I am asking it to do the right thing. If a user drops in the water and is underwater for more than three minutes, they are scuba diving. This is a simple safety issue.

The safety issue is not confirming mode and settings before jumping in. What gas should it assume? Last used gas? Air? Some impossible mixture for safety? Each of those methods are used by some manufacturers, and none of them are perfect.

There could be valid reasons for not wanting it to default to Scuba mode, just as there are valid reasons for wanting it to.

 

[Lostdiver71]

I wonder if the battery will survive to a day in a LB with 4 dives, first review seems to point out that battery life is an issue.

It should last you a full day of diving but you will definitely have to charge it every night.

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

It should last you a full day of diving but you will definitely have to charge it every night.

That would be a desired goal.

But I think lots of people would like some real life tests to confirm it will do a standard LOB of 5 dives a day on a single charge.

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

I understand that. However, if Snorkel mode in Oceanic+ is not tracking tissue saturations, it’s effectively gauge mode. The lockout for 24 hours seems to confirm that. Similar behavior to other computers that have a lockout period after gauge mode.

The safety issue is not confirming mode and settings before jumping in. What gas should it assume? Last used gas? Air? Some impossible mixture for safety? Each of those methods are used by some manufacturers, and none of them are perfect.

There could be valid reasons for not wanting it to default to Scuba mode, just as there are valid reasons for wanting it to.

It would make most sense to default to the last settings.

If the target market is occasional vacation divers then they will always dive the same gas (air or Nitrox) for their full vacation week. No changes.

Well except for the Blue Hole dive. Then they need to adjust the Nitrox mix to something different. And reset back afterwards. But the boat crew will be telling them that multiple times before and after the Blue Hole dive.

But for the overwhelming majority of divers the last dive setting is correct. Why make them do extra work?