Top 15 Must-Have Scuba Diving Apps For Android And IOS
By April Reyes
Scuba diving is one of the best ways to enjoy the world under the sea and interact with marine life up close. When you are going underwater for a long period of time, you need scuba gear to breathe, see, and move around.
Scuba diving is an exciting sport, but you need proper training before you dive. You also need to know about how your body works when you dive and interact with the marine environment. There are many apps you can use to help plan, execute, and train for your dives. Historically, technology and water don’t go well together, but now smartphones and tablets have reached a point where many of them can be used underwater.
BENEFITS OF USING SCUBA DIVING APPS
There are various diving apps you can download from Google Play and the iOS App Store today, but only a few really offer value to divers. Some apps are designed to help you plan your dive, while other apps provide useful information to keep you safe during your underwater adventure. There are also apps for monitoring your vital signs and warn you of any possible issues. If you’re undergoing training for scuba diving, there are also apps to help you pass the exam and earn your certification.
Using a scuba diving app, before and during the dive, helps prepare you for the exciting world of scuba. Some of these apps are free while others require a subscription plan or need to be purchased. All you need to do is download the app from Google Play Store or the App Store, depending on what mobile device you are using.
BEST SCUBA DIVING APPS FOR YOUR MOBILE DEVICE
Finding the perfect scuba diving app means installing and trying out each app to see how they work. To save you from the hassle, we’ve listed the best 15 apps that are useful for making a safe and exciting scuba diving experience.
1. DiveMate (Scuba Dive Log)
DiveMate is a popular dive logbook app available for Android and iOS devices. This app lets divers easily document their diving experiences via pictures, videos, and notes. What’s amazing is that you can connect your dive computer and transfer your dive data from your smartphone or tablet.
Aside from serving as a complete logbook, DiveMate also displays your depth, pressure, and temperature profile, as well as RMV/SAC, weight, bottle, and gas parameters. The app works even when there is no internet connection and you can save many online maps for offline use.
DiveMate is free to use and available in six languages: English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Dutch, and Russian.
2. Deepblu
Deepblu is an intuitive dive log app that lets divers discover dive sites and plan dive travel based on user reviews. You can also book dives directly by communicating with local dive shops via Deepblu.
Deepblu creates dive logs automatically by syncing with your dive computer via Bluetooth. You can also share your underwater photos and videos with the Deepblu community. The app is compatible with most dive computers available in the market. All you need to do is to download the free Deepblu app on your mobile device.
Deepblu can also be used by businesses to promote their services by creating packages and experiences. They can also handle booking and chat communications with divers through the app. The app is recognized as the official training log of international dive companies, such as IDA, ITDA and DIWA.
3. DiveboardDiveboard is another free scuba logbook where you can upload your dive profiles, pictures, the underwater species you’ve spotted, and the buddies you’ve dived with. You can also use the shop locator if you want to find the closest shop within your location. The app is free to download on Google Play Store and the App Store.
4. iDeco Pro
iDeco Pro is a multi-level dive planner designed for professional divers. This app monitors decompression stops and gas usage and includes useful features such as CNS tracking, OTU tracking, and Surface Interval tracking. iDeco Pro supports Open Circuit Diving as well as Closed Circuit Rebreathers (CCR).
Users can easily configure all settings using the app. iDeco Pro is available for iPhones and iPads for $8.99.
5. Dive Log
Dive Log is an iOS app designed to work as a standalone scuba diving log app or in conjunction with a compatible third-party desktop logbook app. The app can be used at the dive site or the dive boat to capture information about the site and the details of the actual dive. Its dive buddy feature, which integrates with the Contacts app on your iOS device, lets you quickly add a new buddy or enter information about an existing diving buddy.
You can directly download your dive data from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch using a Bluetooth LE-capable dive computer. Dive Log costs $13.99 and offers in-app purchases.
6. Subsurface
Subsurface is an open-source dive log application available on Android, Windows, Linux, and macOS devices. The Subsurface-mobile app for Android allows you to access your dive data on your mobile device, edit the data, and download new dive information from compatible Bluetooth dive computers. With free Subsurface Cloud Storage, you can sync your dive data with the Subsurface desktop app. Since Subsurface is an open-source project, it is free to download on any device with free cloud storage.
7. DIVE Magazine
The DIVE Magazine app gives users all the latest news and archived articles from DIVE. You can browse all this content using your mobile phone or tablet. The app has three cool features, namely:
- DIVELIVE – Includes travel guides, in-depth articles, videos, photos, and kit reviews to keep you updated with the latest diving stories.
- DESTINATIONS – A comprehensive guide to the world’s popular and hot diving areas, such as the Philippines, The Bahamas, and Malta.
- DIVE ISSUES – Gives you access to archived DIVE Magazine collections going back to 2010.
You can subscribe to DIVE Magazine on iOS for £10.49 annually.
8. Real Tides GPS
This app provides boaters, divers, sailors, fishermen, surfers, and other people at sea with accurate tidal information for any location. Equipped with real-time calculations, divers will have access to accurate forecasts, so they always know what the tidal condition is at a specific time. Real Tides‘ unique algorithm is able to calculate the tides at specific GPS locations around the world, even without knowing the latitude, longitude, or ZIP code. The app is free to download on iOS devices, such as iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
9. TripWhistle Global SOS
This application is quite useful for divers who scour the world for the best diving sites. When you’re in a different country and there’s an emergency, you can check out the app to know which local number to call. The app lists down 70 different emergency numbers from 196 countries, including local emergency police, fire, and ambulance phone numbers.
It also provides emergency respondents with access to your exact location, which is critical when getting help. When you call an emergency number, your location is automatically shown to the respondents in latitude and longitude or via map and street address. TripWhistle Global SOS is free to download on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
10. V-Planner
V-Planner is a scuba diving decompression planning app that utilizes the Varying Permeability Model (VPM-B) for decompression profiles. Aside from VPM-B, it also includes the VPM-B/E model version. By using the app, the diver can specify which nitrox or trimix combination to use, as well as how may deco gases are needed. The app also provides information regarding the ppO2, END, and gas consumptions. V-Planner is available for both Android and iOS devices.
11. Diving Dude
Diving Dude is a social app and logbook for scuba divers. You can use the app to record and share your dives with your buddies. The app also comes with a comprehensive set of tools that allow divers to easily explore dive spots and dive shops across the globe.
Diving Dude is characterized by six squares used for navigation, namely:
- Dive Deck – Keep in touch with your dive buddies and see their latest trips. You can also read articles by Scuba Diver Life.
- Logbook – Keep track of your dive’s data and attach your pictures.
- Scuba Look Up – Search the scuba diving operator’s database for dive trips and course offerings.
- Shops & Clubs – Explore dive shops around you and learn about their crew, trips, and course offerings.
- Spots – Browse dive spots near your location and access photos and reviews posted by previous divers.
- Buddies- Connect with your diving buddies by adding them from Facebook, Twitter, SMS, email, or your contact book.
12. Marine Debris Tracker
The Marine Debris Tracker app is a joint project between the NOAA Marine Debris Program and the Southeast Atlantic Marine Debris Initiative (SEA-MDI). This app helps map plastic pollution by recording the location of marine litter. The app has been able to track 1.5 million items to date. This data can help scientists better understand how debris moves through the environment.
Marine Debris Tracker may not help much during the dive, but it is recommended that divers use the app to record any marine debris that they encounter. The app is free anyway, so why not?
13. Scuba Calendar
When you’re planning a scuba diving trip, the Scuba Calendar app can help you find the perfect diving destination according to the marine animals you want to see. Just enter the name of the marine wildlife you want to encounter, and the app will tell you where and when to find them. You can also record your precious diving moments with these animals with photos, videos, or notes, and share them with other divers.
14. Dive Number
Dive Number is a simple scuba logbook app designed for iOS devices. It is easy to use and navigate, showing information critical to the dive, such as current dive conditions, place of immersion, depth of dive, date, and number of dives. It is the easiest to use mobile logbook because the diving parameters can be accessed in a single touch.
15. Dive+
Dive+ is a free all-in-one diving application available for Android and iOS devices. Aside from creating automatic dive logs for your trip, it also lets you take underwater photos without the bluish filter. Your photos look more vibrant using the app’s color restoration feature. You can even share your pictures in real-time.
SUMMARY
Scuba diving gets more exciting when you use these apps. You can download different apps for different purposes, or you can choose an all-in-one app to handle all your needs. Most of these apps are free anyway and won’t take up a lot of storage space. Which apps have you used before and what did you think about them?
