New Apple Watch is a dive computer

[lexvil]

I like the idea but no AI so no go for me.

 

[SentinelAce]

Not bad priced if you already use apple watches. I wear a teric for my daily. I'll be getting one

 

[azstinger11]

I thought the depth rating of a dive watch was 200 meters.

It is, the app just won’t support it looks like

 

[brsnow]

Technology is improving and becoming more accessible.
Plus Apple is the leader in making thing beyond simple. At some point you could opt in for you data going to DAN for a study. Health info while diving that can alert to possible issues. Just ideas of what can be coming…
Seems like a quite a bit of potential

 

[Snoweman]

It is, the app just won’t support it looks like

Will it repair or replace it if it gets flooded at recreational depths?

 

[Rick Brant]

It's possible that the sensor has more depth limitations than the watch case.

 

[Wibble]

I thought the depth rating of a dive watch was 200 meters.

But this is an Apple dive watch; 40m is the new 200 metres.

 

[scubadada]

For my wife, this totally makes sense. She already wears and charges an Apple Watch every day, and will for the foreseeable future. I got her a Peregrine this year as a replacement for her old Veo 180Nx, but she’s not too fond of the size or interface. We were thinking of moving her to my Teric and me picking up a Petrel instead. She isn’t likely to dive under 40m, and would love the integration with her iPhone.

For me, I’m somewhat torn. I’ve become very accustomed to the air integration on the Teric, and love the GTR figures, especially when I’m tooling around with my camera rig. I’m also beginning my journey towards deco, tec-rec, and hoping to get onto some of the deeper wrecks off the Keys and east coast of FL.

I watched the linked Oceanic video, and I’m hopeful for the features. Seems like it includes a fully customizable Bhüllman algo, EAN, plus the GPS in/out features that Garmin has had. It would be great if those baseline features were a one-time purchase, and as some other have said, the cloud-related features like an online dive log, were subscription based.

Where did you see the fully customizable Buhlmann algorithm, I missed custom GF hign and low.

 

[Belzelbub]

!!! That also implies that you could have different apps so you could pick your favorite. Truly, an actual dive computer rather than a primitive integrator, which is what they technically are.

Possibly, but I doubt it. I can download a bunch of watch faces, widgets, and apps for my Garmin. However, there are no other dive apps. Also, the screen in dive mode is the standard dive screen, regardless of what watch face is displayed, though I can customize the dive screens to some extent. This was done intentionally, and is mentioned in the manual. I’d imagine Apple would exert similar control.

Regardless, I think it's going to put a serious hurting on Garmin's dive computer sales. And, it's also going to be VERY hard to sell a Peregrine to any diver that is also an iPhone user. So, I suspect it will put a hurtin' on Shearwater, too.

A lot will depend on the implementation of the dive app, plus others. I do agree that it will put a hurting on some computers. Basic grayscale non-AI computers will be a tough sell among Apple Watch users.

I like some things about this, but don’t see myself rushing out to buy one.

Battery life is a concern, but only if battery life in dive mode is drastically shorter. I charge my MK2s once a week, but could go longer some weeks. I turn it off at night, but other than that it’s on and on my wrist. In Dive mode 24 hours on a full charge is reported.

Buhlmann was a good choice, but I’d like to know more about it. Custom GFs or just a couple standard presets. What those presets are would be the more important question for most divers.

Plus, an important consideration is does it have SurfGF? My Shearwater and my Garmin both have it, and as I’ve gotten to like it, don’t see myself getting a computer without it.

For me, I wouldn’t buy it because I dislike square watches, and Smart watches that just look like Smart watches. I prefer round smart watches with fairly normal looking watch faces, but that’s just my preference.

I hope this will drive competitors to start offering things that are different. Peregrine AI, for example.

 

[doctormike]

They're not targeting you Doc. You're 45 years past their target market. Nor me. But they will sell a lot of these to Millennials, Gen Xers, Yers, Alphas etc. Perhaps it may bring us some more divers. Who knows?

Don't know that it's an age thing.

Gotta say, the apple watch is really great for a lot of stuff, I like mine... This version obviously not ready for tech and/or CCR, but I might use it for shore OC diving. Or for travel warm water diving.... could be nice to have the day's dive on your watch at the resort bar!

I think the thing is that it isn't competing with your current dive computer. The genius of Apple is building things that you didn't know that you needed or even wanted, but once you start using them you can't imaging going back.

In 2007, I had a perfectly satisfactory cell phone, a laptop and a great digital camera. Why would I want a lesser version of those three things in one case?