Traditionally scuba diving has been quite a manual activity. From planning dives on an RDP table or dive computer to logging dives in a paper log book. But thanks to the digital world and the birth of the smartphone we now have a large choice of apps to help us to plan, execute, train and record all our diving activities.
So, let’s take a look at a few of the best apps for scuba diving and see how they can help us with our favorite pastime.
Scuba Agencies’ Dive Apps
The PADI app
Price: Free
If you’re a PADI diver this is a great little dive app. You have everything you need at the touch of a button from locating dive centers around the world, viewing your PADI certification eCards, and eLearning for your next PADI certification. And to top it off, you can log all your dives and keep a record of all your underwater adventures.
MySSI app
Price: Free
The SSI dive app is a comprehensive tool for divers and freedivers where you can find everything you need in one place. Access your digital logs anywhere in the world, find SSI training centers and dive locations, connect with your dive buddies and see upcoming dive events. Another great reason to have a look at this app is the free access to the SSI TrySnorkeling, TryScuba, TryFreediving, and TryMermaid eLearning materials. Why not give it a go!
Dive apps for planning and logging dives
Scuba Calendar
Price: $4.99
Scuba calendar is a great way to find your next scuba diving location depending on the marine life you are interested in seeing. Just enter the name of the marine animal like manta ray or whale shark and you are interested in and this great little app will tell you where to find them. You also add photos videos and notes and share them with all your dive buddies.
Deepblu Dive Logs
Price: Free
This is one of the most intuitive dive log apps out there. You can look up dive sites, read user reviews, media and even chat and book dives directly with local dive shops. Inside your dive log entries, you can even attach pictures and videos to remember your amazing adventures in extreme detail.
Lastly, this app is compatible with many dive computers on the market. Just sync them up and watch your data transfer from your dive computers to your phone with the touch of a button.
Diveboard
Diveboard is another great log book available on apple and google. With this dive app, you can log your dives, record the amazing sea creatures you have discovered and even share all your pictures and videos. There is also a shop locator to find the closest dive center in your area
Otteraquatics Scuba Weight Calculator (Web App)
Price: Free
Wearing weights as a scuba diver is essential in order to descend and maintain neutral buoyancy towards the end of the dive as your tank empties. Overweighting and underweighting is very common in scuba diving.
So, this handy little buoyancy calculator app will give you a pretty good idea of how much weight you will need to stay in control in every phase of your dive. Just fill out the various categories and voila!
Windy App
This is a really good dive app for all watersports enthusiasts. It is customizable and asks you to choose your sport when installing. You will then have access to basic information on winds, waves, tides, rain, temperature, etc. Everything you need if you’re heading out for a dive. This one will be invaluable when planning your dive. There are also pro features available at a cost for more advanced information.
Garmin Dive
Price: Free
This dive app is perfect if you want to connect seamlessly to your Garmin dive computer. You can track dives and log all kinds of dives from freedives to technical dives. You can also view all your dives at a glance in detailed map views and attach photos to your dive logs. All in all, a great companion to your trusty Garmin dive computer.
iDeco Pro
Price: $8.99
This dive app is for the technical divers out there. A complete multiple dive / multi-level dive planner and includes support for Open Circuit Diving as well as Closed Circuit Rebreathers (CCR). It can help you plan decompression stops and gas usage while including features such as OTU tracking, CNS tracking, and Surface Interval tracking. If you are a tech diver why not take a look?!
GPS realTide
Realtide is a dive app that can be used to track tidal movements. Realtides unique algorithm is able to calculate the tides at specific GPS locations giving divers around the world access to accurate information and help with dive planning. You need to pay for this one but it’s a great little app.
Marine Debris Tracker
Price: Free
Marine Debris tracker is not a dive app that is going to help you with your diving but it will help to protect the wonderful places you want to dive. You can also learn a lot about the ocean as well. It’s an app that helps track and record plastic pollution in the ocean. The app has recorded more than 1.5 million items. This data can be used by scientists and help protect our seas and oceans. Take a look. It’s free anyway. Every little helps!
DIVE Magazine
Again, not really going to help with your diving activities but for the avid scuba diver, this is a great dive app to stay up to date with the latest scuba news including a free round-up of previous articles each month. For those of you who subscribe you get complete access to a vast archive of articles going back to 2010 including digital versions of the beautiful quarterly magazine brimming with top-rate articles and awesome photographs.
Useful Camera Apps for Scuba Diving
GoPRO Quik App
Price: Free (but there are various in-app rates to enable premium features and tools)
Everybody who has a GoPro should get this helpful little app. You can upload all your favorite GoPro videos straight to your phone with minimal effort. You then have the choice of various powerful editing tools and filters to make your videos look even better. Then, share them with everyone you know on social media directly from the app.
Olympus OM Image Share
Price: Free
Another one for the underwater photography fanatics. This one is for those of you who have an Olympus camera. Again, you can download all your photos wirelessly and there are a number of basic editing tools and art filters to enjoy. This app is well worth a look.
AquaColorFix (Underwater Color Correction)
AquaColorFix uses advanced techniques to restore the correct colors back to your scuba diving photos and videos. With just 1 simple tap it can get rid of all those nasty dull greeny-blue colors and replace them with natural vivid colors that make your photos and videos look stunning. You can also manually adjust all the regular settings like exposure, brightness, saturation, etc. This app has been specifically designed to use in underwater environments.
Let us know in the comments if we have missed off your favorite dive app off the list.
Happy diving people!
