Oceanic+ adds freediving to Apple Watch Ultra

Oceanic now caters for freediving in the second iteration of its Oceanic+ app tie-in for Apple Watch Ultra.

The updated Oceanic+ 2.0. version of the app introduces practical new features designed to enrich the diving experience. Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2 can now be used for freediving to 40 metres.

The new freedive mode is packed with advanced features specific to training and freediving with custom alarms for target depth, max dive time, sequential depth, surface time, and max session time. For each alarm, the diver will receive both haptic and visual notifications.

All dives are automatically saved in the logbook, showing individual session statistics with detailed dive information, and an overall summary

Additional features include surface heart rate tracking, heart rate training zones, surface data, and more.

Freedive mode includes a feature called ‘stealth mode’ which will automatically dim the screen while underwater. Stealth mode disables all haptics and alarms and reduces the display brightness by 90% while diving. This clever feature ensures freedivers won’t startle the fish during their dive.

When back on the surface, the display automatically goes back to normal brightness, keeping all surface alarms intact to help fine-tune training.

With a simple click of the logbook, a detailed view of each individual dive made is shown. This includes the total session time, max dive time, max depth achieved, total number of dives, and coldest water temperature. Also seen is each dive on a map with a start and ending point.

Oceanic+ on iPhone offers a closer view of freedives in much more detail. All dives are automatically saved in the logbook, showing individual session statistics with detailed dive information, and an overall summary. This includes ascent and descent times, heart rate data from each session to provide a recovery assessment, relaxation improvement, and enhancing carbon dioxide recovery resistance.

In addition to freediving mode on Apple Watch Ultra, Oceanic+ has received many new enhancements for an enriched diving experience. A new ‘activity map’ on Oceanic+ allows divers to visualise their dives on a global map, showing hotspots with colour-coded indicators for different modes, such as scuba or freedive.

Divers can also enter start and end tank pressure and tank type in their Oceanic+ logbook, as well as easily export all dives to their preferred logbook.

To use the Oceanic+ app for freediving requires a paid subscription, which also gives access to more advanced photo and dive computer features, although Oceanic does offer a free version as well. Download the Oceanic+ app here.