TESTCENTRE
A smartwatch future ?
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Apple Watch Ultra / Oceanic + App
COMPANY : APPLE / OCEANIC PRICE : ULTRA £ 849 / OCEANIC +
SUBSCRIPTION £ 8.99 - £ 113.99 WEB : WWW . APPLE . COM
WWW . OCEANICWORLDWIDE . COM
If any one company has done more to revolutionise technology during the late 20th and early 21st Century , it has to be Apple . From computers and tablets to mobile phones and smartwatches , the Californian hi-tech giants are usually one step ahead of the competition .
It ’ s somewhat surprising that it ’ s taken them so long to dip their toes into what would appear to be a logical expansion into the underwater world . Pairing their 100m-rated Apple Watch Ultra with Huish Outdoors ’ all-new Oceanic + app has finally allowed them to make that giant stride , albeit with several caveats which may affect its place in the market .
For anyone not familiar with the titanium case , sapphire crown Ultra , it follows in the footsteps of previous versions of Apple Watch . As such , it brims with a multitude of apps including , but not limited to , walking , running , cycling and swimming . It will also keep a check on your heart rate , connect to your iPhone for remote calls and emails , substitute for a debit card and provide both compass and GPS navigation .
Setting it up
I found the Oceanic + app as effortless to set up as it was easy to use in the water . After downloading the app to an iPhone 14 ( supplied alongside the Ultra by Apple ), I paired both and phone .
Adding a few personal details ( including a statement I was nitrox-certified ) it was then just a case of swiping the Ultra ’ s
The Apple Watch Ultra features a bright display and a digital crown system touchscreen to choose my gas ( air or nitrox 22-40 %) and PP02 . There are also several alarms to choose from : dive time , depth , low no-deco and temperature . All provide pop-up , on-screen warnings combined with very effective haptic feedback .
Oceanic ’ s use of the Bühlmann ZHL-16C algorithm offers a trio of preordained conservatism settings , alongside an adjustable custom gradient option . This enables the Ultra to closely match the algorithm of another computer , allowing buddy pairs to enjoy much the same dive time and profile . The dive app can be activated automatically on immersion ( recommended ) or manually . Tapping ‘ Start SCUBA ’ on the screen prompts a “ I ’ m Fit and Ready to Dive ” response , plus a request to press the action button ( located on the left side of the case ) to confirm . This enables the dive-specific display .
Dive display
The display - white numerals against a black background – looks great and is divided into two by horizontal green bars . The upper section provides depth and no-deco time . The lower : dive time , minutes to surface and temperature . There are three additional displays . These are accessed via a rotating crown which stands proud on the right of the case . Display two offers maximum depth , metres / min rate and remaining battery power . Display three features a digital compass . To set a heading simply press the action button . If you deviate by a degree either way a blue arrow pops up to correct the course left or right . The fourth display shows the chosen level of conservatism / gradient factor , gas type and PP02 .
To the left of the main display there ’ s an innovative , spinning variometer gauge . This monitors both ascent and descent speeds , showing colour-coded warnings and safety stop depths .
In the water
While the Ultra is a compact device , its display makes the very most of its edge-toedge screen . All the relevant information is brightly illuminated and my fiftysomething eyes revelled in its clarity .