The Oceanic+ app comes to Apple Watch Ultra • Hacker News Board

Re: The Oceanic+ app comes to Apple Watch Ultra

#111

Post by izacus » Mon, Nov 28, 2022, 5:32 PM UTC

jupp0r wrote: post #6

Any HN scuba divers here that would use this as their only dive computer on a dive? I'm not a scuba diver myself but do engage in other adventure sports where reliable equipment can make the difference between a great trip and disaster. I'd be very reluctant to trust my life or health to this.

As a recreational diver I meet many people diving within recreational limits that don't use diving computers at all (they usually rely on their DM or guide dive computer which is good enough for For that reason the Apple Watch Ultra seems just fine - it doesn't seem to have any less features than my dedicated Suunto D5 (outside missing integration with air tank) and it seems to be a good competitor to Garmin's Descent MK2 series of diving computers (which are pretty amazing but cost 1200$+ with tank pods).

Re: The Oceanic+ app comes to Apple Watch Ultra

#112

Post by idreyn » Mon, Nov 28, 2022, 5:33 PM UTC

_l7dh wrote: post #105

I truly wonder. Why is Apple doing that? If I'm not mistaken, it is a small niche in terms of revenue. My hypothesis is that this is perhaps a new approach for marketing: find hobbies that correlate the most with the populations with the biggest potential revenue, taking into account the networking and demographic effects within such a population. Just throwing this off the top of my head. Bear with me :-).

I think that's basically right. They've been weaving "high-status outdoor adventuring" into their brand for a long time — think about the codenames High Sierra and Mavericks, or going to an Apple store and seeing a ski trip under planning in the sample iMessages.

A big part of the way Apple signals their products as clean, healthy, and high-status is by depicting themselves as exactly that sort of people.

(Not to imply that this is particularly disingenuous, but they know exactly what they're doing)

Re: The Oceanic+ app comes to Apple Watch Ultra

#113

Post by fundad » Mon, Nov 28, 2022, 5:33 PM UTC

_l7dh wrote: post #105

I truly wonder. Why is Apple doing that? If I'm not mistaken, it is a small niche in terms of revenue. My hypothesis is that this is perhaps a new approach for marketing: find hobbies that correlate the most with the populations with the biggest potential revenue, taking into account the networking and demographic effects within such a population. Just throwing this off the top of my head. Bear with me :-).

Fashion is my simple answer. I think serving the niche well promotes sales among people with disposable income. People like it for looks.

Re: The Oceanic+ app comes to Apple Watch Ultra

#114

Post by TreeRingCounter » Mon, Nov 28, 2022, 5:33 PM UTC

lolsoftware wrote: post #31

ashtonbaker wrote: post #17

I think this looks amazing for warm-water vacation divers - typically they are stuck with rental equipment, which usually means a cheap, dated computer on a bulky console. Having a well-designed UI will definitely improve these divers safety - the last boat dive I went on, an experienced diver blew past no-deco limits because he didn't understand his unfamiliar rental computer. That being said, I can't personally ima…

Slight clarification: the Apple Watch Ultra has a water resistance rating of 100m. The Oceanic+ app has a 130ft/40m limit because that's the recreational diving limit. [1]: https://support.apple.com/kb/SP879?viewlocale=en_IN&locale=e... .

For those curious, 40m is a standard cutoff for rec diving because

A) oxygen partial pressure with compressed air reaches 1.05atm, with 1.2-1.4atm posing a serious risk of oxygen-induced seizures (extremely dangerous)

B) nitrogen partial pressure becomes high enough that it becomes narcotic (every gas gets you high at enough pressure, even noble gasses).

Re: The Oceanic+ app comes to Apple Watch Ultra

#115

Post by jackdh » Mon, Nov 28, 2022, 5:37 PM UTC

_l7dh wrote: post #105

I truly wonder. Why is Apple doing that? If I'm not mistaken, it is a small niche in terms of revenue. My hypothesis is that this is perhaps a new approach for marketing: find hobbies that correlate the most with the populations with the biggest potential revenue, taking into account the networking and demographic effects within such a population. Just throwing this off the top of my head. Bear with me :-).

Diving has a much larger market than you'd initially believe.

For instance, consider all of watch brands which have basically created an entire company under the premise of diving.

Re: The Oceanic+ app comes to Apple Watch Ultra

#116

Post by TreeRingCounter » Mon, Nov 28, 2022, 5:37 PM UTC

jupp0r wrote: post #6

Any HN scuba divers here that would use this as their only dive computer on a dive? I'm not a scuba diver myself but do engage in other adventure sports where reliable equipment can make the difference between a great trip and disaster. I'd be very reluctant to trust my life or health to this.

Absolutely not! Apple's hardware keeps getting better, but their software reliability has been quite bad over the last 10-ish years. A dive computer is a safety-critical machine - an apple watch is not suitable as a primary unit. Maybe if you're doing only very casual dives and you don't mind the risk of having to do an emergency surface, it is fine.

Re: The Oceanic+ app comes to Apple Watch Ultra

#117

Post by Shared404 » Mon, Nov 28, 2022, 5:37 PM UTC

thinkmcfly wrote: post #32

shkkmo wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most dive computers cost less (often less than half) than an Apple Watch Ultra and don't require any subscription to maintain functionality. Also, since you are trusting your life to the waterproofing of the watch, a EDC watch that takes abuse all day that could compromise that waterproofing seems like a bit of a risk unless it is only being used as a secondary / backup dive computer.

Do they have the same clout tho? I bet you can make some pretty sweet gram content with this. Edit: why the hate? Do you guys love Instagram or something?

> Edit: why the hate?

Because this post is pure sarcasm with nothing of value to add except for mocking people you disagree with.

> Do you guys love Instagram or something?

Nope. Hate it - but I don't feel the need to go spewing that hate over a tangentially related thread which has actual interesting discussion.

Re: The Oceanic+ app comes to Apple Watch Ultra

#118

Post by izacus » Mon, Nov 28, 2022, 5:37 PM UTC

jitl wrote: post #53

jakear wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't dive with two regulators? I haven't been in a while but I fairly distinctly remember having two regulators per person, that way if one fails you don't have to immediately fall back on passing regulators back and forth breath-by-breath. The backup isn't a particularly nice regulator, probably reusing the mechanism your vest uses to inflate, but better than nothing.

Regulators come in two stages; you carry a backup second stage for someone else if their system fails - but you don’t carry two first stages (the part that screws onto the tank).

We do carry two first stages, but mostly only in colder water when there's a chance the first stage would freeze (water under 15C or so?) :)

You get air tanks that have 2 mounts for first stage and the octo goes into the separate first stage, giving you two independent setups.

I've only seen crazy swiss people do that though.

Re: The Oceanic+ app comes to Apple Watch Ultra

#119

Post by 9wzYQbTYsAIc » Mon, Nov 28, 2022, 5:39 PM UTC

scarface74 wrote: post #89

tiffanyh wrote: post #61

@dang The title should be renamed "Available today, the Oceanic+ app on Apple Watch Ultra" Because the current title of " Apple Introduces Oceanic+" implies this is a 1st party app from Apple, which it is not.

No part of the definition of “introduction” implies that it is a first party app.

To introduce: “…; originate: introduced the new product in several test markets; ….” [1]

[1] https://www.thefreedictionary.com/introduce

Re: The Oceanic+ app comes to Apple Watch Ultra

#120

Post by izacus » Mon, Nov 28, 2022, 5:40 PM UTC

Godel_unicode wrote: post #90

shkkmo wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most dive computers cost less (often less than half) than an Apple Watch Ultra and don't require any subscription to maintain functionality. Also, since you are trusting your life to the waterproofing of the watch, a EDC watch that takes abuse all day that could compromise that waterproofing seems like a bit of a risk unless it is only being used as a secondary / backup dive computer.

Depends where you dive, I see a lot of shearwaters in US and I don’t think they make more than one that cheap. All this “trusting your life” stuff is pretty overblown for rec diving. You have a buddy who has a computer and probably a dive guide, you’re not going that deep, worst case scenario if it fails on a dive just swim a bit shallower than the guide (after signaling them) and sit out the next one. Or dive tables…

Yeah, but most people don't use Shearwaters, they use cheaper Mares pucks or other such devices.

Although, Apple Watch Ultra will be very competitive against devices like Garmin Descent or Suunto D5.