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FreeDive Ultra is the only freediving app built exclusively for Apple Watch Ultra. Here's an honest look at how the two compare — strengths, trade-offs, and all.
Oceanic+ is capable software. But it was built primarily for scuba — freediving came later, and some friction shows.
Oceanic+ was built for scuba diving and expanded to include freediving as a secondary mode. The architecture and interface reflect that heritage — you're working within a scuba app, not a dedicated freediving tool.
Oceanic+ offers a 24-hour trial, then requires a subscription for everything. There's no way to validate the app against your actual diving before committing financially.
The session inactivity timeout is fixed at approximately 10 minutes. If you take a longer surface interval or rest, your session ends. There's no way to extend it.
You can't save GPS waypoints during a session — no way to mark a reef, a site, or a specific location mid-dive using your watch. Route tracking is also absent.
FreeDive Ultra was designed from the ground up for Apple Watch Ultra — with one constraint at its core: water lock disables all touch input when you're submerged. So everything is automatic.
Every descent is detected automatically. Depth, time, temperature, and surface recovery are tracked without a tap. The Digital Crown navigates between screens. Session data syncs to your iPhone the moment you're done.
An honest breakdown of what each app offers — including where Oceanic+ has an edge.
| Feature | FreeDive Ultra | Oceanic+ |
|---|---|---|
| Core Tracking | ||
| Real-time depth | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dive time | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water temperature | ✓ | ✓ |
| Automatic dive detection | ✓ | ✓ |
| Descent / ascent speed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Compass | ✓ | ✓ |
| Surface recovery timer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Surface heart rate | ✓ | ✓ |
| Per-dive depth profiles | ✓ | ✓ |
| Unique to FreeDive Ultra | ||
| GPS pin saving (Digital Crown) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Swim route tracking with distance | ✓ | ✗ |
| Depth-dependent automatic stealth mode | Automatic | Manual toggle only |
| Configurable inactivity timeout | 5 – 60 min | Fixed ~10 min |
| Free working dive watch tier | ✓ | ✗ |
| Free trial length | 7 days Pro | 24 hours |
| Low battery alarm | ✓ | ✗ |
| Free UDDF import (bring your dive history) | Free | ✗ |
| Where Oceanic+ has an edge | ||
| Maximum depth reading | 6m now (40m pending) | 40m |
| Heatmaps | ✗ | ✓ |
| HR training zones | ✗ | ✓ |
| Recovery / CO₂ assessment | ✗ | ✓ |
| Both apps include | ||
| UDDF export | ✓ | ✓ |
| HealthKit integration | ✓ | ✓ |
| Haptic alarms | 7 alarms | 5+ alarms |
| Stealth mode | Automatic | Manual toggle |
| iCloud backup | ✓ | Unknown |
FreeDive Ultra offers a permanent free tier — a fully working dive watch with no expiry. You only pay for Pro features when you're ready.
| FreeDive Ultra | Oceanic+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Full dive watch | None |
| Monthly | £3.99 | ~$4.99 |
| Annual | £24.99 | ~$80 |
| Free trial | 7 days | 24 hours |
Both apps are genuinely good at what they do. The right choice depends on what matters most to you.
Export your sessions from Oceanic+, ShearWater, or any app that supports UDDF — then import them into FreeDive Ultra. Every session, every dive, every depth profile. Your complete logbook transfers in seconds.
UDDF import is completely free — no Pro subscription required. Full session detail is viewable for all imported sessions, so you can review your entire dive history from day one.
This is a platform constraint, not a software limitation. Apple's entitlement system caps depth readings at 6m for apps that haven't yet completed the approval process for the full 40m entitlement. We've gathered water testing evidence and are working through that process.
Every other feature works identically at any depth: alarms, GPS pin saving, dive profiles, timing, surface recovery, and stealth mode. If full-depth readings are your top priority today, Oceanic+ has this — and we're transparent about it.
Download free. Your Apple Watch Ultra becomes a freediving app in seconds. No subscription required to start — upgrade to Pro when you're ready.