Samsung Turns a Dive-Ready Watch Into a Paid Dive Computer
The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 diving experience combines a 10ATM water rating, professional EN13319 dive certification, and a Mares-built app that locks advanced smartwatch diving features behind three subscription tiers, effectively turning a premium wrist computer into an ongoing service for snorkelers and certified scuba divers.
Samsung used its recent Unpacked event in London to launch the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 alongside the Watch 9, pitching the Ultra as the serious adventure athlete’s choice. The hardware absolutely backs that up. An IP69K rating and 10ATM water rating mean it can withstand pressure equivalent to 100 meters, making the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 diving credentials credible for real underwater use. Add EN13319 certification for diving accessories and this stops being a casual “swim-proof” wearable and starts looking like genuine dive gear. The catch: Samsung and Mares have decided that turning those capabilities into a full dive computer is not a one‑time purchase, but a recurring diving app subscription layered on top of an already expensive smartwatch.
What You Get for Free: Timer Mode Is the Safety Minimum
Out of the box, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 includes a Depth app that shows current depth, water temperature, and dive duration, so every owner gets basic Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 diving data without paying extra. On top of that, the Mares app’s free tier—Timer mode—adds depth display, dive time, and ascent rate alarms. This is essentially a digital bottom timer with a bit of safety baked in.
For casual underwater sports enthusiasts, that may be enough. You can track how long you have been down, how deep you went, and get warned if you ascend too fast—a huge upgrade over guessing off your wristwatch bezel. But this tier is also where the limits show. There is no GPS track of where you swam, no heart rate logging for training analysis, and crucially, no decompression or NDL calculations. Samsung is clear that the watch should not replace essential diving equipment and that divers should still carry backup instruments. In other words, the free tier is safety‑adjacent, not a true safety tool.
Snorkel Mode: Smart Tracking for Ocean Lovers at a Low Monthly Cost
The middle tier, Snorkel mode, is where the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 starts to feel like a proper outdoor training tool rather than a fancy timer. For USD 2.99 (approx. RM14) per month, you unlock a snorkeling session timer, per‑dive depth and time records, GPS tracking with distance and route, maps, compass, stopwatch, temperature, and heart rate data. This transforms the watch from simple underwater stopwatch into a complete log for ocean swimming and surface‑oriented adventures.
For adventure athletes who split their time between trail runs, open‑water swims, and snorkel sessions, this tier looks like fair value. You are paying about the price of a sports app subscription to get route maps of your reef explorations and heart rate trends across sessions—features that help you treat snorkeling as real training, not a holiday side activity. The downside is psychological as much as financial: after spending USD 949.99 (approx. RM4,370) on the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 itself, adding a meter‑level monthly fee to unlock smartwatch diving features feels like paying twice for capabilities the hardware already supports.
Scuba Mode: Dive Computer Ambition With Ongoing Fees
Scuba mode is where Samsung and Mares aim squarely at certified divers and underwater sports enthusiasts who might otherwise buy a dedicated dive computer. For USD 7.99 (approx. RM37) per month or USD 59.99 (approx. RM276) per year, the app adds air and Nitrox support (single‑gas from 21%–50% and multi‑gas up to three mixes), decompression algorithms, full decompression information, safety stops, multiple dive alarms, plus the same stopwatch, compass, temperature, and heart rate tools. According to one report, Mares’ existing iOS app charges higher monthly and annual prices, suggesting Samsung’s Wear OS offer could be a slightly leaner deal for Ultra 2 owners.
Functionally, this is a serious pitch: if the implementation is reliable, Scuba mode turns the Ultra 2 into a wrist‑mounted dive computer that can handle advanced Nitrox profiles and decompression dives. For frequent divers, the annual plan undercuts many mid‑range dedicated computers. But there is a trade‑off. You are renting critical safety functionality. Stop paying, and your RM4k‑plus watch falls back to timer‑level dives. For athletes who expect life‑saving tools to be fully owned, this model will feel uncomfortable, no matter how polished the software is.
Is the Diving App Subscription Worth It for Adventure Athletes?
Samsung is clear about who it is targeting: serious outdoor enthusiasts who want their watch to double as a professional‑grade dive companion. The hardware story backs this up—10ATM resistance to 100 meters, MIL‑STD durability, EN13319 certification, and peak display brightness up to 5,000 nits for visibility underwater. The question is whether wrapping that in a subscription ecosystem is good value or an irritation.
For casual swimmers or travelers who might snorkel a few times a year, the free Timer mode plus built‑in Depth app are probably enough. For committed snorkelers and ocean swimmers, the USD 2.99 (approx. RM14) Snorkel mode is easy to justify, especially if you already see your watch as the hub of your training. The real tension is in Scuba mode: it offers a powerful dive computer at USD 59.99 (approx. RM276) per year, but ties core safety tools to ongoing payments. If you dive often, that may still beat buying and maintaining a separate computer. If you dive occasionally, you are paying a recurring fee for peace of mind on a device that, by Samsung’s own advice, should not replace your primary instruments. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 diving story is impressive—but it asks adventure athletes to accept that their most serious features now live behind a paywall.
