Comparison

Scuba Dive Signals vs Mares App

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Scuba Dive Signals

Access a comprehensive list of underwater hand signals for safe scuba diving communication. Includes a quiz feature to test your knowledge of signals recognized by major training agencies.

Highlights
  • List of recognized dive hand signals
  • Signals from PADI, NAUI, SSI
  • Quiz feature to test knowledge
  • Safety communication focus
  • Creative Commons licensed images
Features
Read full description

Access a handy list of dive signals to safely communicate underwater while scuba diving. This contains a list of hand signals generally recognized by the Recreational Scuba Training Council and its member agencies (PADI, NAUI, SSI, and more). Once you've studied up, you can quiz yourself on what you've learned-- the app will show a series of five dive signal descriptions and give you a choice of four different pictures-- only one will match, so choose wisely! As always, safety is paramount when scuba diving, so be sure you are your diving partners are clear on their meanings before diving. The author of this app does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or injury, including death, caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. The information in this app is meant to supplement, not replace, proper scuba diving training. Scuba diving poses some inherent risk. Never dive without proper training and certification! The images used in this app are used via the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike licenses, and are credited as follows: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en): Original author: Thomei08 Dive hand signal-cold.plain.svg Dive hand signal-look.plain.svg Dive hand signal-tink.plain.svg Dive hand signal-ear.plain.svg Original author: Peter Southwood Dive hand signal OK 1.png Dive hand signal OK 2.png Dive hand signal OK surface 1.png Dive hand signal OK surface 2.png Dive hand signal Stop.png Dive hand signal Turn Around.png Dive hand signal Which Way.png Dive hand signal Boat.png Dive hand signal Buddy up.png Dive hand signal Hold on to each other.png Dive hand signal Lead and follow.png Dive hand signal Level out.png Dive hand signal Slow down.png Dive hand signal Give me air.png Dive hand signal Emergency Out of air.png Dive hand signal Help surface 1.png Dive hand signal Dont know 1.png Dive hand signal Danger there.png Dive hand signal Pressure.png Dive hand signal Bubbles.png Dive hand signal Cut.png Dive hand signal Safety stop.png Dive hand signal Entangled.png Dive hand signal Silt.png Dive hand signal Cramps.png Dive hand signal Reserve.png Dive hand signal Time up.png Dive hand signal Fetch surface 1.png Dive hand signal Turn dive.png Dive hand signal Stuck.png Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en): Original author: Peter Southwood Dive hand signal Ascend to stop.png The licensors do not in any way endorse the author of this app or usage.

About

Mares App

Transform your Apple Watch Ultra into a dive computer, recording dives directly on your wrist. Log scuba, freediving, and technical dives, manage dive sites, and track underwater wildlife sightings. Share your adventures with dive buddies and keep your equipment details organized.

Highlights
  • Apple Watch Ultra dive computer integration
  • Digital dive logbook
  • Dive site database and management
  • Underwater wildlife tracking
  • Dive buddy sharing
  • Dive equipment management
  • Firmware updates
Features
Read full description

APPLE WATCH ULTRA DIVE COMPUTER Transform your Ultra into a dive computer. Record dives directly on your wrist and sync automatically to the Mares App. (In-app purchase required.) DIGITAL LOGBOOK: Log your Scuba, Freediving, Extended Range and Rebreather (SCR/CCR) dives in seconds via Bluetooth. Easily share your dives via QR code. Add new dives with your device’s GPS and download your dives from selected dive computers (1*). DIVE SITES: With the help of the Mares dive site database, you can immediately assign a dive site to your logged dives. You can also add your own private dive sites and share them with your dive buddies using a QR code. You can download your dive data directly from selected Mares dive computers . WILDLIFE: A variety of local wildlife is already stored in the app for individual dive sites. This means you can immediately assign the highlights of your underwater encounters to your logged dives. Your sightings are displayed on your personal world map. DIVE BUDDIES: Easily add your dive buddies via QR code or manually in the app. Share your best dives and most exciting animal encounters with friends using the Mares app. STATISTICS: All your dives and data can be seen at a glance, including your longest or deepest dive, your average dive time and more! DIGITAL EQUIPMENT: Store important dive equipment details, including serial numbers, photos and invoices. Enter maintenance dates and keep track of when your equipment needs to be serviced. NEWS AND VIDEOS: Stay up-to-date with all the latest news and videos from the world of water sports and diving. FIRMWARE: When you connect your dive computer to the app, you will be able to confirm if you have the latest firmware. As soon as it is outdated, you will receive a message regarding the newest firmware to download. TABLES: Here you will find useful information such as decompression tables and emergency scenarios. 1* Currently available for MARES Sirius, Sirius L, Sirius Hunter, Horizon, Genius, Quad CI, Quad 2, Quad Air, Quad, Puck 4, Puck Pro EZ, Puck lite, Puck Pro, Puck Pro Plus, Puck Air 2, Smart, Smart Apnea, Smart Air Terms of Use (EULA) Mares App for Apple Watch Ultra: https://my.divessi.com/published/viewhls/awu_terms_v1/2

Screenshots

Scuba Dive Signals4 screens
Mares App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Scuba Dive Signals at 100% against Mares App's 48%. Scuba Dive Signals also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 8) and rating (5.0 vs 4.5). Mares App's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 42 months) and ratings volume (192 vs 3). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Mares App sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Scuba Dive Signals asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Scuba Dive Signals holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mares App has 192 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Scuba Dive Signals's written reviews are positive against 48% of Mares App's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Scuba Dive Signals ships an update every 42 months, Mares App every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Scuba Dive Signals versus Mares App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScuba Dive SignalsMares App
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better4.5 (192 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better48.1% of reviews
Number of ratings3192 — better
Update frequencyEvery 42 monthsEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB203 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEric HamiterHead Watersports S.p.A.

Customer experience

Scuba Dive Signals

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Mares App

All ratings189 ratings
Positive89.4%
Neutral4.8%
Negative5.8%
Written reviews108 reviews
Positive48.1%
Neutral12.0%
Negative39.8%

In-app purchases

None

Scuba Dive Signals

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

Mares App

Subscriptions8
  • Snorkel Only$2.991 Month
  • Full Featured Month (Housing Only)3 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Full Featured Month (Ultra Only)3 Days trial$6.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • MARES Fully Featured Monthly3 Days trial$8.991 Month
  • Full Featured Yearly (Housing Only)3 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Full Featured Yearly (Ultra Only)3 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • MARES Fully Featured Yearly3 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • MARES Fully Featured Yearly Family3 Days trial$119.991 Year

Questions

Is Scuba Dive Signals free?
Scuba Dive Signals is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mares App free?
Mares App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Scuba Dive Signals or Mares App?
Scuba Dive Signals is rated higher. Scuba Dive Signals averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Mares App averages 4.5 from 192 ratings.
Do Scuba Dive Signals or Mares App have ads?
Neither Scuba Dive Signals nor Mares App shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Scuba Dive Signals or Mares App?
Scuba Dive Signals ships an update every 42 months, and Mares App every 4 weeks. Most recently, Scuba Dive Signals was updated on October 8, 2026 and Mares App on November 3, 2026.

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