Comparison

Scuba Dive Signals vs DiveBuddy

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

DiveBuddy

Connect with fellow scuba divers, find dive buddies, and discover new dive sites. This app offers essential scuba calculators, a digital dive log, and a platform to store certifications and share underwater photos. Engage in community forums and discussions to enhance your diving experience.

Highlights
  • Find dive buddies
  • Scuba calculators
  • Digital dive log
  • Community dive sites
  • Store certifications
  • Share underwater photos
  • Scuba forums
Features
Read full description

Core features of the Dive Buddy app: - Find dive buddies near you or near a dive destination. - Scuba calculators - Weight, SAC, MOD, EAD, and more. - Maintain your dive log, with option to import, export, and attach photos. - Search our community-maintained dive sites with ratings & comments. - Store digital copies of your scuba certifications or C-cards. - View and share underwater photos with other scuba divers. - Participate in scuba-related forum discussions and ask questions. - Send private messages and comment on community content. Apple Family Sharing: Share a single DiveBuddy Pro subscription with up to five family members. Dive Buddy is the essential social community for scuba divers only, trusted by tens of thousands of members globally since 1998. As a fully independent platform, we are not affiliated with any specific certification agency, we proudly welcome and support divers from all training backgrounds. The platform is built to handle the real-world needs of the scuba community. Whether you are planning your next local shore dive, a weekend boat trip, or a dream destination adventure, DiveBuddy helps you connect with other divers, discover new places to explore, and keep your diving life organized in one easy-to-use app. Learn more at www.divebuddy.com.

Screenshots

Scuba Dive Signals4 screens
DiveBuddy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Scuba Dive Signals at none against DiveBuddy's 2. DiveBuddy's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 42 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. DiveBuddy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Scuba Dive Signals asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Scuba Dive Signals against 5.0 for DiveBuddy. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Scuba Dive Signals ships an update every 42 months, DiveBuddy daily. Both last shipped on October 8, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Scuba Dive Signals versus DiveBuddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScuba Dive SignalsDiveBuddy
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings33
Update frequencyEvery 42 monthsDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB82 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperEric HamiterDive Buddy LLC

Customer experience

Scuba Dive Signals

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

DiveBuddy

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

In-app purchases

None

Scuba Dive Signals

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

DiveBuddy

Subscriptions2
  • DiveBuddy Pro - Monthly$2.991 Month
  • DiveBuddy Pro - Annually$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Scuba Dive Signals free?
Scuba Dive Signals is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DiveBuddy free?
DiveBuddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Scuba Dive Signals or DiveBuddy?
Scuba Dive Signals and DiveBuddy are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 3 ratings respectively.
Do Scuba Dive Signals or DiveBuddy have ads?
Neither Scuba Dive Signals nor DiveBuddy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Scuba Dive Signals or DiveBuddy?
Scuba Dive Signals ships an update every 42 months, and DiveBuddy daily. Most recently, Scuba Dive Signals was updated on October 8, 2026 and DiveBuddy on October 8, 2026.

Other comparisons