Subsurface: An Open-source Multi-platform Diving Logbook for Divers

Divers often keep a rich logbook to track their diving activities.  Trainees also are required to have a logbook for their diving training. There are some commercial solutions to do that, but our topic of the day is an amazing professionally designed alternative solution and it's called Subsurface.

Subsurface is an open-source free and genuinely rich diving logbook application for professional divers, trainees and hobbyists. Even though, It has rich features but it comes with a simple easy-to-use interface which does not require much time to learn.

In this article we demonstrate Subsurface features and why we believe it's a great application

Features

1. Open-source (GPLv2)
2. Plan diving trips
3. Track single- and multi-tank dives
4. GPS support
5. Equipment logging
6. Statistics
7. Multiple divers support with multi-preferences and settings
8. Track diving trips
9. Depth profile visualization
10. Multi-languages support (20 languages)
11. Data-sharing
12. Divers and divemaster names
13. Buddy names
14. Dive modes
15. Rating and visibility log
16. Tags support
17. Search and log filtering support
18. Mobile devices support (Android and iOS)
19. Dozens of dive computers
20. Bluetooth and Bluetooth LE support for data exchange from dive computers

Dive computers with Subsurface

A dive computer takes the depth and time information and applies it to a decompression model to track the dissolved nitrogen in the diver's body during his dive. It tells the diver how much dive time the diver has.

Subsurface supports a long list of dive computers, the list at Subsurface's website and it's frequently updated. It supports a wide range of dive computers from novice to professionals.

Here are the list as (6-NOV-2020):

Aeris

• 500 AI, A300, A300 AI, A300CS, Atmos 2, Atmos AI, Atmos AI 2, Compumask, Elite, Elite T3, Epic, F10, F11, Manta, XR-1 NX, XR-2

Apeks

• Quantum X

Aqualung

• i100, i200, i200C, i300, i300C, i450T, i550, i550C, i750TC, i770R

Atomic Aquatics

• Cobalt, Cobalt 2

Beuchat

• Mundial 2, Mundial 3, Voyager 2G

Citizen

• Hyper Aqualand

Cochran

• Commander I, Commander II, Commander TM, EMC-14, EMC-16, EMC-20H

Cressi

• Cartesio, Drake, Edy, Giotto, Goa, Leonardo, Newton

Deepblu

• Cosmiq+

Dive Rite

• NiTek Q, NiTek Trio

DiveSystem

• Orca, iDive DAN, iDive Deep, iDive Easy, iDive Free, iDive Pro, iDive Reb, iDive Stealth, iDive Tech, iDive X3M

Garmin

• Descent Mk1

Genesis

• React Pro, React Pro White

Heinrichs Weikamp

• Frog, OSTC, OSTC 2, OSTC 2 TR, OSTC 2C, OSTC 2N, OSTC 3, OSTC 4, OSTC Mk2, OSTC Plus, OSTC Sport, OSTC cR

Hollis

• DG02, DG03, TX1

Mares

• Airlab, Darwin, Darwin Air, Genius, Icon HD, Icon HD Net Ready, M1, M2, Matrix, Nemo, Nemo Air, Nemo Apneist, Nemo Excel, Nemo Steel, Nemo Titanium, Nemo Wide, Nemo Wide 2, Puck, Puck 2, Puck Air, Puck Pro, Quad, Quad Air, Smart, Smart Air, Smart Apnea

Oceanic

• Atom 1.0, Atom 2.0, Atom 3.0, Atom 3.1, Datamask, F10, F11, Geo, Geo 2.0, Geo 4.0, OC1, OCS, OCi, Pro Plus 2, Pro Plus 2.1, Pro Plus 3, Pro Plus X, VT 4.1, VT Pro, VT3, VT4, VTX, Veo 1.0, Veo 180, Veo 2.0, Veo 200, Veo 250, Veo 3.0, Versa Pro

Ratio

• iDive Color Deep, iDive Color Easy, iDive Color Fancy, iDive Color Free, iDive Color Pro, iDive Color Reb, iDive Color Tech+, iDive Deep, iDive Easy, iDive Fancy, iDive Free, iDive Pro, iDive Reb, iDive Tech+, iX3M GPS Deep, iX3M GPS Easy, iX3M GPS Fancy, iX3M GPS Pro , iX3M GPS Reb, iX3M GPS Tech+, iX3M Pro Deep, iX3M Pro Easy, iX3M Pro Fancy, iX3M Pro Pro, iX3M Pro Reb, iX3M Pro Tech+

Reefnet

• Sensus, Sensus Pro, Sensus Ultra

Scubapro

• Aladin H Matrix, Aladin Sport Matrix, Aladin Square, Chromis, G2, G2 Console, G2 HUD, Mantis, Mantis 2, Meridian, XTender 5

Seabaer

• T1, H3, HUDC

Seac

• Guru, Jack

Seemann

• XP5

Shearwater

• Nerd, Nerd 2, Perdix, Perdix AI, Petrel, Petrel 2, Predator, Teric

Sherwood

• Amphos, Amphos Air, Insight, Insight 2, Vision, Wisdom, Wisdom 2, Wisdom 3

Subgear

• XP Air, XP-10, XP-3G, XP-Air

Suunto

• Cobra, Cobra 2, Cobra 3, D3, D4, D4f, D4i, D5, D6, D6i, D9, D9tx, DX, EON Core, EON Steel, Eon, Gekko, HelO2, Mosquito, Solution, Solution Alpha, Solution Nitrox, Spyder, Stinger, Vyper, Vyper 2, Vyper Air, Vyper Novo, Vytec, Zoop, Zoop Novo

Tecdiving

• DiveComputer.eu

Tusa

• Element II (IQ-750), IQ-700, Talis, Zen (IQ-900), Zen Air (IQ-950)

Uemis

• Zürich SDA

Uwatec

• Aladin 2G, Aladin Air Twin, Aladin Air Z, Aladin Air Z Nitrox, Aladin Air Z O2, Aladin Prime, Aladin Pro, Aladin Pro Ultra, Aladin Sport, Aladin Sport Plus, Aladin Tec, Aladin Tec 2G, Aladin Tec 3G, Galileo Luna, Galileo Sol, Galileo Terra, Galileo Trimix, Memomouse, Smart Com, Smart Pro, Smart Tec, Smart Z

Zeagle

• N2iTiON3

Supported platforms/ systems

Subsurface works on almost all known desktop platforms (macOS, Linux and Windows), It also provides a portable mobile versions for Android and iOS devices.

1. Windows (32 and 64bit, Windows 7 and newer)
2. macOS (Intel, 10.7 and newer)
3. Linux: Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint, openSUSE, Fedora, Arch Linux and Manjaro Linux.

I have installed it on Manjaro Linux using Flatpak:

# install
flatpak install flathub org.subsurface_divelog.Subsurface

#run 
flatpak run org.subsurface_divelog.Subsurface

Subsurface Portable Versions: Subsurface-mobile

Subsurface developers released two portable versions for Android and iOS devices which are very practical and easy to use. They both don't contain Ads or in-app purchase as they are completely free to use.

Both portable editions support Bluetooth connection, Bluetooth LE, USB serial computers.

Subsurface also offers an optional free Subsurface cloud storage account for divers to synchronize their data which works very well with the desktop editions as we..

Resources

1. Subsurface
2. Flatpak
3. GitHub
4. Android - Google's PlayStore
5. iOS (iPhone and iPad)
6. Photo by Sebastian Pena Lambarri on Unsplash