Samsung turned the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 into a fully-fledged dive computer — but there’s a catch

Close-up of a water-soaked Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 on a bright blue background — (Image credit: Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide)

Samsung just dropped the new Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, a larger-than-life, tough-built smartwatch with an ultra-bright display, plenty of battery life, health and fitness tech galore, and legit dive-ready features.

Unlike the original Galaxy Watch Ultra, which isn’t meant for diving or high-impact water sports despite its 100-meter water resistance rating, the new model is not only rated for 100 meters but is also EN13319-certified for scuba diving, not to mention IP69K-certified against dust and moisture.

That’s not all; Samsung has partnered with Mares, a popular and trusted dive app, to turn the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 into a fully-fledged dive computer to track your dives. It also provides real-time nitrogen level monitoring, depth and water temperature, dive time, and more. However, there is a catch.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is built for diving... for a price

Close-up look at the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 smartwatch — (Image credit: Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide)

To access all of these cool dive-ready features, Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 users will need to subscribe to the Mares app, which is $8.99 a month or $69.99 for the year. For the early birds, it's worth mentioning that support for Mares won't be available right when the smartwatch ships, but a little later this year.

Samsung has a two-year deal with Mares that makes the app exclusive to only the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and no other Android smartwatches. Of course, Apple already has a partnership in place with Mares, which similarly turns the Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and Apple Watch Ultra 3 into wrist-based dive computers.

One other important note: The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is meant for recreational dives only, specifically, those less than 40 meters in depth. Sorry, no deep-sea diving.

What are your thoughts on the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and its water-based features? Would you trust it on your next dive? More importantly, are you willing to pony up the extra cash for the Mares app? Let me know in the comments below.

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Dan Bracaglia is the Tom’s Guide editorial lead for all things smartwatches, fitness trackers and outdoor gear. With 15 years of experience as a consumer technology journalist testing everything from Oura Rings to instant cameras, Dan is deeply passionate about helping readers save money and make informed purchasing decisions. In the past year alone, Dan has assessed major product releases from the likes of Apple, Garmin, Google, Samsung, Polar and many others.

An avid outdoor adventurer, Dan is based in the U.S. Pacific Northwest where he takes advantage of the beautiful surroundings every chance he gets. A lover of kayaking, hiking, swimming, biking, snowboarding and exploring, he also makes every effort to combine his day job with his passions. When not assessing the sleep tracking and heart rate accuracy of the latest tach gadgets, you can find him photographing Seattle’s vibrant underground music community.