Getting Started
Pelagic is your complete diving companion, providing real-time ocean intelligence, detailed dive site information, and smart underwater navigation tools. Whether you're planning your next dive or exploring new sites, Pelagic gives you the data you need to dive confidently.
Dive Site Locations
All dive site markers on the map indicate the most ideal entry points based on local knowledge and access conditions. However, always assess the entry point yourself before diving—conditions can change, and your safety is your responsibility. Use your training and judgment at all times.
Selecting a Dive Site
Click any dive site marker to open detailed information including:
- Site description — What to expect underwater
- Skill level — Beginner, intermediate, or advanced
- Current conditions — Real-time safety assessment
- Visibility prediction — Expected visibility in meters
- Recent dive reports — User-submitted conditions and sightings
- Access information — Parking, facilities, and entry details
Parking & Facilities
The map shows parking locations near each dive site:
Bathroom locations are also displayed on the map to help you find the closest facilities before your dive. PRO members can tap any parking marker for one-tap navigation via Google Maps.
Display Modes
Pelagic offers four different ways to view dive sites, each providing unique insights. Switch between modes using the Display Mode buttons in the settings menu.
Conditions View (Default)
Shows real-time diving conditions powered by Pelagic's proprietary multi-factor scoring engine. Every site is assessed individually — accounting for its ocean exposure, protection level, swell direction, tidal sensitivity, water quality, and accumulated turbidity — to answer: "Is it safe and comfortable to dive here right now?"
Experience View
Shows site difficulty based on depth, currents, navigation complexity, and required skills. This never changes—it's based on the site itself, not current conditions.
Visibility View PRO
Displays predicted underwater visibility in meters. Perfect for photographers or if you're simply chasing the best vis.
Diveability View PRO
Combines conditions AND visibility to show overall dive quality. This answers: "Should I dive here today?"
Site Conditions Intelligence
The colour of every dive site marker updates every hour — not based on a regional weather feed, but on a dedicated conditions score calculated individually for each site. Two sites a kilometre apart can show completely different colours on the same day, because Pelagic models the actual physical environment each site sits in: how exposed it is to the ocean, which direction weather is arriving from, what the surrounding geography does to that energy before it reaches the water you'll be diving in.
What Goes Into Every Score
Each hourly recalculation weighs five independent factors simultaneously:
- Ocean swell — Offshore buoy readings are reduced based on each site's protection level and the compass bearing the swell is arriving from — because a site facing directly into a swell is a completely different dive to one with a headland in the way. Wave diffraction around headlands is even modelled, so sites that are only partially sheltered don't get a falsely clean reading.
- Wind & surface chop — Modelled independently from swell using each site's fetch exposure — the actual distance wind can blow across open water before reaching that site. Wind is never double-counted against swell arriving from the same direction, because that would be physically wrong.
- Tidal phase — It knows that this site dives best on an incoming second-half tide, not just "high tide." Each site has its own ideal tidal window and a sensitivity rating — highly sensitive sites are capped at orange outside their window even when everything else looks perfect.
- Swell turbidity — It even accounts for what the seabed is made of. A site with a silty bottom at shallow depth stirs up far more sediment during swell than a deep rocky reef, and takes longer to settle. That turbidity is tracked as an accumulating load per site — a big swell last Tuesday is still influencing the score today.
- Rainfall & runoff — Rainfall is weighted against each site's catchment sensitivity. An ocean headland barely registers rain; an estuary site can stay degraded for a week after a heavy event. Recovery time is modelled individually, not assumed.
Live Conditions Box
The Live Conditions box at the top of the screen provides real-time ocean intelligence for your region. It updates hourly and displays four critical metrics that determine diving conditions. At a glance, four green bars represent excellent diving conditions. It can be closed and re-opened from the settings panel (scroll on settings panel).
Understanding the Four Key Metrics
Color-Coded Status Bars
Each metric displays a colored vertical bar on the left indicating conditions at a glance:
Mix of green/yellow = Good conditions, check individual sites
Orange/red bars = Challenging conditions, experienced divers only
Trend Arrows
Look for up ↗ or down ↘ arrows next to data values. These show whether conditions are improving or deteriorating over the past few hours, helping you time your dive.
Swell Forecast
The Forecast chart gives you a visual read of incoming swell conditions for your current region — updated daily, and automatically switching to the relevant forecast as you pan around the map. It's the fastest way to see whether the next few days are worth planning a dive around.
Reading the Chart
The main chart shows swell height as colour-coded bars so you can assess conditions at a glance without reading numbers:
- Good (≤ 0.7m) — Calm swell, typically good conditions for most sites
- Moderate (0.7–1.2m) — Diveable at sheltered sites, exposed sites may be challenging
- Rough (> 1.2m) — Challenging conditions, check individual site scores before going out
Overlaid Data
Three additional data layers sit on top of and below the swell chart:
- Swell direction arrows — Overlaid directly onto the chart, showing the compass direction the swell is arriving from at each time interval. This matters — a north-east swell hits different sites completely differently to a south-east swell.
- Wave period (seconds) — Shown as a light grey line on the chart. Longer period swell (10s+) travels farther and packs more energy than short-period chop, even at the same height.
- Wind speed & direction — Displayed as a bar graph below the main chart, with direction indicators. Useful for understanding whether choppy surface conditions will compound the swell at exposed sites.
Audio Dive Forecast Brief
Below the chart you can listen to a daily dive forecast brief — a natural-language audio summary that explains the incoming conditions and what they mean for diving. It analyses swell energy, direction, period, wind, and tidal context, then gives you an actionable read on what to expect over the next 24–48 hours.
Visibility Predictions
Pelagic's Azure™ visibility prediction engine delivers site-specific hourly forecasts for every dive site — a level of granularity previously unavailable to recreational divers. Azure is a purpose-built predictive system that models the ocean as a living, dynamic environment rather than applying generic regional averages. It continuously refines itself as new diver reports are submitted, making every dive that gets logged a contribution to better predictions for everyone.
How It Works
Azure runs a layered analysis for each dive site independently, combining real-time environmental data with deep site-specific knowledge. The engine weighs a range of interconnected factors:
- Site baseline visibility — Every site has its own individually calibrated visibility baseline — because the natural clarity at Shelly Beach is simply different to that at a harbour site two kilometres away
- Seasonal modelling — Dynamic monthly adjustments for plankton cycles, algae blooms, and water temperature shifts mean the model knows that June typically means better visibility than January, and scores accordingly
- Swell energy & direction — Wave energy is evaluated against each site's specific exposure bearing, not just raw swell height. A site facing directly into a 1.5m swell scores very differently to one with a headland absorbing most of it
- Seabed & swell turbidity — It even factors in what the seafloor is made of and how deep it is. Fine silt at 8m stirs up during swell and clouds the water for days; solid rock at 20m barely registers. That post-swell turbidity is tracked and decayed independently for each site
- Rainfall & runoff — Rainfall is weighted by each site's catchment sensitivity and the model tracks how long dirty water lingers — from a quick flush at an ocean site to a week-long recovery at an estuary
- Wind & surface chop — Applied selectively; bay and harbour sites get wind-driven chop modelling while ocean sites prioritise swell energy, because wind and swell behave differently depending on where you're diving
- Tidal phase — For tide-sensitive sites, the tidal cycle directly influences water clarity as currents drive exchange with cleaner or murkier water — and the model knows which phase helps which site
- Site protection profile — The physical geography around each site determines how much of the offshore chaos actually arrives at the dive site. Two metres offshore can become 0.4m in a harbour — and the model calculates that reduction precisely
- Live diver reports — Real visibility readings submitted by divers are dynamically blended into the prediction, weighted by how closely the conditions at report time match right now — so fresh reports from similar conditions carry the most influence
Understanding the Prediction
When you view a visibility prediction, you'll see:
- Predicted visibility (meters) — Best estimate of what you'll see underwater
- Confidence level — How reliable the prediction is given current data quality
- Error band — The likely range (e.g., 8m ± 2m)
- Contributing factors — What's driving visibility up or down right now
- Trend graph — How visibility has evolved over the past 48 hours
How Sites Differ
Azure treats every site as its own environment — because no two dive sites respond to weather the same way:
- Exposed ocean sites — Take a direct hit from swell but benefit from constant water exchange; they can deteriorate fast and recover fast
- Bay & harbour sites — More sensitive to wind chop and rainfall runoff; once conditions improve they settle and clear quickly with less ongoing surge to re-suspend sediment
- Estuary & river-mouth sites — Slowest to recover after rain, with turbidity that can persist for many days depending on catchment size and flow
- Partially sheltered sites — A nuanced middle ground; swell impact depends heavily on the direction it arrives from relative to each site's specific exposure window
Smart Dive Trails™ ESSENTIAL
Smart Dive Trails guide you to the best parts of every dive site—prime reefs, swim-throughs, and marine life hotspots—before you even enter the water. Trails are color-coded by depth to help you plan your dive and manage your air consumption.
Depth Color Coding
Trail colors transition smoothly based on depth, creating a visual depth map of each dive site:
Surface Swims
Dotted aqua lines represent surface swims where it's recommended to stay at the surface to conserve air while moving to deeper or more interesting parts of a dive site. These lines help you navigate efficiently and avoid unnecessary wasting air.
Points of Interest
Star icons ⭐ mark special underwater features along trails:
- Caves and swim-throughs — Navigate safely through geological formations
- Wreck sections — Explore shipwrecks and artificial reefs
- Drop-offs and walls — Dramatic depth changes and coral walls
- Exceptional coral formations — Outstanding reef structures
- Cleaning stations — Where fish gather to be cleaned by cleaner wrasse
Tap any star to see a description of what to expect at that location.
Marine Life Hotspots
Marine life icons on trails show where specific species are frequently spotted. These are calculated from historical sighting data and indicate the best places to encounter sea turtles 🐢, sharks and rays 🦈, octopus 🐙, and unusual or rare species.
Marine Life Sightings
Track and discover marine life encounters across every dive site. Every sighting submitted by the community is geotagged, timestamped, and depth-tagged — building a living, searchable database of what's been seen, where, and when. The more the community dives and reports, the smarter the hotspot data becomes.
Viewing Sightings
Access recent sightings from the menu. You'll see:
- Species name and photo
- Dive site and depth
- When it was spotted
- Behavior notes (if provided)
Tap any sighting to fly to its location on the map. The map will zoom to the exact spot where the species was seen.
Sighting History by Membership
- Free users — Last 12–24 hours
- Essential members — Past 7 days
- Pro members — Full 90-day history
Submitting Sightings
Help build the marine life database by reporting your encounters:
- Open the Marine Life menu
- Tap "Report Sighting"
- Search for the species (autocomplete helps you find it)
- Place the marker on the map where you saw it
- Add depth, behavior notes, and upload a photo
- Submit your report
Dive Condition Reports
Real divers reporting real conditions. The dive reports feed is one of the most valuable features for making dive decisions.
Viewing Reports
Access the conditions feed from the menu to see recent dive reports including:
- Dive site name
- Visibility (meters) — What they actually saw underwater
- Water temperature
- Overall conditions rating (Good, Okay, Poor)
- Additional notes — Current strength, surge, marine life seen
- Time of dive
Report History by Membership
- Free users — Last 12–24 hours
- Essential members — Past 7 days
- Pro members — Full 90-day history to track site patterns over time
Submitting Your Report
After every dive, help the community by submitting a quick report:
- Open Dive Reports from the menu
- Tap "Submit Report"
- Select the dive site
- Enter visibility, temperature, and conditions rating
- Add any notable observations
- Submit
Search & Filters
Smart Search
Use the search bar to find dive sites, beaches, parks, and landmarks. The search autocompletes as you type and shows:
- 🤿 Dive sites — Shore and boat dive locations
- 🏖️ Beaches — Coastal areas
- 🌳 Parks — Marine parks and reserves
- 📍 Landmarks — Points of interest
The map automatically flies to your selected location at the optimal zoom level.
Search Coverage
- Free users — Search worldwide dive sites
- Premium users — Search all locations including Sydney-area beaches, parks, and detailed local spots
Map Filters
Filter visible dive sites based on your preferences (available in settings):
- Skill level — Beginner, intermediate, advanced
- Site type — Shore dive, boat dive, drift dive
- Features — Caves, wrecks, walls, reefs
- Depth range — Shallow, medium, deep
Account & Settings
Access your account by tapping Account in the menu (visible when logged in). The account panel has three tabs: Account, Billing, and Transactions.
Account Tab
Update your profile and login credentials — including your name, email address, and password. Changes take effect immediately. If you forget your password, use the login screen's "Forgot Password" link to reset it via email.
Billing Tab
The Billing tab shows your current plan, next payment date, and the card on file. From here you can:
- Update your credit card — Replace the payment method used for your subscription at any time
- Upgrade or downgrade your plan — Switch between Essential and Pro via the plan management portal. Changes take effect at your next billing cycle
- Cancel your subscription — Cancel anytime. You keep full access until the end of your current billing period — you won't be charged again after cancellation
Transactions Tab
View your full payment history with dates, amounts, and plan names. Each transaction includes a downloadable receipt — useful for expense claims or records.
Membership Plans
Pelagic offers Free, Essential, and Pro plans. For a full side-by-side feature comparison and current pricing, see the plan comparison table.
Installing as an App (PWA)
Pelagic can be installed directly to your phone's home screen as a Progressive Web App — no App Store required. When you visit Pelagic on mobile, look for the install prompt in your browser. Once installed it behaves like a native app: full-screen, fast, and accessible with a single tap from your home screen.