SeaLogDiveSystem
How to import dives from a DiveSystem Orca
The DiveSystem Orca transfers over serial cable only. iOS does not expose that kind of connection to apps, so the dives come across once through a Mac or PC, then live on your phone forever.
Transfer the dives off the DiveSystem Orca
- Install the driver for the cable
The serial cable is a USB-to-serial adapter, and its chipset needs a driver before any software can see the DiveSystem Orca. Install the FTDI driver, then reboot. Skip this and the desktop app will report no device on a cable that is working perfectly.
USB driver bundle for the DiveSystem cable
These cables are USB-to-serial. Without the FTDI driver the port never appears, and the software reports no device. - Connect the DiveSystem Orca to a Mac or PC
Use the serial cable made for the DiveSystem Orca, not a generic charging cable: the data pins differ. Check the o-ring is seated, line the connector up with the notch on the case, and turn it to lock. An iPhone or iPad cannot open this kind of connection at all, so this step has to happen on a computer.
The o-ring must be in place, the nub lines up with the notch, then the head turns a quarter turn to lock. This cable is FTDI. - Put the computer into PC mode
Switch the DiveSystem Orca into its PC or upload mode before you launch the software, not after. Most desktop apps only look for the unit at startup, so a computer that wakes up late is a computer the software never finds.
Most units only hold this mode for a minute or two, so do it last, right before you connect. - Download the dives with desktop software
Read the computer with Subsurface, or your manufacturer's own desktop software. Subsurface is free, open source, runs on macOS, Windows and Linux, and supports this model.
- Export the dives as UDDF
Export the whole logbook to a UDDF file. UDDF is the open dive-log exchange format and keeps the full depth profile, not just the summary numbers.
Export the whole logbook, not the visible page. UDDF keeps the sample-by-sample depth profile, which a summary CSV does not. - Import the file into SeaLog
Get the file to your phone. AirDrop, iCloud Drive or email all work, anything that lands it in the iOS Files app. Then in SeaLog tap the plus button, Import dives, UDDF file, and pick it. Every dive arrives with its profile, and duplicates are skipped.
A dive log app for the Orca
Once the dives are in, SeaLog treats them like its own: a scrubbable depth profile, the site pinned on a map, water temperature, gas and tank, buddies, and the photos from your camera roll matched to the minutes you were underwater. Tag the animals you saw and they go into your species life list. It works offline on the boat and syncs when you are back, and your whole logbook exports to UDDF, CSV or PDF whenever you ask, so nothing is locked in here either.
DiveSystem’s own software and drivers
Alive, but the dive-computer half of the brand now lives at sister company Ratio Computers, whose support site still hosts current Windows and macOS DiveLogger builds for both DiveSystem- and Ratio-branded units.
- ManualORCA dive computer user manual, English v1.06
- DriverUSB driver bundle for the DiveSystem cableContents are stock FTDI VCP driver files.Windows
- DriverUSB driver bundle for the Ratio/iX3M cableWindows
- SupportRatio Computers Support Center (covers DiveSystem-branded iDive and iX3M)The real hub for DiveSystem computer software; divesystem.com itself carries none.Win + Mac
- SupportDiveSystem's own support pageSuits, BCDs and regulators only; no computer documentation lives here.
- SupportSubsurface list of supported DiveSystem and Ratio modelsFallback if the vendor app refuses to see the unit.Win + Mac
Every link goes to DiveSystem’s own site and was checked before publishing. If one has rotted since, tell us and we will fix it.
DiveSystem Orca: common questions
Can I connect the DiveSystem Orca to my iPhone directly?
No, and no app can change that. The DiveSystem Orca transfers over serial cable only, a connection iOS does not expose to apps. Anyone promising a direct wireless download from this model is describing a different computer. The one-time cable route above gets every dive across.
Which cable and drivers do I need on a Mac?
Use the DiveSystem interface cable made for this model, not a generic charging cable: the data pins differ. Most of these cables are USB-to-serial and need the driver for their chipset on macOS, usually Silicon Labs CP210x or FTDI. Install the driver, reboot, and the port appears to the desktop software.
Do I have to do this every time I dive?
Only if you want the new dives in digitally. Many divers do the cable run once to rescue their history, then log new dives directly in SeaLog on the boat, which takes about as long as filling in a paper page.