SeaLog
Garmin
How to import dives from a Garmin Descent Mk1
The Garmin Descent Mk1 transfers over usb 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 Garmin Descent Mk1
- Connect the Garmin Descent Mk1 to a Mac or PC
Use the usb cable made for the Garmin Descent Mk1, 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 None. Native USB, no USB-serial bridge. The Descent Mk1 enumerates as a USB mass-storage volume (FIT files under GARMIN/Activity); the Descent Mk2 and every later model enumerate as an MTP device. Garmin publishes no CP210x/FTDI/Prolific-style driver for these, because none is needed for Garmin's own software.. - Put the computer into PC mode
Switch the Garmin Descent Mk1 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 Garmin Dive and Garmin Connect or Subsurface. 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 Descent Mk1
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.
Garmin’s own software and drivers
Fully alive and actively developed. Garmin ships current firmware, a maintained Garmin Dive phone app, the Garmin Connect web platform, and a Garmin Express desktop client, and released new Descent hardware (X30) as recently as September 2025.
- Desktop softwareGarmin Dive app (official product and download page)The primary route off every Descent: pulls dive logs over Bluetooth and can export any single dive as a FIT file.Win + Mac
- Official guideSetting Up Garmin Express (Descent Mk1 owner's manual topic)Model-specific cable setup steps for the one Descent that mounts as plain USB storage.Win + Mac
- Official guideGarmin Dive App (Descent Mk1 owner's manual topic)Confirms the original 2017 Descent is still served by the modern Dive app rather than being orphaned.
- Mobile appGarmin Dive on the App StoreRequires iOS 17.0 or later.iOS
- Mobile appGarmin Dive on Google PlayRequires Android 9.0 or later with native Play Store; Android Go edition devices are unsupported.Android
- FirmwareInstalling the Latest Software On the Descent Mk1Firmware update path for the first-generation model.Win + Mac
- ManualDescent Mk1 Owner's Manual (PDF)Official PDF for Garmin's first dive computer.
- SupportDescent Mk1 product support hubPer-product hub with manuals, software and topic tabs for the oldest model in the catalogue.
Every link goes to Garmin’s own site and was checked before publishing. If one has rotted since, tell us and we will fix it.
Garmin Descent Mk1: common questions
Can I connect the Garmin Descent Mk1 to my iPhone directly?
No, and no app can change that. The Garmin Descent Mk1 transfers over usb 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 Garmin 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.