How I Made It

Currents is an app I built during the summer when I didn’t get accepted into any research or industry internships. Since I was bored, I was like, screw it. Let’s build something cool. I realized that most dive logging apps lacked good UX because they weren’t fun or intuitive to use.

One of the main challenges in marketing Currents is the competition: Subsurface. Many older divers are understandably hesitant to try new apps. I don’t blame them. There have been plenty of attempts before mine, but most of them weren’t serious or well-supported. So I tried a few things: cold DMs on Facebook, Instagram UGC, and basic ASO methods. The result has been great so far, but I came to the conclusion that organic reach doesn't convert that much. For social apps to work, you need things like viral trends, referrals, and word-of-mouth. For Currents to work, it could have been all three, but I've realized I don't have much time for it. The market size for dive log apps is super small, so I don't see it's worth putting too much effort into the app. Regardless, Currents has been my go-to app, as it's what I need when it comes to diving.

Even apps from big manufacturers and agencies like Garmin, Suunto, PADI, and SSI tend to lock user data into their platforms, which adds to the problem. This project has taught me a lot about doing things properly, from design and development to marketing and user experience. Along the way, I partnered with a bunch of great organizations (and hopefully more in the future!) to help make dive logging fun and easy: Suunto, Garmin, DAN, and Dive Assure, to name a few.

I'll keep maintaining this app for as long as I can, given that I plan to upgrade my diving skills to technical diving :)