Built by divers. Inspired by the ocean.
We're Drew and Georg, the people behind Diveology.
Drew was born in England and Georg comes from Austria. We both made Australia home around twenty years ago, and diving has become an important part of our lives.
We arrived at it in very different ways. Georg learned to dive in Austria's lakes, before exploring the waters of Egypt, the Americas, the Pacific Islands and Australia. He also studied marine biology, adding another perspective to our shared fascination with life beneath the surface.
Drew's introduction involved a fear of water, a very cold winter's day and an unexpectedly hostile albatross.
Drew's story: an unlikely beginning
I discovered diving during the COVID pandemic. Until then, I had a phobia of water, not the most obvious starting point for a diver.
But the pandemic was a reminder of how precious, and sometimes fleeting, life can be. I didn't want fear to keep deciding which experiences I could have. So I signed up to learn.
My first experience in the water was memorable for almost all the wrong reasons. The pools were closed, it was winter, and the water was a brisk 16°C. My buddy panicked, and when we surfaced, I was attacked by a giant albatross.
The ocean was making quite a first impression.
At that point, I genuinely thought I might never get back in. Then my instructor took me down again, just the two of us. He looked me straight in the eyes and helped me match my breathing to his.
Within minutes, everything changed.
For the first time, I felt the extraordinary calm of being underwater. I stopped focusing on my fear and started looking around: grey nurse sharks, groupers and rays, moving through beautifully clear water.
I was hooked.
From diving to Diveology
Once Drew gets interested in something, he tends to go all in. Diving was no exception.
As a data person, he wanted to understand his dives as well as remember them: how his breathing was changing, how his diving was improving, and what the profiles and numbers could tell him.
The tools he was using didn't bring together the logging, insight and ease of use he wanted. Rather than keep wishing for something different, he began building it.
That became Diveology.
The idea grew beyond keeping a record of depth and time. We wanted to connect the different parts of diving: the places you visit, the people you dive with, the equipment you use, the marine life around you and the experiences you learn from.
Why the ocean matters to us
Our concern for the ocean comes from spending time in it.
We've witnessed repeated coral bleaching events and seen the changes affecting reefs we care about. Climate change feels very real when you return to a place you love and see how much it has changed.
We've also seen how quickly a favourite dive site can be transformed. Cyclone Alfred damaged sections of the ex-HMAS Brisbane, one of our favourite places to dive.
These experiences have strengthened our desire to contribute something useful. Georg's background in marine biology and Drew's interest in technology and data helped shape Ocean Survey: a way for divers to share observations with researchers studying participating sites.
Divers spend time in places that researchers cannot visit every day. We want to help make those observations useful to the people working to understand and care for the ocean.
Supported by members. Useful to the diving community.
Diveology's member subscriptions support the app's ongoing development and help fund free services for dive centres, instructors, divemasters and marine researchers.
Our aim is practical: make it easier to record and understand your diving, connect with the people you share it with, and support the people teaching, guiding and researching in the ocean.
Diveology began with our own experiences and frustrations. We're building it to be useful to other divers, too.