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Eric Griffin edited this page Jun 16, 2026 · 3 revisions

Import & Export

Bring your dives in from other apps and dive computers, and take your whole log back out in open, portable formats. In the app, this lives under Transfer.

Note

Where to find it: Open Transfer from the navigation rail. It has three sections — Import, Export, and Dive Computers. This page covers Import and Export; downloading directly from a dive computer is covered in Dive Computer.

Submersion is built so your data is never locked in. Everything you log can be exported to formats that other dive software, spreadsheets, and Google Earth can read, and dives from most popular apps and computers can be brought in.

Importing

All file imports go through a single import wizard. You point it at a file, it figures out what the file is, and it walks you through bringing the data in. Open it from Transfer → Import → File Import.

How the wizard works

The wizard is the same regardless of which format you give it. It moves through a short series of steps:

  1. Select file — Choose the file to import. Submersion inspects the file's contents (not just its extension) to detect the format and the app it came from.
  2. Confirm source — The wizard shows what it detected, for example "Subsurface (XML)" or "Shearwater Cloud database." If it guessed wrong, expand Not right? Select the correct source and pick the right one.
  3. Map fields — For CSV files only, match the columns in your file to Submersion's fields (see CSV files below). Other formats skip this step automatically.
  4. Review — See exactly what will be imported, grouped by type (dives, sites, buddies, and so on). Deselect anything you do not want, resolve any duplicates, and add tags.
  5. Import — Submersion writes the selected items into your log.
  6. Done — A summary shows what was imported, with a shortcut to view the new dives.

Tip

You can import far more than dives. A single file can also carry dive sites, trips, buddies, dive centers, equipment, certifications, courses, tags, and custom dive types — and you choose what to bring in at the Review step.

Supported import formats

Submersion reads the following formats. The wizard recognises each one automatically; you only need to override the source if detection is uncertain.

Format Typical source Notes
UDDF Most dive software (Suunto DM5, Scubapro LogTRAK, and others export it) Universal Dive Data Format — the open standard for dive-data exchange. Carries dives, profiles, sites, buddies, and more.
Subsurface XML Subsurface Subsurface's native .ssrf / XML log. A companion CSV of sample data can be added during import.
CSV Spreadsheets, and exports from many apps Comma-separated values, with column mapping. See CSV files.
Garmin FIT Garmin Descent dive computers and Garmin Connect The binary .fit activity file. Contains dive data only; non-dive activities are ignored.
Shearwater Cloud Shearwater Cloud desktop app The app's .db database file. Imports dives and their sites.
MacDive (XML) MacDive MacDive's native XML log export.
MacDive (SQLite) MacDive MacDive's SQLite database, read directly.

In addition, you can import without a file by downloading directly from a dive computer over Bluetooth or USB, or — on iOS — from Apple Watch via Apple Health. Both run through the same wizard. See Dive Computer.

Note

Some formats are recognised but not yet readable, including Diving Log XML, Suunto SML, Suunto DM5, Scubapro, and DAN DL7. If you import one of these, the wizard tells you and suggests exporting from that app as UDDF or CSV instead, which Submersion does read. Support for more native formats is planned.

CSV files with field mapping

CSV is the catch-all for spreadsheets and for apps that have no other export. Because every app lays out its columns differently, the wizard adds a Map fields step where you tell Submersion which column means what — for example, that your "Max. Depth" column is the maximum depth and "Bottom Time" is the duration.

Submersion already knows the column layouts of several common apps (including Subsurface, MacDive, Diving Log, DiveMate, Garmin Connect, Shearwater, and SSI MyDiveGuide). When it recognises one, the mapping is filled in for you and you can go straight to Review. For an unrecognised layout, map the columns yourself.

Tip

Save a mapping you have set up by hand as a preset, and the wizard reuses it automatically the next time you import a file with the same columns.

Drag-and-drop and sharing

You do not have to open the wizard first.

  • On desktop, drag a supported file anywhere onto the Submersion window. A Drop to Import overlay appears; release the file and the wizard opens with it already loaded.
  • On mobile, use your device's Share sheet from another app (or a file manager) and choose Submersion as the destination.

Either way, Submersion detects the format and jumps straight to the Confirm source step. If the file is not a type Submersion can read, it says so; if an import is already in progress, finish that one first.

Duplicate handling

Before anything is written, the wizard compares incoming data against what is already in your log and flags likely duplicates so you never import the same dive twice by accident.

  • Dives are matched first by a hidden source identifier — so re-importing the same dive from a different format (say, MacDive SQLite and later UDDF) recognises it as one dive. Failing that, dives are matched by how closely their date and time, maximum depth, and duration line up.
  • Sites match by name, or by being within about 100 metres of an existing site's coordinates.
  • Buddies, dive centers, trips, tags, and dive types match by name; equipment and certifications match by name together with their type or agency.

For each flagged dive you choose how to resolve it:

Choice What it does
Skip Leave the existing dive untouched and do not import the incoming one. This is the default for matched dives.
Import as new Add the incoming dive as a separate, brand-new entry.
Consolidate Attach the incoming data to the matched dive as an additional dive-computer reading, rather than creating a second dive.

Items that are not duplicates start out selected; clear the checkbox on anything you would rather leave out.

Import tags

At the Review step you can apply one or more tags to everything in the import, which makes a batch easy to find — or undo — later. Submersion suggests a default tag based on the file name and today's date (for example, my-log.csv Import 2026-06-15). Type to add your own tags; existing tags autocomplete, and a new name creates a new tag.

Tip

Tag a big import with something memorable before you run it. If the result is not what you expected, filtering the dive list by that tag makes the whole batch easy to review and remove.

Re-importing all dives from a computer

When you download from a dive computer, Submersion normally fetches only dives it has not seen before. If you deleted a dive by mistake, or an earlier download was interrupted, open that computer under Transfer → Dive Computers, choose Re-import all dives, and confirm. Submersion pulls every dive off the device and routes them through the same Review step, where each dive already in your log is flagged as a duplicate for you to Skip, Import as new, or Consolidate. Nothing is duplicated unless you say so. This applies to dive computers only — re-running a file or Apple Watch import already produces the full set.

Exporting

Export lives at Transfer → Export. Pick a format and Submersion offers two ways to deliver the result:

  • Share — Send it via email, messages, or any other app through your device's share sheet.
  • Save to file — Choose where to save it on your device.

Supported export formats

Format Best for What it contains
PDF logbook Printing, or sharing with non-divers A formatted logbook you can style with a template (see below).
UDDF Moving your data to other dive software The open Universal Dive Data Format. Export the dives you choose, or your entire library — dives, profiles, sites, buddies, equipment, certifications, trips, and more.
CSV Spreadsheets A comma-separated file. Choose Dives, Sites, or Equipment.
Excel workbook A single spreadsheet with everything An .xlsx workbook with four sheets: Dives, Sites, Equipment, and Statistics.
Google Earth (KML) Seeing where you have dived A .kml file that plots your dive sites on the 3D globe in Google Earth. Sites without coordinates are skipped.

Note

Exports use your current unit and date-format preferences from Settings, so depths, temperatures, pressures, and dates come out the way you read them in the app.

PDF logbook templates

Choosing PDF Logbook opens an options sheet before the export runs. You can pick:

  • Template — Simple, Detailed, Professional, PADI style, or NAUI style. Each lays the page out differently, from a compact table to a full per-dive page.
  • Page size — A4 or Letter.
  • Include certification cards — On templates that support it, append images of your certification cards.

You can also export a single dive as a PDF from its own detail page, and a trip as its own PDF logbook from the trip page.

Import & export vs. backup and sync

These three features look similar but do different jobs — keep them straight:

  • Import & export moves dives between Submersion and other software using open formats. Use it to migrate in from another app, or to hand your data to a tool Submersion does not talk to directly.
  • Backup & restore takes a complete, point-in-time snapshot of your entire database that you can restore later. Make one before a big import or a device change. See Backup & Restore.
  • Multi-device sync keeps several devices showing the same library automatically. It is not a backup. See Multi-Device Sync.

Tip

Exporting a full UDDF file is also a handy portable archive of your log — but for a true safety net that restores Submersion exactly as it was, use Backup & Restore.

See also

Getting Started

Logging Your Dives

Your Dive World

Diver & Gear

Insights & Planning

Setup & Data

Reference

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