How to run a dive club quiz night
In short
A dive club quiz night needs one iPhone with Octo Pro, a TV and up to four teams. The Mega Quiz picks 10, 20 or 30 of its 300 questions, Open Water to Divemaster plus marine life, dive sites and diving history. Add the 30-second timer and TV mode, mirror with AirPlay, and the app keeps score.
Friday night in the club room: last month’s Open Water class and the instructors split into four teams, one question on the TV and 30 seconds to agree on an answer. A quiz night gets a whole club talking theory, new divers included. This guide covers what you need, how to set up the Mega Quiz and which format suits your group.
What do you need for a dive club quiz night?
You need one iPhone, one screen, a host and some teams. The players don’t need the app.
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| An iPhone with Octo Pro | Runs the Mega Quiz. Octo needs iOS 26 or later; Octo Pro is a one-time purchase ($6.99 in the US), with no subscription |
| A TV with AirPlay | An Apple TV or an AirPlay-compatible smart TV, on the same Wi-Fi network as the iPhone |
| A host | Reads the questions, reveals the answer and ticks the teams that got it right |
| 1 to 4 teams | For a big club, make four bigger teams |
| A/B/C/D cards (optional) | Each team shows its answer before the reveal |
| A whiteboard (optional) | Keeps a running total over several games |
How do you set up the Mega Quiz?
You set it up in the Mega Quiz tab, ideally before your guests arrive.
- Name your teams. Tap Add a Team for up to four, then type your names or keep the suggested ones.
- Choose the number of questions: 10, 20 or 30.
- Pick the levels: Open Water, Advanced, Rescue, Divemaster and Culture (marine life, dive sites and diving history). The app shows how many questions your choice leaves.
- Turn on the 30-second timer per question for a brisk pace.
- Turn on TV Mode for an extra-large question and answers.
- Mirror your iPhone to the TV: open Control Center, tap Screen Mirroring and choose the TV. If a passcode appears on the TV, enter it on the iPhone.
- Tap Start Game.
How does a round work?
Each question follows the same five steps, run by the host.
- The question appears with its answers. If the timer is on, it counts down from 30 seconds.
- Teams discuss quietly, then hold up their answer card.
- The host taps Show Answer. The right answer lights up with its explanation. Read the explanation aloud so every team hears why.
- Under “Who got it right?”, tick every team that answered correctly. Each ticked team scores a point.
- Tap Next Question. After the last one, See Scoreboard shows the podium.
With a single team, players tap the answers right on the screen and the app checks them.
Which format suits your club?
Match the levels to who’s in the room. Each game has its own scoreboard, so total several games on the whiteboard.
| Format | Settings | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | 10 questions, Culture only, no timer | Before a club meeting |
| New divers’ night | 10 or 20 questions, Open Water only | Students who just certified |
| Classic evening | Three games of 20 questions, all levels, timer on | A full night out |
| Pro night | 30 questions, Rescue and Divemaster, timer on | Divemaster candidates and staff |
| Mixed teams | All levels, each team mixing new and experienced divers | Clubs with every level |
With the timer on, a 20-question game gives teams 10 minutes of answer time; explanations add more, so time one test game beforehand.
What kind of questions come up?
Each game draws its questions at random from the levels you pick, with a mix of easy, medium and hard ones. Theory questions cover the same topics as Octo’s four levels; Culture questions add marine life, dive sites and diving history. This question from Octo’s Open Water lessons works well on a quiz night:
Try a question from the app
seeing underwater
Through your mask, how does a fish look compared with reality?
Show the answer
Answer B. Light bends as it passes from water into the air of your mask, so objects look bigger and closer. Divers’ fish stories start here.
When a question sparks a debate, let your club’s instructor settle it: training and local practice come first. For a round on misconceptions, see dive theory myths.
Is the Mega Quiz free?
No. The Mega Quiz comes with Octo Pro, a one-time purchase ($6.99 in the US) with no subscription, which also removes the ads. The rest of Octo is free: 62 lessons, 372 quiz questions, spaced reviews and a practice exam for each level, with a banner ad that never appears during a question. Details in how Octo works.
Frequently asked questions
Does every player need the Octo app?
No. The game runs on the host’s iPhone: teams talk it over, then the host reveals the answer and ticks the teams that got it right. Only that iPhone needs Octo Pro. Members who want to keep studying can download Octo for free and start with the practice questions.
Can more than four teams play?
The Mega Quiz handles 1 to 4 teams. With a big group, make four larger teams, each mixing new and experienced divers so no team runs away with the score.
What if the club TV doesn’t support AirPlay?
Apple’s screen mirroring works with an Apple TV or an AirPlay-compatible smart TV on the same Wi-Fi network as the iPhone. Without one, keep the group small enough to gather around the iPhone, with TV Mode’s extra-large text.
Do questions repeat from one game to the next?
Each game draws a new random set from the levels you pick, so a question can come back in a later game on the same night. To limit repeats, change the levels between games: Culture first, for example, then Open Water and Advanced.
Can I run the Mega Quiz on an iPad or an Android phone?
No. Octo is an iPhone app for iOS 26 or later, in English and French, so the host needs an iPhone. The players don’t need any device: they only need to see the screen and agree on an answer.
