ocean-uhh · eleanorfrajka · Aug 18, 2026 · Aug 18, 2026
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -17,12 +17,7 @@ Python tools for processing moored oceanographic array observations from raw ins
 pip install oceanarray
 ```
 
-`seasenselib` is required for reading raw instrument files (available on PyPI but needs `--no-deps`):
-
-```bash
-pip install pyrsktools pycnv
-pip install seasenselib --no-deps
-```
+This pulls in `seasenselib` (used to read raw instrument files in stage 1) automatically.
 
 Python 3.9–3.12 is supported.
 

diff --git a/docs/source/quickstart.rst b/docs/source/quickstart.rst
@@ -20,15 +20,16 @@ write Python code.
 Prerequisites
 -------------
 
-**Python 3.10 or later** is required.  First create an isolated environment,
-then clone and install from source.
+**Python 3.10 or later** is required.  Install ``oceanarray`` from PyPI, ideally
+into an isolated environment.
 
 **Option A — conda**
 
 .. code-block:: bash
 
    conda create -n oceanarray python=3.11
    conda activate oceanarray
+   pip install oceanarray
 
 **Option B — venv**
 
@@ -37,8 +38,9 @@ then clone and install from source.
    python -m venv venv
    source venv/bin/activate        # macOS / Linux
    # venv\Scripts\activate         # Windows
+   pip install oceanarray
 
-**Clone and install** (after activating either environment):
+For development, install from source instead:
 
 .. code-block:: bash
 
@@ -47,23 +49,17 @@ then clone and install from source.
    pip install -e .
 
 ``oceanarray`` reads raw instrument files via the ``seasenselib`` library,
-which is also not on PyPI.  Install it following the instructions provided
-with your copy of the library.
+which is on PyPI and installed automatically with ``oceanarray``.
 
 .. note::
 
    Without ``seasenselib``, stage 1 processing (raw file ingestion) cannot
    run.  Stages 2–3, stack, grid, and report generation work on existing
    NetCDF files without it.
 
-If you need to process RDI WorkHorse ADCP files (``file_type: rdi-raw``),
-install the optional ``dolfyn`` dependency:
-
-.. code-block:: bash
-
-   pip install "mhkit[dolfyn]"
-
-You do not need ``dolfyn`` for SeaBird, RBR, or Nortek Aquadopp files.
+RDI WorkHorse ADCP files (``file_type: rdi-raw``) need no extra install:
+``seasenselib`` reads them via ``mhkit[dolfyn]``, pulled in automatically with
+``oceanarray``.
 
 ----
 

diff --git a/docs/source/roadmap.rst b/docs/source/roadmap.rst
@@ -127,12 +127,12 @@ Dependencies
 ============
 
 - ``scipy``: Welch PSD for spectral figures in the grid report
-- ``dolfyn`` (via ``mhkit[dolfyn]``): RDI raw ADCP file reader (``rdi-raw`` file type)
 - ``ioos_qc``: QARTOD gross-range and spike tests
 - ``gsw`` (TEOS-10): seawater property calculations
 - ``xarray`` / ``netCDF4``: core data handling
 - ``jinja2``: HTML report generation
 - ``matplotlib``: all figures
 - ``ppigrf``: IGRF magnetic declination for BEAM→ENU rotation
 - ``seasenselib``: raw instrument format readers (sbe-cnv, sbe-ascii, nortek-ascii,
-  nortek-csv, rbr-rsk, rbr-dat, rbr-hex)
+  nortek-csv, rbr-rsk, rbr-dat, rbr-hex, rdi-raw); pulls in ``mhkit[dolfyn]`` for
+  the RDI reader
diff --git a/docs/source/setup.md b/docs/source/setup.md
@@ -7,25 +7,35 @@ dependencies and is not recommended for production use.
 
 ## Install oceanarray
 
-`oceanarray` is not distributed on PyPI.  Create an isolated Python
-environment first, then clone and install from source.
+`oceanarray` is on PyPI:
 
-### Option A — conda
+```bash
+pip install oceanarray
+```
+
+This pulls in its dependencies, including `seasenselib` — the reader
+`oceanarray` uses for raw instrument files in stage 1.
+
+### In an isolated environment (recommended)
+
+#### Option A — conda
 
 ```bash
 conda create -n oceanarray python=3.11
 conda activate oceanarray
+pip install oceanarray
 ```
 
-### Option B — venv
+#### Option B — venv
 
 ```bash
 python -m venv venv
 source venv/bin/activate        # macOS / Linux
 # venv\Scripts\activate         # Windows
+pip install oceanarray
 ```
 
-### Clone and install (after activating either environment)
+### Development install (from source)
 
 ```bash
 git clone https://github.com/ocean-uhh/oceanarray
@@ -34,35 +44,22 @@ pip install -e .
 ```
 
 The `-e` flag installs in editable mode so that any local changes take effect
-immediately without reinstalling.
-
-## Install seasenselib
+immediately without reinstalling.  See [Troubleshooting](troubleshooting.rst)
+if a dependency fails to build.
 
-`oceanarray` reads raw instrument files via `seasenselib`, which is available
-on PyPI but declares version constraints on some of its dependencies
-(`pyrsktools`, `pycnv`, `pyproj`) that can conflict with the rest of the
-oceanarray environment.  Install those packages first — letting pip satisfy
-them against oceanarray's own requirements — then install `seasenselib` without
-its dependency resolver:
+## Stage 1 and seasenselib
 
-```bash
-pip install pyrsktools pycnv
-pip install seasenselib --no-deps
-```
-
-Without `seasenselib`, stage 1 processing cannot run.  Stages 2–3 and
+Stage 1 (reading raw instrument files) needs `seasenselib`, which is installed
+automatically with `oceanarray` (above).  Without `seasenselib`, stage 1
+processing cannot run.  Stages 2–3 and
 mooring-level processing (stack, grid, reports) can still run on existing
 NetCDF files.  See [Troubleshooting](troubleshooting.rst) if the install fails.
 
-## Optional: RDI ADCP support
-
-Processing RDI WorkHorse ADCP files (`file_type: rdi-raw`) requires `dolfyn`:
-
-```bash
-pip install "mhkit[dolfyn]"
-```
+## RDI ADCP support
 
-This dependency is not needed for SeaBird, RBR, or Nortek Aquadopp files.
+Processing RDI WorkHorse ADCP files (`file_type: rdi-raw`) needs no extra
+install: `seasenselib` reads them via `mhkit[dolfyn]`, which is pulled in
+automatically with `oceanarray`.
 
 ## Verify the installation
 

diff --git a/docs/source/troubleshooting.rst b/docs/source/troubleshooting.rst
@@ -13,27 +13,15 @@ It was assembled from real installation notes on macOS (Python 3.11, Homebrew).
 Installation problems
 ---------------------
 
-seasenselib dependency conflicts (pyrsktools, pycnv, pyproj)
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
-``seasenselib`` is on PyPI but declares version constraints on several packages
-(``pyrsktools``, ``pycnv``, ``pyproj``) that can conflict with the rest of the
-oceanarray environment when pip tries to resolve everything at once.
-
-The fix is to install those packages first — letting pip satisfy them against
-oceanarray's own requirements — then install ``seasenselib`` without its
-dependency resolver:
-
-.. code-block:: bash
-
-   pip install pyrsktools pycnv
-   pip install seasenselib --no-deps
+seasenselib / pyproj build failures
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
-This is safe because oceanarray already provides compatible versions of the
-packages that ``seasenselib`` needs at runtime.
+``seasenselib`` (the raw-file reader, installed automatically with
+``oceanarray``) and its dependency ``pyproj`` occasionally fail to build from
+source on some platforms or pip versions.
 
-**If pyproj still fails to install** (some pip versions fail to build it from
-source), force a pre-built binary wheel before the step above:
+**If pyproj fails to install**, force a pre-built binary wheel, then re-run the
+install:
 
 .. code-block:: bash
 
@@ -43,7 +31,7 @@ source), force a pre-built binary wheel before the step above:
        --only-binary=:all: \
        "pyproj>=3.7.0"
 
-Then re-run the ``pyrsktools``/``pycnv``/``seasenselib`` steps.
+   pip install oceanarray
 
 If all else fails, recreate the virtual environment with Python 3.11 exactly
 (``python3.11 -m venv venv``) and start from scratch.

diff --git a/docs/source/yaml_configuration.rst b/docs/source/yaml_configuration.rst
@@ -436,8 +436,7 @@ Valid ``file_type`` values
    * - ``rdi-raw``
      - RDI raw binary
      - WorkHorse ADCP
-     - Requires the ``dolfyn`` package:
-       ``pip install "mhkit[dolfyn]"``
+     - Read via ``seasenselib`` (``mhkit[dolfyn]``); no extra install needed.
    * - ``adcp-matlab``
      - ADCP MATLAB export
      - RDI WorkHorse

diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
@@ -15,14 +15,16 @@ ppigrf  # IGRF magnetic declination (used in stage3 for Nortek BEAM→ENU correc
 # QC
 ioos_qc
 
-
-# RDI ADCP reader (rdi-raw file type) requires dolfyn via mhkit
-dolfyn  # or: pip install "mhkit[dolfyn]"
+# RDI ADCP reading (rdi-raw file type) is handled by seasenselib, which pulls in
+# mhkit[dolfyn]; oceanarray does not import dolfyn directly.
 
 # Wavelet analysis (grid report temperature scalogram)
 pycwt  # Torrence & Compo 1998 CWT; Morlet and Mexican hat wavelets
 
-# seasenselib is installed separately: pip install -e seasenselib
+# Raw instrument-file readers (stage 1). On PyPI; its runtime deps resolve
+# against the stack above, so the old `--no-deps` workaround is obsolete.
+# (Local development can override with an editable checkout: pip install -e ../seasenselib.)
+seasenselib
 
 # Logsheets (oceanarray logsheet subcommand)
 jinja2>=3.0       # LaTeX template rendering