Shearwater Tern and Tern TX

[ABay Diver]

Well this is a start at least. So far so good!

 

[Triple C]

Thanks to all who replied. Bought the Tern TX yesterday. Paired it with the Swift AI in the shop and did a 'dive' in their training pool. I haven't read the manual yet, but in the pool the psi was not on the home screen, I had to go to a second screen to see it. I'm hoping it's configurable to get psi on the home screen. Also, setting up Bluetooth is not intuitive, it's not the usual 'settings' method on my iPhone. You have to download the Shearwater app to your phone and pair Bluetooth from their app. And I agree with others that the Shearwater app, on my first tour, seems pretty paltry.

Planning on reading the manual over the next few days, then a drive trip to Cozumel in a couple of weeks. Will write more about it after that.

 

[ABay Diver]

Have the manuaul but not the computer. My take is you can customize your “home screen” to whatever you want. Hope I’m right. Let us know.

 

[ABay Diver]

Still no reviews of this thing?

 

[jrouss28]

Bought one for my wife, she used a Teric prior to the Tern TX, we have used AI for most of our time diving. The menus are simple if you have had a Teric, I can't comment vs any other Shearwater product as I have never used any others. My wife prefers the Tern for simplicity, size and weight. I was also impressed with its simplicity when I set it up for her.

Overall, the screen is a little smaller but, not much, it's lighter and thinner which is more comfortable. The default layout is perfect for a AOW diver. If the Tern was available when I purchased our Teric's I would have bought the Tern, her Teric is now a backup.


She's doesn't care about tech so, that about it.

 

[Deezer-D]

Bought one for my wife, she used a Teric prior to the Tern TX, we have used AI for most of our time diving. The menus are simple if you have had a Teric, I can't comment vs any other Shearwater product as I have never used any others. My wife prefers the Tern for simplicity, size and weight. I was also impressed with its simplicity when I set it up for her.

Overall, the screen is a little smaller but, not much, it's lighter and thinner which is more comfortable. The default layout is perfect for a AOW diver. If the Tern was available when I purchased our Teric's I would have bought the Tern, her Teric is now a backup.


She's doesn't care about tech so, that about it.

My thoughts are much the same. My daughter has used hers for 3 dives here in Malta. Easy to set up for Nitrox (including editing gasses), easy to read AI pressure, depth and NDL. All she really needs. To be honest, I have a Teric that I only plan to use for travel (I’m keeping my Perdix AI for cold water drysuit diving) and I’d happily have a Tern TX as it does everything I’d need.
No real idea on battery as I haven’t been keeping track.

 

[ABay Diver]

Thank you for your review its very helpful. But I can’t help wondering why the worlds foremost dive computer maker, who has introduced a model that makes AI, and a digital compass affordable for the masses, is getting so little coverage and reviews in the mainstream scuba media. Am I missing something?

 

[Rob9876]

Thank you for your review its very helpful. But I can’t help wondering why the worlds foremost dive computer maker, who has introduced a model that makes AI, and a digital compass affordable for the masses, is getting so little coverage and reviews in the mainstream scuba media. Am I missing something?

I'm guessing because it's too niche to generate excitement -- it's too expensive to appeal to the true diving masses (vacation divers), and too limited in functionality to appeal to technical divers. So it's really down to non-technical enthusiasts, like the folks above who already own another Shearwater, or people like me who bought a Perdix 2 in January '23 but would have been fine buying the Tern TX instead if it existed then, and similar people you'll find more represented on ScubaBoard than in general. If I lost my Perdix 2, I'd buy a Tern TX.

 

[mattfish]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a lot of press for any dive computer. There usually is something related to the announcement, and then a few reviews which are mostly just unboxing videos. And then nothing until you get do a wrap up video of the best “X” for the year.

For the Tern (and TX in particular) the only thing you really need to know is “it’s a teric without the tech features”.

 

[ABay Diver]

---

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a lot of press for any dive computer. There usually is something related to the announcement, and then a few reviews which are mostly just unboxing videos. And then nothing until you get do a wrap up video of the best “X” for the year.

For the Tern (and TX in particular) the only thing you really need to know is “it’s a teric without the tech features”.

You guys must be right. Nothing else explains it.