Garmin vs shearwater

[pisauron]

Shearwater was purchased recently and we will see what comes up

Wasn't that 3 years ago?

 

[Pavao]

Not true. They took away most maps in Explore, as my original comment said. If you didn't use maps you didn't notice, which is fine, but I used them and I bought the computer even though it was more expensive than a Teric or Perdix in part because I liked that the purchase included access to them.

The hardware in a Garmin isn't worth the price. My thinking and that of most Garmin owners I know personally is that Garmin is nevertheless worth buying because of the software, updates, and support. The degree to which that is still true is in question. If you were there for the mapping on Explore, it stopped being true months ago. If you expected updates and improvement in return for paying more for the hardware than you would have with a competitor, the Connect plus move is a problem for you.

Obviously I can't predict the future, but we've seen many companies walk this path -- Fitbit, Whoop, etc. It has always ended with more and more features moving behind the paywall. It's not like I'm going to trash my mk2i due to speculation, but I'm a whole lot less likely to buy another Garmin in the short term.

This thread is about Garmin versus Shearwater. One of the big advantages of the Garmin is access to Connect, Explore, Dive, and other Garmin apps. I'm pointing out that this particular advantage is in flux. Given that the two were so closely matched before, I think that means Shearwater may now be the better choice to a new purchaser.

I get what you’re saying, it’s kinda frustrating for having a company trying to milk you for unlocking features only after you pay a fee or worse, a subscription.
But to play devils advocate here, none of these features are available on Shearwaters computers, no matter how much you’d want to pay them to have it, they’re just non existent there, you don’t even have the option.

I might have said it here already, don’t remember, but I personally wouldn’t want either the Garmin or Shearwater watches (watch being key word) as my primary computer, I could buy both at a discount and bought the Garmin for its smart watch functions, fact it is also a dive computer is a bonus.
As such, I still think Garmin watches are a better overall product, Shearwater is a better dive computer.

 

[Nick_Radov]

Not true. They took away most maps in Explore, as my original comment said. If you didn't use maps you didn't notice, which is fine, but I used them and I bought the computer even though it was more expensive than a Teric or Perdix in part because I liked that the purchase included access to them.

Which maps? I have maps on my Descent Mk2 and in the Explore app. I didn't pay anything extra for those. Am I missing something?

 

[SKS22]

Which maps? I have maps on my Descent Mk2 and in the Explore app. I didn't pay anything extra for those. Am I missing something?

If you're not into particular sports that require the good stuff you probably didn't notice.

The base maps are still free. It's the proper topographics and rasters that they switched to the subscription service. Here's the link to the subscription plan in case you're curious:

Garmin Outdoor Maps+ Annual Plan

Outdoor Maps+, you have access to a variety of premium mapping content that is regularly updated and delivered directly to your compatible Garmin device.

www.garmin.com

To be clear, I did not end up subscribing, so I can't offer an opinion on whether it's a good value or whether what they claim to have is worth it. When they took my maps I went back to "Old School" googling the information I need and searching boards / you tube etc. and then plugging the coordinates manually into the base maps that we still have on the device.

When I need a real topo I've gone back to buying paper maps.

 

[brsnow]

Wasn't that 3 years ago?

Yes, but things like coverage outside of warranty time frames are changing as of late it seem based on posts here.

 

[passeparici]

Aside for the Garmin proprietary transmitter thing I can not think of anything that Teric has that is better than the Garmin.

For one thing : the screen ! Much better visibility with the Teric than any other Garmin

 

[stuartv]

Apple sold a watch with access to an app. Garmin sells a dive computer.

Apple sells a sports/fitness watch/dive computer combo. It's called the Apple Watch Ultra 2. You can use it for diving, in "gauge mode", at no extra cost. To have it function as a dive computer, you have to pay extra.

Garmin sells a sports/fitness watch/dive computer combo. It's called the Descent. Currently, you can use it as a dive computer at no extra cost.

Someone posted speculation that Garmin might someday move the dive functionality behind a paywall.

The Garmin Fenix 8 already supports scuba diving - but only a max of 40m and only using No Decompression Limits.

Who are you to say that Garmin won't decide to stop making the Descent and just make the additional diving features that it offers a "for-pay" option to the Fenix 9? Or possibly even move ALL the diving functionality behind a pay wall in the Fenix 9?

Just like Apple.

Shearwater was purchased recently and we will see what comes up

"Recently"? 3 years ago is "recent"? Regardless, yes, I agree with your sentiment on that.

Shearwater is starting to make moves that all suggest to me that they are trying to maximize their bottom line in preparation for selling the company again. And in doing so, they have definitely already done some serious damage to the customer service they used to provide in the U.S.. I believe the people/company that bought Shearwater and owns it now are venture capitalists, and I reckon that is what venture capitalists do. Buy companies for the purpose of "making them more valuable" and then sell them for (relatively) short term gains.

Sad times.

For one thing : the screen ! Much better visibility with the Teric than any other Garmin

Also:

- the floating compass on the Teric. It absolutely rocks for navigation.

- the AI transmitter for the Teric doesn't make any noise. Some people do not enjoy the noise they can hear from their Garmin transmitter.

- the AI transmitter for the Teric can be verified to be working before getting in the water. I.e. if it is working when you're still on the boat, then you can expect that it will still be working in the water. In contrast, the Garmin transmitter uses RF on the boat and ultrasonic in the water. So, you cannot tell if it will work after you get in the water any other way than to actually get in the water with it and see if it works.

- you can export dives from the log on the Teric directly into the 3rd party dive log software of your choice. If you want to use, for example, Subsurface (a free dive log) with your Garmin, you have to download the dives to Garmin first, then export them, THEN import them into Subsurface. Because Garmin declined to cooperate with the Subsurface team and facilitate the ability for Subsurface to download directly from the Descent. I download directly from any of my Shearwater computers, via Bluetooth, directly into Subsurface. Often, during the boat ride back to the dock.

I prefer to use Subsurface over any manufacturer's proprietary dive log because, for one thing, I have used many different computers and expect to use more in the future and I want to have ONE dive log that contains ALL my dives, from all the different computers I have used. Subsurface gives me that. And two, I do not want all my dive log data stored by some company who could lose it or just choose to turn that service off or choose to start charging money for it, and me be left with no practical recourse and also no log of all my dives.

 

[BoltSnap]

Shearwater is starting to make moves that all suggest to me that they are trying to maximize their bottom line in preparation for selling the company again. And in doing so, they have definitely already done some serious damage to the customer service they used to provide in the U.S.

How? What?

 

[brsnow]

Apple sells a sports/fitness watch/dive computer combo. It's called the Apple Watch Ultra 2. You can use it for diving, in "gauge mode", at no extra cost. To have it function as a dive computer, you have to pay extra.

Garmin sells a sports/fitness watch/dive computer combo. It's called the Descent. Currently, you can use it as a dive computer at no extra cost.

Someone posted speculation that Garmin might someday move the dive functionality behind a paywall.

The Garmin Fenix 8 already supports scuba diving - but only a max of 40m and only using No Decompression Limits.

Who are you to say that Garmin won't decide to stop making the Descent and just make the additional diving features that it offers a "for-pay" option to the Fenix 9? Or possibly even move ALL the diving functionality behind a pay wall in the Fenix 9?

Just like Apple.



"Recently"? 3 years ago is "recent"? Regardless, yes, I agree with your sentiment on that.

Shearwater is starting to make moves that all suggest to me that they are trying to maximize their bottom line in preparation for selling the company again. And in doing so, they have definitely already done some serious damage to the customer service they used to provide in the U.S.. I believe the people/company that bought Shearwater and owns it now are venture capitalists, and I reckon that is what venture capitalists do. Buy companies for the purpose of "making them more valuable" and then sell them for (relatively) short term gains.

Sad times.



Also:

- the floating compass on the Teric. It absolutely rocks for navigation.

- the AI transmitter for the Teric doesn't make any noise. Some people do not enjoy the noise they can hear from their Garmin transmitter.

- the AI transmitter for the Teric can be verified to be working before getting in the water. I.e. if it is working when you're still on the boat, then you can expect that it will still be working in the water. In contrast, the Garmin transmitter uses RF on the boat and ultrasonic in the water. So, you cannot tell if it will work after you get in the water any other way than to actually get in the water with it and see if it works.

- you can export dives from the log on the Teric directly into the 3rd party dive log software of your choice. If you want to use, for example, Subsurface (a free dive log) with your Garmin, you have to download the dives to Garmin first, then export them, THEN import them into Subsurface. Because Garmin declined to cooperate with the Subsurface team and facilitate the ability for Subsurface to download directly from the Descent. I download directly from any of my Shearwater computers, via Bluetooth, directly into Subsurface. Often, during the boat ride back to the dock.

I prefer to use Subsurface over any manufacturer's proprietary dive log because, for one thing, I have used many different computers and expect to use more in the future and I want to have ONE dive log that contains ALL my dives, from all the different computers I have used. Subsurface gives me that. And two, I do not want all my dive log data stored by some company who could lose it or just choose to turn that service off or choose to start charging money for it, and me be left with no practical recourse and also no log of all my dives.

Apple sells a watch the you can purchase a 3rd party app to dive with. Garmin sells a dive computer that can also be used for other items. It is not the same. I own and use items from all 3. I think long term, Garmin might be best bet in scuba.

 

[scrane]

When I bought the Descent Mk1 I was doubtful about the functionality and reliability of a reworked sports watch. But it has held up for years, the battery life is better than good, depth dependent parameters still match my Perdix exactly, and it's never missed a beat. It has by far exceeded my expectations. It comes with me on every dive as a backup.