D5 or Teric - convince me

[Diving Dubai]

While the Teric has a lovely screen I am not sure this is really true. The D5 and Garmin both have transflective screens. These work both by having a backlight and by altering the colour of light that falls of the display. This means that they are still good in bright sunlight. Not as pretty as a pure backlit screen in a dark room or a bright backlit screen in shade, but effective.

While Shearwater have done a great job selling the Teric I am not a fan. I prefer the format of my Perdix. If I wanted to spend the money on a ‘watch’ I’d want it to measure my bicycle rides, count my steps and so forth. Shearwater will never be able to compete with Garmin doing that.

Here the D5 is half the price of a Teric. It does everything anyone could want from a dive computer except Helium and CCR. If it did Helium I would be slightly tempted to buy one as a OC backup but really I’d rather blow that money on the Garmin. Since I don’t REALLY need either I will wait until totally overtaken by the need for a new toy,

I know I am a broken record, but unless your name is Stuart a particular dive computer does not bring bliss to your dives. They are all pretty much equivalent, especially so for newer divers.

Obviously living in the Middle East, I'm very aware of bright sunlight and screens. But because my experiences are in an extreme climate I tend not to focus on them because for most people they're not applicable.

When I first inspected the D5 and Teric side by side on dry land, I was disappointed by the clarity of the D5, but then I'm used to the Eon steel and it was much brighter than most divers would experience. The Teric (on the surface) was certainly clearer to read in my opinion

Thant said my Perdix is very disappointing underwater in teh shallows, because the screen is highly reflective. It requires a conscious effort to turn your wrist to get the optimum viewing angle, where as my Eon is easy to glance at.

I also prefer having graphics rather than numbers as the primary display. Much like when you glance at your car's instruments you normally take in the position of the needle rather than the actual number. Unless I'm re planning under water I don't care what the precise pressure reading is, rather am I at full, half or getting close to quarter remaining.

Like you I'm not a watch format guy, I'm also very ambivalent on the Perdix, sure it's capable but especially here (on SB) it's over hyped to a certain extent. As long as a computer could gas switch between a couple of mixes, I could make any dive I do on it. Would it be a satisfying user experience - probably not especially if I got frustrated trying to figure out a different menu system, But from a practical stand point if it was a choice between dive or not, it wouldn't be an issue nor limitation

I agree wholeheartedly about the price difference, indeed I've chuckled many times when people have used the buy once cry once example, except when Shearwater bring out a new product then its a rush to upgrade. Their money their choice of course. I brought the Perdix on a whim because I wanted to see what the fuss was about, not because I needed it nor because it gave me any additional functionality

Unless one computer dies, or something game changing (rather than nice to have) comes out, I don't foresee me needing to change out - perhaps when we finally get the Eon Steel upgrade, if I think its worthwhile I might buy another and use my Perdix as a spare. Who knows

 

[dbernard01]

Are you sure about that?

This is what the A2 manual says about F02. Looks like no hypoxic capabilities to me.

View attachment 583736


Edit: NM, they have the hypoxic buried elsewhere, but only as a side note.

View attachment 583737

No hijacking Saxman!

 

[Divedoggie]

I sell both at our store. We have had great luck with Suunto. They are reliable, tough, and internationally very popular. With that said, however, I dive with Shearwater computers, as does most of our staff! The Teric is incredible. Bright, bold and sexy.
The Perdix is a tough and reliable workhorse. It's flexibility, readability, long lasting and easy to change battery, and the outstanding digital compass make it my favorite.

 

[scubadada]

I'm pretty sure I could dive a Suunto D5 at conservative factor P-2, along with my Oceanic computer running DSAT or my Teric running a GF high of 95, but why would I want to?

 

[dbernard01]

I sell both at our store. We have had great luck with Suunto. They are reliable, tough, and internationally very popular. With that said, however, I dive with Shearwater computers, as does most of our staff! The Teric is incredible. Bright, bold and sexy.
The Perdix is a tough and reliable workhorse. It's flexibility, readability, long lasting and easy to change battery, and the outstanding digital compass make it my favorite.

Currently leaning towards the Teric. Its really the display and the four button layout that have my attention. Since whichever I chose, I will need a new transmitter the playing field is almost level. Teric with transmitter lists for $1445 and the all black D5 with transmitter comes to $1369. No real $$ difference IMO. The Teric has a ton of features that I'll never use as most resorts and the liveaboards that I use frown on deco/tech dives and I have no interest in taking on the expense of a CC/BO system and I've never even been around tri-mix.

Since you own a Teric and you're also a Suunto dealer, I'm currently using a D4i. Is the Teric so large that it's awkward to wear as a watch all week at say a Sandals type of resort? If that's the case, it could make more sense to look at the Perdix or Eon. The upside of those would that I couldn't blame the NEXT computer purchase on a small display.

I feel incredibly fortunate that this is my biggest dilemma during the lockdown!

 

[saxman242]

Is the Teric so large that it's awkward to wear as a watch all week at say a Sandals type of resort?

No, it's fine size wise for that, as long as you don't have an aversion to larger/chunky watches.

 

[saxman242]

It's definitely overkill for any type of diving you'll ever do at a sandals though.

 

[dbernard01]

No, it's fine size wise for that, as long as you don't have an aversion to larger/chunky watches.

Daily driver is a Rolex Sub and I think the Teric is a bit bigger but it's not like it will be going under dress shirt cuffs.

 

[dbernard01]

No, it's fine size wise for that, as long as you don't have an aversion to larger/chunky watches.

Anything bigger than a pony bottle is usually good enough for Sandals diving!

We were at their resort in Exuma last May and we were limited to 40ft/30 minutes! I've gotten lucky a few times in Negril and Ochoas Rios where I was the only guest showing up for the first dive. Sandal's fuels may have been broken.

 

[LiteWeight]

OK, I'll throw my hat in the ring. I started with a Suunto, loved my Cobra3 on an HP hose clipped off under my arm to left chest D-ring. That is the best way to do it if you're spearfishing then you don't have a wrist computer in some snapper's gill plates or tangled in line with a floating gun while you're trying to put them on a stringer.

Then met a co-worker who had a D9 and needed battery change. He had to send it in, and took so long he bought a Shearwater with me as we were both going to take cave course and he needed a computer.

Long story short, I progressed to diving trimix and rebreathers with Petrel, Perdix, and Teric (2011 plus).

It has been 2 years now since I've been deep, and same since I've been on a rebreather. I have retired the trimix reg sets, rebreather, bailout bottles and such. But I still have a Perdix and Perdix AI.

Then i bought a Teric. I love to wear it on a liveaboard and in Bonaire as a daily watch/computer. But I always have my Perdix AI, and won't get rid of it. It takes AA batteries which I can find worldwide. If I'm diving a liveaboard, the Perdix AI is clipped off in my pocket shorts and I run off my Teric on my wrist.

When I run my scooter in Bonaire I have my Perdix AI on an EPDM stage band and I can see it from where I run it from. I rarely look at the Teric.

TLDR: Perdix AI - AA batteries, bigger screen for aging eyes, smaller than the Petrel! Hey look if you have a girlfriend with a camera system you will always have AA batteries because she uses those in her strobes.