Love me some Shearwater...but Cloud sucks

[Motoman4540]

I've now used the Shearwater Teric and Cloud for about 50 dives. Although I think that the Cloud app can certainly be improved, I have gotten used to it and it is not really all that bad and is very usable. I previously used DiverLog, which I thought was good, but my Oceanic's ability to connect with the app over USB was inconsistent. I like the layout of Diverlog and wish that Shearwater Cloud basically set up like that. The Teric is flawless in terms of connecting over bluetooth. A few things that could be improved:

1. The space where you write about your dive could be bigger and scroll as you type (right now, you have to manually scroll down to see what you are typing once the area displayed is filled.
2. The equipment that you are using should be entered in preferences, unless you change your gear.
3. It would be nice to have a place to put photos, either of the dive briefing or interesting critters, and maybe a place to put a video.
4. A way to delete a single dive. My Teric was set by default at 1 min end of dive, so a few times that I surfaced on shallow dives or on a night dive to get my bearings in bad viz, it showed as two separate dives (making me look more experienced than I am, LOL!)

If you are a diehard DiverLog fan, all is not lost. Although I haven't tried this, you can export the dives from Shearwater Cloud in a format recognized by DiverLog, and then import the dives into DiverLog. In theory, it should work. But I am satisfied with Shearwater Cloud and sticking with it now.

 

[broncobowsher]

I have to agree. The computers are great. The desktop app works good.
But the cloud looks and feels like someone from marketing decided that is where the future is at and pushed it through not knowing what they are doing and are convinced it is the right thing even though all the customers are telling them it is all wrong. It's hard to believe that this is the same company that makes the worlds greatest computers.

 

[EdC]

Subsurface?

This.

 

[Marie13]

I only keep the Cloud app on my iPhone for software updates. I’ve been using MacDive since I started diving and was using a Geo 2.0. I’ve kept using it. Like it better, especially since I can backup dives to iCloud.

 

[FlyinV]

I am not sure why the cloud couldn't just have been hooked up to the desktop app.
I find the desktop app works better for me but I know they will keep improving the cloud version and get it caught up.

I just wish the cloud version had an option so it wasn't a dark color.

 

[sea_ledford]

Thanks sea_ledford. I'm sorry to hear about that. It definitely sounds like an issue with multiple monitors. We'll look at the issue on our side and see if we can come up with a fix for our next update.

I just updated to the new version (2.5.3) after uninstalling my current version, and it is mostly the same. The only change seems to be that at least the minimize and quit buttons don't disappear when I went to full screen.

In the process I also found I still have Desktop installed! Yea! Then I remembered that I can't connect to the Teric from Desktop. Boooo

Am I really the only one this is happening to? I assume someone will be at the AAUS symposium this year? If so I'll swing by and show off my "unique interface".

-Chris

 

[Fathom044]

I guess I’m in the minority but I really like the iCloud. But, I really don’t care about logbook functions. It does what I need it to do.

 

[rddvet]

Cloud is absolutely shearwater’s biggest blunder. I like desktop. I won’t use cloud. It sucks. I bought a teric and was very sad to hear it only worked with cloud. So my solution, I never log my teric dives. I only download my petrel to desktop. Hopefully shearwater will hear the consensus and either make the teric work with desktop or make cloud actually good. I’m a huge shesrwater proponent and have only the best thing to say about them. Except for cloud. RIP cloud

 

[cmcdarris]

I just ordered a Perdix AI through my local dive shop. It is being shipped as I write this. Quick question - I HATE the Cloud and NEVER use any cloud features on any application. I refuse to put any of my information on a 3rd party computer. Will I be able to use my Perdix and it’s desktop computer program without the Cloud?

 

[broncobowsher]

I just ordered a Perdix AI through my local dive shop. It is being shipped as I write this. Quick question - I HATE the Cloud and NEVER use any cloud features on any application. I refuse to put any of my information on a 3rd party computer. Will I be able to use my Perdix and it’s desktop computer program without the Cloud?

As long as you can still download the desktop program, yes.
Even the cloud program holds your dives on the program unless you sync it to the cloud. And when you sync it to the cloud, any discrepencies will result on one of the versions over writing the other. There doesn't appear to be any master copy, just a copy of a copy of a copy with one overwriting the other.
But the Desktop is still good to use.

I have the same issue with GoPro that a few years back decided that every video you take you must want to be published right away without your consent (or very little consent). This resulted in a lot of people leaving GoPro and the newest, crappiest version of there software.