Perdix AI v Teric v Garmin MK3i - Advice

[L13]

In spite of the screen being smaller, the Teric is more readable for old eyes than the Perdix.

The Teric is not that great as an everyday smart watch.

The Garmin Mk2 is not quite as readable under water as the Teric but is far superior on land / in sunlight. The Mk3 should make up all (or most of) that difference under water (but I haven't seen it myself).

Unless you intend to replace your Apple AWU with the Garmin as your everyday watch, most of the Garmin's advantages are not worth it VS the Teric. Unless you are diving with several others that have the Mk3 (making the messaging feature worth something), in which case the Mk3 might still be worth it to you even if you don't replace the AWU.

In summary, best options:

• 1) Teric + AWU (if you have to have an AW anyway)
• 2) Garmin Mk3 (if you don't mind replacing the AWU with an awesome but different watch)
• 3) What you have (90% solution without spending money)

 

[Belzelbub]

Bit of a thinking out loud post and looking for opinions/advice.
At present I have a Perdix AI with Aqualung transmitter. I’m a recreational diver and as I’m in my 50s and a new diver, I can’t see myself ever going down the tec route (I know the Perdix is overkill for Rec but I wanted AI).

The Teric is also overkill for rec diving. The MK3i is as well. Tern TX would probably be a bit less overkill.

Unless you plan on getting rid of the AWU, the Garmin would only really offer GPS over the Shearwaters. So, if you plan to keep the AWU as a daily watch, then I’d probably look at the Shearwaters.

 

[Deezer-D]

Thanks for the responses to date, much appreciated.
I’ll try to cover the questions raised in on post instead of multiple quotes.

Tern TX would be for my daughter to replace her Perdix AI as she’s tiny and would prefer a watch form factor. It would be perfect for her needs and she already has a transmitter. There wouldn’t be much cost to sell her Perdix AI and buy a Tern TX.
I think it might be a bit small for me from a readability point but as I haven’t seen one I’m just making an assumption here. Functionally, it would be perfect for me though.

I’d like a watch shape computer with AI. I was leaning towards the Teric as it’s bigger than the Tern TX. I’m aware it’s as much overkill as the Perdix for rec diving. I’m used to having AI now so don’t want to lose that.
I don’t use my AWU for diving as I don’t want to pay for the app and there’s no AI. I do like having a smart watch though and use it for Apple Pay which the Garmin doesn’t have.
I think the Garmin is probably a non-starter as it’s expensive to swap to a new ecosystem - cost would go a long way towards lazer eye surgery Hard for my man maths to justify.

I think I may try to pick up a used Teric and see how I get on. I can always sell it on again and hopefully at minimal cost. I’m going to pre order the Term TX for my daughter so I can at least try it and see if it meets my needs.

I don’t have any issues with my Perdix, maybe just fancy trying something else. Sticking with what I have, that does everything I need, is certainly the easiest and no cost option.

 

[brsnow]

Screens of Teric and perdix 2 I posted in another thread

 

[CaptainMattO]

I personally love my Garmin Mki2. Just took it on my first liveaboard and well it worked flawlessly. I have the transmitter and I would buddy up with 2 others with the same computer and we all could monitor each others air. 2 of us were using doubles and so we would balance all our air usage with sharing to the single tank diver. I don't recommend this but it allowed us to stay with the rest of the double divers diving rec.

 

[loosenit2]

I am 51 years old and use reading glasses and computer readers. I do both recreational and technical diving and very frequently use two computers. I have a teric and a perdix (1), have not used the perdix 2 with the new screen yet. Between the teric and perdix 1 the teric is hands down easier to read and is my default computer. The brightness of the screen trumps the size difference.

 

[AgentKooper]

I love having a device that can do everything well, so for me it would be the Garmin Mk3i, with the smartwatch functionality better than Apple’s, the screen equal to the Apple and the Teric, and battery life that puts them both to shame.

If you want to stick with your Apple Watch, though, and still want a watch style dive computer, the Tern TX is probably the way to go assuming the screen is big enough.

 

[MyBuddy]

I’d like a watch shape computer with AI. I was leaning towards the Teric as it’s bigger than the Tern TX.

Since I had looked it up previously, the Tern’s screen is 1.3 and the Teric’s is 1.39. So not too much bigger but 7% is not insignificant.

If the watch form factor is what you and your daughter prefer then that’s all the reason you need. The 4 button interface is superior anyway.

 

[scrane]

With its bright screen and tiny battery the Teric requires you to monitor charge level diligently. The Perdix just keeps on tickin'.

 

[LFMarm]

With its bright screen and tiny battery the Teric requires you to monitor charge level diligently. The Perdix just keeps on tickin'.

True but you still get 10+ h of diving on one charge of Teric which means charging only once every few days for most divers