Shearwater Tern and Tern TX

[Dana23]

But, I'll try again just for you.

What is the practical difference to the diver between having a dive computer with a sapphire crystal and having a non-sapphire crystal with a tempered glass or PET screen protector on it?

Hi @stuartv , there are a few differences.

The screen protector will get scratched, whereas the sapphire crystal will not. Shearwater is using low-quality screen protectors, and therefore owners can expect more scratches and need replacement protectors more frequently.

The Tern screen protector is also poorly designed, as it obscures the display labels for the buttons and there is a gap allowing dust and dirt to become ingrained between the protector and the bezel.

The other difference is that the Teric's sapphire construction has better viewing angles and optical clarity than the Tern.

Regardless of whether these issues matter to you, it is inexcusable at this price point that the Tern does not have a sapphire crystal. As I previously mentioned, sapphire crystals can be found on very cheap wristwatches.

 

[Triple C]

I now have 18 hrs underwater with the Tern. I had a Zoop before, so my comparison reference is only that. Short version - I like the Tern a lot.

AI is the bomb, I really liked losing a hose and not looking in 2 places for data. Pairing is immediate and the 2 devices never became unpaired in 18 uw hours.

Good screen visibility uw (2 night dives with it, max day time depths around 85' in Cozumel). I contacted SW helpdesk to configure psi and depth on same screen. You have to click through 1 screen to get that data, but it now holds that as the home screen throughout the dive. I like the haptic alarms, now I can (try to) ignore all the beeps around me from other divers.

I paired the computer with my phone after most dives so I could capture the site name and any particulars of interest. I like the dive profile data it captures - a graph of depth, temp and off gassing. Other data points can be added to the display at your preference. I didn't realize how basically NO off gassing occurs until about 15' and even then, most is above 11'. That data got me studying up, so that's a good thing.

Battery life is good. When not diving the battery drain is basically imperceptible. Fully charged battery has dropped to 86% in 9 days since I got back. Two dives a day use maybe that much, I probably used more battery bc I was fooling around with it a lot as I experimented. Recharge is fast.

I managed to scratch the lens or cover on 1st dive, of course. SW says the Tern has a lens cover and I probably scratched that. I will ask my shop when I'm in there - I'm not going to try to peel it off to find out. Either way, a scratch on day one with ordinary use is pretty frustrating.

I'm going to Jardines del la Reina this Saturday, which will be as many as 30 more dives on this computer shortly. If anyone has specific questions about the SW Tern, lmk and I'll try to answer.

Update - I've had my Tern for almost a year now. Just logged my 100th dive with it and I'm still very satisfied. Screen visibility is very good, AI pairing is 100% reliable - I've never had any issue at all. iPhone/app pairing is easy. At first I didn't add many dive notes to the app, but I have been doing so more often. Location details, critters, etc. Huge upgrade from my Zoop and not too expensive. Two thumbs up.