Shearwater is among the most respected names in the dive computer industry, so I was overjoyed to review one. This site has focused on traditional watches, with the occasional fitness watch sneaking in (Garmin review). Today’s watch is a different animal. The Shearwater Teric is a top-of-line dive computer released in 2018 by the Canada-based company. The Teric can provide you with all the information you could ask for. Including connecting up to four air integration transmitters for a live graphic of air consumption during the dive. I did not have an air integration transmitter for my dive trip, so I cannot comment on how well this works. Had this been a personal Teric, I would likely purchase a couple of transmitters. The Teric is marketed as not JUST a dive computer but also as Shearwater’s first watch that truly belongs in this crossover space as something that could be a daily driver.
The Teric is a honking 55mm, with a lug-to-lug of 61.44mm (my measurement). The thickness measured from wrist to crystal is 17mm (my measurement). By no stretch is this a small watch or even what many consider a wearable size for daily use. However, this is not large for the sake of being big. The Teric is brimming with capabilities. Due to the quantity, a list is in order.
- Capabilities
- Stopwatch
- Timer
- Alarm
- Time-based
- Depth based
- Ascension rates
- Air consumption alerts
- O2 alerts for those breathing mixed air
- Freediving modes
- Haptic and Audible alarms
- Roughly 300hrs of battery
*I found at five days of diving twice per day, the watch needed a charge - Bluetooth connection for dive logs
- Dive Log storage
- 500 hours of storage
- Full-color display with a multitude of configurations
- Digital Compass
- Air integration capabilities
- 200m of water resistance
-It is tested to this depth, and you can see a dive log 001 to 660ft!
For additional capabilities, check out the Shearwater site and read the user manual. We will be sticking to a relatively high level here as this will be a focused watch review.
Shearwater Specs | |
Case Width 55mm | Lug-to-Lug 61.44mm |
Case Thickness 17mm | Lug Width 22mm |
Water Resistance 200m | Strap Rubber Strap |
Crystal Sapphire | Lume Flashlight Mode |
Movement Digital | Price $1,170 |
On the Wrist
Despite the massive case diameter and long lug-to-lug, the Teric IS comfortable. I attribute this to the case material and fantastic rubber strap. The bezel is Stainless Steel, but the case construction is some type of Carbon Fiber. The specific material is not referenced on the shearwater site but brings the weight down substantially. The long silicone strap is 22mm wide and comes with screwed bars to avoid any of my previous gripes regarding spring bars. The bars at the buckle are also screwed.
On my wrist at 57ft deep, the screen remains visible, even from a distance away. The mechanical dive watch pictured on my left wrist is 40mm for reference, and the bezel timer is almost illegible from this distance. For the 55mm Teric, however, you can glean all needed information, including locating the red north arrow. The strap easily accommodates my wet suit here is a 3:2 (meaning 2mm at my wrists). However, had the provided strap not been long enough, the Shearwater comes with an adaptor strap, effortlessly adjusting to a length needed to wear over a dry suit.
Initially, the rose gold color was a bit of a turn-off, but the more I wore it, the more it grew on me. Photographed dry at home, the warmth of the rose gold against that deep black dial is a great contrast. Other Teric colors offered are Black, Blue, and Silver; Rose Gold or Black would be my choice.
Dial Details
Akin to a luxury watch at this price point, the Teric features a sapphire crystal. A notable upgrade to many other smartwatches or dive computers. The screen below has multiple brightness levels and remains illuminated for up to 30 minutes at a given time. The timer on this I found to be too short. While in use, during a run, or on a boat in between dives, 30 minutes is not enough for someone like me with object permanence. The screen will go black, and you need to push a button to wake up the screen again. Adding an option to leave the screen on all the time would be appreciated, regardless of the adverse effects on the battery.
The Teric offers a few different dials to choose from. The above is my preferred choice. An analog dial and one with more information regarding previous dives.
Once in dive mode, you have a few more options for how you would like your information displayed.
One of the primary features you can alter is the compass indicator, the red North arrow in the above image. You can mark points of interest and track your travel direction with this.
Above is an alternate view. I found this option slightly more cluttered/chaotic. Within the planning modes, you can determine no decompression limits for specific gas mixes and edit your mix percentages.
No decompression limits for 32% oxygen gas.
Selection screen for different gases. Unlike older other Dive Computers, the Teric has no Nitrox Mode. Instead, you input your choice of air percentage for all dives, and the computer will perform the duties required for that mixture. 21% Oxygen being typical air. All that is great, but what does your dive look like afterward?
Above is the dive map from one of our dives. The Teric will quickly give you the MAX depth, average, and time. With the FUNC control, you can toggle to further screens for more data concerning that specific dive.
The above information is within the Shearwater app for your smartphone too. You can transfer all information via BlueTooth for final storage within your phone.
One complaint about this, I did not find an easy way to transfer this information directly into my virtual log book. Perhaps that is something I will need to troubleshoot on my own. But if I had difficulty doing it, likely, others will too.
Conclusion
The Teric surpassed my expectations as a crossover professional dive computer and daily wear. If you are considering a dive computer that you can wear daily and not just keep as part of your dive kit, this may be the best available computer on the market. I do have some areas I would like to see improved. One is the use of the stopwatch, timer, or other timekeeping functions of the Teric.
Above is the screen for the timer tool. The stopwatch function looks identical. No other information is visible when you use the timer or stopwatch tool, including the time. For the wearer to see additional information when using these functions, they must exit the instrument and navigate to the other screens. The ability to use these ancillary features without compromising the core functions would be an improvement.
As someone who continuously wears other mechanical dive watches and double wrists while diving, the Teric grew more appealing every dive. The idea of this ultra-practical, lightweight, legible watch that I did not have to worry about is great. Additionally, gone are the days where you run into someone with a Doxa on and ask, “Do you dive!?”. On this trip alone, three of the dive masters at the local shop wore a Teric. When you walk around with a Teric on, during a dive day or not, people who notice are divers. The Teric is the modern-day quintessential everyday dive watch.
Check out more of Frank’s reviews at The Watch Clicker here
Check out the Shearwater website here
21% is normal air, not 28%