Five Rules Shearwater Broke With the Teric
These are five rules we ended up breaking when we brought forth the Teric.
1. The Letter “P”... sort of
There is a tradition for Shearwater wrist worn computers to have their names start with the letter “P”. The Teric breaks this rule... somewhat. Teric is derived from the word Pteric, as in Pterodactyl or Pterosaur. The word Pteric means “of, relating to, or resembling a wing”.
We decided to break this rule and went ahead and removed the silent “P”. In doing this, we hope to avoid countless spitting contests that may have arisen from people misinterpreting the pronunciation of Pteric.
2. Shearwater Computers are NOT to be worn in weddings above the water surface
Many readers will agree with me that a Predator dive computer is a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, society would frown on me if I showed up to my cousin’s wedding in a 3 piece suit and sporting my beloved Predator. The Teric breaks this rule in way most gracious to society. A Shearwater can now be elegant everywhere. I might even get away with wearing it on my right wrist always.
3. You can have any color as long as it's black
Black is cool. Black means business. No futzing around. The best fins are black. The best wings are black. And we’ve heard from a reputable source that black cars look better in the shade1. Until now, the best dive computers were black. The Teric unceremoniously breaks down this rule. Shearwater now offers the Teric with five optional watch band colors, including Shearwater blue and, more importantly, hot pink.
Furthermore, the Teric was designed with a standard 22mm strap size. This means that a plethora of watch band options are available from third party vendors. Personally, I’m in the process of mounting my Teric on a cobra stitched paracord bracelet for ultimate coolness. If the paracord works out, I might cobra stitch me a bungee cord bracelet.
4. Computers with highly visible displays have to be big
The first Shearwater computers were massive stainless steel boxes. CCR models with heavy cables coming out of them that could be swung around and used as medieval morningstars in case of emergency.
Later on, the box got smaller and the screen got bigger. Currently, many Shearwater users are appreciative of the degree of visibility they can obtain from our computers. Now the Teric is coming to break down the rule that dictates that computers with big numbers have to be in big boxes. The Teric is highly configurable and one of the configurable options is what we call the “Big Layout”. Critical numbers in this layout are maximized, optimizing the usage of the Teric’s compact size for those of us with less than perfect eyesight. Big Layout in the Teric’s vivid AMOLED color screen is not easily missed.
5. Shearwater doesn’t have a freediving mode
Does too! Well, now it does. In the process of breaking this rule we had to break other rules as well. As Shearwater divers we have, from an early age, grown to develop a aversion for annoying beeping alarms that could not be shutdown underwater. On the other hand, we recognize that freedivers find audible alarms genuinely useful. So we included an audible alarm that can be disabled. But wait, there’s more! We also included a haptic (vibratory) alarm that will be less annoying to other sea creatures in the vicinity.
We also increased the sample rates and made these rates configurable. In this way, freedivers can get a better resolution on their divelogs.
Overall, we are very pleased with the Teric. It comes with all the features that divers have come to love in Shearwater computers and then some. We believe it embodies the best qualities of the Shearwater DNA in its next evolution.
Learn more about the Teric here: https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/
References
- Black Cars by Gino Vanelli https://youtu.be/1m39piBT2vE
Very interested in this computer.
Is it the algorithm or software as the Perdix ?
Is this watch light weight, also can you turn off water activition for computer to use for swimming as well when teaching in a pool
Hi, Peter. The Teric weighs 120.4 grams. It does use the same Buhlmann GF algorithm that is loaded on the Perdix. Our stand alone computers are not activated by water, but rather by pressure changes. If a dive starts up while in the process of swimming or teaching, you can choose to end the dive with a few button presses.
I have the real big Shearwater. I wear it on the surface as well as diving. Is there a function that would provide larger watch face?
There are currently 3 watch faces available: Digital, Analog and Orbits. Each of these can have 3 different information levels. Over 100 possible watch face appearances can be created by selecting the watch
face, information level, and watch face color. The AMOLED display makes it very visible. It lacks nothing in terms in visibility when you compare it to our other models. Cheers.
I have the CMF valve you used to attach to thisbig kiss computer!
I don’t use it anymore, but it served me perfectly!
Still waitin a shearwater can alectronic for the kiss. Now i use a hammeread electronic on my kiss!
Gilberto Bonaga
Very impressive, I have never owned a dive computer however now passing my advanced and been nitrox competent, feel for safety sake I need one.
Could you please indicate the price and shipping fees. I am in Durban south Africa.
Kind thanks.
Hi, Craig. While we enjoy interacting with divers, Shearwater does not sell directly to end users. You can find the dealer closest to you here: https://www.shearwater.com/dealers-all/. We also have several dealers in several continents that sell online ship internationally. Cheers
Hi Craig
I am also based in South Africa. There are two Shearwater dealers in SA. Theres Dive Action SA in Cape Town and Technical Diving Africa (IANTD) in Mpumalanga. Alternatively, you could purchase from a dealer overseas if you’d like. Just watch out for the import duties and VAT
Thanks, guys. Good looking unit.
Congratulations on a great looking computer. Curious, will the ability to change sample rates be backwards compatible with the Petral 2 or Perdix?
Hi, John. At this point in time, the Teric is our most feature rich computer. We will continue to support for Petrel 2 and Perdix. As we roll out new firmware updates for Petrel 2 and Perdix, some of the Teric features will become available to them. There may be some physical or hardware limitations that could prevent any given feature from being implemented across all Shearwater computers. The Teric will allow us to evaluate which features prove to be more popular and useful in the eyes of our users. We can then prioritize which features are rolled out to Petrel 2 and Perdix users. Overall, we recognize the value we give our customers by adding useful features to our computers and we will strive to deliver on this front whenever feasible.
Will the transmitter for the current AI computers work with this new one?
Hi, James. Yes, The Teric uses the same transmitter that the Perdix AI and NERD 2 use. Transmitters with an FCC ID = MH8A are compatible with Shearwater Air Intergrated computers. It is common for transmitters to have their FCC ID etched somewhere in the body of the transmitter.
New York i have new perdix ai now you come out with something i realy want what do i do now with mine
Keep the other one as an excellent backup.
Does the Teric have anywhere that a lanyard can be attached as a backup if the watch strap breaks or the pins come loose underwater? I hate trusting pins on watchstraps, especially with gorgeous equipment like that! Great looking new computer!
Thank you for the kind words, Wendy. There is no purposefully designed provisions for lanyard attachments. Our watch bands and extension straps are made of shore 70A silicone that has a very nice balance between strength and elasticity. The strap, when connected to the Teric, can lift 51 lbs unbuckled and 70 lbs buckled. The lugs on the pin are set with thread locker. If you change to a different color watch band or remove the pins for any reason you can apply a drop of threadlocker on the lug for extra peace of mind. Cheers.
Beautiful computer! Definitely on my Birthday and Christmas wishlist! Does it also have support for the VPM Algorithms?
Hi, Travis. The Teric does not support VPM. Recent studies have negated the benefits of deep stops promoted by bubble models like VPM. Cheers.
Great looking DC. I was on the verge of getting a Perdix AI, but now…. I definitely want to see them side by side before I choose.
Regarding the Teric not supporting VPM, how come it does show in the Youtube video by Narkedat90?
https://youtu.be/eeUD-cRdlQ4
There were some early units that had it available. But main production units going forward do not have it.
Allright, thanks!!
First off….I am a huge fan. I have talked up Shearwater so well, nearly 75% of my students end up with a Perdix on their wrist.
I have seen some basics only , but is there a resource available to view technical data such as battery capacity, type, wireless specifics?
Is there a low-power watch only mode such as on many smart watches?
Thank you,
Mike
Thank you for the kind words. The most detailed specs that we published are in the Teric Manual in pages 88 and 89. You can see it here: https://www.shearwater.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Teric_Operating_Instructions_docrevB.pdf . We do optimize our power consumption as much as we can. When you are in watch mode many of the dive computer features are off. Some, like tissue loading tracking functions, will not be off because these are crucial for repetitive diving.
Pity it doesn’t support VPM, I would have definitely gotten one if it did, it’s useless to me without VPM. No matter what your opinion is, why can’t you just let users choose for themselves?
We’ve been getting great results for years over hundreds of dives using VPM (+2) over Buhlmann especially on long decos where Buhlmann is way too conservative. Please let adults make their own decisions instead of treating them like children….
Thank you for taking the time to give us feedback on this. We do take your comments into account and will consider them when deciding on additional features for the Teric. Please keep in mind that this is not a promise to implement VPM into the Teric.
Hi,
for quite some time I used paper logbook only. Now I decided to get my own dive computer. Would Teric allow me to change the count of dives from 1st to, say, 54th?
Thanks!
Hi, Ilya. Yes, the Teric will allow you to change the number of your dives. You can do it by pressing the MENU button and then going to “Log > Log Options > Next Log #”. Cheers
Great! Thanks!
Might be being daft but can’t see how it charges? And I’m not Trimux, qualified but as I dive to ADC tables I’m assuming you can switch gases during a dive?
Stunning looking computer. Love the appearance.
Hello, Del. The Teric recharges through the use of its inductive/wireless charging capabilities. You can read about inductive charging here: https://bit.ly/2zb5nWh. Regarding changing gases during a dive, all Shearwater computers have this capability, including the Teric. Cheers.
I was hoping for the same functionality as the Perdix but was surprised to see 4 buttons. That is one of the things I loved about the Perdix, the ease of use when wearing gloves. Not sure I will get this model.
Hello, Mike. Being in British Columbia, Canada we got to personally test the Teric in our local waters. Our local diving requires us to wear heavier wet gloves (5mm neoprene is typical) or different styles of dry gloves. We were satisfied with the operation of the buttons under these conditions. Cheers.
How is this display in bright sunlight? I know my AL 750 OLED about useless in the sunlight. How does the AMOLED stack up?
Thanks, Dave
Hi, David. You can see a video from a diver comparing different computers during a dive here: https://youtu.be/_rlqXlP2Fik. We’re obviously biased towards our own creation, but we think the Teric is visible under sunlight. You can also search the internet for independent reviews and feedback or go to one of our dealers on a sunny day. Cheers.
Does the teric automatically adjust for altitude dives and if so what is the altitude range it covers? Is it the stanard 20000ft? Also is there any projection on how long the rechargable batter will last before it needs to be replaced?
Hi, Josh. Yes, the Teric does automatically adjust for altitude. The range goes to 500 millibar which is equivalent to roughly 18,000 ft. Please keep in mind that the operational range of our computers does not imply that diving at these altitudes is a safe common practice. There is very little data, if any, related to diving at high altitudes. Regarding battery, the typical battery life is 5 years or 500 charge cycles. The battery can be replaced at authorized service centers. If the battery is not meeting performance specifications within the 2-year warranty period it will be replaced free of charge. Variations to battery lifespan can be expected due to operating at extremes of the rated specification, such as high environmental temperatures or repeatedly fully discharging the battery.
Hello,
What kind of toughness testing has been done in the teric? Drop tests? Smash tests?
If it falls off of a counter will it survive? I have seen one post on scubaboard where this happened and the screen would no longer work.
Hi, Aaron. We do perform drop and smash tests. A fall from a counter should not pose major risks to a normal Teric. The case you mention likely had a defective or compromised display and the fall was just the last straw that made it break.
Hello, RIght now I am using a Perdix with VPM. The compactness of the Teric looks exciting & promising. I sincerely hope you reconsider adding VPM to the Teric. I am convinced I am not alone wanting a Teric but waiting for VPM to be added to it. So for the time being no Teric unless VPM i’m afraid …
Hello, Xavier. Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. We will take your suggestion into consideration. Please keep in mind this is not a promise to implement VPM into the Teric. Cheers.
To truly break rule 2 (wearing dive computer above water) does Shearwater have any plans to provide more watch face configurations? I am particularly interested in a Chronograph watch display that would really confuse above ground dwellers of the underwater capability of the Teric.
You state your point well, Roy. We shall take it under advise and log it into our feature request list. We can’t promise to implement every feature request, but we do take them all into consideration.
Currently diving Perdix with VPM. Only thing keeping me from buying Teric is lack of VPM. Add it and I’ll buy 2.
Ha, does anyone know a 22mm Nato Strap with at least 35cm lenght ?
Why does Shearwater not selling one…
Thanks fr Your help!
It seems like the average Descent rate (in freedive mode) doesn’t calculate correctly.
I swam at 1+ meter per second to my turn point (at which point it sampled -.3m/s) and at the surface it reads that (-.3f/s) as the average rate for the whole dive.
Please Help.
Hi James,
That is interesting. Is the “incorrect” number on the watch or the app? On the watch face or in the log? Could we get a copy of your log? Would you also be able to send some photos of the display showing this issue? You can reply with these details to info@shearwater.com, and we’ll be able to assist you further from there.
Thank you, Trisha
can a 53 years old diver use Teric though he uses medical glasses for reading ? or better to go to Perdix 2