Shearwater Tern TX Wrist Dive Computer with AI Transmitter

Shearwater Tern TX with AI Transmitter: Wrist Computer with Full Air Integration

The Shearwater Tern TX is a wrist-worn dive computer that comes bundled with the Shearwater Swift transmitter, giving you real-time tank pressure on your wrist from the moment you open the box.

If you are a recreational diver who has been running a console or a basic wrist computer and you want to step up to a cleaner, more capable setup, this bundle is worth a serious look. It is also a strong choice for the diver who wants a single computer that can grow with them into nitrox diving and multi-tank profiles.

The Display

The Tern TX runs a 1.3-inch AMOLED screen at 360 x 360 resolution, with brightness rated at a minimum of 300 nits and a typical output of 350 nits.

AMOLED screens produce true blacks, which means each pixel that shows black is simply off. In practice, this gives you strong contrast between data and background, and the display reads clearly both in bright shallow water and in darker conditions at depth.

The screen sits behind toughened glass inside a 50mm case that is 16mm thick and weighs 100 grams. It is a watch-style form factor, which means it sits close to the wrist rather than bulking out like a traditional dive computer. Whether that suits you depends on personal preference, but it is genuinely compact for what it does.

Dive Modes

The Tern TX covers the full range of recreational modes and gives you room to expand:

• Air tracks your no-decompression limits (the time you can spend at depth before a mandatory stop is required) on a standard air mix.
• Nitrox lets you set a custom oxygen percentage for enriched air diving, which extends your no-decompression limits compared to air.
• 3-Gas Nitrox supports up to three open-circuit gas mixes in a single dive, useful if you are diving with stage bottles or planning multi-gas profiles.
• Gauge turns the computer into a depth gauge and timer, letting you run your own profile independently.
• Freedive logs depth, time, and surface intervals for breath-hold diving, sampling at a rate suited to the shorter dive cycles involved.

The computer is depth-rated to 120 metres and meets EN standards for dive compliance. For recreational diving, which typically stays within 40 metres, that rating gives you a large margin. The 3-Gas Nitrox mode and the 120-metre rating also mean the Tern TX will not become a limiting factor if you later pursue advanced training.

Air Integration: What the Swift Transmitter Does

This is the part of the bundle that changes how you dive.

The Swift transmitter threads into the high-pressure port of your first stage (the part of your regulator that attaches to the tank valve). It reads tank pressure and sends it wirelessly to the Tern TX, so your wrist display shows remaining pressure alongside your depth and no-decompression time.

You no longer need to glance at a separate console gauge. All the information you need to manage the dive is in one place.

A few specifics worth knowing about the Swift:

• Pressure port: 7/16" - 20NF thread, which fits the high-pressure port on most regulators sold in North America and many international models. Check your regulator's port spec before assuming compatibility.
• Rated working pressure: 300 bar (4,350 psi), with a proof pressure of 450 bar (6,525 psi).
• Reporting resolution: 0.14 bar (2 psi), so the readout updates in fine increments rather than jumping in large steps.
• Activation pressure: The transmitter wakes up at 7 bar (100 psi) and goes to sleep below 3.5 bar (50 psi), conserving battery when the tank is off.
• Battery life: Up to 300 dive hours with pressure present, and a 5-year storage time.

The Tern TX can connect to up to four Swift transmitters simultaneously. For a solo recreational diver on a single tank, one transmitter is all you need. The four-transmitter capacity is there if you ever dive with stage bottles or if a buddy pair wants to share a single computer readout.

The Swift uses a collision avoidance system to prevent signal interference when multiple transmitters are operating nearby. This matters on a busy dive boat where several divers may be running the same equipment. In practice, it means the Tern TX reliably identifies your tank's signal rather than picking up a neighbour's.

Battery and Charging

The Tern TX uses a built-in lithium-ion battery charged via USB-C wireless charging. Battery life is rated at up to 20 hours at medium brightness, with up to 6 months in standby.

For most dive trips, 20 hours covers several days of diving without needing a charge. The USB-C connection means you are not hunting for a proprietary cable.

The Swift transmitter runs on its own internal battery rated for up to 300 dive hours. That is a long service life before the transmitter needs attention.

Logging and Connectivity

The Tern TX logs up to 500 hours of dive data at a 10-second sample rate. That is enough capacity for years of regular diving before you would need to archive anything.

Dive logs transfer to the Shearwater Cloud via Bluetooth. The Cloud platform is available in 13 languages. From there you can review profiles, share dives, and keep a long-term record of your diving history.

Fit and Customisation

The Tern TX ships with Shearwater's Remora quick-connect bands and webbing straps. The quick-connect system lets you swap strap lengths and colours without tools, which is useful if you want one strap for everyday wear and a different setup for diving with a drysuit or thick wetsuit.

Operating temperature range is 4°C to 34°C (40°F to 94°F) for normal use, with a short-term tolerance down to -10°C and up to 50°C. That covers the full range of recreational diving destinations, from cold temperate waters to warm tropical sites.

Who This Is Not For

The Tern TX runs three open-circuit gas mixes. If you are already doing technical diving with more than three gases, or if you need closed-circuit rebreather modes, this computer does not cover those requirements. Shearwater's Perdix 2 or Petrel 3 are better fits for that kind of diving.

If you are a brand-new diver who has not yet decided whether to invest in a personal computer, the Tern TX is a capable choice but it is a serious piece of kit. There is no harm in starting here if you know you will dive regularly and want air integration from the start.

Quick Specs at a Glance