My name is Vlad Pambucol and I am a SCUBA instructor with about 460 dives. Here is my review of the Galileo Terra computer

Uwatec Terra review

I just came back from the dive trip in Cozumel and we had an absolute fabulous time.

I spent a little bit of time underwater with the new Uwatec Terra computer and I wanted to give you guys my opinion. I am going to mark as GOOD, NEUTRAL, and BAD all the stuff I am going to talk about.

Before I left I downloaded the new windows software and install it on my PC. The software imported all my 425 dives from the old DOS software flawlessly (GOOD). I installed and configured a generic USB infrared dongle and it integrated and talked with the computer from the first try (GOOD). The configuration and customization software was easy to use (GOOD) although the dive log software is not as easy to use as I would like (NEUTRAL).

I tried the computer underwater in the pool and tested it in full display mode and then decided to use it under medium information. The full display is really small and almost impossible to read (BAD).

Look and feel
The computer feels good on your hand but it really is big for nothing (BAD). The display is a dot matrix display (that means each pixel can be turned on/off individually, all the older models have predefined segments that can be turned on/off) with not enough resolution to be useful (BAD). The character sets that they use to display information are rather poorly chosen (BAD). The big numbers are good (GOOD) but the small numbers are pretty much impossible to see (BAD). Yes, I know I am getting old and my vision is blurred by the scopolamine patch but that’s the whole point with the huge screen.

During the dive
During the dive the really useful information is presented clear (GOOD) and the rest of the information is shown in small characters (GOOD). As I said before, I really don’t like their small characters, I think the huge display real estate could have been used WAY better (BAD).

The position on the wrist/forearm is a little bit awkward. The human body is not designed to twist its arms like that (NEUTRAL). The older model could be positioned a little bit offset on your wrist (let’s say on the internal shin of your forearm – on the ulna bone to be more exact ) but this new big one has to stay flat on your wrist (NEUTRAL). Personal preference, I really enjoyed the elastic band on the older model that you pull and click close the lock, I think it takes way more time to put the new computer on and take off the storage place if you keep it clipped on your BC as I do for storage (NEUTRAL)

The new model shows the water temperature during the dive (GOOD) but I would really make one screen with information that you have to have and then you could click a button to get in the “other” screen (NEUTRAL).

At the end of the dive
As the previous model, the Terra has a nice decompression display and stops and it is very understandable if you understand minimal concepts (GOOD). The new model has a safety stop timer that counts down as soon as you get to 15 ft (GOOD to VERY GOOD).

Ascent
This one is bad (REALLY BAD). The ascent rate is displayed in small characters at the middle bottom of the screen that you really can’t see. OK, I have to admit, maybe you shouldn’t care about the ascent rate numbers and wait for the beeping but still I think it is important to see the numbers. If you exceed the ascent rate (I think it is 130% or so) the computer is flashing an inverse video message on the screen with small characters that say “Ascent rate to fast. Slow down” or something like that. I really don’t like the inverse video thing when there was plenty of
space to display it on the normal screen. (BAD).

I would have switched the screen in ascent/decompression/safety stop mode. I really don’t think you care how warm the water is on your safety stop and how long you have been underwater if you could see your ascent rate better.

After the dive
Download of the dives is easy through infrared (VERY GOOD) and then you can add information about the dive through the software (GOOD although I think the software is pretty cumbersome).

Stuff I like
- I love the buttons. They are very responsive and easy to use
- I love the menu system, again very easy to use and to integrate with the buttons.
- Infrared is great, it is nice that you can configure the computer with personal information and customization.
- The diving algorithms are nice and robust … until proven differently.

The conclusion (of course in my opinion).
It is a nice computer that has good feature but is WAY not worth the money because doesn’t bring anything new to the customer. The few tricks and gimmicks are sales pitch things not stuff that people would really use:
- Digital compass:
Sale: awesome!!! You will not need to carry a compass with you AND you don’t need to level it.
Real life: how many times do you really use the compass underwater? Again, you will have to twist your body in a strange way to be able to point it right.

- Improved bubble reducing decompression algorithm
Sale: safer more advanced algorithm newer and better it will keep you safer and out of trouble.
Real life: a decompression algorithm has to be able to give you the shortest decompression time while still keeping you safe. Bubble and heart rate gimmicks are nice but I would really like to see some statistics about what’s the percentage of adjustments and how it will affect your decompression algorithm…

The user interface, buttons and menus are great and they are designed great. The LCD interface and placement are probably designed by the 22 years old intern that has 15 dives in a lake close to Geneva.

Vlad