4th Epix Gen 2 Sapphire back button not working

Zimhippo said:

If you are a person who swims in a pool a lot, DO NOT BUY THIS WATCH.

Do you click the buttons on your watch while it is underwater?

Sometimes I do, as I have done with every other Garmin I have had (Forerunner 910, 920, 935xt) despite what the instructions say and never ever had an issue with them so they are capable of making a product for swimming actually waterproof.

I would never buy a 4 x 4 vehicle that warns against taking it offroad!!

From what I remember, Garmin advises against pressing buttons when the watch is under water (but of course you can when the watch is wet). It's about the construction of the watch and the fact that water pressure can potentially damage the button mechanism or the entire watch.

I was also surprised after buying Epix that using the watch in this way can damage it.

In fact, only Garmin diving watches and the newest Fenix ​​8 are waterproof (they have inductive buttons), and you can press buttons underwater without any worries.

Interesting that you never had any problems using older devices in the same way. But you often hear that newer devices are less resistant than the old ones...

This is known issue with Fenix 7 and Epix both pro and non-pro versions. There are many posts about it on this forum. Especially people who used it for swimming often although for some people it even happened on the first swim. Some pressed buttons under water, some did not. Some triathlon users were having several watches replaced due to exact same reason.

Some users who had Garmin watches before never had issues that they had with Fenix 7 or Epix watch.

So yes, these watches quite often have button issues when used in water due to bad hardware design or quality assurance. 

Vizi. Thank you for your grown up answer. I see that it is a common issue and it is generally Open water and triathletes and pool swimmers complaining about the same thing.

It is Frustrating that this is the first watch I have had since leaving the Forerunner series to have this issue - even though garmin state pressing buttons underwater is not a good idea across the board, the forerunners do not seem to suffer with it.

I have looked on the forums at the 965 and it seems it does not have the same issue - due to different design.

In an ideal world I would really like to swap my Epix Gen 2 Sapphire for a 965 to hopefully get over the issue. I understand the Fenix 8 will work underwater but I do not have the funds for that right now.

I just find in completely counter intuitive and costly to replace 4 watches when a simple crossgrade would - most likely - solve the whole issue, as well as keeping the end user happy and willing to stick with Garmin in the long term

On that note, the rest of the watch and features of the Epix are amazing and the screen is brilliant, I love the fact I can use it as a music player, the stats are good and if the back button would last more than 7 weeks, it would be the perfect watch for me

I do admit, I am a very regular swimmer in bot open water and pool and oceans and My watch does gt used a lot

Again thank you for your input and I will look forward to my recertified model and possibe see if anyone is willing to swap for a 965. or maybe save up for the fenix 8

I’m on my 3rd Epix Gen2, now everything ok, last time they gave me a Safira version (l’m totally happy)…
Maybe it was a bad batch…