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Can the Tactix 7 Pro Be Used for Diving?

5870587
over 2 years ago

Hi guys, I have the Tactix 7 Pro and was wondering if it would be OK to take this diving with me so i don't need to carry an extra watch when traveling. I have a shearwater Perdix for my dive puter but normally wear a dive watch as well (Seiko Orange Monster). The tactix claims to be waterproof to 10ATM which is 110m and I rarely dive over 40m, so In theory it should be fine right?

Cheers

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  • 0 over 2 years ago

    These watches are fine for diving. The buttons might not work as they aren't designed to operate at depth, but the watch will definitely not leak during normal diving activity.

    The more important question is whether they're useful for diving and the answer there is probably not. If the light button doesn't work you may not be able to see the time. Chances are it will work, but since you can't rely on it you'd also want a separate timer.

  • 0 over 2 years ago

    There are fairly major design differences between dive-rated watches and non-dive rated watches.  You *might* get away wearing a Fenix on a dive or two at shallow recreational depths, but the odds are extremely high that the watch will not survive very many such trips. Do you really want to risk it?

    There are good reasons why dive-rated watched generally have features such as screw-down crowns, domed crystals, and 20ATM+ rated seals.  A watch such as a Fenix surviving a 10ATM static column test is pretty much meaningless with regard to judging usability for scuba diving.

    I'm a diver, and have serviced quite a few mechanical dive-rated watches.  I've also had the opportunity to service several of the Fenix series of watches (including the 5, 6 and 7 series).  The gasket designs on all of them are just not up to par with even a low-end dive-rated watch.  There are a plethora of completely unprotected buttons (i.e. non-screw-down protection), and then there is also the charging port to consider, which is held in place only with silastic adhesive.

    I feel it would be dangerous to recommend that anyone use a Fenix for scuba, even at shallow recreational diving depths.  There is no reason to do so anyway, since most divers use a dive computer.

  • 0 over 2 years ago

    Here's a good article that summarises water resistance, with a link to a WatchUSeek post which proves with math the fact that you'd have to be an exceptional swimmer to make dynamic pressure an issue. 

    https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/what-dive-watch-depth-ratings-really-mean-and-whether-you-can-trust-them

    Key takeaway from the article, you "shouldn't" have any issues dividing with a watch that's WR is 100m. 

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to Eric K.

    The Fenix has an almost identical seal to my Suunto Stinger. It will definitely not leak at recreational SCUBA depths.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to lustyd

    "it will definitely not leak" is a very strong statement.

    Your Suunto also has a stainless steel case, is rated to 20ATM, and is specifically designed for diving. 

    Garmin clearly states that Fenix watches are not for diving use. 

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to Eric K.

    No, the Suunto has a titanium case, but the case/sapphire interface is just a 1mm O-ring, it's extremely basic. I'm not saying Fenix is for diving use, I very clearly said the opposite. What I'm saying is that the 10ATM rating is not an issue at recreational diving depths. It will not leak at 40m regardless how much pressure you think moving your wrist creates.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to lustyd

    Titanium case or stainless steel -- it really doesn't make a difference.  I was pointing out that the Suunto is clearly made for diving as evidenced by the design and materials used in such things as the case and especially the mating surfaces (metal/metal vs metal/composite).  As you said, clearly Garmin did not design or intend this watch to be used in water beyond regular swimming use, even if a certain percentage of watches will survive diving depths for a time.

    It's just that I would feel awful if I were to make a blanket statement like that and then someone damaged their watch based on what I said.  So my feeling is that it's best to err on the side of caution when making statements such as "it will not leak" in a public forum.  Garmin does not agree with that statement otherwise they would have rated it as such and it would be plastered all over their website.

    Like I said earlier though, I feel that it's really up to each person to decide for themselves whether or not they want to take the risk or not.  At the same time, we have a responsibility to be careful not to say things in a way that might encourage someone else to dive with their Fenix simply because a few of us here have done so and the watch survived it.

  • 0 over 2 years ago

    Long discussion, about something that was said long ago. The fenix is rated 100m/10ATM. And also according to the data sheet NOT approved for (scuba) diving.

    It is possible that it will survive, but the opposite may also be the case.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to Eric K.

    I didn't say they intended it just for swimming I said they didn't intend it to be used for diving purposes. They certainly intended for it to be worn at diving depths (aka while diving). Swimming only watches don't need 10ATM, the whole purpose of 10ATM is to get to recreational diving depths.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to bluefish

    Yeah, well said.  I wish I was more succinct, lol.  This discussion is going in circles now.