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Cold water crash

CyberMonke

My Fenix 8 AMOLED 47mm consistently crashes when the water temperature drops below 8°C.

This is a significant issue where I live, as the water temperature often falls below that.

Interestingly, after a crash due to the temperature drop, the watch can usually reboot and function properly, even if the displayed temperature is below 8°C.

In Europe, dive instruments must be tested down to 0°C to be on the market, so I find it surprising for a watch advertised to operate in negative temperatures to have this problem.

I've noticed other users reporting the same issue on Reddit.

I'm wondering if this is a software safety feature that might be resolved in an update, or if I should consider sending the watch back.

It seems the watch can operate in low temperatures, but the sudden temperature drop when entering the water causes it to crash consistently.

  • 0

    Testing my Enduro 3 - down to 1.4C and no issue so its a bug with the Inductive buttons perhaps as someone suggested?

  • 0

    This is the only issue ive encountered on my new fenix 8 so far although its a serious one. I contacted the retailer as my 'old' fenix 8 kept crashing in cold water and got a brand new fenix 8 WHICH ALSO crashes in cold water. They eventually contacted Garmin for me as this was weird and they told the retailer it was a very rare bug - World wide they had about 20 reports of this bug so i was very unlucky to have encountered this bug twice on different watches -  The retailer told me there would be a hotfix in about 14 days from this day. I could either swap for another brand new f8 or wait. But garmin ensured it was software related and NOT hardware.

    Odd thing is, if I put the watch in cold fresh-water nothing happens, but when i go swimming in the ocean it crashes within seconds.

  • 0 in reply to entify

    So it's very rare SOFTWARE issue, however it happend to you twice? Very twisted logic!

  • 0 in reply to patrykpl

    I Agree with you. The retailer didnt have any other customers complaining about this, but for me it happened twice and thats why they contacted Garmin as it was getting wierd. 

  • 0

    Tried for 10 minutes with my Fenix 7 Pro SS and no issue. So it's a new 

  • 0 in reply to patrykpl

    You're right, it doesn't make much sense. The fact that they received 'only' 20 reports is likely because not many people live in areas or swim/dive in water below 10°C. Plus, not everyone takes the time to report these issues to support (I haven't yet myself)

  • 0 in reply to MarcoOS

    I also never had such issues on Fenix 7. It seems like the issue is only related to Fenix 8.

  • 0 in reply to entify

    Salt water is electrically more conductive than fresh so does point to an inductive issue

  • 0 in reply to entify

    Salt water is a good conductor of electricity, fresh water not so much, pure water aka H2O not at all

  • 0

    Same here. Put my fenix 8 in to ice water and after 1-2 minutes it turns off. 2-3 minutes in warm conditions it starts workong (after switching it on)