Garmin Fenix 8 users report the Fenix 8 (which we called ‘perfect’) crashing during a cold water dive
Earlier this week, TechRadar published its official statement Garmin Fenix 8 review. We (or rather, I) called it “rugged, expensive perfection” and labeled it one of the best best Garmin watches ever.
In that review I also said: “Unfortunately I have not yet had the opportunity to test the new dive mode: after this review is published, I will be handing the device over to a writer who is also a recreational diver for a while. a more thorough breakdown of that specific mode.”
Unfortunately, it’s exactly that feature that’s currently affecting quite a few Garmin users. A reader contacted me to inform TechRadar that there were posters on it Garmin Official Forumsas well as several Reddit threadsreport some issues after submerging their Fenix 8s in cold water.
One poster writes: “My Fenix 8 AMOLED 47mm constantly crashes when the water temperature drops below 8°C. This is a major issue where I live because the water temperature often drops below that.
“In Europe, diving instruments must be tested to 0°C before being released to the market, so I find it surprising that a watch advertised as operating at negative temperatures has this problem. I’m wondering if this is a software safety feature that can be fixed in an update, or if I should consider returning the watch.”
It’s worth noting that the watch doesn’t seem to be permanently broken for any user yet, with all posters and commenters reporting a temporary crash. In the Garmin Fenix 8 user manualIt states that the stated operating temperature underwater is between 0F and 40C (from 32F to 104°F).
TechRadar has contacted Garmin for comment and we will update this article with any new information.
