COMMITMENT TO QUALITY
WHY QUALITY MATTERS TO US
At Shearwater, we build electronics that divers take into some of the harshest places on earth. It’s no small challenge. And here’s the truth – no matter how hard we work, we recognize our products won’t last forever. Every diver knows it’s not if gear will fail, it’s when. That’s why you train, have backups, and plan for the unexpected. When that moment comes, Shearwater Research will have your back. Our warranty is one of the best in the industry, our service team is lightning fast, and our global network is here to make sure your trip or adventure doesn’t get cut short. People know us for legendary customer experiences, and we don’t take that reputation lightly.
OUR QUALITY PROMISE
Being divers ourselves we know how important it is to have quality products we can trust. We don’t stop at fixing problems. Every failure tells us something, and we take it seriously. We study, test, and learn from everything we discover in the field, whether it’s in warranty or not. That feedback fuels design tweaks, process changes, and engineering upgrades, all with one goal, making the most reliable dive gear possible. We know divers. We know the science. And we care enough to keep getting better. That’s our promise – build the toughest, most reliable dive electronics in the world — and when things do go wrong, stand by you every step of the way because we are dedicated to divers.
HOW WE DELIVER ON OUR PROMISE
These are just some of the many processes and plans in place to ensure we are always improving and delivering on our promise. Every process is designed to deliver consistency, reliability, and performance, while our commitment to continuous improvement ensures we keep raising the bar. Supported by a global network of Service Centres, distributors and dive retailers, we make sure that our products and customer interactions meet the highest standards.
ISO 9001:2015
ISO 9001 is an internationally recognized standard that provides a framework based on principles like customer focus, leadership, process efficiency, and continuous improvement. Shearwater’s compliance to ISO standards is audited annually and recertification occurs every three years. Last completed 2025.
IMPROVEMENT THROUGH EMPOWERMENT
We use a process termed C4 (Concern, Cause, Countermeasure, Control) that creates easy pathways for employees to identify problems and recommend improvements, and for the organization to regularly implement solutions. Hundreds of suggested improvements from employees have been submitted and implemented, reinforcing our commitment to continuous improvement by creating better products and which leads to better diving experiences.
LEAN TRAINING & PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS
All production management team members participate in Lean training and many are certified in Six Sigma with expertise in leading organizational process improvements. These operating efficiencies result in fewer defects and less rework, so divers can trust our products' reliability.
AUDITS AND ACTIONS
We design and manufacture all Shearwater dive computers in our certified facility in Vancouver, Canada. Our Quality Technicians regularly audit production processes to ensure there is no variance from the carefully tailored assembly instructions designed for each product. When needed, action plans are documented and quickly resolved by our onsite team of engineers and specialists.
TESTING – IN HOUSE AND IN FIELD
We believe in being hands on with all aspects of product testing. HALT (Highly Accelerated Life Test) aggressively stresses a product with extreme temperatures, depth, vibrations or repeated drops to identify design weaknesses early on in development, whereas HASS (Highly Accelerated Stress Screen) is applied throughout production to ensure high quality for our stated specifications.
Every dive computer is thoroughly tested by our skilled technicians prior to shipping, and our in-house Dive Team regularly takes prototypes into the field for real life testing in the cold Pacific waters around British Columbia, Canada.
SUPERIOR SERVICE
Despite our tireless efforts, sometimes dive electronics will still require repair. That’s why we’re so proud of our global network of Service Centres. Since 2005 we’ve grown from one location at our headquarters in Canada to 10 locations worldwide. This presence continues to grow as our diving community flourishes, and we recruit only the best technicians and workshops in each region, to ensure you never miss a dive.
