diff --git a/include/libdivecomputer/shearwater_petrel.h b/include/libdivecomputer/shearwater_petrel.h
index 18a4bce..97a8dc2 100644
--- a/include/libdivecomputer/shearwater_petrel.h
+++ b/include/libdivecomputer/shearwater_petrel.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
  * libdivecomputer
  *
  * Copyright (C) 2013 Jef Driesen
+ * Copyright (C) 2015 Claudiu Olteanu
  *
  * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
  * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
@@ -33,6 +34,9 @@ extern "C" {
 dc_status_t
 shearwater_petrel_device_open (dc_device_t **device, dc_context_t *context, const char *name);
 
+dc_status_t
+shearwater_petrel_device_custom_open (dc_device_t **out, dc_context_t *context, dc_serial_t *serial);
+
 dc_status_t
 shearwater_petrel_parser_create (dc_parser_t **parser, dc_context_t *context, unsigned int serial);
 
diff --git a/include/libdivecomputer/shearwater_predator.h b/include/libdivecomputer/shearwater_predator.h
index 28163e2..9a37bcf 100644
--- a/include/libdivecomputer/shearwater_predator.h
+++ b/include/libdivecomputer/shearwater_predator.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
  * libdivecomputer
  *
  * Copyright (C) 2012 Jef Driesen
+ * Copyright (C) 2015 Claudiu Olteanu
  *
  * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
  * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
@@ -33,6 +34,9 @@ extern "C" {
 dc_status_t
 shearwater_predator_device_open (dc_device_t **device, dc_context_t *context, const char *name);
 
+dc_status_t
+shearwater_predator_device_custom_open (dc_device_t **device, dc_context_t *context, dc_serial_t *serial);
+
 dc_status_t
 shearwater_predator_extract_dives (dc_device_t *device, const unsigned char data[], unsigned int size, dc_dive_callback_t callback, void *userdata);
 
diff --git a/src/device.c b/src/device.c
index 257dc75..fd6fe9b 100644
--- a/src/device.c
+++ b/src/device.c
@@ -188,6 +188,12 @@ dc_device_custom_open (dc_device_t **out, dc_context_t *context, dc_descriptor_t
 	case DC_FAMILY_HW_OSTC3:
 		rc = hw_ostc3_device_custom_open (&device, context, serial);
 		break;
+	case DC_FAMILY_SHEARWATER_PREDATOR:
+		rc = shearwater_predator_device_custom_open (&device, context, serial);
+		break;
+	case DC_FAMILY_SHEARWATER_PETREL:
+		rc = shearwater_petrel_device_custom_open (&device, context, serial);
+		break;
 	default:
 		return DC_STATUS_INVALIDARGS;
 	}
diff --git a/src/shearwater_common.c b/src/shearwater_common.c
index a4e94de..b12bf9b 100644
--- a/src/shearwater_common.c
+++ b/src/shearwater_common.c
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ shearwater_common_open (shearwater_common_device_t *device, dc_context_t *contex
 	int rc = dc_serial_native_open (&device->serial, context, name);
 	if (rc == -1) {
 		ERROR (context, "Failed to open the serial port.");
-		return rc;
+		return DC_STATUS_IO;
 	}
 
 	// Set the serial communication protocol (115200 8N1).
@@ -71,6 +71,37 @@ shearwater_common_open (shearwater_common_device_t *device, dc_context_t *contex
 }
 
 
+dc_status_t
+shearwater_common_custom_open (shearwater_common_device_t *device, dc_context_t *context, dc_serial_t *serial)
+{
+	// Set the serial reference
+	device->serial = serial;
+
+	if (serial->type == DC_TRANSPORT_SERIAL) {
+		// Set the serial communication protocol (115200 8N1).
+		int rc = serial_configure (device->serial->port, 115200, 8, SERIAL_PARITY_NONE, 1, SERIAL_FLOWCONTROL_NONE);
+		if (rc == -1) {
+			ERROR (context, "Failed to set the terminal attributes.");
+			device->serial->ops->close (device->serial->port);
+			return DC_STATUS_IO;
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Set the timeout for receiving data (3000ms).
+	if (serial_set_timeout (device->serial->port, 3000) == -1) {
+		ERROR (context, "Failed to set the timeout.");
+		device->serial->ops->close (device->serial->port);
+		return DC_STATUS_IO;
+	}
+
+	// Make sure everything is in a sane state.
+	serial_sleep (device->serial->port, 300);
+	device->serial->ops->flush (device->serial->port, SERIAL_QUEUE_BOTH);
+
+	return DC_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+
 dc_status_t
 shearwater_common_close (shearwater_common_device_t *device)
 {
diff --git a/src/shearwater_common.h b/src/shearwater_common.h
index b930fb9..8e4112f 100644
--- a/src/shearwater_common.h
+++ b/src/shearwater_common.h
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ typedef struct shearwater_common_device_t {
 dc_status_t
 shearwater_common_open (shearwater_common_device_t *device, dc_context_t *context, const char *name);
 
+dc_status_t
+shearwater_common_custom_open (shearwater_common_device_t *device, dc_context_t *context, dc_serial_t *serial);
+
 dc_status_t
 shearwater_common_close (shearwater_common_device_t *device);
 
diff --git a/src/shearwater_petrel.c b/src/shearwater_petrel.c
index 3534a26..e33dc8f 100644
--- a/src/shearwater_petrel.c
+++ b/src/shearwater_petrel.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
  * libdivecomputer
  *
  * Copyright (C) 2013 Jef Driesen
+ * Copyright (C) 2015 Claudiu Olteanu
  *
  * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
  * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
@@ -110,6 +111,40 @@ shearwater_petrel_device_open (dc_device_t **out, dc_context_t *context, const c
 }
 
 
+dc_status_t
+shearwater_petrel_device_custom_open (dc_device_t **out, dc_context_t *context, dc_serial_t *serial)
+{
+	dc_status_t rc = DC_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+
+	if (out == NULL || serial == NULL || serial->port == NULL)
+		return DC_STATUS_INVALIDARGS;
+
+	// Allocate memory.
+	shearwater_petrel_device_t *device = (shearwater_petrel_device_t *) malloc (sizeof (shearwater_petrel_device_t));
+	if (device == NULL) {
+		ERROR (context, "Failed to allocate memory.");
+		return DC_STATUS_NOMEMORY;
+	}
+
+	// Initialize the base class.
+	device_init (&device->base.base, context, &shearwater_petrel_device_vtable);
+
+	// Set the default values.
+	memset (device->fingerprint, 0, sizeof (device->fingerprint));
+
+	// Open the device.
+	rc = shearwater_common_custom_open (&device->base, context, serial);
+	if (rc != DC_STATUS_SUCCESS) {
+		free (device);
+		return rc;
+	}
+
+	*out = (dc_device_t *) device;
+
+	return DC_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+
 static dc_status_t
 shearwater_petrel_device_close (dc_device_t *abstract)
 {
diff --git a/src/shearwater_predator.c b/src/shearwater_predator.c
index e8a44ac..4901787 100644
--- a/src/shearwater_predator.c
+++ b/src/shearwater_predator.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
  * libdivecomputer
  *
  * Copyright (C) 2012 Jef Driesen
+ * Copyright (C) 2015 Claudiu Olteanu
  *
  * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
  * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
@@ -96,6 +97,40 @@ shearwater_predator_device_open (dc_device_t **out, dc_context_t *context, const
 }
 
 
+dc_status_t
+shearwater_predator_device_custom_open (dc_device_t **out, dc_context_t *context, dc_serial_t *serial)
+{
+	dc_status_t rc = DC_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+
+	if (out == NULL || serial == NULL || serial->port == NULL)
+		return DC_STATUS_INVALIDARGS;
+
+	// Allocate memory.
+	shearwater_predator_device_t *device = (shearwater_predator_device_t *) malloc (sizeof (shearwater_predator_device_t));
+	if (device == NULL) {
+		ERROR (context, "Failed to allocate memory.");
+		return DC_STATUS_NOMEMORY;
+	}
+
+	// Initialize the base class.
+	device_init (&device->base.base, context, &shearwater_predator_device_vtable);
+
+	// Set the default values.
+	memset (device->fingerprint, 0, sizeof (device->fingerprint));
+
+	// Open the device.
+	rc = shearwater_common_custom_open (&device->base, context, serial);
+	if (rc != DC_STATUS_SUCCESS) {
+		free (device);
+		return rc;
+	}
+
+	*out = (dc_device_t *) device;
+
+	return DC_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+
 static dc_status_t
 shearwater_predator_device_close (dc_device_t *abstract)
 {