Again: Stinger, Mosquito or D3...?

[tanteh]

Hi Apnoeists,

if this topic has been discussed too often, please delete this thread or refer me to the older topics.

I plan to buy a watch for freediving as well as scuba-diving. So my questions are: What is the main-difference between stinger and mosquito? Would it make sense to buy the D3 for freediving AND a special instrument for scuba? What does the D3 offer especially for apneists? What would you do?

Cheers, Carsten

 

[jvoets]

If you want to do Nitrox Scuba diving -> Stinger
Nitrox not needed but still want to do Scuba -> Mosquito
Only freediving -> D3

Advantage of D3 & Mosquito over Stinger is that they show seconds as well as a surface interval timer
Stinger only does minutes

D3 will also give you dive profile in 1 second interval, while others do 2 second intervals, but D3 does not have a scuba mode.

Stinger has the best look as a normal watch (my personal opinion) and will cost you the most.
Fortunately I didn't have to choose when I bought my Stinger, back then D3 and mosquito were not yet available.

good luck on picking the right one!

 

[cheese]

Mosquito does nitrox

Originally posted by jvoets
If you want to do Nitrox Scuba diving -> Stinger
Nitrox not needed but still want to do Scuba -> Mosquito
Only freediving -> D3

The mosquito is nitrox capable also, so no need to go for the stinger for that. Actually, as far as I know, it does everything that the stinger does. And it shows the surface interval more accurately, just like jvoets says

Haven't tried the other two, but I'm happy with my mosquito, for freediving as well as scuba

 

[Frank O'Donnell]

Just to add a little more input here ... I have a Mosquito and a D3. You can compare the technical specs of all the Suunto computers here:

http://www.suunto.com/v2/datafiles/specs/suunto_techfeat.pdf

Basically, they do these modes:

Stinger: Air, Nitrox, Free/Gauge

Mosquito: Air, Nitrox, Free

D3: Free, Gauge

The Stinger is built more ruggedly from metal and is rated to 150 meters (versus 99 meters for the Mosquito and D3).

In freedive mode, the D3 takes data twice as often (once a second) as the Stinger or Mosquito (once every two seconds).

Since I don't rely on computer modeling for saturation/decompression status when I (somewhat rarely) scuba dive, I prefer the D3 to the Mosquito for either freediving or scuba. The Stinger's main strong point from my point of view is its more rugged construction. I haven't used one, but I suspect the buttons are easier to push than on the mostly plastic D3 or Mosquito.

 

[Niko]

to suunto or not suunto...

SO...
I have had a stinger since it came out, it is for sure a really fantastic and versatile piece of equipement (Full deco nitrox/Free/Gauges). But it is so damn heavy, I wish I could have afforded the Titanium. It makes more sense.You can get the same specs for a cheaper price (and lighter) by getting the mosquito which is by the way coming out in Yellow this year for the more happy people
And if you are not planning to bang your computer on a rock and do not think about scuba or freedive to 150 meters then you are good with the mosquito :duh
For the ultimate freediver the D3 is the way to go since it has the lowest sampling rate of them all in Free mode (1 sec), it comes with the floaty elastomere strap too. It also is a great bottom timer for scuba or rebreather diving.
I believe they must be working on a Stinger or a mosquito that will go more than 40 percent nitrox, it is too short when you start playing with rebreathers:waterwork
I have been sending email to Suunto to add a heart rate monitor function to the D3 , it would become the ultimate freediving tool imagine a diving profile with both descent rate/ascent rate combine with heart rate...man a fantasy come true
They already do that with their climbing computer the X6 HR so why not with a D3? So guys keep sending those email to Suunto to tailor a comp that works for us
I have been in touch with a rep...
Alright so if you can't afford the titanium STinger just go for the Mosquito it will be the perfect Scuba/tech/Freediving companion.

Take care,
N.

 

[caymandiver]

I would defnitely go with the D3. D3 is great! It's very big and funny looking but the countdown timers and the decent rate thing is great. You can see second by second how deep you were going after the dive. It also counts surface time etc. There are few things I asked Suunto to make it better but it is quite clever.

I dive a lot and when I do my 200ft dives with a tank I sure wish I had a dive computer though.. But I will give up a tank for my lungs anyday. And for that I love the D3. Oh, and that floaty strap thing is bull. :naughty I don't know about North America but my D3 sinks in the Cayman waters. Only place it floats is in my bath. :hmm

If you care about freediving more than scuba go with the D3. It rocks!!


Nikko

That is so awesome that you have asked Suunto to put a heartbeat monitor on the D3! I've e-mailed them as well! ( I've bought a polar heart rate that is water resistant(?) up to 50 meter. I'm actually taking a dry trip in Japan now so I haven't tested out if it really is. But I plan to have a great time with it when I get back this weekend!!!)I've also told them to put more programable countdown timers for static and pranayama excercises. (example, 2min countdown, 1min count, 1:45 count, 1min count, 1:30 count, 1min count, etc.)

Great thinking Nikko!!

Christian

 

[feign]

Hi Carsten,

I was in your similar position only a few weeks ago. I just bought the D3 to use for freediving and in gauge mode for scuba. For me I liked the D3 for several reasons:

1. Obviously the best for freediving (eg 1 sec sampling)

2. I like using dive tables and for technical diving you are going to be using tables generally anyways...so the gauge mode on the D3 does the same as the gauge mode in any of the others

3. It is the cheapest of them all

4. I really like the neoprene strap

5. I like the D3 over the Mosquito Gauge mode for Scuba because you can set the sampling rate from 10 to 60 seconds where as the Mosquito is locked at 20seconds

6. User replaceable battery - the Stinger does not have this (so more $$$ to keep it maintained)

7. While the D3 is a 'Freediving computer' - it actually has some nice features that make it very compatible for a scuba instrument in addition to the obvious depth,time, temp.

- Ascent rate indicator and alarm in gauge mode
- Dive logbook and profiling
- Max depth alarm
- Dive planning mode where you input O2 % and Pata and it gives you maximum depth calculation

I have used the D3 all ready for several scuba dives as well as freediving - I have loved it.

 

[Beaky]

Originally posted by caymandiver
Oh, and that floaty strap thing is bull. :naughty I don't know about North America but my D3 sinks in the Cayman waters. Only place it floats is in my bath. :hmm

I wonder what they put in your tap water (or in the Cayman waters) since stuff generally is less boyant in freshwater!

A friend of mine has a D3 and he says that it does float, but only barely. I'm not sure if this is in saltwater or freshwater.

// Johnny

 

[subaquaticus]

I wonder what they put in your tap water (or in the Cayman waters) since stuff generally is less boyant in freshwater!

A friend of mine has a D3 and he says that it does float, but only barely. I'm not sure if this is in saltwater or freshwater.

// Johnny

the buoyancy has something to do with the strap, doesn't it ?

with neoprene it should be buoyant, but not wit a plastic strap ?