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Suunto D6 for freediving

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.

Sergiu

No gravity
Feb 16, 2006
314
26
68
Need some advice on the new D6 computer from Suunto, any hands-on experience will be much appreciated.

I'm a new freediver and got most of my equipment minus a good dive computer. I was considering a D3 in spite of some less than great reviews from some of you here in DB.

But as I do scuba diving as well, I am ready to spash the extra cash for a all-in-one piece, good for both free and scuba diving - and what seems available in my price range is the new D6 and possibly the Stinger. I just read its manual at
http://www.suunto.com/media/suunto/manuals/en_US/D6_manual_en_276cb.pdf

and it has the needed features for freediving too, in gauge mode. It's got the 1 second recording increments, depth alarm, no fast ascent alarm (a big nuisance with my Vyper now when it gives me some 48-72 hours of no-fly time, even in gauge mode after a few freediving dips :head )

So, is the D6 the right choice to replace the rather ol' D3?

thanks a bunch and keep diving!

Serge
 
A short PS - I was seriously considering the F1 from Eric's http://www.liquivision.ca but it's out of my budget for the time being, perhaps the next in line, once it reaches production phase. Or if i get convinced here, i may start with the F1 right away!

Serge
 
I'll have the opportunity to freedive with a D6 at the end of the week. Remind me to report here !
 
Since I occasionally also scubadive, I've bought Suunto Mosquito that is not much more expensive than D3 and has a built-in deco computer. It has three diving modes: freediving / air scuba / nitrox. When you submerge, it switches automatically to the respective mode. It is quite small yet still well readable (it has also backlight), and in the black version it looks pretty decent so you can wear it as regular watch. It has other useful functions not always available at similar products - water temperature sensor, alarms, dual world time, stop watch (useful for static training), PC interface. Another advantage is that you can change the batery easily alone, which is not always the case at all diving computers. I think it is also one of the least expensive diving computers/watches. I have mine since three or four years and am pretty happy with.
 
Last edited:
thanks Trux, your are right. Mosquito was the other option when i got my Vyper some 3 years ago when freediving was not a priority. I opted for Vyper due to its size and better (larger) display.

Does the mosquito have a real freediving mode? I recall it had max 2 seconds increment which is not that bad but 1 sec would be better.

serge
 
Yes, it has a real freediving mode with 2s increment (20s in scuba mode)
 
Sergiu said:
A short PS - I was seriously considering the F1 from Eric's http://www.liquivision.ca but it's out of my budget for the time being, perhaps the next in line, once it reaches production phase. Or if i get convinced here, i may start with the F1 right away!
Serge

The F1 is now in production, with stock available for immediate shipment. The new website will be up in a few days.
 
efattah said:
The F1 is now in production, with stock available for immediate shipment. The new website will be up in a few days.

Thanks Eric,

I will be waiting for the updated site before making a final choice.

Serge
 
sergiu,

Just to throw one more product into your hunt. You should take a look at the Mares Nemo. Stainless steel or Titanium. There is a new price on these computers $425 for the SS and $550 for the Titanium. It has 4 modes. Air/Nitrox/Gauge/Freedive. I use all the time for both and it has really served me well. It's also a really nice looking watch. I haven't looked lately but there was a very interactive sub website at www.mares.com for the Nemo. Anyhow good luck.

Zak
 
Thanks Zohara,

I have a dive shop 5 minutes from my place and they sell some Mares equipment, will check it out in details. I saw the Nemo, looks pretty cool indeed (well, Italian design!)

Serge
 
I have the D6 and the D3.

I would say save some $$ and get the F1 for sure. If that is out of your budget, go for the D3 again.

Next time I am in Canada I will 99% sure be picking up a F1.
 
fabrice said:
I'll have the opportunity to freedive with a D6 at the end of the week. Remind me to report here !

Hey Fabrice,

How was the freediving over the weekend? Did the D6 live up to the expectations?

Serge
 
Hi Serge,

Unfortunatly I had trouble equalizing my left ear, so I only got it to 2.3m...
Not really a good test !

Fabrice
 
fabrice said:
Hi Serge,

Unfortunatly I had trouble equalizing my left ear, so I only got it to 2.3m...
Not really a good test !

Fabrice

do you have the dive profile? rofl

Sorry man, hope you get better soon and get that thing down for a proper dive.
serge
 
If you want some specific info about the D6 let me know, I will put it beside my D3 tonight.

The D3 is much more usefull to me though.
 
JustinF said:
The D3 is much more usefull to me though.

Why is that Justin? Is the sample rate lower on the D6?? I have just returned from the CIPA competition in Nice, and a group of us were comparing experiences with our D3s. Two out of four of us had experienced unreliability with the D3, and one with a newer model ( the black-backed one ).

I Scuba as well as freedive, and need to replace my Uwatec Aladin, so something that does both and has good reliability will be attractive.
 
AltSaint,

Don't get me wrong regarding the quality of the D6. It is a wonderful piece of diving equiptment and I love it to death. I use it as my main computer, replacing my Apeks Quantum.

However using the D6 in Freedive mode it is not identical to the D3. The sampling is not the main thing that I think sets it apart for my applcation. I mean it obivously matters in the profile you can produce, however the information it provides is different.

The D3; I like to set to show the Time of the dive, then the surface interval time, the depth of the last dive, and the time of the last dive.

To me this provides the most important information so I can make sure that I am well within the physical limits I have set for myself as I am new, untrained and diving solo.

However the D6 has a Gauge mode, not a freedive mode. Don't think of the Feedive mode in the D6 as identical to that of the D3, it's not. You can use it as a "Freediving device" according to the users manual, but it's a gauge mode.

So in short, if you think a gauge mode will suffice ie. total dive time, max depth ect. as opposed to the D3 style then by all means go ahead, but persoanlly I think it is more convienet to use the D3.

As a further note, I know several people including myself who have bought a D3 in the last 6 months and have had no problems. Suunto had some updates according to the salesman I bought mine from.

Hope this helps.
 
JustinF said:
I know several people including myself who have bought a D3 in the last 6 months and have had no problems.

Well, i'd like to claim this one as my own....
 

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But this one is just plain strange :duh
 

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