Which compass?

[Agro]

I sold my Shearwater dive computer which had a compass as well. Now I dive 2 Freedoms computers, they do not have a compass and never will. So I need a compass. What do you recommend? I haven't beeing diving a stand alone compass for 20 years I guess.

I must be fixed on the lower arm, not retractable.

Thanks for help.

 

[xan]

I recommend the Suunto SK-8 compass, calibrated for whichever hemisphere you're mostly diving in (probably North). You can install a bungee, or use the straps.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Can't say for sure which one you should get, but stay far away from Tate's compasses... They are unreliable in the extreme.

Everyone's heard the saying "Him who has a Tate's is lot!"

 

[runsongas]

i had terrible luck with suunto leaking over time when i first started out, both with a sk7 and a sk8 not making it to the 2 year mark. i switched to AUP which are sold as oceanic/apeks and they've been going strong. the DGX tech compass works just fine too. the scubapro compass just looks terrible to me, but others like them.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Seriously, all my land nav/orienteering compasses are Suunto. My underwater whiskey compass is a Suunto on a retractor, but it mostly stays in the bag on the boat. Or in the room. If it goes at all, with dual Perdii, I figure prolly not likely to need it....

 

[Agro]

DGX Tech Compass w/Bungee Mount and Cord

The liquid filled Tech Compass is both top and side reading for ease of use in a variety of situations.

www.divegearexpress.com

Suunto SK-8 Bungee Mount NH

www.suunto.com

Looking at the photos it seems DGX is flater then the Suunto. Is this the case? I don't like bulky equipment on my arm to size of compass matters.

Thank to everybody for your help. Great forum.

 

[Agro]

Oh I see SGX has a tilt potential of 10 degree only. Suunto has 30 degree. Altough DGX is less bulky I will buy the Suunto, 30 degress is perfect.

Thanks for all the posts.

 

[formernuke]

I've had a suunto compass since 2008, still works fine.

Anyone one that knows me knows that I recommend against suunto constantly, they know how to make a compass though.

 

[Cheizz]

Scubapro FS-2 has a 35-degree tilt angle and is slightly less bulky than the Suunto (Scubapro: 61 x 31 mm; Suunto: 60 x 34 mm). I like the fact that the FS-2 is usable in both hemispheres (whereas the Suunto is only in one, I believe).

 

[runsongas]

having the high tilt tolerance allows the suunto to be somewhat usable even in the southern hemisphere still up until about the tropic of capricorn ie for northern oz/fiji/tahiti. its middle/southern oz/NZ and SA where you would want the southern hemisphere version for better accuracy. my guess is the FS2 splits the difference more (rather than being weighted towards the northern hemisphere) so you get a bit worse accuracy for say Alaska and Scandanavia as a tradeoff to be usable in SA/NZ still.