Used Suunto Stinger a Good Buy?

I'm thinking about buying a used Suunto Stinger. It looks to be in very good shape but the battery is dead. The seller is asking $195, and since he cannot prove it is functional without having the battery changed, he has offered to refund me if it has any problems. However, this is contingent upon my getting the battery changed at my LDS, so I won't be able to change it myself, and the cost of the battery change will be added in.

I'm just getting into freediving, so would use the stinger for its freediving/gauge functions, and as a backup for scuba (I normally dive a gekko).

Any other stingers I can find online have much higher asking prices. Is this a good deal?

Buyer beware.

Research the cost of battery replacement and add that to the cost of the purchase. If it still looks like a good deal, and you can afford to eat the cost of the battery service if it is indeed a lemon, then why not? The Stinger is a good computer and it's a shame they aren't producing them anymore.

However for $200-$250, you could probably find a new computer with a gauge mode.

supergaijin:

However for $200-$250, you could probably find a new computer with a gauge mode.

Click to expand...

Perhaps, but the stinger appeals to me a lot for freediving because of its small size. For a similar sized one I would be looking at the D4 probably, wouldn't I? The D4 is well out of my price range.

Reducing computer size has an inverse relationship with price unfortunately. A 'normal' size computer won't cause that much drag for freediving. I had a Suunto Vyper with gauge mode years ago- it never stopped me going to 20m.

supergaijin:

Reducing computer size has an inverse relationship with price unfortunately. A 'normal' size computer won't cause that much drag for freediving. I had a Suunto Vyper with gauge mode years ago- it never stopped me going to 20m.

Click to expand...

Good point. I'm going to pass on the stinger and look for a computer with gauge mode and a user replaceable battery.