SUUNTO D9TX
The biggest change for the flagship D9 is the upgrade to trimix allowing any image conscious, helium breathing technical divers to dive in style using the world’s first trimix watch dive computer and still have all the functionality they need from an advanced dive computer. It has also had a bit of a face lift with a very stylish gunmetal titanium finish which has been receiving many admiring remarks. Some of the other features include:
- Full Continuous algorithm (Suunto Technical RGBM)
- Gas Switch (eight gases)
- Three modes: air, mixed gas and gauge
- 3D tilt-compensated compass
- Optional wireless air integrated
- Dive mode timer
- All new electronic internals to increase memory and accuracy
- Optional titanium bracelet (available late 2011)
SUUNTO D6I
The D6 also gets some hefty upgrades including wireless integration (very much missing from the original) and the new 3D tilt-compensated digital compass. Other features include:
- Optional wireless integration (transmitter not included) displaying current pressure and remaining air time
- Full continuous decompression algorithm
- Gas switching
- Timer in Dive Mode
- Four dive modes; air, nitrox, free and gauge.
- All new electronic internals to increase memory and accuracy
- Steel bracelet option
SUUNTO D4I
Finally, the D4 has also been touched up with the upgrade brush. Although visually the computer looks the same its biggest improvement is the addition of the optional wireless integration giving that extra level of information in one convenient place. The other features including:
- Full continuous decompression algorithm
- Timer in Dive Mode
- Three dive modes: air, nitrox and free
- All new electronic internals to increase memory and accuracy
- Colour options including black, blue, red, yellow and white (with a black strap)
The internal electronics have been fully redesigned to pack in all these extra features but the significant changes include increased memory to 140 hours, new transfer cable giving significantly faster data speeds, a new digital pressure sensor for greater accuracy and better tank pressure data reception. The menu system has been revised to bring the more regularly accessed features to the front of the options to reduce button pushing and streamline the process. There are lots of minor tweaks and improvements that have been made that aren’t immediately obvious without comparing old for new including some of the useful information such as surface time between dives has been brought forward to the time mode. Equally important is the announcement of the latest version of their software, Dive Manager 4 and its integration into Suunto’s online sports community, Movescount.com. The Dive Manager software is free to download and upgrade so head straight over to Suunto when the new version is available. Movescount.com is a free service provided by Suunto to all users to come together in one place, allowing everyone to share their ‘moves’ with the world, groups and friends. The other outdoor sports sectors (above the water) have been benefiting from Movescount.com for some time now and has been incredibly popular with thousands of groups and tens of thousands of members across the world who will shortly be joined by tens of thousands of divers using Suunto dive computers. Suunto Dive Manager 4 will allow divers to automatically upload their dives (should they choose to do so) to Movescount.com and then on to various social media systems including Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, etc (again should they choose to do so), sharing their dive experiences. So, if you have been on holiday and want to share a spectacular dive with your buddies or the whole world Dive Manager 4 and Movescount.com provide the simple means to do so with just a few clicks of a button. Even if you don’t have a PC transfer compatible dive computer there are two bits of good news.
- Dive Manager for Mac has been chalked up on the board for release late 2011.
- You can still participate with Movescount.com by manually entering your dive details and getting to know like minded people online.
So… interesting things coming out of Suunto this year, something for the divers looking for the next new piece of kit and also something for the divers who are happy with what they’ve got but are just looking for some new features and uses.