Suunto Stinger Advanced Dive Wristop Computer Watch

The Stinger comes in three different versions: this one with a titanium housing, one with a metallic band, and one with an elastic strap.

Suunto Stinger implements a Suunto-specific ceiling and floor feature. The decompression floor is the deepest point at which the ascent time will not increase. The decompression ceiling is the shallowest depth to which you should ascend. These depths provide the range where the diver utilizes the decompression stop most efficiently. Suunto Stinger uses the Suunto Reduced Gradient Bubble Model (RGBM) for decompression calculations.

You can adjust the Suunto Stinger for diving at altitudes up to 3,000 meters (10,000 feet), and a personal level of conservatism can be added if desired. It enables you to set dive time and maximum depth alarms before your dive. The clear electro-luminescent backlight is activated automatically when dive alarms are given, making the dive parameters clearly visible and legible. The system is highly energy-efficient with only minimal power consumption. The built-in dive planning function helps you plan your next dive by showing you the no-decompression time data for different depths.

In the Nitrox mode, you can program Suunto Stinger for nitrox mixtures of 21 to 50-percent oxygen in 1-percent increments. You can also adjust it for oxygen partial pressure from 1.2 bar to 1.6 bar in 0.1-unit increments. Suunto Stinger gives both visual and audible alarms when the limit for oxygen partial pressure, CNS or OTU values are exceeded.

For freediving enthusiasts, Suunto Stinger introduces a 1-second precision timer with selectable 2, 4, 10, 20, 30 or 60-second profile memory-sampling rates. After 5 minutes of continuous diving in the Free mode, it automatically switches to Gauge mode. In both the Free and Gauge mode you can use a run-time timer. This makes Suunto Stinger also ideal for technical and military diving.

The triple o-ring pushbuttons and its monocase design without a separate rear cover make Suunto Stinger virtually leakproof. The case has a pressure rating of 20 ATM (660 feet), so you can rely on the Stinger to work at the deepest depths.

The Suunto Dive Manager (SDM) software that enables deeper understanding and better graphical representation of the data recorded and stored with Suunto Stinger. With SDM you can upload your dives to a PC and create a more detailed dive logbook. Here you can analyze and plan your sports activities and keep a training diary.

Suunto Sports Community The SuuntoSports.com Internet site enables you to share information with other cross-sport enthusiasts from around the world. You can share statistics, learn new things, exchange ideas, and pick up useful tips from people equally passionate about sport. You can also upload your data from Suunto Trek Manager to SuuntoSports.com in order to compare your performance with others, relate tales of your wildest adventures or simply share your hiking and training experiences, travel reports and digital photos with friends or the entire

What's in the Box This package contains the titanium Suunto Stinger wrist-top computer and printed instruction manual. It is backed by a one-year warranty.

I've owned one for almost two years and the best feature I can think of is that its very simple to use. It takes care of all the administive details for you. Depth, dynamically keeps recalculating how much time you have left at your current depth, safety stop timer, when you're topside it keeps track of your surface intervals and refactors for your next dive. No flying warnings appear as appropriate.

It made me a more aware diver. When I started using it, I noticed it kept beeping at me telling me I was ascending too fast or descending too fast - ie breaking rules. It was annoying at first but the sad fact was that I was breaking rules and didn't even know it and I was putting myself in a higher risk category. I paid attention to the warnings and I think I'm safer for it. Now my Suunto doesn't beep much when I dive.

The algorithm it uses is very conservative so I'm comfortable.

It is not air integrated so you still have to look at your pressure guages. But if you rent your equipment or you're a new diver, this is the first thing to buy (literally buy it with your mask, fins, snorkle, and wetsuit) before you start going out for regulators or BCDs and stuff like that. It just takes makes diving more enjoyable. Its especially useful for multiday dive trips where you're renting gear every day...it keeps track of your no fly times which on long dive trips can extend more than 12 hours so the computer tells you when not to fly.

Titanium is very light. I use the plastic strap mostly because its easier to put on and off with a dive suit. The Titanium strap looks cool though. I generally don't wear it as a watch...its huge and you can tell its a dive computer - if you're 6'5" maybe you can use it as a watch. I do wear it on diving vacations though as my primary.

It has a bunch of features too nitrox mixes, dive planning, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

An interesting thing is that if you break too many rules or do something that puts you in a higher risk of microbubbles and things like that, it will give you warnings telling you not to dive. I received one of those infractions once. Consider it your diving police officer. It is pretty merciless though.

When I get home I download the data to my computer and it tells me exactly what I was doing.