Beware: premature Suunto D4 Strap failures

[D_Vince]

Update: They are made and ready to sell for the Suunto D6's and the Suunto D9's (So far thats all) we laso have the heaviest Zulu type band I have seen anywhere available as an add on or Alone.
They are 24mm width to fit the lugs of the D6-9 Adapters, but I laso have some made for the Suunto Stinger (22 MM width)
Check them out at "Tibby-Adapters.com"

Cheers
Duke

 

[ed.hamilton1]

Had the same problem with my D6 strap and thought I was being heavy handed, had my new strap for a year and 500+ dives and careful handling its still going strong.

 

[CheeseAndJamSandwich]

An update...

Strap No. 5 fitted...

At the beginning of February, yet another strap broke! Lots of cracks apeared on the underside as usual... (which was shortly after the little retaining loop broke... so that seems to be a reliable warning signal... it's warned me each time).

These are repeatedly breaking within almost exactly 12 months of their life.

Definitely looks like another case of perfectly implemented Planned Obsolescence. And leaving us with no option but to purchase another suunto strap as there's no alternative for a D4 (that i know of)

Suunto, this is an absolute disgraceful joke! :-(

 

[Doc Harry]

Maybe you should replace the stock Suunto elastomer strap with a Waterborne strap.

1+

Love the Waterborne.

 

[buddhasummer]

1+

Love the Waterborne.

Love them too but they will not fit, unless you can use the mod someone made but I think that's only D9 and D6.

 

[Doc Harry]

Love them too but they will not fit, unless you can use the mod someone made but I think that's only D9 and D6.

I have the Waterborne on my Suunto D3

 

[buddhasummer]

I have the Waterborne on my Suunto D3

But I believe the D9, D6 and D4 use a proprietary fitting.

 

[CheeseAndJamSandwich]

But I believe the D9, D6 and D4 use a proprietary fitting.

This is the really ...kin annoying thing about Suuntos... If they had standard strap pins, we would dump the elastomer strap asap and put on a Waterborne , or velcro one, etc, etc... And then never have a dive computer fall off our hands again (leaving us stranded at an unknown depth after an unknown time... i.e. not in a nice place... AND we've probably lost the £250 worth of computer with all our logged dive profiles on it) These are a key item for diver safety (i.e. death at the extreme end of possible outcomes of loosing one)
We're stuck with expensive straps that can't even last 12 months!
Planned obsolescence is definitely the most likely cause... They designed/spec'd the material to fail after a certain time... Normal with everything these days... But they buggered it up as they're supposed to last until comfortably after their 1yr warranty... Not less!

 

[buddhasummer]

This is the really ...kin annoying thing about Suuntos... If they had standard strap pins, we would dump the elastomer strap asap and put on a Waterborne , or velcro one, etc, etc... And then never have a dive computer fall off our hands again (leaving us stranded at an unknown depth after an unknown time... i.e. not in a nice place... AND we've probably lost the £250 worth of computer with all our logged dive profiles on it) These are a key item for diver safety (i.e. death at the extreme end of possible outcomes of loosing one)
We're stuck with expensive straps that can't even last 12 months!
Planned obsolescence is definitely the most likely cause... They designed/spec'd the material to fail after a certain time... Normal with everything these days... But they buggered it up as they're supposed to last until comfortably after their 1yr warranty... Not less!

Totally agree, I was considering at one point buying a Suunto watch comp but instantly decided against it once I discovered A) how bad the straps were and B) that they could not be swapped for waterborne or the like. I had an old Suunto Mosquito and could fit a Waterborne to that one.

 

[CheeseAndJamSandwich]

Here's some pics of straps No. 3 & 4
(I'll try and find the other 2 later (Tho strap no 1 is in an earlier post above)

Note the cracking again.