Compass Recommendations

[tbone1004]

Cheap one from Wally World. Works fine, if you lose it, no biggie

Silva Polaris Base Plate Compass at REI.com

we use those, superglue em to homemade slates and you're good to go. Much more accurate than dive compasses and you can use em to lay on lines and get accurate readings etc etc

 

[Bob DBF]

Depends on your use and preferences. Personally I don't care for anything on my wrists, a topic for another thread or deep psychoanalysis.

When I used the compass rarely, the console was a good place for it. Now that I am using the compass a lot more often, I found one on a small slate (Compass Slate ) with a retractor that has been working out very well for me.


Bob
--------------------------------
I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.

 

[TSandM]

If you use a compass frequently, the SK7 in the DSS mount is the only way to go, in my opinion.

However, if you are doing some kind of precision navigation (as opposed to what I do, which is generally understand the direction to the reef and to get home) you may want to have the compass on a clip-on retractor, so that you can hold it precisely out in front of you -- this is also fine if you rarely need to use it.

I don't like anything on a console. You lose the convenience of a wrist-mounted gauge, but may still have trouble getting the compass precisely in front of you -- plus you're pulling up a bulky console, instead of a simple compass mount.

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Be careful if you're prying it out! From what I could tell, the plastic on the underside of the capsule isn't all that thick. I thought I heard something crack when I pryed my compass out of the original mount, but all was well.

I read on threads where several people damaged their with the pry method. That is why I decided to carefully cut the original boot. I made a shallow slit. Then came to the each side if the slit and made a v cut to removed some material. Repeated that a couple of times as the material was too thick for a direct straight down cut. It came out very nicely that way. If you tried to make the cut all in one fowl swoop, I suspect you would damage the retaining ring--which if often damaged with the pry method. I think the relief carving method works well. I have done it on two compasses to removed them for he original boot.

And here I thought the thread was going to be the first thread in SB history to have universal agreement on something and that the SK7 would lead the board to unity!

FYI, the SK7 can be mounted in a console too.

If you decide on the bungee mount our need bungee for anything else. Your local sewing store should carry 1/4 in bungee. Most of them only carry black. It is sold by the yard. They might not call bungee but rather 1/4 round covered elastic. I made a goodman handle of sorts for one of my flashlights using 1/4 bungee.

Curious about those homemade slates. What to you make them out of? That sounds like a promising idea. Please tell us more!

 

[wills029]

SK7 with DSS bungee mount if you are wearing a drysuit or thick wetsuit.

SK7 with wrist mount for thin wetsuit or shortie.

I have and use both types.

To echo everyone else, you won't go wrong with the SK7.

Bill

 

[Leisure Proski]

Everybody knows what compass to buy the Suunto SK 7 Now were to buy it? Have you checked out Leisure Pro They have the product at a great price. You can save between 26% to 30% on the wrist or retractor models off retial price. Just go to Leisure Pro's webpage and type in Suunto Compass in the search window to see all options.

Sincerely,

Leisure Proski

 

[fjpatrum]

Interesting that everyone is recommending the SK-7. In the DIY section there is currently a thread with several folks mentioning that the oil in their SK-7s mysteriously leaked out. The thread is "how not to repair a compass" or something like that.

That said, I have no other opinion on the matter. A compass is a compass for the most part and I'm inclined to go with the orienteering compass saxplayer1004 linked as I am a "scuba compass" that costs 15 times as much and works the same.

 

[knowone]

The most effective practical way to learn how to use a compass is to lanyard one to to your wrist.

If you already have Oceanic, consider a second hand Oceanic console, for ease and accuracy if you think a compass will be an important component of your diving.
Or find a console that matches your regs.
It may come with a computer or a gauge will increase your options and is more cost effective than individual components.
This inclusion will increase the value of your reg set.

If you cannot remove a compass from a boot without damaging either to sell what's left to buy the other bits or to keep to start your instrument boot collection
You are not ready for a compass and shouldn't be vandalising diving equipment.

Depending on your diving wrist things can be more of a hindrance than the perceived negatives of a console.

Wrist things and bungee may be required by some for very pertinent reasons but does not a diver make.


It is interesting, that when replacing compass module capsules on the shop gear the cause used to be tank or weight dropping on related.

Now it seems there has been invented a new method.

 

[ptyx]

A compass is a compass for the most part.

Nope.
Orienteering compasses need to be perfectly level to point north. Which isn't much an issue when you're on land and have a good idea about what's horizontal and what's not.

Boat/diving compasses, on the other hand, can work with some tilt - up to 30% for the SK7 if I remember correctly. Which is a very nice feature when you're bouncing at the surface, or you're somewhat disoriented with no clear horizontal reference (it can happen in poor visibility - which is exactly when you need the compass the most).

Also good dive compasses have a fluorescent card, and are a lot easier to use at night than the basic orienteering ones.

That said, I don't like the bulk of the SK7 and I am using a SK5 myself - the couple extra seconds I need to make sure it rotates freely before taking any alignment is a good tradeoff for the reduced bulk.

 

[fnfalman]

I like the Suunto SK7 just because the numbers are big and easy to read. I also had a UWATEC and hated it. It may be small and more compact but the numbers are all closed up and practically merged into each other.

The Suunto's bulk doesn't bother me because I already have other things strapped to my body that are a lot bigger.