Suunto Cobra Disappointment - looking for a new brand

[Dr. Lecter]

In any case, while I think it's great that some companies will replace products that are 8, 10 or more years old, we consumers can't expect that to be the norm.

Actually, we can and should. If I got the same customer service from Atomic that I've seen and heard about Suunto delivering, I'd find a different company to buy stuff from.

 

[pndldy]

I also had a Suunto cobra that I bought in 2007, so nit sure when it was actually made, stopped registering the first 15 foot of water of each dive. Sent it in to be serviced and was told not repairable. If you get 5 years out of the Suunto that is acceptable, well not to me.

 

[muzikbiz22]

From what I found in Wikipedia, the same multinational company owns Atomic and Suunto as well as a number of other major sporting goods brands, such as Wilson and Salomon. Interesting.

This is NOT Atomic, the scuba company. This is a ski company. Atomic Aquatics, is owned by another/different company.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I would not even worry about buying a computer if one dives that infrequently. analog gauges and a decent dive watch with tables is more than sufficient.

 

[Lorenzoid]

This is NOT Atomic, the scuba company. This is a ski company. Atomic Aquatics, is owned by another/different company.

Nobody was referring to Atomic Aquatics. The OP had mentioned he took his Atomic skis in for repair.

 

[hang10]

1 - Your computer is old.
2 - Things with batteries that "sit around for years", DIE
3 - Your friend went to Fiji and his computer "didn't work out of the box". Guess he should have tried it first before leaving, not Suunto's fault.
4 - Look up Suunto Care in Long Beach, they do repairs, regardless of warranty.
5 - I have hundreds of dives on 2 different Suunto products, NO ISSUES, including any wireless issues.
6 - You're a "network engineer" and see corporations running core networks on 10 year old + equip. May I have someone from CISCO call you ?

1. yes its old, so what?
2. the battery dies but not necessarily the device.
3. he did have a LDS set it up for him with his reg setup. im sure they synced it at the shop but when he got to fiji to use it, it did not work. suunto's fault or lds fault? i dunno. was just stating facts.
4. Looked them up. They are strangely not listed as a Service Center on Suunto's website. They are listed as a retailer only. Regardless, I looked them up today and called them. Super nice guys but they are telling me the same thing that every other service center has told me. It is NOT repairable and I have to buy a new computer module. They are the 3rd Suunto Service center that confirmed that SUUNTO KNOWS OF THIS ISSUE AND HAS EXTENDED THEIR WARRANTY TO 5 YEARS BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. Too bad im still outside of the 5 years.
5. Im sure you do have hundreds of dives as do other with old and new suunto computers, including cobra. I think i saw a post somewhere where a diver has 988 dives on their cobra on a SINGLE battery! amazing. I wish i had his computer. However, Suunto knows that they had a batch (who knows how big or small) of computers with bad depth sensors, hence them extending their warranty.
6. sure...? im CCNA, CCNP, CCDA, CCDP certified.

Have you considered a low end computer? a used one? There is no need to spend $600+ just for the occasional dive.

Buy a couple and then toss them when they stop working.

My latest used dive computer purchase arrived in the mail today. $34 and free shipping. With luck it will fire up okay after I replace the battery. If not, then I just bought a "strap" for $20 less than retail and will toss the rest of the computer.

yeh i think im going to actually just go analog for my SPG and then get a non AI dive computer for my wrist. I think that would work better for the way I dive. I usually have a spear and game bag so its hard to hold my inflator hose, computer and spear all at the same time while trying to deco.

Okay, I see. My guess is that it's not that their customer service is lacking but rather that they no longer use the same pressure sensor in the Cobra that they did in 2005 and/or the design has changed in some other way such that they no longer have the capability of repairing it. (And since it's out of warranty, you can't really expect them to replace it for free.) For example, maybe they just don't stock spares of that type of pressure sensor anymore. Who knows. But it seems to me that it's asking a lot to expect a manufacturer of any complex consumer-grade electronic device to retain the capability of repairing a product manufactured eight years ago. It's not like the auto industry, where dealers will stock parts for model years going back decades. Dive computers are specialized gear, made by relatively small companies in comparison to, say, the auto industry or general consumer electronics industry.

Sorry to hear that yours really did seem to suffer a manufacturing defect that didn't show up until dive No. 41 or so. It's Murphy's Law that things seem to break just after the warranty expires. It is indeed possible Suunto had a bad batch of sensors or something.

hm, not really. I meant that their customer service is lacking. Plain and simple. They are hard to get a hold of aside from a call center and their email replies are super slow and generic.

Can I ask what the battery condition was when you re-activated the unit? Is it possible that you entered the water with a computer that was already dead?

The unit still turned on but it said Batt Low so i replaced it with a new Suunto Battery Kit prior to my dive.

I would not even worry about buying a computer if one dives that infrequently. analog gauges and a decent dive watch with tables is more than sufficient.

well, hopefully I'll be diving more frequently now However, I think im going to keep it simple. My dives consist of diving for lobster, urchin, spearing fish and the like. I am going to get a analog SPG and get a "simple" non AI wrist mount computer. I've dove maybe 8 times (4x2 tank dives) in the last month - month 1/2 (borrowing or renting a computer )

---------- Post added October 2nd, 2013 at 06:38 PM ----------

dang i had a lot of responses today. I was so busy with work today that i couldnt respond.

anyhoos, i actually got a call from Suunto NA today! They called to apologize for the inconveniences and that they could not replace the computer. She was really nice so there was no reason for me to give her major attitude or anything. I simply explained my views and concerns and she thanked me for my feedback.

 

[muzikbiz22]

Nobody was referring to Atomic Aquatics. The OP had mentioned he took his Atomic skis in for repair.

Yep, totally understood. Just wanted to clarify for those that may have needed it

 

[soonerwink]

I got the same response from Suunto a couple of years ago on a Vytec that the depth sensor also went bad. I bought an Atomic Cobalt, even though they offered to sell me a Vyper Air for only $600.00, not including transmitter. At least they admitted to you that there was a problem with their sensors. They wouldn't admit it to me.

 

[hang10]

I got the same response from Suunto a couple of years ago on a Vytec that the depth sensor also went bad. I bought an Atomic Cobalt, even though they offered to sell me a Vyper Air for only $600.00, not including transmitter. At least they admitted to you that there was a problem with their sensors. They wouldn't admit it to me.

that sucks. yeh, the lady from Suunto NA told me thats why they had extended the warranty to 5 years. i would love an atomic cobalt but too rich for my blood

 

[NCadiver]

1 -
3 - Your friend went to Fiji and his computer "didn't work out of the box". Guess he should have tried it first before leaving, not Suunto's fault.

3. he did have a LDS set it up for him with his reg setup. im sure they synced it at the shop but when he got to fiji to use it, it did not work. suunto's fault or lds fault? i dunno. was just stating facts.

6. sure...? im CCNA, CCNP, CCDA, CCDP certified.

It didn't fail out of the box like you said, most likely user error.

You're supposed to service the computer ever two years which you did mention, whether you use it or not and no use is worst then using it frequently.

And why didn't you just say CCNP and CCDP or why didn't you add CCNET as well.