Tusa compass

[Rambo2]

Hi - I am a new OWD and am starting to buy gear. One of the first items on the list is a compass. I like the Tusa combo analog spg and compass but I can find NO mention of a Tusa compass being a reliable and quality instrument. Everybody loves/buys/recommends the Suunto SK-7. Will I regret buying the Tusa compass?
Thanks
Dave
BTW, I love this board and wish I knew how to "like" replies.

 

[dfx]

You "like" posts by clicking the "like" button in the bottom right corner.

I can't comment on the Tusa compass, but I'll say that I bought the cheapest compass I could find and for my needs, it works just fine. I don't do a lot of navigation and only use it once in a blue moon, and for that I have no use for a more expensive, higher performance compass. YMMV.

 

[idive2]

I like the compasses that have a very large and obvious arrow that indicate north.
The mark on the actual magnetic dial not the mark on the bezel. I always liked oceanic
compasses for that reason, very large arrow indicating north. Also some consoles position
a compass on the backside of the console requiring you to turn it over from the spg side
to the compass side. I didn't quite get that, it was shorter but have to rotate it to see the
other side seemed like it would be a hastle.

 

[keyshunter]

Rambo.
As long as a compass points north reliably, it doesn't matter what name is on it. I doubt that any of the scuba manufacturers (with the possible exception of Suunto) make their own compasses anyway. The important thing is that you learn to use it and use it reasonably well. As it is used most often, a compass is a great aid in finding the boat or entry point. If he wants to see something other than his compass, the average sport diver doesn't spend a lot of time following an exact course, so absolute precision is not a big deal.

The Suunto SK-7 is an excellent compass, but it is big and bulky. I have one around here somewhere, but since I prefer wrist compasses, I usually use a thinner one. But, even if I know the area very well, I NEVER enter the water on scuba without a compass.