Odd behaviour by Suunto computer

I use a Suunto Gekko and have had no problems with it at all until the first dive of a recent trip. It displayed AC as soon as I got into the water AND for the entire dive giving me no dive or deco data - fortunately I kept above a buddy so we continued OK on another Suunto. When I got back to the hotel I removed the battery for 5s then replaced it and the computer 'rebooted' and worked perfectly for the rest of the trip (on a very conservative setting!). Has anyone come across this problem before? If so, do you know what caused it?

I use a Suunto Gekko and have had no problems with it at all until the first dive of a recent trip. It displayed AC as soon as I got into the water AND for the entire dive giving me no dive or deco data - fortunately I kept above a buddy so we continued OK on another Suunto. When I got back to the hotel I removed the battery for 5s then replaced it and the computer 'rebooted' and worked perfectly for the rest of the trip (on a very conservative setting!). Has anyone come across this problem before? If so, do you know what caused it?

The first time I changed the battery on my Suunto Mosquito I had a similar problem. I never definitively identified the problem, but when I got back from the dive I did find a small grain of sand jammed in between the battery cover and the casing that caused it to sit slightly higher than it should. I guess I'm lucky it didn't flood - but that may have been because I was only diving to 40 ft.

Ever since, I have placed a small piece of gorilla tape over the battery cover after I open and close it.

It might have been a fluke and had nothing to do with the sand, but it has never happened again after 100+ more dives with the same computer.

I had a similar thing with my viper. It just seem to crash after about 3m. Took it to get the battery changed and have it serviced and it was fine after that.

I had a problem with my Mosquito in Canada - that had me back on the surface when I clearly wasn't - it miss read depths for a few days. Drew suggested here on Wetpixel that it was due to fouling on the pressure sensor. The problem has now gone away, but I have also got a new computer from UWATEC - trust has been eroded in the Suunto.

Alex

I use a Suunto Gekko and have had no problems with it at all until the first dive of a recent trip. It displayed AC as soon as I got into the water AND for the entire dive giving me no dive or deco data - fortunately I kept above a buddy so we continued OK on another Suunto. When I got back to the hotel I removed the battery for 5s then replaced it and the computer 'rebooted' and worked perfectly for the rest of the trip (on a very conservative setting!). Has anyone come across this problem before? If so, do you know what caused it?

I don't use Suunto, myself (just never bought into their system), but I do ALWAYS dive with two computers any time I'm going to be doing multiple dives. That way if one craps out on me, I can continue the trip with the other one and maintain my nitrogen profile. Decent dive computers are pretty cheap these days and I find it to be a very acceptable little insurance policy. As for staying above a dive buddy and using that as a hedge, as long as you were only doing one dive that might be OK but depending on the dive history and profile, sometimes it is better just to surface and live to dive another day. Not preaching, but just saying . . .

I use a Suunto Gekko and have had no problems with it at all until the first dive of a recent trip. It displayed AC as soon as I got into the water AND for the entire dive giving me no dive or deco data - fortunately I kept above a buddy so we continued OK on another Suunto. When I got back to the hotel I removed the battery for 5s then replaced it and the computer 'rebooted' and worked perfectly for the rest of the trip (on a very conservative setting!). Has anyone come across this problem before? If so, do you know what caused it?

Not really helping to answer the cause of the problem, but I have had exactly the same experience - twice - and both times the removal and replacement of the battery made the problem disappear, I did give the battery & contact a good clean though on the assumption of some form of oxidation between the two.

(I also carry two computers when diving).

R

I don't use Suunto, myself (just never bought into their system), but I do ALWAYS dive with two computers any time I'm going to be doing multiple dives.

 

As for staying above a dive buddy and using that as a hedge, as long as you were only doing one dive that might be OK but depending on the dive history and profile, sometimes it is better just to surface and live to dive another day. Not preaching, but just saying . . .

Hi Mike,

Can you share what part of their system you never bought into? Just curious.

I have to ask and at the risk of being the "old fart". What is wrong with knowing your safe dive profile before you jump in the water? Just in case the computer goes haywire. I would suggest that we're diving with two computers anyway if you count the one we're born with. For the record I agree with you that diving somebody elses computer is an accident waiting to happen and I have a Vyper on my gage console with analog depth and I wear a D4. But I also have one of the old plastic cards in my bag. I wouldn't stay on the boat if the software went on vacation. I just have a problem with being overly dependent on the computer. Just saying...

Steve

Suunto Stinger, Vytec, Cobra I & II, Vyper and Mosquito all exhibit this same symptoms.

1, After a dive, it would show I'm still 2-6 ft in water even after 3 hours. It usually goes away after awhile.

2. Computer would go nuts and turn off during a dive. Reportedly, it's due to the battery going low but from 3/4 bar to crazy and skipping the blinking stage means the battery indicator is not reliable.

As photogs, our profiles tend to wander off the PADI profile so relying on the tables is not something I recommend unless it's a muck dive where depth is constant and square profiles are all you do. I dive with Suunto at P1. I have less bottom time at deeper depths but I learnt to be more efficient in my shot making to compensate.

Hi Mike,

Can you share what part of their system you never bought into? Just curious.

 

I have to ask and at the risk of being the "old fart". What is wrong with knowing your safe dive profile before you jump in the water? Just in case the computer goes haywire. I would suggest that we're diving with two computers anyway if you count the one we're born with. For the record I agree with you that diving somebody elses computer is an accident waiting to happen and I have a Vyper on my gage console with analog depth and I wear a D4. But I also have one of the old plastic cards in my bag. I wouldn't stay on the boat if the software went on vacation. I just have a problem with being overly dependent on the computer. Just saying...

Steve

The very conservative profiles and severe penalties that can come up to several dives later for going off their reservation mostly. That and I've been very happy with the other models I've been using so, no need to buy a Suunto. Nothing wrong with them, I just never had a reason to buy one.

As to knowing your profile, etc., nothing is wrong with knowing the profile, but how do you get that information back into the dive computer after you reset the battery? Drew hit on part of it -- if you are diving a square profile and/or staying above one, and charting it carefully, then doing another table dive thereafter then sure, by all means use your brain. But if you start a dive relying on the computer on your wrist and it craps out, then you continue the dive, you're making things complicated. Now add the fact that you get out, remove the batteries on your dive computer and start the next dive as if you hadn't done the one before and it sounds like things could get interesting.

But if you start a dive relying on the computer on your wrist and it craps out, then you continue the dive, you're making things complicated. Now add the fact that you get out, remove the batteries on your dive computer and start the next dive as if you hadn't done the one before and it sounds like things could get interesting.

Thanks guys, I understand where you're coming from. I grew up diving the old Navy tables so I can understand your reluctance to follow the conservative Suunto profiles. I just don't understand how getting out of the water helps in the situation you describe. If we're on the 8th dive of a week long trip lets say and the puter dies. If I've checked my safe depth and bottom time before the dive I can at least carry on for that dive knowing I'm safe. When, I finally do get the chance to change the battery I'm still in the same interesting situation you describe. Do you stay out of the water for 24 hours or so until you can dive your reset computer? I wouldn't, I quess that's why we both carry two. ;-)

I'm just suggesting that I don't "rely on the computer" entirely.

Cheers,

Steve

Hi Paul

I've had similar problems with the resin bodied Suunto computers. They have a two stage activation with two sensors-they will "AC" activate dive mode when the wet contact is wetted, and then start operating oce the depth sensor records a depth (pressuer) of a metre or so.

With the Vyper series (including the Gekko) the depth sensor is on the back of the unit-against the suit/skin etc. If the strap is very tight, or if the suit very thick, there can be a delay in the water reaching the sensor, and hence the computer effectively only switches on at depth. Once this happens, the unit will continue to record erroneus profiles until it is left to "desaturate", or the no fly icon goes out.

I've had some success with punching extra holes in the boot that holds the computer-this allows the water to enter from above and gets round the issue! The depth sensors on the Suunto's can be a PIA-if they are not adequately rinsed, they will assume that you are still diving when you are not etc.

Hope that helps

Adam

If we're on the 8th dive of a week long trip lets say and the puter dies. If I've checked my safe depth and bottom time before the dive I can at least carry for that dive knowing I'm safe. When, I finally do get the chance to change the battery I'm still in the same interesting situation you describe. Do you stay out of the water for 24 hours or so until you can dive your reset computer? I wouldn't, I quess that's why we both carry two. ;-)

 

I'm just suggesting that I don't "rely on the computer" entirely.

 

Cheers,

Steve

Hi Steve!

According to RDP if You haven't exceeded NDL on You'r dive, then max. 6 hrs. surface interval (no matter what dive profile You had) should mean no residual nitrogen is left in You'r tissues. So if You change the batteryes on the dive computer after a dive and stay out of the water max. 6 hrs. then You should be on the safe side. No need to wayt 24 hrs....?

I dive with one computer (Suunto Stinger) and had no problems with it in the past 2 years.

Cheers

Scubamoose

Wow. What a lot of problems!

I wish that more diving magazines did long term tests. If you pick up a car magazine you get reviews of new cars and also an "our cars" section that is about ownership - warts and all. What goes wrong, what needs replacing, how dealers are, costs etc. It would be great to see a similar thing in dive magazines.

The worst piece of dive kit I have had was a Seaquest Passport BC. This wore out after less than 18 months use - starting leaking everywhere. And Seaquest's response, via the dealer, was to paraphrase "that's its lifetime, buy another". I didn't. Yet every review I have read on this product is "excellent light weight BC".

Alex

I had a problem with my Mosquito in Canada - that had me back on the surface when I clearly wasn't - it miss read depths for a few days. Drew suggested here on Wetpixel that it was due to fouling on the pressure sensor. The problem has now gone away, but I have also got a new computer from UWATEC - trust has been eroded in the Suunto.

 

Alex

Now I've had several hundred dives with my Suunto stinger over the past 3 or 4 years without a single problem. It was however my brand new UWATEC Galelio SOL that stopped right at the beginning of a dive. My trusty Stinger enabled me to continue without having to resurface.

Then again 200 trouble free dives later with my SOL I am once again very happy with it. I will however continue diving with 2 computers.

Suunto does seem to be slipping. I have 4 friends with 2 ea D6 and 2 ea D4 and one D6 and one D4 has been returned twice each now. Thats not a very good percentage.

Thanks Guys

FYI I spoke to a friend (an electronics engineer and ex-Comex Sat diver) who immediately suspected a 'software glitch' which he added is probably very difficult to recreate - hence why I wondered if anyone else had had a similar 'glitch'. His suggestion - ignore/additional computer!

Also FYI, after 'rebooting' via battery in/out, I did continue to dive. I reset the computer to a more conservative setting and dived with my wife - whom I had stayed slightly above for the 'none computer' dive and dived somewhat conservatively. By the next day the computers were close in their deco info and I was happy to continue.

We've had it on a few of our diveguide units. I've just picked one up from repair so i can test it out when i get back to the resort. I think it is a result of two problems:

1. improper battery installation causing the battery to shift at depth.

2. dirty pressure sensor - our staff units get gunked up pretty quickly.

Scuba_SI

I replaced the battery about a year ago - its worked fine prior to this. I suppose the reduced aircraft cabin pressure could have caused an expansion and battery shift but its been there before.

The pressure sensor wouldn't be affected by a battery in/out would it?

It shouldn't be affected by battery in and out, however these are the cheaper units in the Suunto line... The broken resort computer I have in front of me has done 502 dives, the other one recently submited for repair has done around the same amount. My 'top end' stinger did nearly 3000 and was doing fine until i retired it - maybe it is a reflection of the price and cheaper parts used in the gekko models?

Or if lots of people are having problems maybe we can link it to a batch.

My broken units are serials:

806081

521189

So to me that doesnt really fit with a bad batch in my opinion.

With the battery in/out making a difference could it be the placement of that little black plastic thingy under the battery cover? Over time/changes in pressure could it jiggle about and eventually cause the unit to malfunction at depth? (ours were dying below about 21meters - the computers that is, not the guides ).

Simon, as I said my Stinger also had the same issue, as did the Vytec and Cobra. I don't think it's the lower or higher end but your battery theory is as good as any.

I've had it not end after I'm on the boat. Still diving at 0.5-2m for hours. I'd finally just pull the battery and it'd be over it. It didn't happen too often but usually after the first year or so. I clean my contacts and flush the pressure gauge area now quite frequently but it still does that once in a while. As I dive with 2 computers, I compare dive times after reset and it's comparable so it doesn't forget previous dives, which is why I still use them. I was close to pulling out the old Explorer for awhile.

Amigos,

I'm surprised to read of these various Suunto computer line problems. I see lots of divers using them and not having problems. Maybe UW photographers just use them more than your average recreational diver?

Two computers as Mike O./ and other recommend is cheap insurance to keep diving and shooting. I use two older Benemec produced models (Orca Pilot, Dive Rite Status, Dacor AIR, Equanox and Transcend models are some that were "badged" for those dive mfrs.) and were last produced years ago in Finland by a smaller company that was a competitor of Suunto.

They lost favor due to the wet contacts but mine are going strong after 1,000s of dives. Clean the contacts once in awhile with pencil eraser and dry them in between dives so they don't keep running time wise as many in this thread mention is a possible problem with Suunto models especially in hose mounted or other boots. I wear them wrist mounted so having the pressure transducer kick on isn't a problem.

My wife does somehow keep bumping the contacts on hers kicking it into meters versus feet or C versus F temperature.

Using user changeable batteries, they give 50 HOURS of dive time left when the battery is getting weak. But they have one main feature I refuse to change to another computer for. These models produced in Europe followed the philosophy even back to the ORCA computer models of NEVER LOCKING YOU OUT, even if you violate deco obligations......

They WILL penalize you severely on any subsequent no-deco times if you have such an event and choose to keep diving. But they won't fail to deliver information. One of mine even has 8 settings of conservative or liberal calculations. Being old and not SEAL TEAM physique I set mine to the slightly more conservative settings.

In the USA's litiguous society this is heresy today and why you won't find a dive computer sold here with this type of algorthim. Even in the conservative setting it's a bit more liberal than many computers sold today.

Many would say this is dangerous but I was there when the Orca EDGE came out. Then the air integrated Phoenix and the SkinnyDipper / Marathon models with over 10 million recorded dives on their algorithms with practically zippo deco problems. Sport divers set many of the new computer use protocols just by doing 3, 4, and 5 or more repetitive dives a day as travel to far off places came into being.

With any computer common sense, lots of hydration and rest and these days I do a 1/2 max depth stop for 2 minutes and usually a MINIMUM of 5 minutes at 15' / 5M. Knock on wood I haven't seen the inside of a chamber yet in 40 years of diving...........

YMMV

dhaas