SK-8 DIVE COMPASS SH

The Suunto SK-8 is the current generation of Suunto's dive compass, and the upgrade over the SK-7 is a stronger magnet. That gives faster stabilisation, better readability and a wider band of the globe over which a single hemisphere model reads correctly.

The capsule is liquid filled and balanced for the southern hemisphere, which is the correct specification for South African diving. The card settles quickly rather than swinging past the heading, and the markings are legible in the low light where a compass is usually needed. Both a bungee mount and a wrist strap mount are offered.

The result is a bearing a diver can trust on a dark reef. A compass that oscillates costs time on a navigation leg, and a card that dips against the window because it was balanced for the wrong hemisphere is worse than useless. The SK-8's magnet reduces both problems.

Two mounts: a bungee compass with boot, which sits flat on the forearm over a suit, and a strap mount for wearing on the wrist. Both carry the same southern hemisphere capsule, which is stocked separately as a spare. Northern hemisphere versions are not carried.