Suunto SK-6, SK-5, SK-7, Diving Compasses User Manual

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Diving Compasses

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CUSTOMER SERVICE
CONTACTS

Suunto Oy

Phone[phone]

Fax [phone]

Suunto

USA Phone[phone]

Canada Phone[phone]

European Call Center

Phone [phone]

Suunto Website

www.suunto.com

EN

2

THE SUUNTO DIVING COMPASSES

USER'S GUIDE

The high-quality, liquid-filled Suunto diving
compasses are durable, reliable and easy to
use. The Suunto diving compass range
includes both wrist and combo models. The
SK-6 and SK-7 compasses have a side reading
window.

The direction line, which indicates the direction
of your destination, is indicated as follows:

Compass Direction line

SK-5 wrist compass Arrow on the compass
body and capsule.

SK-6 wrist compass Arrow on the

compass body

SK-6 combo compass No line, the console

center line shows
the direction.

SK-7 wrist compass Red line on the

compass capsule

SK-7 combo compass Red line on the

compass capsule and

console center line.

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COMPASS USE FOR DIVERS

ABOVE WATER

- Sighting a compass bearing

Hold the compass so that the compass is in a
horizontal position and the direction line points
away from you. Turn with the compass until the
direction line points at your destination, then
turn the direction ring until the magnetic North
needle is aligned between the direction slit
marks. The index mark, or on the SK-7 com­pass the front end of the direction line, shows
your compass bearing, and as long as the
North needle is aligned between the slit marks,
the direction line points toward your destination.
If the compass has a side-reading window, you
can also take a bearing by directing the com­pass towards the destination and by reading
the compass bearing from the side window.
This bearing can be memorized by turning the
direction ring to that bearing.

- Obtaining a bearing from a map

Place the compass on the map, the direction
line pointing from your point of departure to
your destination. If necessary, use a ruler to
connect the two points, and hold the compass

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against the ruler. Turn the direction ring until the
direction slit marks point to the magnetic North
on the map. When proceeding from map to ter­rain, all you have to do is keep the North needle
between the slit marks while going from point of
departure to destination.

- Setting a given bearing or direction

The scale division is 360 degrees going coun­terclockwise (clockwise in SK-7) from 0
degrees at North. Turn the direction ring until
the index mark, or on the SK-7 compass the
front end of the direction line, is at the desired
direction. Turn the compass until the needle
falls between the slit marks. The direction line
now points in the desired direction.

- Magnetic declination

Maps are drawn in correlation to the geographic
poles, while the magnetic compass needle is
subject to magnetic declination, which varies
according to the location. For absolutely exact
map work, local declination (which is usually
given on the map) should be taken into
account.

- General orientation on the diving site

Before diving, check the main compass bear-

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ings at the diving site, paying special attention
to memorizing the direction of the shoreline and
bearings of landmarks that may be of impor­tance.

UNDER WATER

Natural aids to underwater navigation

- The underwater extension of the shore's
inclination tells the diver if he is following the
shoreline. Be extremely careful, however:
underwater ridges may lead you astray. Sur­face occasionally to check.

- The dip and stratification of rocks on the
shore can often be followed over large areas
under water.

- Sand ripples form long lines parallel to the
shore.

- The direction of currents should be noted by
their effect on algae or drifting particles. (Use
the compass to check the bearing of the cur­rent).

- In shallow water, the sun's direction can be
seen from shadows on the bottom, or by
looking toward the surface.

- Swimming in a straight line along the bottom

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is greatly facilitated if you can line up three
distinctive objects in your line of vision. As
you reach the first one, line up a new one
farther away, so that you again have three
points determining your course. This way
you can counteract the effect of a side cur­rent.

Using the compass under water

- Usually, a compass must be held precisely in
a horizontal position, otherwise the magnetic
needle will stick. However, the SK-5 com­pass may be inclined about ±10 degrees
from the horizontal. In the SK-6 the allowed
inclination is approximately ±14 degrees and
in the SK-7 approximately ±30 degrees.

- Do not attempt to use the compass before
you come to rest and can align the compass
horizontally with the aid of a flat bottom, a
glimpse of the surface, your own bubbles
going up, or the pull of gravity. When doubt­ful, as in darkness or very murky water, turn
the compass slowly right and left, checking
that the North needle swings freely, before
trusting your bearing.

- Swimming along the bottom, make use of
fixed points. Keep still until the needle set-

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tles between the slit marks (your predeter­mined bearing), choose a distinctive object
near the edge of vision in that direction,
swim toward it, and repeat the operation on
reaching it.

- Commonly, the diver wants to follow a pre­determined bearing under water, trying to
reach a wreck, a rock etc. When submerging
after obtaining the bearing on the surface,
he must be careful not to accidentally disturb
the direction ring, and to be on the safe side,
the compass bearing should always be
memorized.

- Avoid swimming long distances "in the blue”.
With practice you can swim straight by hold­ing the compass constantly in front of your
face, making sure that the direction line as
precisely as possible points in your swim­ming direction. This can be facilitated by
holding the compass in your hand instead of
attaching it to your wrist. When possible,
start by diving straight down to the bottom,
then use the compass to follow fixed points,
as described above.

- In clear water, the compass can be used to
swim in a search pattern over a fairly large
area. Count your swim kick pairs (each left

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or each right kick), swimming on one of the
main bearings (North, South, East, West).
Count to 100 kick pairs (roughly 100
meters), turn 90 degrees, swim a few kicks,
then turn 90 degrees further, and again swim
100 kick pairs. The pattern is continued for
as long as necessary. The side displace­ment between the long legs in a search pat­tern depends on visibility. Make it preferably
shorter than theoretically possible, as your
directional error on the long legs is apt to be
in the order of several degrees.

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COORDONNÉES DU SERVICE
CLIENTÈLE

Suunto Oy Tél. [phone]

Fax [phone]
Suunto
USA Tél. [phone]
Canada Tél. [phone]
Centre d'appels pour l'Europe

Tél. [phone]

Site Web Suunto

www.suunto.com

FR

2

BOUSSOLES ET COMPAS DE
PLONGÉE SUUNTO

GUIDE DE L'UTILISATEUR

Les boussoles et compas de plongée Suunto à
bain amortisseur sont des instruments de haute
qualité, résistants, fiables et faciles à utiliser.

Les boussoles et compas de plongée Suunto
sont disponibles en version bracelet ou module
pour console. Les modèles SK-6 et SK-7
comportent une fenêtre de visée latérale SK-80
est équipe d'un profondimètre.

La ligne de foi, qui indique la direction du but à
atteindre, diffère suivant les modèles

Modèles Ligne de foi

SK-5 bracelet Flèche sur la capsule et

le corps de l'instrument.

SK-6 bracelet Flèche sur le corps de

l'instrument.

SK-6 module Pas de ligne, l'axe

de la console indique
la direction.

SK-7 bracelet Ligne rouge sur la capsule

de l'instrument

SK-7 module Ligne rouge sur la capsule

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de l'instrument et l'axe de
la console.

UTILISATION PLONGÉE

EN SURFACE

- Relèvement sur un site

Tenir le compas à l'horizontale devant soi, la
ligne de foi dirigée vers l'extérieur. Tourner sur
soi-même Jusqu'à ce que la ligne de foi soit
orientée dans la direction du but à atteindre,
tourner alors la couronne pour amener le
repère double en face de la pointe de l'aiguille
indiquant le Nord. La valeur située en face du
centre du repère double ou de la ligne rouge
sur le SK-7, est l'angle de relèvement. Tant que
l'aiguille indiquant le Nord est maintenue dans
l'encoche formée par le repère double la ligne
de foi pointe dans la direction du but à
atteindre. Si l'instrument possède une fenêtre
latérale la valeur de l'angle de relèvement peut
être lue directement après avoir orienté la ligne
de foi vers le but à atteindre Cet angle peut être
mémorisé en amenant la couronne sur la valeur
de l'angle.