Suunto Dive Computers
Suunto dive computers are just one of the many sports equipment manufactured by the Suunto company for divers, skiers, sailors, hikers, mountaineers, and other extreme athletes.
Suunto products are famous for its stylish design and reliability. At the same time, Suunto is renowned for the functionality of its watches which are equipped with sport-specific technology to help athletes determine the state of their performance so they can add further adjustments in order to improve it.
Suunto was established in the year 1936 out of the vision of Tuomas Vohlonen, a self-proclaimed outdoorsman. His main concern was the imprecision of the conventional dry compass, and how its needle failed to be stationary as needed.
As an engineer, Vohlonen managed to create a method of making a stationary needle for a dry compass, paving the way for better and accurate readings.
By the 1950’s, Suunto products were exported to more than 50 countries. In 1952, Suunto merchandises were used to light the torch that carried the Helsinki Olympic flame.
The following year, the Suunto K-12, the first marine compass, was released. In 1957, Suunto ventured into the production of hypsometers, which were used to measure tree height.
In the 1960’s, Suunto created the first-ever diving compass. Testing the compass was a British diver, who was more than happy to find out that the compass gave accurate measurements even underwater.
In the following years, the company grew bigger and bigger. The company managed to fuse precision mechanics with electronics. By 1987, it managed to create the SME dive computer, which helped the diver calculate his dive: how safe it was, and how much time he needed for decompression.
Now, instead of solving complicated problems, the diver now has small computer – like that of a wristwatch – to tell him what he needs to know before he takes on a dive.
This dive computer became known worldwide as the Suunto Spyder, a wrist dive computer equipped with an electronic compass. This model became the blueprint for the Suunto Vector, which was launched in 1998.
The Suunto Vector became the improved version of the Spyder, and was fit for use for outdoor and leisure activities. Additional features of the Suunto Vector included the measurement of altitude and air pressure – which was helpful for an athlete who wants to know weather changes, time, and even direction.
Subsequently, the Suunto Vector became the forerunner of the newest style of wrist computers.
In 2004, the company launched the Suunto D9, the first model which fused the functionality of both a digital compass and a dive computer.
That same year, Suunto ventured into training products. It launched the Suunto t6, a device which monitors an athlete’s heart rate. The Suunto t6 gave Sports medicine specialists a peak at the athlete’s training and fitness standing. The line was expanded in 2006.
By 2007, Suunto launched a new wave of sports devices: the Suunto Lumi and the Suunto Core. The Lumi model is the first outdoor device designed by women for women.
The Core, on the other hand, is a sleek wristop featuring a compass, barometer, and altimeter. Both models earned citations from the Reddot and If design award bodies the following year.
2009 saw another milestone for the company with the launch of the Suunto Hel O2 dive computer – the first one to have full-on combined gas ability. The Hel O2 was designed for technical divers who utilize a combination of oxygen, nitrox, and trimix to sustain longer and deeper dives in caves and wrecks.
That year, the Suunto Elementum, a premium sports watch, was introduced to the public as well. From dive computers to sleek watches, Suunto continues to be one of the most formidable sports equipment companies in the whole world.