Ski Computer

[bartron]

Has anyone used the Suunto S6 wrist computer ?

I'm curious about it's accuracy in measuring the degree of slope and speed.

Looks like a cool gadget. :-)

Thanks.

[www.oldsnowboards.com]

Degree of slope? Vertical descent speed , yes?

I have been using the Avocet Vertech for many years. Simple , nice big buttons you can activate with gloves on. Only real bummer is they keep going in an out of production. That and the battery is somewhat expensive to have replaced. I have tried several others over the years and they tend to be almost too complicated. However , the Suunto has some really cool features , like being able to link to the computer! Vertical descent is calclated via the pressure drop/ time rate. I don't think it knows the angle? Could be wrong. I use an inclinometer for avy and snow study. Again, pretty simple stuff. Bryan

[P06781]

I have suunto x-lander for everyday use and it has a log book function in it somewhere but prefer as Bryan does to use my old trusty avocet vertech for skiing/boarding. Its simple to use and is a great gage of how much vert/runs you do on a day or season. Bryan introduced me to one up at MHM many years ago. Sometimes ebay has some deals on new vertechII's....

Jim

[www.oldsnowboards.com]

Good tip , Jim. I bought a number of them on Ebay a few years a go and occasionally see them go for less than half of new. Even as low as 50$. Just know that you will likely end up changing the battery and it is NOT handy or cheap. Figure on 20$ for that. Used to have to send it back to them. Last I heard they used a secondary service to do it now. I am lucky, my 76 yr old ski buddy Walter does it and give me change back from my fiver!! He cracks me up. He might even put some of geeks here to shame. Wears at LEAST two different avocets and an Suunto on one arm so he can "Calibrate" them. He is always one of the first in the line up every Mon, Wed Friday, Rain or shine. He now has a GPS to play with. He is one of my heros. Hope I can be riding around at 76. Salomon "Pocket Rockets" , hitting Timberline until they chase him home at close. Anyway. The Avocet is pretty cool. Automatically logs next run at a 140' drop. No more guessing (and exaggerating) vertical/ runs. Fun to see exactly how much you do in a day. Overall average in a year is between 25 and 35K per day. Best day 54,860 vertical in one day (Mt Bachelor over spring break a few years back) Couldn't walk for nearly 3 days afterwards. Good day at a big area with allot of high speeds is 40k. Good day of heli , maybe 15K or 20K at best.

Helps keep them honest, however you have to remember to turn it on and off or you will be measure the altitude of the helicopters rise :)