Suunto D4i User Guide
Dive modes
Suunto D4i has the following dive modes:
- Air: for diving with regular air
- Nitrox: for diving using oxygen-enriched gas mixtures
- Free: for freediving
- Off: turns dive mode off completely; the dive computer does not automatically switch the dive mode when submerged and dive planning mode is hidden
By default, Air mode is activated when you enter dive mode. You can change which mode is activated or turn dive mode off under the general settings.
Dive mode can be turned off during periods when you do not need a dive computer.
To change dive modes:
- While in time mode, keep pressed.
- Press Dive Mode. to enter
- Change to the desired mode with or and confirm with .
- Press to exit.
Each dive mode has its own settings which you need to adjust while in the given mode.
To modify dive mode settings:
- While in a given dive mode, keep pressed.
- Press or to scroll through the settings.
- Press to enter a setting.
- Adjust the setting with or and confirm with .
- Press to exit.
Some settings cannot be changed until five (5) minutes have elapsed after the dive.
Air mode
Air mode is for diving with regular air and has the following settings:
- Personal/altitude adjustment (see Personal and altitude adjustments)
- Tank pressure (see Tank pressure)
- Tank pressure alarm (see Tank pressure alarm)
- Depth alarm (see Depth alarm)
- Dive time alarm (see Dive time alarm)
- Sample rate (see Sample rate)
- Deepstop (see Safety stops and deepstops)
- Air time (see Air time)
Nitrox mode
Nitrox mode is for diving with oxygen-enriched gas mixtures.
Diving with Nitrox allows you to increase bottom times or reduce the risk of decompression illness. However, when the gas mix is altered or depth increased, the oxygen partial pressure is generally increased. Suunto D4i provides you with information to adjust your dive and stay within safe limits.
Nitrox mode has the following settings
- Nitrox (gas mixture)
- Personal/altitude adjustment (see Personal and altitude adjustments)
- Depth alarm (see Depth alarm)
- Dive time alarm (see Dive time alarm)
- Sample rate (see Sample rate)
- Deepstop (see Safety stops and deepstops)
- Air time (see Air time)
In Nitrox mode, both the percentage of oxygen in your tank and the oxygen partial pressure limit must be entered into Suunto D4i.
This ensures correct nitrogen and oxygen calculations and the correct maximum operating depth (MOD), which is based on your entered values.
The default oxygen percentage (O2%) setting is 21% (air) and oxygen partial pressure (PO2) setting is 1.4 bar (20 psi).
To modify the gas mix settings:
- While in Nitrox mode, keep pressed.
- Press Nitrox settings. to enter the
- Press to toggle between the O2 and PO2 values.
- Adjust the blinking O2 value with or to match the oxygen % of your tank and accept with .
- Adjust the blinking PO2 (oxygen partial pressure) value with or and confirm with .
- Press to exit.
If the oxygen content of a mix is set to 22% or above, the setting value remains until changed. It does not automatically revert back to 21%.
Free mode
With Free mode, Suunto D4i can be used as a freediving instrument. The dive time is indicated in minutes and seconds in the center of the display.
The free dive starts at 1.2 m (4 ft) and ends when your depth is less than 0.9 m (3 ft).
Free mode has the following settings:
- Depth notifications (see Depth notifications)
- Depth alarm (see Depth alarm)
- Dive time alarm (see Dive time alarm)
- Surface timer (see Surface and no-fly time)
- Sample rate (see Sample rate)
Depth notifications
You can define up to five independent depth notifications for freediving, for example, to alert you to start free falling or mouth filling. Each notification has a defined depth and can be turned on or off.
When you reach the notification depth, the backlight blinks and the low priority audible alarm sounds.
To define depth notifications:
- While in Free mode, keep pressed.
- Press Depth Notify settings. to enter the
- Scroll through the notifications with or and enter a notification with .
- Press or to toggle the notification On/Off and confirm with .
- Adjust the depth with or and confirm with .
- Scroll to the next notification to modify or press to exit.