Suunto D5 - Honest Review & Test 2024

By Julius
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Suunto D5 review

The Sunnto D5 is the bigger brother of the Zoop Novo and turns the user-friendliness and amazing price-value ratio into a wristwatch computer.

It looks nice, works reliably, and has a gorgeous display. It's not too big and is just so simple to use.Unpack it, put it on, go diving. Chances are you never have to do any kind of extra setup. It just works.

Of course, it features Nitrox compatibility that can be used with air integration and the display is super bright. As usual with Suunto, finding someone to service it is easy.

The biggest drawback is once again the dreaded proprietary Suunto RGBM algorithm and I personally wouldn't use it for decompression diving (use the Suuno EON Core or others for that).

Suunto D5 Review - Table of Contents
(Click to expand)

Of course, we also read other opinions online but in the end, nothing beats real world experience. So we took the time for a thorough Suunto D5 test and review! Below you find everything you need to know, including features, specs and what we like, and don't like about it.

Review Summary

Social Diving Editor's Choice

If you want a hassle-free dive computer that looks, and feels valuable and can be worn as a day-to-day wristwatch, the Suunto D5 is a great option.

Our Rating

4.6 / 5.0

What We Like

  • Looks great
  • Bright display
  • Works reliably for recreational diving
  • Super simple to use
  • Will find spare parts anywhere
  • Nitrox & Trimix compatibility

Reasons to Avoid

  • Proprietary Fused™ 2 RGBM algorithm
  • Would not recommend for decompression diving

What could be improved

  1. Get rid of the Suunto RGBM and we would rate it at 4.9!

Get it here

First Impression

In a hurry and looking for the gist of things? Here is our review in short. Keep reading for the entire version.

The Sunnto D5 is the bigger brother of the Zoop Novo and turns the user-friendliness and amazing price-value ratio into a wristwatch computer. It looks niceworks reliably, and has a gorgeous display. It’s not too big and is just so simple to use. Unpack it, put it on, go diving. Chances are you never have to do any kind of extra setup. It just works.

Of course, it features Nitrox compatibility that can be used with air integration and the display is super bright. As usual with Suunto, finding someone to service it is easy. The biggest drawback is once again the dreaded proprietary Suunto RGBM algorithm and I personally wouldn’t use it for decompression diving (use the Suuno EON Core or others for that).

If you want a hassle-free dive computer that looks, and feels valuable and can be worn as a day-to-day wristwatch, the Suunto D5 is a great option.

The Suunto D5 looks nice, works reliably, and has a gorgeous display. We like to call it a diving Mercedes because of its design and because it works forever without complaints. The D5 is the flagship model of the Suunto dive computer line and it looks and feels just like that.

In the sub $1,000 category, Suunto offers a few top contenders for best dive computers for serious recreational divers. It features Nitrox and even Trimix compatibility that can be used with air integration and is dirt simple to set up and use.

If you want a hassle-free dive computer that looks and feels valuable and can even be worn as a day-to-day wristwatch, this might be it.

What I don’t like about it is the proprietary Suunto Fused™ 2 RGBM decompression model, and how it is generally not suitable for extensive decompression diving.

I personally have stepped away from Suunto for that reason, however, know many many many divers who swear by them and never had any issues whatsoever.

The Suunto D5 comes in different versions such as coated and in different color variants.

In typical Suunto fashion, this is a set-it-and-forget-it dive computer.

No long setup and I’m not even sure if anyone really needs to read the manual (well except that one guy who was in my diving group in Egypt a few years ago but let’s not go into that now…). It just works and is a big reason for the success of Suunto among all levels of divers.

Suunto D5 variants
The Suunto D5 line.

The D5 is also a great option for dive professionals since many of your clients will be diving with similar models.

Buying a Suunto is basically like buying a Mercedes. It looks great, and is not exactly cheap but will serve you well on your daily cruises. However, you won’t use it in a race or when going off-road.

Specs & Features

Buttons3
DisplayFull-color LCD
Depth Rating100m (330 ft)
Memoryunlimited due to app integration
BatteryRechargeable
Operating ModesSingle-gas, freediving, gauge, apnea, customizable
Oxygen BlendNitrox up to 99% O2
Decompression AlgorithmFused™ 2 RGBM

If you have any other questions or need advice, leave us a comment below and get the conversation started.

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About the author

Hey! I'm Julius, professional scuba instructor, diver, outdoor lover, entrepreneur and CEO and founder of Social Diving. I write about scuba diving (including tech, cave, sidemount, and freediving), travel, and love what I do. If you have any questions, send me a message. :-)

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