SUUNTOMultifunctional Compass, Northern Hemisphere, Compact Waterproof Navigation Comapss for Hiking & Adventure

This is a great wrist compass.This doesn't really compare with standard sighting compasses, button compasses, or baseplate compasses. The closest comparison would probably be a diving compass, but not as bulky.The resolution/precision of the compass is five degrees. As noted with other reviews, if you use the sighting function on the compass, you can easily interpolate to within a degree or so.As far as accuracy, I haven't tested it against known landmarks, but it is consistently within a few degrees of my MC-2, which suggests to me that it is pretty accurate.The size is great and it's pretty stylish. As others said, the strap that comes with the compass is pretty ugly and uncomfortable. I went ahead and replaced the strap right away and now it's how it should have been.For hiking, this pairs up great with a solid baseplate or mirror compass.

If you need a compass, bigger is best, but just how big can big be? Reason is, the aiming accuracy and capability gets better if you have a large stable platform and sight. OTAH, getting a wrist compass to do the same thing is difficult to achieve, and the M-9 meets this role well. With GPS being the principle guide these days to terrestrial navigation, compasses are mostly for backup and rough heading use, so best accuracy is less practical these days in lieu of compactness, ruggedness, and light weight. Underwater, the M-9 is as good as a dedicated SCUBA compass.I've used an M-9 since 2001, and it finally died, the plastic case cracked, some liquid leaked, so a bubble that formed keeps the pointer from spinning freely.This is my 3rd M-9, as I've bought two, keeping one as a spare. I use them both on surface and underwater to as deep as 260' ... although not rated as a diving compass, all fluid filled devices are non-compressible and should take great depths without issue. Diving capacity has been proven for the years I've owned this compass and others who use it similarly.ProsVery free spinning and accurateLight weightRotating degree bezelsighting capacitytransparent case, easy to check for defectsUsable underwater to depths at least to 260'Velcro strap binds very well underwaterConsIf not leveled during sighting, pointer will lock [fix: flick it with your finger, and a proper direction will not change much with movement]Plastic case, will not last foreverSummary:I've seen a number of compasses for field use in the middle of nowhere, and for so simple a device, its amazing so many are unreliable [whatever magnets they use don't hold its magnetism permanently], inaccurate markings, or poor construction. If you get lost because your compass doesn't work when you need it, its not worth any amount of money.Suunto has made a name for itself in compasses, and what seems cheap looking is very well engineered, yet simple.If you need a compass for general use, the watch mounted Clipper works best. I use those underwater too to 260', to backup the M-9.

Being able to find your direction, North, and/or navigate in general is a great thing. Like everything you'll need the skill to use this tool and I admit I'm a little rusty. This little guy is great for quick, general directions, or a quick check on a heading when navigating, hiking or whatever. But I wouldn't use this as my main navigation tool.Pros:It works. The arrows are easy to see and the bessal rotates for declination or setting your heading. There is a little sighting system that uses a notch and post like a handgun sight. But they are very small and the lower the ambient light gets, the harder it will be to find them. Wearing it with a watch does not mess with the accuracy as far as I can tell.Cons:The discription said it was liquid filled and mine was not, however it still works and I found no cracks, leaks or wetness inside the packaging when I got it. It can be a pain to get it level because the disc inside likes to wobble a lot, and because there isn't much room for wiggle it will stick to the plastic. It takes a couple second to move your wrist around to get it level. It feels... cheap. The plastic, the construction, the wrist band leaves a lot to be desired as well.Overall:For $25-30 it's a little pricey for what you get. If you are a sweaty guy like me, the wrist band will get very uncomfortable and itchy over time. Not a huge deal, but defiantly annoying. You can always loop it through the shoulder strap of your backpack, hiking bag, rucksack or plate carrier. Leave the strap loose enough that you can lift the compass and get it level and do your direction checks that way if the wrist band sucks too much for you. I flip flop between both depending on the day. If you are just getting into land navigation, or are a poors like me and can't afford a fancy GPS or Garmin unit this is the way to go. Although you can never go wrong with a lensatic compass. I know Suunto makes a traditional compass too if you don't want to pay $100 for a lensatic.