Suunto Blog

Over the course of 2021 we’ve had the pleasure of being involved with some excellent adventure films. Now the holiday season is upon us, we decided to curate our favorite short films for you so when you have some downtime soon you can kick back and watch them. Scroll down for our seven favorites! From Rails to Trails Just watching this will make you shiver. Our very own bike lover Antti Laiho and his buddies Timo Veijalainen and Erkki Punttila went on an overnight bikepacking tour in the Finnish Lapland in the middle of winter. The landscapes look like something from a fairytale. Truly magical. Rails to Trails from Kona Bikes on Vimeo. Peak creators Since forever there’s been a connection between creativity and the great outdoors. In this series of films we talk to an artist, a photographer, an architect and a trail builder about their creative process and how the outdoors inspires them. Canary in the coalmine Decorated technical diver, explorer and filmmaker Jill Heinerth explores the veins of the Earth. She sees close up how the impacts of humanity are affecting our planet so considers herself a canary in the coalmine. How fast can Kilian run a vertical k? This film shows just how much the Kilian pushes himself during his lightning fast ascents. He might be the GOAT mountain athlete, but that doesn’t mean it’s a walk in the park for him. Watch him attempt to break the fastest vertical k record and push his lungs to their limit. Immersed Swedish slopestyle mountain biker Emil Johansson won the 2021 world championship and is now the most successive slopestyle rider in history. But it very nearly wasn’t to be. A mysterious autoimmune disease came close to derailing his dreams. This film is about his journey. Finding myself Suunto ambassador Sami Sauri fell in love with cycling as a teen and says it gave her a new purpose in life. Since then she has done epic bikepacking tours across the US, and elsewhere. When she’s not riding, she might be out surfing or trail running. Arctic Lines season two Finnish freerider Antti Autti has embarked on the second season of his Arctic Lines project, the goal of which is to ride 30 lines above the Arctic Circle. He and his team document each trip and release a film about the experience. Watch as they face brutal cold, the polar night and their physical limits in the pursuit of sweet, sweet rides. Lead images by Jaakko Posti Photography

William Trubridge prepares for a depth dive.   It’s the first international freediving competition since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic so a lot of excited freedivers are arriving at Dean’s Blue Hole pumped to dive deep at Vertical Blue 2021. Running between 13 to 23 July, it’s likely to be the most celebratory edition in the event’s 11 year history. The first Vertical Blue since 2018, organiser and Suunto ambassador William Trubridge has been working around the clock to make it happen. The ongoing travel and health restrictions due to the pandemic have increased his work load 100 fold. But knowing how much it means to the freediving community makes it all worthwhile. “In these last 18 months a lot of people have been trapped and locked down, not able to travel or go to the sea, but everyone has been continuing to train and they are all amped to get back into the water,” William says. “It's the first big freediving event since COVID hit so we will get a chance to see where all the top athletes are with their training, and what they have been able to improve on, or whether they are behind now because of a lack of depth training. First indications are that everyone has been training really hard and there are going to be some epic performances.”   Follow the action at Vertical Blue via YouTube live!     All the top athletes in depth freediving, in all three disciplines, are attending this edition. “All the current record holders will be in attendance and most of the people who are within reach of world records,” William says. “At the last Vertical Blue in 2018, there were some days when the average depth amongst men and women across all disciplines, including no fins, was deeper than 80 m. This year I think it could be even deeper. In training at the moment the dive line is rarely less than 100 m. We're going to see some mind blowing performances.”   Check out our visual guide to freediving    William and his arch freediving rival Alexey Molchanov will be competing – a now longstanding tradition – for the top spot in Constant Weight without Fins (CNF). The stress of organizing the event isn’t giving William the dedicated training and recovery time he needs to be at his very best. Moreover, he isn’t sure he’ll be anywhere near his best. Depth freediving is a sport where being in a relaxed state is essential for success. “My training was going very well up until about a month ago,” William says. “I was making steady progress towards attempting a world record in Free Immersion. I'd gotten within a couple of meters of achieving it. I was doing beautiful, comfortable, relaxed dives to that depth. That's when stuff started to go downhill with the organisation work and the stress ramped up. “Hopefully if I can get everything resolved, then take a few days rest, and then build my training back up again, maybe by the end of the event I might be able to do some kind of a dive,” William continues. “I doubt it will be a world record dive. But never say never, fingers crossed, let’s see what happens.”   All images: © Daan Verhoeven  

Suunto ambassador, pioneering underwater explorer and film maker, Jill Heinerth has dived in icebergs, explored deep underwater caves, and more recently documented the impacts of climate change in the Arctic Circle. Capturing our changing planet and educating the public about the growing threat of climate change is what is increasingly moving her to dive and explore our blue planet. On World Ocean Day 2021, Jill shares insights from her 20 year career. Press play to watch her incredible journey! Where are you now and how has the pandemic treated you? I live in a 200-year-old mill in a small town near Ottawa, Canada. It has actually been a bit of a gift to be home with my husband for a prolonged stretch, but I am certainly eager to get back to some of my travels. This has been a good time for rest, learning, and incubating new ideas.What’s been inspiring you lately? I wrote the foreword for a new book by Frauke Bagusche. The book is called: The Blue Wonder: Why the Sea Glows, Fish Sing, and Other Astonishing Insights from the Ocean. I found it fascinating and quite inspirational. What are you working on at the moment? I'm exploring Canada's longest underwater cave system and documenting some of the endangered species I have found there. I am also actively involved in a documentary and educational initiative about the Great Lakes Watershed. With many of my projects on hold from COVID, it has been great to be involved in important projects close to home.It’s mind blowing how many incredible expeditions you’ve been on – how have they changed you? Absolutely! As I get older, I feel more urgency to work on projects that really matter and that will leave a lasting educational legacy. I am drawn to work that communicates about water literacy and climate change. I think that motivational stories from the natural world and exploration can connect people to critical global issues.Is the underwater exploration and expedition scene attracting more women now?It is not happening quickly enough for my liking, but I am seeing more women involved in exploration. I think there are a lot of women that face serious roadblocks; difficulty getting career positions and opportunities. You say you’re the canary in the coal mine – what are you seeing right now in terms of alarm bells? Oh gosh, where should I begin? I'm 56 years old and I am truly shocked by the magnitude of change that I have seen in the natural world in my lifetime. The coral reefs I dived on 30+ years ago are dead and devoid of fish. The sea ice in the north sets up later and thaws earlier each year. The lakes that I learned to dive in have been grossly affected by invasive species. We are living in a rapidly transforming world. It frightens me, but I do not give up hope.What does humanity need to do to avoid crossing the tipping point? I hope we have not already crossed the threshold, but I would say that we all need to stay optimistic. We might not have the big answers to the world's most pressing issues, but we all know small actions and changes that we can make in our lives that help move humanity in a positive direction. We need to urgently address the warming planet and water quality issues. They are all connected. Our actions against COVID-19 are a good example. We are delivering a vaccine that might have previously taken a decade to develop and test. We have the brain trust and the explorers that can solve big problems when we all work together.How has the development of Suunto dive tech aided your journeys? I've been diving Suunto products for my entire career. They have always been innovative, well-built, and reliable. When somebody opens a box with a brand new Suunto product, they likely feel as I do... that this tool is going to accompany me on some of life's greatest adventures! One of the Suunto computers I used for record-breaking dives in 1998 is now on the wrist of a young whale researcher in Patagonia. I've passed on my older devices to others that are still using them today. That is quite an endorsement!Do you have any dream explorations you’d like to do? I have not yet visited the Galapagos or Cocos Islands. I sure hope to make that possible one day. In the interim, I will have lots to keep me busy! All images and video by Janne Suhonen, Divers of the dark

We've conquered all the territories above 0m and under. In this article, we set out to show you and explain what happens in your body as you descend into the big blue world.  Diving is an excellent activity with the potential for one-of-a-kind experiences you can only get in an aquatic environment. Our land-loving bodies, however, can react negatively to diving if we are not careful. We are drilling down the essential know-how of diving so you can enjoy it to the fullest.; Pressure changes: your body needs to adapt. There are constant fluctuations in the surrounding pressure while we hike or dive into the ocean. Pressure changes 1bar/14.7 PSI for every 10 meters and it increases much faster underwater because water is denser than air. The pressure we face underwater, also called ambient pressure, is caused by the water's weight.  The deeper we dive, the greater the ambient pressure will become. Ten meters down is already twice the pressure at the surface. Discomfort in the ears when taking off in an airplane is also felt just diving down to the bottom of a pool that is three meters deep. When a diver descends, the surrounding water pressure grows. The pressure change underwater will affect spaces that contain air, such as your ears, sinuses, BCD, and mask. But the most significant impact is on your circulatory and respiratory systems and the latter need to be taken seriously because they can lead to major health risks. What happens after you immerse into water or hike up a mountain?  Our bodies are full of dissolved gases from the air we breathe. Our bodies actively use oxygen for us to function. Other gases, the so-called inert gases like nitrogen, are not used by our bodies but are stored in blood and tissues. While diving, the pressure increases, and our body is exposed to a higher absorption rate of nitrogen stored in our tissues. The amount of inert gas dissolved in our bodies depends on the ambient pressure. Why is it that e don't feel this effect? Because our body is mainly made up of liquids, we are not exposed to pressure. Nevertheless, we feel it in our ears and sinuses because of the air trapped in them.  When we ascend from a dive, the ambient pressure is reduced and the dissolved nitrogen needs to come out (off-gas). We have no problems as long as nitrogen comes out slowly and in a controlled manner without significant pressure differences. If thepressure is released too fast; the nitrogen will come out too fast and cause DCS, also known as decompression sickness, or "the bends."  The amount of gases dissolved in our bodies depends on the ambient pressure around us. That means that every gas has a specific partial pressure, and the combined pressures of the gases in our bodies stay in equilibrium with our environment. Your body is fully saturated with gases at the elevation where you can be found for an extended time. Here are two scenarios that will explain the changes in your body:   If you hike up a mountain, air pressure drops, making your body hold less gas. Your tissues are at this point supersaturated relative to the new ambient pressure. Our bodies release gas through diffusion and breathing to get back to equilibrium, also known as off-gassing. When you go down to sea level and then underwater, you increase your bodies' pressure, allowing more gas to be carried by blood and tissues. Again, to equalize the pressures, your body takes on more dissolved gas from the air you breathe. This is called on-gassing. Does the same thing happen when you ascend from a dive?  If we come up from a dive too quickly (therefore, dropping ambient pressure), the natural off-gassing mechanisms are overloaded. The dissolved gas in our bodies comes out of the solution too fast, forming bubbles that can cause decompression sickness or DCS. There are different stages and forms of DCS, and symptoms can range from minor joint pain and skin irritation to severe nerve damage and death. For a diver with DCS, the symptoms may already start while still underwater, or it may take several hours after surfacing. In some cases, the symptoms may not show for several days. Nevertheless, most cases are treatable with, for example, recompression chamber treatment (hyperbaric oxygen treatment). Diving is made easy to understand and more accessible. Over the decades, dive algorithms were incorporated into dive computers to calculate how long we can stay underwater with a limited risk of getting DCS. A dive computer knows your dive history and calculates the safety limits in real-time by considering the following metrics: depth, time, gas mix, and personal factors (if applicable).  What is a dive algorithm? A dive algorithm is a theoretical mathematical formula and does not measure your body's actual physical state while diving. Everybody is different and no dive computer (to this day) can measure the amount of inert gas in every body tissue. Every dive computer has a level of conservatism built in to minimize the risk of DCS and by changing your personal settings, you can add or remove safety margins to your dive algorithm. What does a dive algorithm do?  Algorithms are designed to give you a safe estimate of how long you can stay at different depths without developing the risk of DCS by considering time/depth/dissolved gas. Some algorithms provide longer dive times at the cost of a higher likelihood of DCS, while others limit the dive time to add a safety margin to your dive.They are used in dive computers based on how inert gases are absorbed and dissolved into and from the diver’s tissues. There are two decompression models most commonly used: the gas model, or the Haldane model, and then the bubble model, known as VPM and RGBM.  The first one is based on J.S Haldane's work and according to his theory, the body is grouped into theoretical tissue compartments, absorbing and releasing inert gas at different rates. This theory is based on avoiding bubble formation by controlling the absorption and release in different theoretical tissue compartments. One commonly used algorithm following the principles of the gas model is the Bühlmann ZHL- 16C. The second commonly used decompression model is based on the assumption that bubble formation will always be present and the key is to control the size of the formed bubbles. Suunto Fused™ RGBM 2 has been developed with Dr. Bruce Wienke to combine the benefits of the VPM model with Dr. Wienke’s latest full RGBM work.  What should you do?  The important takeaway of this introduction is that every diver and dive are different, so are the underlying assumptions for this incredible sport. In the end, you as a diver will decide what your safety margins are and what theoretical model you want to use for your dives, and those choices will be based on your training, your experience, and eventually, your preferences. Take your time to discover the underworld safely and you will not be disappointed. 

In 2020 Alenka Artnik dived to 114m, deep beneath the surface of the Red Sea on a single breath, her mind and body working seamlessly together. Arriving on the surface fully aware and in control, Alenka claimed the title as the deepest female in freediving discipline CWT, Constant Weight, diving with a monofin. Discovering the sport at a time in life when she needed inspiration and was ready for a change, Alenka was 30 and living in Slovenia when she hit the water running! Following a freediving session with friends, she quickly blew the other divers out of the water with her unearthly natural talent for apnea. Alenka’s potential was identified early on by both her fellow divers and later her first instructor. Seizing the day, she packed her fins and moved to the vibrant diving hub of Dahab. Immersing herself in its freediving community, she found the bottom of the Blue Hole at about 100m on a breath-hold in her first season of training! The new Suunto ambassador and freediving world champion Alenka Artnik summed up her passion for the sport with these words: “We come from the sea and so it feels natural... It isn't just physical, it is mental, spiritual, and mind-blowing. I use the tool of freediving to explore my spirituality and carry it through into each part of my life.” Eat, sleep, break dive record, repeat! In 2016 Alenka celebrated her first World Record at the CMAS World Championships diving to 92m CWT wearing bi fins. The following year the record-breaking freediver won gold again at the same championships and graduated to the 100m club (CWT) at the Caribbean Cup, making her only the fourth female freediver to be crowned in the club. Alenka, like so many other freedivers, has always dived with Suunto. Her Suunto D4i Novo was her first freediving computer, and now she dives with a Suunto D6i Novo, but soon she will be going deep with the D5. It is fair to say Suunto dive computers have always been at the centre of Alenka's training. World Champion Alenka explained that she currently uses multiple Suunto devices when diving, "At the moment I'm using my two Suunto D6i Novo devices. One is for notifications of my depth that I wear on my neck weight close to my ear and the other I wear on my wrist so I can check my dives during training." She went on to say that analysing her dives afterwards is a key part of her dynamic training schedule and Suunto’s high performance in this area is one of the many reasons she chooses Suunto every dive, “I record all my dives in my training logbook with the help of the MEM Logbook function. I always rely on the logbook function of my Suunto dive computers to study my dives.” Finding her flow In recent years Alenk has continued to win competitions and break records but her focus has shifted from “winning” to a quest to optimize her performance, she summed it by saying “getting better motivates me.” The gains from this new approach are evident in her calm and collected surface protocols, something she attributes to entering the flow state, the world champion describes what she means by this: “In the end, I think that it is all about the flow state. You put yourself in a mental state of flow. It is the peak performance, the maximum performance- but effortlessly.” summarises Alenka "For me, it is about how to do the best performance with the least effort possible. More with the mind and less with the physical effort. Good awareness, being super present the whole dive and less with the physical effort.” 100% commitment Ten years on since Alenka discovered freediving, as she approaches 40 and with future hopes of freediving being billed at the Olympics, she is continuing with her hard push to dominate the depths with ease. Alenka is also part of a growing number of athletes in this discipline that are trying to demystify the sport, increase its popularity and ultimately help save our oceans. “Freediving promotes a healthy lifestyle, but best of all more freedivers promotes more Ocean Ambassadors to protect our water planet.” Alenka Artnik All images from Alenka Artnik ©

William takes the 126m depth tag on his world record attempt dive. © Johnathan Sunnex COVID-19 kept Suunto ambassador William Trubridge isolated on Long Island in the Bahamas since March 2020 allowing him to focus exclusively on training with few distractions. After several months he started to see the benefits and his performances in many areas were the best of his career so far. Although he is disappointed he didn't achieve a new world record, William is undeterred in his drive to continuing pushing and exploring the ultimate human limits for freediving. Willam, what was the goal for this event? My goal was to try and break the world record in Free Immersion, FIM (in which the athlete pulls on the rope to descend and ascend), currently at 125 m world record set in 2018 by Alexey Molchanov. I held the 124 m world record in FIM previously since 2011, but I thought it was about time I got it back! Why now? I came to the Bahamas in March and somewhat fortuitously have been trapped here safe in the remoteness of the island ever since, and happily, my family was able to join me in the summer from Japan. COVID has been tough for everyone but it has meant that I have been able to focus on my training maybe more than I would have normally, having not had any courses or competitions scheduled. This has facilitated the best kind of training with no competitions looming, I've been able to maintain focus on the goal. I really felt like I was in the right place to attempt the record. It's been four years since your last attempt, why the long pause? Firstly, I think it is becoming more and more difficult to break world records. As with any sport, it’s not something that can continue indefinitely. There is always going to be a plateauing effect as we approach the human limits, wherever they are, and this is happening now in freediving as it has in other sports. In recent years there hasn't been much of an increase in FIM depths, and any of the disciplines of freediving as there were prior. Also, in the last four years, I have been involved in a lot of other projects, and starting a family has been the biggest. That has involved not just a shift in day-to-day life and rhythms, but your whole perspective, and it is one of the most difficult things we go through but I have learned to take it in my stride. Now I am settled into family life, my training has been going well and my performances are the best they have ever been. I am ready to get back into it. William ascending on the line. © Johnathan Sunnex How are you feeling training wise? I have done many of the deepest dives I have ever done in this discipline in recent months and also in other parameters of base training to do with breath-hold times, static apnea, and exhale static apnea (breath-hold with empty lungs) reaching the longest times I've ever done in these difficult exercises. In terms of breath-hold and depth adaptation, I am in the best condition of my life. A world record attempt is a whole other monster so although all the signs are good, you have to deal with the mental game and the weather conditions, for which relaxing in the water with a thin wetsuit can sometimes be problematic. What's changed in your training since your last world record? Quite a lot has changed in my training since the last record. I am always in a constant state of development and evolution as I research and experiment with myself. I have focused on my weaker links, which are mainly breath-hold, but if any of the factors slip then you won't be able to dive deep. Is technology or science helping with the evolution of the sport? There is always a benefit from an increased understanding of the physiology and science of the sport. Especially in my 17-year career, there have been huge changes. When I first started training I was feeling around in the dark a bit but now I have a more definitive, but not a complete idea. I'm sure that in the next ten years athletes will be far better equipped with an understanding of what's happening in their bodies and how to maximize that in their training. What happens in your body when freediving and what you require mentally and physically is unlike any other sport. From the dive reflex, the compression, the heart slowing, to the high acidic and lactic loads we are still discovering more efficient ways to train to maximize performance in those parameters. Has your outlook or mindset changed in any way? Yes, it has changed. Becoming a father has been the biggest shift. It changes your attitude toward risk, and your risk tolerance decreases. In freediving though, it has not changed so much, but in other areas like driving, and driving scooters in Indonesia in particular, it has definitely changed! A lot of my training has been about identifying risks and accommodating them with enhanced safety mechanisms. The turning point 126m down, with 126m more to reach the surface! Johnathan Sunnex © You turned 40 this year (congrats!); how does getting older affect you in this sport? And is there more risk? It is hard to say what the effects of age on the sport are. We've seen athletes perform well into their 50s and 60s. Natalia Molcahov, before her untimely disappearance, was smashing women's world records in her 50s. It's definitely a sport where we benefit from the maturity of age and the slowing of the metabolism, but the risk lies in susceptibilities we are not aware of that increase with age, that I have been working on identifying. We need to be aware of this and prevent risks before they occur if possible. How has the pandemic helped or hindered your preparation? The pandemic has had a huge effect, mostly negative but some positive. I've been able to focus on training but mostly it has just been me and one other person here. However, now the record attempt team has increased and it is nice to connect and have more of a support group for training. The biggest impact has been the uncertainty. As an athlete, with sports like freediving, you are aware of the fact that it is an expendable job, not as important socially as a Doctor and a teacher. More of a luxury in society as the arts, the sports, they are the first to go in a major fallout or crash. Now having a family has been the main impact on me but luckily I have been able to train consistently through this period with the hope to capitalize on that. What drives you to continue with this? Surely, you've found the human limits for apnea now? No, we have not found the human limits, we never will. it is just a matter of stretching out the grey area of possibility and finding an approximation. We know we can go at least one or two more meters, maybe ten, twenty, who knows! It becomes more and more improbable and our job as athletes is to stretch into that zone and redefine human limits as much as we can. How was the world record attempt dive? Ah, 2020. Did anyone other than Jeff Bezos escape its infamy? I was hoping to end the year on a good note, by attempting a world record in Free Immersion. In training, I logged a dive to 126 m that was not just a personal best and one meter deeper than the current world record, but also one of the strongest and most enjoyable dives in this discipline of my career. Based on the strength of this dive, I announced a world record attempt for December 2020. Then disaster hit. The worst incident of my life. A deep underwater blackout in training was caused not by low oxygen but most likely by toxic levels of carbon dioxide. It was something that has to date been a hidden risk, lurking latent in the deepest depths of competitive freediving. I was under the water for almost 7 minutes and revived by the impeccable action of my safety team as well as a lot of luck. William surrounded by safety divers, who in training revived him after disaster hit while deep underwater. © Johnathan Sunnex What made you try again? Afterward, I wasn’t even thinking about a world record. I took two weeks off and enjoyed being a father to my 20-month-old daughter. But when I tentatively returned to breath-hold and the water I found miraculously that my form had remained, or even improved. Mentally there didn’t seem to be any scars either. After consulting with my team and doctor I decided to press on with the attempts. I built back through the depths again to the point where I was diving close to the record depth. Then 2020 threw me some more challenges: bad weather, a problem with my ear and jaw, a commercial shoot with dates that had to change and overlap with the record attempts… I was still diving strong, but not with the consistency I need in the build-up for an attempt. When the window came for attempting the record I spent the first few days finding my feet again with dives to 118 m and 121 m. Then I decided to attempt the record on the 11th December 2020. After such impressive results in training, what happened on your world record first attempt? The day arrived, and so had a cold front, with low grey skies and temperatures plummeting. The wetsuit I’d been training in wasn’t enough, and after testing the waters I called the dive off, knowing that shivering would cause me to waste precious oxygen before the dive even began. The next day was perfect. The sun makes all the difference when we’re lying stretched out on the surface of the water preparing in the final minutes before a dive. It was the right day for a record attempt, and I felt good, perhaps too good. My time was slower, more relaxed on the way up, and this slight adjustment might have affected my efficiency negatively. After retrieving the tag from 126 m and returning to the surface, I took two breaths then fell back momentarily in a brief surface blackout. It ended as quickly as it had begun, but the damage was done and the dive was disqualified. How did this affect your mindset for the next attempt? I needed to take a day off after the blackout, which meant I was left with one last day, the 14th. The cold had returned just a little, and this combined with some minor mistakes in the descent snowballed into an increasingly negative mental and physical state, until soon after the turn I felt like the dive was almost certain to end badly. I tugged sharply three times on the rope to signal my surface crew, who released the counter ballast, pulling the rope up and giving me a free ride back to the surface. Being pulled quickly upwards, as the weight of the water column slipped off my shoulders it was replaced by the weight of disappointment, and the knowledge that there would be no silver lining to end this year with. What drives you to achieve deeper depths in this sport? Regardless of the result, I have to credit my amazing support team who were faultless in running these attempts. Alex Llinas, Kevin James, and Richard McKenzie were my safety divers, Jani Valdivia was medic, Jonathan Sunnex and Michelle Lynn were taking video, Riccardo Paris was managing the platform equipment, and Chris McCay and Olga Sidorova were the AIDA judges for the attempt. My 24/7 support team has been my incredible family, who have kept me fed, nourished, and motivated in every way. Thank you to my partner Sachiko, our beautiful daughter Mila, my mother-in-law Lily, who has put up with so many months here in the Bahamas, and to my parents and brother who have cheered me from New Zealand. Of course, I couldn’t have even had the privilege of attempting this without the support of my sponsors, Suunto and Orca, who have been loyal to me through both the highs and lows. What's next, William? The hunger for training and plumbing new depths of the oceans and human aquatic potential has not weakened at all, and the day after the attempts finished I found myself drawn back to the Blue Hole for an easy training session. Of those enticing depths, I will never tire. All images were taken by Johnathan Sunnex ©