Suunto Blog

Here’s one of those vacation bugs: great beaches often have lousy snorkeling. You wander into the sea hoping for pristine waters and a vibrant underwater life and what you get is cloudy visibility thanks to all the sand – and zero fish. But you don’t have to join a boat trip to that ‘hidden’ cove to enjoy great snorkeling. Here are seven beaches you can take both your book – and your fins. Ayada Maldives The Maldives is home to some of the best diving and snorkeling around the world; an abundant sea life, clear warm waters and some fantastic beaches as well. Where to stay? We’re biased but last year the Suunto Dive team stayed at Ayada Maldives. The house reef is just a few minutes swim from the beach and home to reef sharks, rays and sea turtles. You’ll love these incredible underwater shots. © George Karbus Dean’s Blue Hole, Bahamas Dean’s Blue Hole is the well known venue for some of the world’s deepest freedives. One of the world’s largest salt water blue holes, it plunges down to 200m just meters from the soft sanded beach. But you don’t need to be a champion freediver like Will Trubridge to enjoy the venue. Diving down to the entrance rim of the blue hole is within reach of most people, while there’s great snorkeling to be had around the cove. © samovidic/ zooom.at Goat Island, New Zealand Let’s be honest, New Zealand is not the first place you’d think of for a beach and snorkel vacation. But as the country’s first marine reserve, Goat Island is a surprisingly awesome and family-friendly venue for sun and sea worshipers. Approximately 90 km north-east of Auckland, the reserve is home to snapper, kingfish, kahawai and jack mackerel. Lobster and crayfish are also common while seals and dolphins are also occasionally spotted. Okinawa Island, Japan Move over Great Barrier Reef, Thailand (see # 6) and Bali. If you’re looking for awesome snorkeling within reach of some pristine sandy beaches, head to Japan. We asked freediver Tomoka Fukuda for her recommendations. Unsurprisingly, she went for her home. “The Okinawa ocean is very beautiful,” she says. It’s also home to turtles, manta ray, reef shark and an abundance of other tropical fish. The sushi’s pretty good too. Noa Noa Island, Philippines It sounds like it could be the lair of a Bond villain, but there will only be pleasant surprises for those who visit the private island of Noa Noa. An official marine sanctuary, it is surrounded by a 70 hectare tropical reef. It features easy beach access, areas suitable for beginners as well as caves and walls for those adventurous snorkelers who want to explore further. © noanoaisland.com Phuket, Thailand We tried really hard not to mention Thailand but some places you just can’t ignore. Among them are the many beaches in Phuket. Some offer better snorkeling than others. Find beautiful coves and rock formations at Ao Sane beach in the south-west. Raja Ampat Islands, West Papua, Indonesia If it’s unparalleled snorkeling and biodiversity you’re after, you’ve come to the right place. The Raja Amapat Islands of West Papua are home to 75% of all known coral species and abundant marine life. There are over 1,000 different species of fish in the reserve. Expect to see sea turtles, sharks and manta rays, and because it’s so remote, very few people. The catch? Access is also remote. There are some incredible beaches with snorkeling just a few steps away, but you may need a boat to get to the beach first. © Trekpedition.Com via Flickr MAIN IMAGE: © Predrag Vuckovic

We touched base with Carmichael Training System’s endurance coach Nick White and got 7 gems of wisdom that will turn you into a vertical speed machine. Emelie Forsberg pushing hard in the Andorra vertical skimo race. © ISMF Press Office Consistency and volume Having a solid aerobic fitness base is an important prerequisite to becoming faster on vertical ascents, so consistency and volume should remain central to any training programme. This base makes focused work on your lactate threshold and V02 max possible. Improve your V02 The goal here is to maximize how much oxygen your body can process and deliver to your working muscles. Doing short, high intensity interval workouts, some of them ascents, are the way we achieve this. Match each interval with an equal recovery time. Here are some ‘go-to’ workouts that should be done two to three times a week with a rest day between each session: 9x 2min at maximum effort/2min easy recovery 6x 3min at maximum effort/3min easy recovery 5x 4min at maximum effort/4min easy recover Easier option: 5x 30s at maximum effort/30s easy recovery Few athletes have a V02 max as high as Suunto ambassador Kilian Jornet. © ISMF Press Office Focusing on lactate threshold If it’s a trail race or a mountain run with big vertical ascents that you’re training for, then it’s also critical to focus on your lactate threshold. Do this through longer duration interval workouts done at a slightly lower intensity than the V02 training outlined above. The goal is to work consistently until you can't work at that intensity anymore. After rest and recovery, your body will become stronger. Intervals should be between 10 to 30 minutes in length, with half the recovery time, and a total training time of around 45 to 60 minutes. For example: 4-5x 12min intervals, with 6min rest between 3-4x 15min intervals, with 8min rest between 2-3x 20min intervals, with 10min rest between Both of the above interval types, V02 and lactate threshold, are necessary, whether you’re doing a vertical kilometer race or a longer mountain run. Each one is specific to a different aspect of vertical speed. Ryan Sandes training in his local hills in Cape Town. © Craig Kolesky/Red Bull Content Pool Match your gradient While it's a good general rule to match the gradients in your training to that of your event, it’s also important to mix it up so you're not hitting the same hill over and over again. Don’t overdo the hills! Not all of your interval workouts should be done on hills. Do them once or twice a week on hills and the other days train on rolling or flatter terrain. © ISMF Press Office Keep it specific At least some of your training should be on terrain that’s similar to what your race will be on. If at least some of your training is done on similar trails or hills, then you can be sure you’re developing the necessary muscular strength and technical skills as well. Watch your weight Body weight is obviously an important factor in the vertical ascent equation. A heavier runner will require a lot more energy and force to climb a hill at the same speed as a lighter runner. It really is a power-to-weight ratio issue at its core. You go uphill faster either by gaining more power, or becoming lighter, or both. So go easy on the cake! MAIN IMAGE: © ISMF Press Office

Suunto, the world’s leading dive computer brand, introduces an optional software update bringing usability and performance improvements to the Suunto DX, Suunto D6i, Suunto D6i Novo, Suunto D4i and Suunto D4i Novo. Suunto's D-series dive computers are known for their refined design and solid functionality. The new software update 1.5.9 builds on consumer feedback and makes the devices even more user-friendly whether you're an experienced technical diver, freediver or an adventurous spirit new to the diving world. The new enhancements include: The dive mode selection is moved to sub menu ”General Settings” to make it easier to change and dive with the desired mode. Easier and quicker digital compass calibration brought to D6i (similar to the DX) adds the possibility to calibrate the compass also underwater. Stopwatch usage simplified. Enhanced battery and pressure sensor checking. This optional software update is available to existing Suunto DX, D6i and D4i owners via Authorized Suunto Service Centers. Please note, Suunto authorized battery change points are not able to offer this software update. When you send your dive computer for servicing or a battery change, the software will be updated at the same time without an additional cost. Without a battery change or other service procedure the cost is a handling fee that varies from country to country. D4, D6, D9 and D9tx can not be updated – you can identify the model on the backplate of your dive computer. Please contact your local Suunto Dealer or Suunto Contact Center for more information. For contact details and updated user guides check out support. You can also check out the D-series learning tool or visit the Suunto YouTube channel for how-to-use videos.

To coincide with the launch of Suunto Ambit3 Vertical we list 7 incredible, awesome and quad-killing vertical races and challenges to sign up to in 2016. Register now, suffer later – you know you’ll be grateful afterwards. VK Tromsø Skyrace Why: It goes from sea to summitWhere: NorwayVertical: 1km “We cannot think of a better place than the mountains of Tromsø for a skyrace: a place to run between the sky and the earth and to feel freedom,” so says the official text for this newcomer to the race calendar. “You start just near the sea and you finish on the top of the mountain with a very technical climb,” says last year’s second place finisher Rémi Bonnet. “It's so fun!” Find out more here.© Kilian Jornet Red Bull 3 VK Why: More altitude to climb, therefore more funWhere: ItalyVertical: 3,000 m Most vertical kilometer races are just that – a race up a mountain for 1,000 m. But unsurprisingly for the ubiquitous energy drinks company, they had to take things one step further, creating a vertical race of 3,000 m up Italy’s Rocciamelone peak, the Red Bull 3 VK. Each vertical km is special, says Rémi Bonnet, who smashed the record to win last year in 2h 1m 57s. “The first is very runable, the second very steep and the last is very technical.” Fancy something shorter? There’s always the Red Bull 400, a straight-up sprint up one of Europe’s ski-jumps. Norseman Why: Think of it as an Ironman but with attitude, or should that be altitude?Where: NorwayVertical: 4,600 m If it’s vertical ascent you like, the legendary Norseman triathlon is for you. “The cycling leg ascends 1,200 m in the beginning and after that it stays high,” says pro triathlete Teemu Lemmettylä who took part last year. In total the cycling stage packs 3,000 m of ascent but the real killer is saved until the last 17 km of the run which rises 1,600 m to the summit of Gaustatoppen. “The Norseman is unique. In addition to the vertical, the coldness, weather and slippery surface challenges every athlete but the landscape is something you never forget,” adds Lemmettylä. Mt Ventoux Why: It’s the classic Alpine ascent steeped in historyWhere: FranceVertical: 1,611 m Few cycling climbs are as steeped in history as the switchback roads leading to the summit of Mt Ventoux. At 21.8 km, the ascent is long and torturous and often into headwinds, as it winds from the town of Bédoin to the 1,912 m high summit. But to ride to the top is to ride alongside cycling’s legends. It’s a classic for the bucket list – and there to be ticked off. This is the mountain that famously claimed the life of British cyclist Tom Simpson. He collapsed with exhaustion during the ascent in the 1967 Tour aged 29. You’ll pass his memorial on the way up, provided you haven’t collapsed yourself. Patrouille de Glacier Why: It’s the classic ski-mountaineering challengeWhere: SwitzerlandVertical: 3,994 m Few events are as well matched for the cumulative altitude-counting capabilities of the Suunto Ambit3 Vertical as the Patrouille de Glacier. Held every two years, the race is one of the ‘Grand Tour’ ski-mountaineering races of the Alps – and with almost 4,000 m to climb, there’s a lot of vertical to log. Originally designed as a test of endurance for Swiss alpine troops, the race is still run by the Swiss military but open to civilians as well. It sees teams race across some of the highest mountains of the Alps from Zermatt to Verbier.© Patrouille des Glaciers via Flickr Great Himalayan Trail Why: It crosses the greatest mountain chain of the world. Need another reason?Where: Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan and TibetVertical: 150,000 m Now if you feel like logging some serious vertical, there’s only one place to go – and that’s the Himalayas. The Great Himalayan Trail is not a set route but rather a loosely defined set of trails that follow the spine of the world’s highest mountains. Passo dello Stelvio Why: It offers 48 hairpin bendsWhere: ItalyVertical: 1,808 m The legendary Fausto Coppi, nicknamed Il Campionissimo (champion of champions), said after cycling the Passo dello Stelvio that he “felt he was going to die” during the climb. It’s easy to understand why. The ride offers 24 km of uphill grind from Prato. The endless switchbacks have been torturing cyclists for decades but like moths to a flame, every year they keep coming back for more, entranced by its allure and sheer vertical challenge. Don’t forget to hit the start button on your watch at the bottom. © Jussarian via Flickr Mt Marathon Race Why: Legendary local characterWhere: AlaskaVertical: 815 m The Mt Marathon Race in Seward, Alaska is one of those races that have epic status among local fans. It’s not the highest, but it is steep, with those 815 m gained in just 1.4 km. Does it live up to the hype? Last year Suunto ambassadors Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg turned up to give it a go, both setting new records in the process. Afterwards, Kilian said he was not disappointed. “It was fun, so beautiful. It’s technical. It’s fun. It’s difficult.’’ What more could you want from a vertical race?The Suunto Ambit3 Vertical is the multisport GPS watch for planning and tracking your elevation gain. Read more at www.suunto.com/ambit3vertical MAIN IMAGE: © Damiano Levati/Red Bull Content Pool

Underwater explorer and Suunto ambassador Jill Heinerth has dived in breathtaking locations all over the world so when she says one place has the clearest water and is the most inviting it’s worth sitting up and paying attention. It’s time to update your bucketlist. Located in Iceland’s Thingvellir National Park is the most impressive meeting place of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates – the Silfra fissure. The two plates drift apart about 2 cm every year and snorkelers and divers can swim between them in the fissure and even touch the two continents at the same time – the only place in the world this is possible. Intrepid underwater explorer, photographer and film maker Jill Heinerth dived there in 2014 with scientist Jónína Herdís Ólafsdóttir who is researching the unique bacterial colonies that live in the Silfra and in other fissure cracks around Iceland. The research may offer insights into early life on Earth and possibly about life on other planets. While exploring there, Jill captured some amazing images of Jónína swimming in the fissure. Prepare to be amazed. The Silfra fissure from above. © IntoThePlanet.com – Jill Heinerth 100 m visibility The underwater visibility in the Silfra fissure is over 100 m. This is because it’s cold (2°C – 4°C year round) glacial water that's filtered through lava for 30 to 100 years before seeping from underground wells into Thingvellir Lake. It’s so pure it’s fit to drink. “Diving or snorkeling in Silfra should be on everyone's bucket list,” Jill says. “There’s simply no other water on this planet that is as clear and inviting.” © IntoThePlanet.com – Jill Heinerth Diving into creation The Silfra fissure has four sections that can be explored: the Silfra Big Crack, the Silfra Hall, Silfra Cathedral, and Silfra Lagoon. “Drifting through the gap in the tectonic plates in the middle of this gusty, raw and primordial environment makes you feel like you are diving into creation itself,” Jill says. © IntoThePlanet.com – Jill Heinerth The home of adventure “Iceland is a stunning and unique environment,” Jill says. “The people are warm and the geography is absolutely incredible. For those that love the wildness of outdoor adventure, there is nothing like it.”© IntoThePlanet.com – Jill Heinerth

Understand there’s no magic solution Breathable, waterproof, windproof – remember there’s no magic gear solution that works for everything. It’s possible to go cross-country skiing in -15ºC in just a base layer and shell. Wear that while ice climbing and you’ll start turning blue pretty quickly. Equally, you may need all the layers you can wear in +5ºC if it’s wet and windy. Remember there are always compromises – and you’ll never get it totally right. Greg Hill pushes through an icy day. © Bruno Long Experiment with what works No two people are the same – a big guy with a lot of mass may be quite happy in little more than a t-shirt while if you have the figure of an ironman athlete, you may need an insulated jacket and mittens to enjoy the same level of warmth. Experiment between synthetic and wool base layers. If you’re a copious sweater, you may lean towards the former. If you need the warmth, go for wool. Bring spares - of everything! There’s nothing better after a strenuous hike to a summit peak than ripping off a sweat-soaked base layer and putting on a fresh one. OK, the stripping-off part is not so fun – especially if it’s windy! – but we promise it’s worth it. On longer days, taking your boots off and swopping socks will also make your smiles last longer. Change your gloves regularly, see below… © Bruno Long How many gloves is ok? How many pairs of heels is it ok for a girl to have – probably not as many as the number of gloves it’s ok for the winter sports athlete to have. Have a look in any winter climber’s closet and you will find dozens and dozens of pairs. Take two to three with you on the hill. Cheap fleece gloves are awesome for when you’re moving and in between technical sections. Switch gloves between stages, depending on your activity. Keep the spare pair inside your jacket to keep warm. Still have cold hands? See #6 & #7. Dress for 15 minutes into your activity Remember that overheating and sweat in particular is the #1 enemy. The best way to chill a bottle of white wine is to stick it in a bucket of iced water and let the breeze do the rest. Dress for how you’ll be in 15 minutes time not how you’ll start. Better to begin a bit chilled and then warm up, than start pouring with sweat after a few minutes and have to stop and shed layers. Put a hat (or anything) on Since scientists debunked the myth that 70% of your body heat is lost through your head, the old adage that ‘if you’ve got cold hands you should put a hat on’ seems out of date. But it’s still a valid reminder that you should think ‘big picture’ when it comes to cold hands. Hands and feet get cold because the rest of your body’s cold; so putting on a warm layer, wearing a hat and pulling up your hood is still a case of old school is best. Remember also there’s no magic pair of gloves out there. Cure your cold hands for good! Always get cold hands or feet? If you’ve suffered from a cold weather injury (such as frostnip) chances are you’ll battle cold hands the next time the mercury drops, but contrary to conventional wisdom, there is something you can do about it (provided it’s not something else like Raynaud’s disease, in which case check with your physician). Doctors at Britain’s Institute of Naval Medicine discovered that rewarming your hands or feet in a warm bath over a course of several weeks can completely reverse the effects of a cold weather injury. Fill a foot bath with water at 40ºC, have a slug of your favorite tipple (alcohol opens up the blood vessels) then soak your feet or hands for 20 minutes. Repeat every night for several weeks. MAIN IMAGE: © Bruno Long