Only watch worth considering is the Sunnto Vector. Quite simple to use and reliable. Digital compass on it is very easy to read. If you cannot afford one then buy a reasonable analouge watch. At least you can use it to make a rough estimate as to direction. As a last ditch option having lost your compass, back up mini compass and the button compass from your PSK.....

I have the SPF 70, and no other Sea Pathfinders. At the time I wanted something solar powered and with compass - those two criteria restricted my choice enormously.

As you say, it is bulky, but it does have a large, clear (digital) display so at least the space is good for something. As its solar powered I can't comment on battery life, but I have noticed that in winter its state of charge has dropped to "medium".

Apart from the features I've already commented on, I like that the timer will count down from up to 24 hours. I have known other watches which only counted down for an hour, or didn't have the feature at all. It has multiple alarms, which I'd find more useful if I didn't use my phone for that kind of thing nowadays. I use the stop watch for timing lunch breaks.

That watch looks pretty nice and full of features (not to mention Titanium). Thanks for the tip!

I was thinking about the SPF70 or the PRG80 model.
I like the timers and alarms on mine too.
I am surprised that Casio took out the Moon and Tide functions in the SPF70. Ive used that a few times on my SPF40. Unfortunately through it is a bit simplistic in its tide predictions. We get a funny tide here, but I have forgoten its name. The tide predictions are fine untill we get that tide, and then they are out untill we get the funny tide again. Its ok if you can remember the delay factor for both, and manually change it to suit.

My watch left earlier this week on one of my mates wrist. He is cruising through OutBack Australia somewhere out near the New South Wales and South Australian border on a motor bike.Thats nearly 1000km from here and he has his 2 daughters aged 9 and 12 riding along with him. Before anyone gets alarmed about girls that young riding motorbikes on roads, I should point out that they are on cattle stations and the nearest road to them would probably be close to 200km away. There is also a couple of other riders and a beatup old suzuki 2-stroke 4wd as their support vehicle.

He got a message back to me earlier today saying that he loves the watch, so I guess we are going shopping late next week when he gets back.
So I guess so far mine has passed as a good survival watch.

I found the PAW1200-1V and the PAW1200t-7V both interesting. I wish it had the moon and tides thing, but I think I'd rather have the altimeter vs. the depth (just more likely to get used by me). Anyone have any suggestions as to reliability of these two?

How about choosing the Titanium vs. Rubber and how well the compass works?

When I head outdoors I'm always torn between my Marathon SAR (to a Rolex Submariner what a HUMMVEE is to a Range Rover; see here for details ), which is my EDC and which I love with a depraved, unholy passion, or my Casio PRG 70 which is highly nifty and has all sorts of bells and whistles, but lacks the SAR's utterly indestructible total confidence factor.

I think the Casio would win if I'd be going in with foreknowledge, but given that survival situation are usually unexpected, I'd likely wind up wearing the SAR.

> I'd rather have the altimeter vs. the depth

Yes - I've not mentioned the depth gauge because I'd forgotten it. I've never used it and I doubt I ever will. It is not rated for proper scuba diving. In fact I'm not sure what it is for. An altimeter would be better, although I'm not sure I'd really trust it.

I would like moon phases and when I lived near the coast I would have liked tides. I couldn't find a single watch that did everything.

Yes, those two look interesting. There seems to be more choice than I found last time I looked (about a year ago). Those have a down-timer which is only an hour, and I'd prefer longer.

I have a Ti strap but I'd prefer rubber as it's easier to adjust. I'm fairly sure my wrist changes in thicknes through the day.

I cant see much point with the depth guage, and the altimeter seems to be too fiddly. You would have to retune it all the time when the barometric pressure changes.

My SPF40 has the rubber strap, and I find it a little uncomfortable. I was hoping that the Titanium band would be more comfortable. My wrist changes size through out the day as well and I find the metal link bands suit me better after I have initially set them up.

Yes they look interesting. We dont get them down here, because we dont have the atomic sync system.
After a quick google search, they seem to be getting good reviews.

I find the compass in my SPF40 pretty good. Its nowhere near as good as my Silver/Brunton or Recta orienteering compasses, but for what it is it is good and reliable.