Significant improvements have been made to edge diagnostics onCOMPASS-D enabling detailed studies of the H-mode dynamics.New experiments have been carried out with current ramps inhigh-power ECR discharges to test the influence of the peelingmode on the low-density H-mode transition. Observations andanalysis suggest that the peeling mode is not the controllingmechanism. Density-ramp experiments indicate that the edgeelectron pressure gradient is correlated with transition behaviourand links are made with global observations.