Gear

June 2009 Issue Scuba Lab Review Quick Links Aqua Lung Aqua Flex 3mm BARE Elastek 3mm Full BARE 3/2 Velocity Full Body Glove EX3 3 mm Camaro Seamless Hydronomic 3mm Camaro ...

June 2009 Issue Scuba Lab Review Quick Links Aqua Lung Aqua Flex 3mm BARE Elastek 3mm Full BARE 3/2 Velocity Full Body Glove EX3 3 mm Camaro Seamless Hydronomic 3mm Camaro ...

June 2009 Issue Scuba Lab Review Quick Links Aqua Lung Aqua Flex 3mm BARE Elastek 3mm Full BARE 3/2 Velocity Full Body Glove EX3 3 mm Camaro Seamless Hydronomic 3mm Camaro ...

June 2009 Issue Scuba Lab Review Quick Links Aqua Lung Aqua Flex 3mm BARE Elastek 3mm Full BARE 3/2 Velocity Full Body Glove EX3 3 mm Camaro Seamless Hydronomic 3mm Camaro ...

From buying new dive equipment to taking care of what you already own, these simple tips will help you get the most out of your money. 

A load of new gear debuted in 2012, and the ScubaLab team dive-tested just about all of it. After digging deep into both objective and ergonomic test results, on the following pages we celebrate the year’s top-performing fins, BCs, regulators and dive computers, along with some first-rate travel bags, warm-water wetsuits and a couple of our top picks for safety gear. 

Sure, there might be other dive gear deemed more important to basic survival (a reg) or your general well-being (a dive computer) than a BC. But when it comes to being able to comfortably acclimate to being underwater — to the point where you feel like a resident rather than a clumsy topside tourist — the BC is the most important component of your kit. 

This year’s undisputed favorite among test divers, the Aquaride Elite is well built with virtually no inherent buoyancy.

From buying new dive equipment to taking care of what you already own, these simple tips will help you get the most out of your money. 

Cressi’s PC Interface Kit for its Leonardo dive computer is compatible with both Mac and Windows operating systems that can be downloaded at www.cressi.com. Once the appropriate software package is installed on your personal computer, simply connect the module to your PC using the included USB cord. Then place your Leonardo face-down in the cradle and you’re ready to start transferring and printing out dive profile data.

An algorithm is the mathematical formula a dive computer uses that factors in real-time measurements of depth, gas mix, time at depth—and, depending on the algorithm, potentially lots of other data—to calculate how long you can stay under water with a reasonable degree of assurance that you won’t get hit with decompression sickness (DCS).

Aeris dive computers took two of the top spots in ScubaLab's 2012 dive computer testing. Here we highlight two Aeris models that took away a Best Buy and a Testers' Choice prize.

IST’s MP204 Spear mask, with its low-volume dual-lens design, provides an expansive view of the underwater world.

It’s no fun diving with a mask that keeps filling with water every few seconds. So the first consideration when buying a mask is how well its skirt seals against your face. Despite claims to the contrary, no one mask fits all. 

On Scubapro’s Spectra Trufit, narrow ribs molded into the ultra-soft silicone create a pliable skirt that molds to facial contours, creating an excellent seal on a variety of face shapes.

Cressi’s popular raked-glass single-window Piuma mask is now available with Cressi’s exclusive crystal-clear silicone. This silicone creates a mask skirt that is so close to total transparency, it simply has to be seen to be believed.

CETATEK’s new aquabionic warp1 fins instantly adapt and continuously change to any kick style and load level based on the demands of the diver. The warp1 blade features unique construction: At rest, it is relatively flat, but when the diver kicks, the sophisticated design creates a deep scoop that channels water to create thrust.

15 kickers vie for the top spot in this year's ScubaLab fin tests. ScubaLab’s test team headed to Alexander Springs, Florida, a freshwater site that offers an easy entry, enough space and depth to do some serious kicking, and rock structures and crevices for performing tight turning maneuvers. 

In water, the fin delivered solid kicking performance. It did take a couple of strong kicks to get it going from a dead stop, but when test divers "turned it on," the fin generated some pretty good power. 

The Tusa FF-19 X-Pert Evolution was a test-diver favorite, with many of the testers commenting on how comfortable it felt, whether kicking easy or hard. Testers didn’t report any leg or ankle strain, and noted that the fin was fast, powerful and agile, plus very responsive using all kicking styles.

Seasoft’s frameless Visionmaster Super Mask features lenses made of H-G-G glass with Crystal ARC anti-reflective coatings that virtually eliminate glare. HGG glass and Crystal ARC coatings are found on the optics of leading riflescopes and camera lenses and allow up to 20% more light to reach your eyes.

The New Mantis 5 has the same frame as our standard Mantis mask with a new low volume skirt offering 20 degrees more visibility. Fits medium to wide face shapes. Optical lenses available upon request.

The Ikelite housing for the XZ-2 doesn't just allow you to take pictures underwater—It helps you get the most perfect shots possible. The camera's built-in flash doesn’t need to fire for automatic TTL exposure, which saves battery life and improves recycle time.

If you want a housing that’s comfortable to use, offers peace of mind, and gives you an edge over the competition – look no further. Our comfort grip handles, clear construction, and corrosion-proof body are benefits you can quickly spot from a product photo. Hold the real thing and you’ll notice that your Ikelite housing provides access to all important camera functions, as well as a glass optical viewfinder that’s been enhanced for the underwater environment.

The rigors of the road can play hell on sensitive equipment. Here are some tips on how to get your gear safely to your destination, and avoid excess-baggage fees. 

Upgrade to a Li-Ion battery pack for twice any many full power flashes, fast recycle time, and superb neutral buoyancy. Smart Charger Li-Ion provides a full recharge time of approximately 5 hours and is now included with all current DS160 and DS161 Substrobes. Removable adapters for UK, Australia and Europe are included.

Scuba Lab reviews eight of the leading alternate inflation regulators on the market today.

$160 or $1,600? Is a high-end model really better than a plain-jane one? The answer may surprise you.

Take a deep breath and dig into the results of Scuba Lab's biggest regulator test ever.

From buying new dive equipment to taking care of what you already own, these simple tips will help you get the most out of your money. 

A load of new gear debuted in 2012, and the ScubaLab team dive-tested just about all of it. After digging deep into both objective and ergonomic test results, on the following pages we celebrate the year’s top-performing fins, BCs, regulators and dive computers, along with some first-rate travel bags, warm-water wetsuits and a couple of our top picks for safety gear. 

Subgear’s new Apnea 1 five-mil is a unique wetsuit designed specifically for free diving. It comes with a nylon-lined interior so it’s comfortable against the skin plus easy to climb in and out of. However, its exterior surface is slick to repel water.

Designed for cold-water divers, Thermalution’s Power-Heated Undersuit can be worn beneath any wetsuit. A thin, flexible heating element built into the nylon/lycra Undersuit lays against your back and radiates heat while you’re cruising the cold depths.

Offering a featherweight, snug-fitting, watertight ride, the Fusion One earned the second-highest number of votes for top suit and this year’s Best Buy nod.

Bare’s Trilam Tech Dry is both durable and comfortable. Featuring fell-stitched glue and heat-tapped seams and a front-entry T-Zip MasterSeal waterproof zipper, this rugged suit is available with either neoprene or latex wrist seals, a neoprene or latex neck seal, and a choice of vulcanized neoprene attached boots or neoprene soft socks.

What's new in the world of dive gear for June 2012? Let's get that First Look.

This suit is among the best of the new crop of compressed neoprene drysuits. Bare’s new self-donning X-C-S-2 Tech Dry is made of two-mil hyper-compressed neoprene sandwiched between a tough nylon laminate on the outside and a high-stretch “frictionless” laminate on the inside.

Nauticam’s innovative new housing for the Sony NEX-5 digital camera is compact, but boasts big performance. Despite its small size, this high quality aluminum housing is depth rated to 100 meters, and has Nauticam’s acclaimed ergonomics and patented port locking system.

The Neptune Space G.Divers full-face mask, equipped with a GSM G.Divers underwater transceiver, is OCEAN REEF’s entry-level comm kit for recreational diving. Hook up the single channel Push-To-Talk G.Divers communication unit, and divers can talk to their buddies or to the dive boat using separate comm units.

Check out our expanded data charts for Ergonomic Performance and PC Kit Performance.

This is a great multifunction dive computer that does double-duty as a topside wristwatch for workday use. You get a lot of features and functions — which can be liberal or conservative, depending on the algorithm you choose — at a price that ...