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Nauticam’s rugged aluminum housing for the Olympus OM-D E-M5 camera supports all key camera controls, ergonomically placed for the best shooting performance.
We live in a Golden Age of dive-computer technology. Over the past two decades, these machines have evolved into powerful data centers capable of monitoring virtually all aspects of our diving. We collected 11 new and redesigned models, and tested them in our ScubaLab shop and at Blue Grotto in Williston, Florida. The results of these data-collecting exercises form the basis of the following reviews.
Many photographers shy away from wide-angle photography due to the perceived high level of difficulty, but these simple tips will get you on the right track to success.
The Watershot® underwater camera housing for the iPhone® comes complete with a glass lens port and lens baffle for optical image clarity, external threaded bezel for accessory lenses and filters, smart yet simple mounting system and a custom mobile application for imaging optimization and social media sharing.
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.
MARES dive computers took two of the top spots in ScubaLab's 2012 dive computer testing. Here we highlight two MARES models that took away the Testers' Choice prize in their categories.
The Supernova Dry snorkel from Cressi uses a 100 percent silicone mouthpiece and a corrugated breathing tube, and comes with a large, easy-to-clear purge valve on the bottom, and a completely dry top on the other end. It’s the perfect design in a snorkel, allowing for effortless breathing performance when cruising along on the surface, plus it eliminates virtually all water from entering the tube when submerged.
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.
The new Liquivision Kaon Air and Nitrox dive computer is a very readable and easy-to-use wrist computer. Its high-contrast OLED display, which can be read in any conditions, uses large fonts, and you can select your own menu colors to ultimately personalize your unit.
Liquivision’s Xeo Trimix Dive Computer is made for divers who want to explore tec diving. Depth-rated to over 600 feet, the Xeo can be programmed with up to 10 gases and used for both open circuit and rebreather diving.
The Bladefish Seajet 5000 is a sleek new way to fly underwater. Traditional DPVs are big and cumbersome, but the Lithium Ion battery powered Bladefish, measuring a mere 13 inches in diameter and weighing only ten and a half pounds, is the only ...
You’ve logged hundreds of dives, traveled to the world’s hottest dive spots and enjoyed just about every underwater adventure there is.
The tools tec divers take down with them are not just accessories but devices that might save a life.
Whether venturing into a cave, exploring a wreck or diving to depths beyond the reach of the sun’s rays, tec divers need to carry their own illumination.
Solid breathing performance and reserve capacity –– the ability to deliver gas smoothly and easily even at extreme depths and breathing rates –– is what counts when choosing a tec regulator.
The traditional tec BC is a metal backplate, an air cell — also called a wing — and a harness made from 2-inch webbing.
Akona’s less than 10 pound roller bag is a travelers dream. Made of lightweight, durable nylon the bag has a cavernous main compartment, which easily handles a full complement of dive gear, including fins.
Depth-rated to 300 feet, Ikelite’s DS161 movie substrobe is compatible with all Ikelite TTL systems and current digital cameras, as well as all older TTL film cameras, including the Nikonos system.
IST’s T101 dive torch is a powerhouse when it comes to pumping out illumination.
When divers think of a bail-out bottle, chances are it’s the Spare Air 300 that comes to mind.
SCUBAPRO’s Geo was the lightest BC in ScubaLab’s 2010 BC round-up.
“An awesome BC,” said one diver, which sums diver sentiment and why the Pro QD captured the Testers’ Choice for a jacket-style BC in the General Purpose category.
Wearing this BC at depth just feels good. It’s comfortable and stable, with good valve control and substantial buoyant lift in all sizes for temperate-water diving.
The EX100 is a lightweight all-purpose BC that offers all the basics plus throws in some nice extras, all for the lowest price of any BC in the General Purpose category.
ScubaLab tells you what to expect from what might be the best year ever for new and improved BCs
Tilos’ back-bouyancy Armada BC is targeted to the traveling diver, but it has enough ballast capacity and buoyant lift for local diving too.
You get a lot of BC with IST’s J-1200 Hydro D. This full-featured, light weight, back inflation BC is constructed of rugged 840 denier nylon with a harness system that can be easily adjusted to provide a personalized fit.
Aqua Lung’s Zuma is a featherweight back-buoyancy BC designed for travel. It packs so compactly you can easily fit it into a carry-on bag.
The traditional tec BC is a metal backplate, an air cell — also called a wing — and a harness made from 2-inch webbing.
IST Sports’ J-1000 Alpha is a full-featured, all-purpose BC. During ScubaLab’s 2010 BC tests, the Alpha earned big points with test divers for its ultra-compact yet responsive power inflator, and its overall valve system.
In 2009, divers were given a tsunami of new gear, and ScubaLab completed...
By Vahagn Nahabedian
Suunto has released its first technical dive computer and dive planner with full mixed gas capability. Called the Hel02, this computer and its dive planning software allow divers to make technical dives beyond normal ...
Some of us are just techies by nature. So for all of you who want to delve into the details, here are a few more notes about the dive computers in this year’s tests, and what you should look for when choosing the right one for you.
The Scuba Lab test team gets the big picture of underwater vision. See what you've been missing all these dives.
Here's our annual product excellence awards for masks, brought to you by ScubaLab, the only independent testing facility of scuba life-support equipment.
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.
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.
CETATEK introduces the new patent pending aquabionic warp1 fin providing water adapting responsive propulsion technology.
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.
This kicker turned in some of the best overall in-water performance scores, earning the highest scores for acceleration. Test divers liked the fin’s exceptional maneuverability, and noted its ability to negotiate turns with minimal foot action.
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 only split fin in this year's open-heel group, the Z3 is easily recognizable by its radical 27-degree blade angle. In the water, the fin racked up some of the best scores of this group in acceleration, stability and efficiency.
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.
Kicking versatility through interchangeable blades is the name of the game with Cressi’s new Gara Modular free-diving fin. The standard blade is lightweight and provides a nice mix of power and flexibility.
Cressi’s Reaction adjustable fin has a long and relatively flexible blade that’s made from a new-generation technical polypropylene. This lightweight composite makes for a responsive fin throughout each phase of the kicking cycle.
The Beta semi-dry snorkel from Cressi has a large-bore tube that allows lots of airflow while you’re enjoying the scenery just below the surface. The profiled splash guard deflects water away from the top of the tube when swimming in choppy seas; water that does manage to find its way in is easily expelled through the lower purge valve.
The Supernova Dry snorkel from Cressi uses a 100 percent silicone mouthpiece and a corrugated breathing tube, and comes with a large, easy-to-clear purge valve on the bottom, and a completely dry top on the other end. It’s the perfect design in a snorkel, allowing for effortless breathing performance when cruising along on the surface, plus it eliminates virtually all water from entering the tube when submerged.
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.
Here’s something you don’t usually see on a snorkel: ball-joint connections. On IST Sports’ 3-D Flex Dry Snorkel you have two of them: one at the base of the mouthpiece, and one where the purge body connects to the breathing tube.
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.
IST is a family owned and operated manufacturer with three separate equipment lines available to the diving community. We have been manufacturing quality watersports equipment for others as well as ourselves for over 35 years, so while you may not have seen our logo frequently, chances are you have enjoyed our gear somewhere before.
This system’s major features include a large CCD sensor and ISO range. It is perfect for the intermediate-level photographer looking to step up from an entry-level system. With full manual control of settings, the G11 is a great option without ...
A point-and-shoot, the D10 is ideal for the advanced snorkeler or Junior Open Water PADI diver. There are no strobes to mess with and it really is plug-and-play. But its maximum operating depth is only 33 feet.
Bonica has developed a compact housing for the thin and streamlined Sony T90, a camera that you could easily pop out of the housing and into your shirt pocket for a night on the town after a day of diving.
A step above the well-loved Sea&Sea 1200HD, the DX-2G doesn’t disappoint. This system is ready to go out of the box with a camera and housing that can only be bought together.
Fisheye FIX offers great accessories such as the Wide Air Lens that will allow you to take your point-and-shoot photography to the next level. The Fisheye FIX housing feels good in your hands, the shutter is large and accessible and, combined ...
Nauticam’s new NA-550D housing for the Canon Rebel T2i is a rugged yet innovative housing that simplifies operation while maximizing shooting potential.
The Tachyon XC Micro helmet cam is designed to capture any outdoor adventure.
We team up with a test team for 2 days to put eight camera systems through the ringer.
Ultralight Control Systems tray and arms for the Olympus Pen Camera maximizes flexibility in the way you set up your underwater photo rig.
Ikelite lets you dive into underwater videography easily and inexpensively, with its new Compact Video Package, which comes complete with a JVC Picsio GC-FM1 video camera, a waterproof housing, and a UR/Pro color filter, with the option to add a ...
The Brut is a good entry-level reg at a very attractive price point.
Breathing simulators are great indicators of a regulator’s abilities and we used one to put our 2010 ScubaLab regs to the test.
Get a quick break down of all of the basic features of our 2010 ScubaLab reg reviews.
The ScubaLab staff evaluates each reg in the water in seven basic areas.
Apeks calls the Flight “the lightest regulator in the world,” and we’d have to agree. Our test reg, a yoke-style model, weighed in at only one pound, five ounces, by far the lightest reg ScubaLab has ever reviewed, and the DIN version is four ...
Tilos’ Gemini-A reg has a compact balanced diaphragm first stage and a lightweight, pneumatically balanced second stage.
IST Sports’ flagship regulator, the R-4-10, unites the R-4 balanced diaphragm first stage with the O-10 pneumatically balanced second stage.
Solid breathing performance and reserve capacity –– the ability to deliver gas smoothly and easily even at extreme depths and breathing rates –– is what counts when choosing a tec regulator.
Apeks calls the Flight “the lightest regulator in the world,” and we’d have to agree. Our test reg, a yoke-style model, weighed in at only one pound, five ounces, by far the lightest reg ScubaLab has ever reviewed, and the DIN version is four ...
Here's our annual product excellence awards for exposure protection, brought to you by Rodale's Scuba Lab, the only independent testing facility of scuba life-support equipment.
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SPECS• Price: $1,650• Style: Front Entry, Diagonal-Zip• Suited For: General-Purpose Diving• Available Sizes: 6
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.
Test divers really liked the features and the overall feel of the Trilam Pro. It racked up the most points for overall favorite in our shootout — earning it the Testers’ Choice for 2013.
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 August 2012.
What's new in the world of dive gear for June 2012? Let's get that First Look.
Waterproof’s D7 Pro ISS is a new-generation trilaminate drysuit featuring a front-entry design for super easy self-donning, and an innovative sealing system that combines Integrated Silicone Seals at the neck and wrists.
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.
Scuba Diving Editor David Espinosa and Sport Diver Editor Eric Michael take Camaro drysuits
G-DIVE is our brand for high-end latex seals and other diving related products. With our G-DIVE products you get the best quality on the market.
SEA&SEA has released its most sophisticated, technically advanced digital SLR housings to-date with its MDX series. The latest, the MDX-D7000, was purpose-built for the Nikon D7000 and is ergonomically designed for ease of use and total control of the D7000 functions underwater.
If you have a need for specialized mask lenses, IST Proline has multiple options for you. The OL80 dive mask lenses are available in clear, tinted and optical corrections and can be fitted to a number of different mask styles.
True to its name, the Thermocline from Fourth Element provides as much thermal protection as a typical 2.5 mm wetsuit but weights just 2.2 pounds. It can be layered under other wetsuits without the need for extra lead.
When ScubaLab put the Mikron on the ANSTI breathing machine, it pumped out lots of air, even at extreme depths and breathing rates. Built for traveling, the Mikron features a balanced-diaphragm first stage that isn’t much bigger than a golf ball, a compact, pneumatically balanced second stage and an ultra-light, ultra-flexible braided hose.
When choosing a mask, three sets of criteria are critically important: fit, fit and fit. As no two faces are alike, proper mask fitting needs to be a careful undertaking. Bring your regulator and snorkel on your shopping trip because these can affect the mask’s seal.
The rugged D10 is a tough, comfortable, warm drysuit packed with features that cold-water divers will love. Kevlar boots, 3-D knee guards and a heavy-duty cordura crotch panel join with Waterproof’s exclusive “seat that grips” for a non-slip grip and extra protection.
The Leonardo is a complete RGBM computer that offers all the functions recreational divers need in a sharp-looking package. It is the first computer completely manufactured by Cressi Electronic, a new division of the company introduced this year.
This 2010 Testers’ Choice regulator is a powerhouse when it comes to performance. And it’s a great price.
The SeaLion BC from SeaSoft comes in just four sizes. But that doesn’t mean it fits just four sizes of divers. With the SeaLion, a diver can actually keep the same-sized BC for a lifetime. For example, the extra-small SeaLion will fit a typical 10-year-old who weighs about 50 pounds, but will then adjust to fit an adult up to 180 pounds.
