Scuba Diving Gear and Equipment Trends to Watch
Courtesy of HollisHollis Explorer
BREATHE IT AGAIN
Rebreathers aren’t new. But the rebreather featured here might be the one that sparks a new way of thinking about rebreathers. Long the realm of barnacled tec divers, the rebreather world has become more accessible than ever to rec divers, thanks to the Hollis Explorer. Lightweight and compact, it eliminates what rec divers didn’t like about rebreathers — complicated math and complex setups — and left the good part: two-hour dives with virtually no bubbles to scare off the sea life. The Explorer uses pre-packed absorbent cartridges, a single, electronically controlled Nitrox gas to maintain the optimal PPO2 and thermal monitoring and CO2 sensing to assure good gas in the breathing loop. It features an automated predive setup and a simple, eye-level primary display that can’t be mistaken: green means you’re OK to dive; red means flip the one-handed bailout valve to open circuit and end your dive.
FREE FOR ALL
Crossover between scuba diving and freediving gear is becoming much more common, and that’s good news for divers in both sports. The trend is especially evident in masks and fins; manufacturers like Scubapro now offer a host of products to serve both markets. What makes a design tailored to freediving different from traditional scuba gear? In fins, it’s all about flexibility. The long, slender blades like those on Scubapro’s Carbon Freediving fin allow divers to use a slow, efficient fin stroke, but they can crank out some serious propulsion when needed. The shape also provides excellent directional control with minimal effort, and the foot pockets are usually very comfortable. As for masks, low-volume frames like Scubapro’s Steel Comp make equalizing a breeze — in some cases, it’s virtually unnecessary — and the popular frameless mask design eliminates visual obstructions a frame might cause.
Photo by Zach StovallLiquivision Omnix
STAY CONNECTED
There’s a nostalgic charm — akin to the days of silent movies — in hand signals. Need to know how much air your buddy has? Just get his attention, give him the signal, wait for him to check his gauge, wait for his hand signal back, etc. Now the latest technology in dive computers is making it not just possible but simple to know much air your buddy has without having to ask. The Liquivision Omnix uses ultrasonic technology to allow up to 10 divers within a range of 330 feet to monitor one another’s critical stats including gas pressure, location and battery level. You can also deploy Liquivision’s L1 Location Transmitter to mark any spot underwater and find it with your computer — for example, hang it from your dive boat to help navigate your way back. The Aqwary Smart Console works with the Aqwary Link to form an underwater ultrasonic network that can connect up to 70 divers within 330 feet, and lets you choose from a variety of applications including Buddy Watch to track the air supply, direction and distance of other divers. Pretty cool stuff — and on top of that, they’re both multi-function dive computers with vibrant OLED color displays.
Courtesy photoThe Nearshore Dive Vehicle
SPEEDY SHORE DIVING
Jesse Stephenson, a former Navy Seal, created the Nearshore Dive Vehicle to help divers get to shore-diving sites more quickly without a lengthy surface swim. The Nearshore Dive Vehicle serves as both an electric vehicle and a dive buoy. The vehicle includes a paddleboard and a motor underneath, and divers can sit or stand on the vehicle in the water — after towing their gear on top of the vehicle with its removable cart. When they reach their desired site, divers are able to turn the vehicle on with a power switch on a handle bar on the rear. This allows the the NDV to tow divers with their face in the water. Once they see something underwater, they can release the handle bar and turn the motor off. The vehicle, which goes up to 5 MPH and has a battery that lasts up to two hours, also includes a retractable line.
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