Gear

This compact design for the GoPro allows the photographer to add a light to their camera. The Pistol grip consists of a handle with ball, a clamp, a ball for the light, and a tripod mount for the GoPro. Any light can be added. Any light can be added. This grip puts the camera upside down; but the software allows for photographing upside down. Package price $83 plus cost of light adapterUltralight Control Systemsinfo@ulcs.comwww.ulcs.com

We polled hundreds of PADI dive professionals for their best tips for buying, using and maintaining scuba gear. Here are 10 of the most useful nuggets of expert equipment advice to help divers of every skill level.

Luminox’s DEEP DIVE Automatic 1500 is a precision self-winding instrument that employs proprietary technologies pioneered for military special ops.

Surface Interval Clothing in collaboration with Dive Rite, a leader in the technical dive equipment industry, introduces the Sidemount Signature Design.

Of the models for travelling and those for professional use this jacket has intermediate characteristics including a good sized sack, a simplified harness and the use of a material that is light yet at the same time very strong. It has a Lock Aid ...

FEATURES New Hybrid 3-D Bladder design Enhanced lumbar and backpad for maximum comfort Independent Harness System provide ultimate tank stability and unsurpassed buoyancy control Advanced Weight Loading System Depth-compensating cummerbund 4 ...

FEATURES Ultimate Stabilizing Harness and Independent Harness System provide ultimate tank stability and unsurpassed buoyancy control Stainless steel D-ring on right shoulder strap for accessory attachment Heavy duty 840 denier nylon shell for ...

FEATURES 210 denier nylon material, mesh fabric, rubbery material (rear) Two zip up accessory pockets with internal weight pockets Two rear weight pockets Soft, padded back, with double strap for fixing the tank D-rings and rings in light ...

Easy to read and easy to use. A comfortable mix of graphics and icons make this computer extremely user friendly. Oversized digits and a split-screen display makes using the computer even easier. Water and manual activation Variable ascent ...

D9 COMPASS • Digital compass that can be used both above and under water • Graphical compass rose • Numerically displayed bearings • Tracking mode for navigating set course • Visual aids for pattern navigation • Headings stored in memory for ...

• 150 ft. Oil filled depth gauge • 5000 psi pressure gauge w/temp

The NiTek He will allow you to use one computer to dive Air, Nitrox, Heliox, Trimix, Oxygen or any combination of these gasses. You can program up to seven different gas mixes per dive. FO2 can be set for 8%-99%. Bar graphs displayed on the ...

Though we often take it for granted, scuba gear has advanced a long way in the past 50 years. These seven facts ought to remind you of just how far we've come.

No more irritating blind spots!  This state-of-technology, new generation Panoramic Mask combines advanced technology with high performance, functional style and improved durability! 

Tips for making sure you buy a good-fitting mask. Plus, our most recent mask review.

The special-edition chrome frame and black skirt give the Visio Pro mask from TUSA a retro feel and look, but its high-tech features make it very much a 21st-century dive product. Unlike standard glass, which can lose up to 15 percent of available light through reflection, the Visio Pro transmits 95 percent of available light to the diver for better overall vision. In ScubaLab testing, the Visio Pro offered a solid performance, with a horizontal field of view of 89 degrees and a vertical FOV of 29 degrees up and 50 degrees down.

The Express Adjustable delivers kicking power and comfort for year-round diving in all conditions. Now available in an open-heeled version, the Express Adjustable Fin uses Aqua Lung’s patented mid-foot flex joint to take strain off the toes and ankle. The blade is made of a customized techno-polymer compound that provides a high-spring effect and flexibility to maximize acceleration, while large rubber side ribs channel water down the blade to increase kick efficiency. The foot pocket has an extremely low profile, which eliminates drag and turbulence. 

How to choose the proper scuba diving gear for your new diver

The flexible, foldable tube means the Spiral is easy to pack and stow in the gear bag for travel or in the BC for diving.For more information, visit www.tilos.com

Specifically engineered for the traveling diver, the Hot Shots are the first open-heel fins designed to be worn without boots. Plus, they fit easily in carry-on luggage. And with buckle-free, self-adjusting Comfo straps, the Hot Shots weigh in at less than 3.5 pounds.For more information, visit www.aqualung.com

A streamlined bore design helps the Contour slice through the water with minimal drag, and the internal scupper valve directs water away from the breathing tube and down toward a lower purge for reliably dry breathing. CONTACT atomicaquatics.com

• Simple yet elegant design • Purge valve at lowest point for effortless clearing • Cellphone-style removable clip

• Three-dimensional barrel for less drag when snorkeling • Angled purge valve to divert bubbles out of sight • Ergonomic mouthpiece for added comfort • Flexible, corrugated section drops snorkel from face when not in use • Quick-connect mask clip ...

Large bore tube for easy breathing • Purge valve at lowest point for effortless clearing • Cellphone-style removable clip • Available in Black, Blue, Yellow, and Red

SeaLife’s new ReefMaster’s Mini is an easy-to-use dive camera that’s waterproof to 200 feet and doesn’t require a housing. This ultra-compact nine megapixel camera shoots stills as well as video. The always-in-focus Reefmaster Mini is enhanced even further by the included external Mini Wide Angle lens which increases the shooting angle by 33 percent and provides a shooting distance of one foot to infinity. A large LCD makes for easy on-camera viewing, and with the bold-red rubber grip and wide-spaced button controls, one-handed operation is a cinch.

The 2012 Backscatter Digital Shootout was not to be missed. Held June 16-23 at the Little Cayman Beach Resort, Scuba Diving Magazine's photo editor, Katy Danca Galli, dubbed it the "ultimate summer camp for for underwater photography nuts" and blogged about her experiences.

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. The suit features a 360-degree O-ring-style neck seal and stretch panels under the arms and in the lower-back area to enhance range of motion. Even better, the back zipper runs diagonally rather than straight up and down the spine, which makes self-donning easy—those days of needing zip-up help from your dive buddy are gone forever.

Here are nine models above that will empower you to take your underwater photography and video to the next level — and four trends to consider before making upgrading your system.

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. The user-control knob offers about one-and-a-quarter turns of adjustment and, when fully closed, it does an excellent job of preventing surface free flows.

Simplify your next diving vacation with this collection of travel-friendly scuba equipment

 SCUBAPRO’s balanced diaphragm first-stage MK 11 is engineered to prevent the flow of cold or polluted water into the regulator, yet provide easy airflow regardless of tank pressure. New for this year, the MK 11 is now forged, making for a lighter-weight yet just as durable version of this five-year-old regulator design. The compact second stage features SCUBAPRO’s OFD, Optimal Flow Design, an improvement over traditional downstream valves. At the same time, diver-adjustable VIVA and inhalation controls make for a truly personalized breathing effort.

Featuring a second stage that's 65-percent lighter than a metal regulator combined with Mares' super-flex hose, this heavyweight performer is a lightweight traveler.For more information, visit www.mares.com

2012 GEAR BUYERS GUIDE

2012 GEAR BUYERS GUIDE

2012 GEAR BUYERS GUIDE

Having the right dive equipment can make a big difference to your scuba diving experience. Here are some of our best tips, tricks and strategies about getting the most out of your diving wetsuits and drysuits.

BARE’s new SB SYSTEM Drysuit is the world’s first STRETCH BREATHABLE drysuit. Its unique blend of fabrics provides 4-way stretch for a “next-to-skin” fit, and breathability for a balanced body temperature on the surface. In recent ScubaLab tests, divers found that the BARE SB SYSTEM effectively eliminated humidity, keeping them warmer, drier and more comfortable during the dive. It’s a good investment for drysuit divers.

Stretchy, breathable and low-profile, the SB is a smart approach to drysuits.A new approach to drysuits, the SB System’s unique four-way stretch trilaminate increases mobility and greatly reduces bulk. The fabric is also breathable, so moisture wicked away from the skin by an undergarment can escape while you’re wearing the suit topside. It also includes a flexible, low-profile TIZIP zipper.  CONTACT bare-sbsystem.com

10 Simple Strategies for Making the Best Purchase Possible1. Start at Your Local PADI Dive ShopThis is where to find the most trusted advice. Well-trained staff will know the local environment and can also advise on what you’ll need for travel. And there’s no substitute for getting fitted by an expert. 2. Look at What Your Instructor is Using

Maximum enjoyment. That’s what we’re all looking for when we dive. And our equipment plays a huge part in that equation. A warmer wetsuit, a better-fitting mask, an easier-breathing reg, a more user-friendly computer — all of these things will contribute to your ultimate underwater joy. That’s why we’ve gathered 167 of the newest, most innovative and downright coolest products for 2011, and poured them into 72 gear-packed pages. Because we know what a big difference new gear can make to your scuba experience — and we’re here to help you do it right.