Just Surfaced: New Gear

Carrie Garcia

Carrie Garcia
CITIZEN SCUBA FIN ECO-DRIVE DIVER’S WATCH
Featuring Citizen’s Eco-Drive technology, the Scuba Fin watch is powered by light and has luminescent hands that are easy to read in the dark or at depth. A one-way elapsed-time rotating stainless-steel bezel makes for easy bottom-time tracking, and the mineral-glass crystal will withstand plenty of at-depth abuse. A screw-back case and screw-down crown keep the Scuba Fin’s internal quartz movement dry down to 660 feet. The watch comes with a stainless-steel casing and a polyurethane strap in your choice of five color combinations. Contact: citizenwatch.com MSRP: $299
LIQUIVISION KAON and XEO
Canadian-made Kaon is one of two new dive computers just released by Liquivision. Designed for the recreational dive market, the Kaon uses a high-contrast fullcolor OLED display in a compact plastic casing. To navigate through the system, you don’t use buttons; rather, you tap on the casing to access menus, adjust dive parameters and lock in settings. The Kaon is depth rated to 660 feet and offers three operating modes — rec, tec and gauge. It can program up to three gas mixes to 100 percent 02 (in Tec mode), and offers both a dive planner and simulator. It comes with a lifetime dive-log memory and an easy-to-replace battery. The new Xeo Trimix is a data-crunching powerhouse for technical diving. The Xeo has a depth rating of more than 600 feet, can be programmed with up to 10 gases, and is designed for use in both open circuit and rebreather diving. Its four-color OLED display can be read in low- or no-light diving situations. The Xeo is as simple to use as the Kaon — simply tap on the top or bottom of the casing to cycle though the system, and on the side to save your selections. Same goes when switching gases or setting points at depth. The Xeo comes loaded with the Buhlmann-GF algorithm and an optional RGBM upgrade. Contact: liquivision.com MSRP: Kaon, $811; $988, Xeo; $1,087, Xeo plus PC interface, Zagg screen shield and three-battery pack.