Miss Scuba goes to DEMA to See the Latest and Greatest Dive Gadgets with Girls in Mind
Szilvia Gogh talking about the new battery heated undergarment with DUI president, Susan Long
Just when I thought I have seen everything possible divers can possibly come up with in relation to scuba gadgets, I ventured to the annual DEMA (Diving Equipment and Marketing Association) Show and found myself drooling over “I must have” hot new items.
The five day long event of the year for the dive professionals was hosted in Las Vegas. I like to go and educate myself on the trends in the dive industry, but it is usually quite hard to get me super excited. I own every piece of gear an up-to-date scuba instructor needs, and some. In the past 20 years I have been active part of dive history. Over the last decade I have upgraded from my first bright orange horse collar BCD to a weight integrated, back inflation travel size light weight BC. I watched the old school Scubapro Jet fins transform to split fins and most recently to their Seawing Nova. I used a pair on a movie set last year while filming cave scenes for Piranha 3D. Someone has spilled every color of the rainbow over the not so long ago all black wetsuits and now one can get her favorite neoprene outfit in orange, pink or purple.
Fads and trends come and go in the underwater world, like in any other aspects of our lives. Some rare gems however are going to battle with time and prove worthy to stay in my dive bag year after year. I was impressed. This year’s DEMA Show showcased several. I will share some of my favorite picks:
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GoPro® cameras… How did we ever live without them? GoPro® is synonymous with adventure video. These rugged little cameras can go just about anywhere, and capture all your adventures in HD…including the underwater kind. Unless you are a professional videographer, many scuba divers and water enthusiasts opt for the affordable GoPro® camera. . While GoPro® cameras may seem indestructible, they are not. Neither are the battery packs, remotes, chargers, LCD BacPac™, and housings. Most of these items do not react well with water, sand, and bumps.
The Moyo is the first line of GoPro® cases to include a drybag. Its unique construction can protect the camera and its accessories in any environment. To make sure you have everything you need, Stahlsac offers three sizes of cases. _____________________________________ |
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UK AquaLite for GoPro and Other Cameras
Bring out the incredible underwater colors and intricate detail of marine life with the Aqualite™ Video. Fish and invertebrates hiding under ledges and holes often receive little ambient sunlight and require additional lighting for underwater videos to come to life. Lighting the foreground with daylight colored Aqualite illumination while allowing the delicate blues and greens of the open water background to fade into the depths can produce prize winning videos.
Those of you who are more experienced in underwater video will appreciate the fact that the Aqualite™ is so small that you can use two or more lights and still not be over weighted. A pair of Aqualites set at different brightness levels will add additional dimension and beauty to an underwater subject.
The Aqualite™ shown at right with a Canon™ camera and also with a GoPro HD Hero™.
Editor's Note: For filming around the world we used to carry huge lights to bring out vivid colors at depth. Now we can achieve the same result with a light that fits in my pocket. _____________________________________________________________ |
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MK25 EVO/S600 DEEP BLUE TITANIUM CORE The high performance MK25/S600 Deep Blue Titanium Core has long been known for its low work of breathing and tremendous reserve capacity. Year after year, in successive independent tests, it has consistently ranked as one of the top-performing regs on the market. _____________________________________________________________ |
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During a dive, we continue to release humidity. However, each intake of dry air from a tank deprives the lungs and body of moisture replenishment. This unnatural lack of humidity is very hard on your body. The most obvious result of the loss is dry throat and cottonmouth. ___________________________________________________________ |
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WEEZLE BOOTS
Cold feet are a major complaint of divers. Weezle boots use the same innovative materials as used in their undersuits.
I spent 12 hours diving in ice cold water in Alaska filming a movie recently and my feet were toasty the whole time. Quite unusual feeling for me.
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Neptunic Makes Equipment for Watermen. You probably have seen their Chain Mail Anti-Shark Suit, but they create more than just chain suits.
Inspired by the grace and passion of Hall of Fame Diver, Cristina Zenato, Neptunuic offers a collection of easy to wear essentials. Cristina Zenato has spent a lifetime on the ocean working with sharks and other amazing creatures to break down the misconceptions of popular media. Her expertise in Tonic Immobility has earned her the nickname "The Shark Dancer." Cristina's elegance and ease of style are represented in our Limited Edition Collection, Neptunic X CZ.
Editor's Note: Neptunic has so many cool apparel that is hard to own just one. This one however is my favorite. I love the simplicity of this ocean blue hoodie. It is the perfect length to keep my waist warm. Under $80 ____________________________________________________________ |
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Waterproof spent three years analyzing the problems of standard drysuit, sourced superior quality materials and exhaustively tested prototypes in the Antarctic to find the answer to the perfect drysuit. Revolutionary Hybrid Concept Design. Waterproof Exclusive. Includes: Integrated Silicone Neck and Wrist Seals (installed), one additional wrist and neck seal, Drybag, Hose, and 5/7MM H1 Hood. Due to the proprietary 3-D Mesh Inner Lining used in the D1, we recommend only the BodyZor/BodyTec undergarment for all temperatures.
Editor's Note: It is one of the most expensive drysuits in the market ($3499) but I just have to get this Swedish beauty before returning to Antarctica. I love all my Waterproof wet and semi-dry suits I have. The design is out of this world cool, it fits female body perfectly and most importantly, it keeps me warm. In this drysuit, I can wear a t-shirt and short to dive in ice cold waters. ____________________________________________________________ |
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Size conforms to IATA regulations making it the perfect carry on luggage. Telescopic towing handle and reinforced wheels for easy transport.
Robust, ligthweight and abrasion resistant NT fabric (combination of reinforced Nylon and polyester, PVC with polyester piping), with spiral zip fasteners with SCUBAPRO printed tabs. Light but very sturdy mesh fabric with salt water resistant YKK zip fasteners for mesh bags. Polyester thread extremely resistant to salt water and pulling. All main compartments are equipped with double zip fasteners that enable use of one fastening system. All the models with transport wheels are equipped with salt water resistant wheels and with stainless axles.
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Pick your bags out of the crowd with custom luggage tags from YourBagTag. It's bright color makes it very easy to pick your bag out of the crowd.
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Complete coverage for those snorkelers and divers spending extended days with no shade. Never again suffer from charred ears and lobster neck.
This hoodie is kind of a rash guard, but it is more than that. It is made of recycled eco-friendly material. The fabric is breathable and lightweight. It offers UPF 30 Sun Protection. It is stretchy and dry quick.
Editor's Note: My wardrobe is filled with different color and style rash guards. I wear them over my bathing suit when swimming, snorkeling, between dives and for rowing to avoid sun burn. My latest favorite is the Xcel Ventx Hoodie. I love that it is not body tight, especially after lunch or on days when I am feeling bloated. I don't have to cover my arms and back with SPF 30 sun block that washes off into the water, so I can feel that I am saving the oceans in some ways. It dries within minutes on the sun. The Ventx Hoodie is my perfect wear for the summer drives I take by the coast. It breathes, keeps me cool and is a comfortable chick beach wear. Under $80
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The SE-35's integrated computer and sensors work with your iPhone to provide advanced dive computer functionality with an easy to use interface. Multiple diving modes including Air, Nitrox, and Gauge add to its versatility. iGills includes ascent rate indication, nitrogen loading tracking over multiple dives, low time and depth alarms, altitude compensation, and more. As you navigate to other screens to take pictures or video, the most relevant dive parameters like depth and time remaining go with you. All your critical information is always in view... And it's all delivered to you on the beautiful Retina display.
Editor's note: I have yet to try this, but hope Santa will bring me one ;-) |
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Dive Into Diversity from the award-winning Dive Into Your Imagination series created by Annie Crawley, aka Ocean Annie, entertains and educates children about the amazing natural world in the ocean. Dive Into Your Imagination is changing the way a new generation views the Ocean and themselves!
Editor's Note: Perfect gift for teenage divers and families. I love the enthusiasm Annie has for our oceans and to pass on her experiences to the next generation in an engaging, educational way.
Under $20 _____________________________________________________________ |
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Use Meridian as a multi-function wrist watch, dive in SCUBA, APNEA or GAUGE modes. Meridian performs advanced functions in timeless style above and below the surface.
Editor's Note: It has been a while since I got gaga over a watch computer, but the Meridian was love at first sight. Under $650
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