Testing Stuff - 11/10/2015

With a new Oceanic computer of late I was keen to test the performance of it compared to my other computer. Part of this was take it relatively deep to see how the no deco times compared with my backup. Diving with Jester, we chose St Catherines and headed to the bottom of the reef.

As we went down I kept an eye on both computers. It became clear there was a considerable difference in the conserative behaviour of one versus the other. However, it took me to a lesser dived part of the reef where we found :

• Purple sunstar
• Common sunstar
• Celtic feather star
• Firework anemone 

Really quite spectacular.

We ate some falafel and waited for the sun to go down, for a second dive at night. To be honest aside from a few Pollock and a large lobster we never saw the best of the night life.

Still it was good learning experience.

Purple/Northern Sunstar

Sunstar

Firework Anemone

Langoustine

Bloody Henry

Lobster

Scorpion fish

I'll Tell You What Really Bugs Me - 23/03/2014

On Facebook I 'like' Mares, Scubapro and Fourth Element. I like many of their products in real life too.

For example, I own:

• a Mares Abyss Navy Regulator
• a Scubapro Mk17 Regulator
• a Mares Dragon BCD
• a Fourth Element Arctic Undersuit
• Scubapro Seawing Nova fins
• Fourth Element Thermocline stuff

I also like hoods by Waterproof and my Oceanic Shadow mask, but I'll tell you what really bugs me are the string of professional film makers, professional divers and 'explorers' who endorse these products. When buying a product I'm not interested in 'celebrity' endorsements. I'm interested in how cost effective/efficient/comfortable/useful is it going to be for me?

How long does a drysuit take to dry hanging under my stairs? How expensive is the service pack? If it breaks, how good is your customer service?

Like the vast majority of people I have to pay for my kit and it has to perform and last. Wouldn't it be great if these companies, instead of expedition divers, used honest recreational divers to review and promote their products?

It would be amazing to watch a review of two products and hear the diver honestly say, that they can't tell the difference between the two regulators or after using these gloves my fingers were a wee bit warmer.

The current marketing of the big brands in SCUBA is a throw back to last century. Peer to peer marketing is the future it's time for the diving industry to embrace it.