What's New
Coconut Cove clothing
Coconut Cove is a quirky clothing brand offering a different perspective to the usual designs of other retailers. It is versatile by offering a huge range of quality clothing in different shades, with diving-inspired designs using plot printing where colours never fade.
Coconut Cove has been created by Bronwen Pretorius, with fun, beach and sun in mind. Originally from Zimbabwe, Bronwen is a keen diver and environmentalist who personally supports Project AWARE, Shark Trust and WWF.
Check out the website for information on these charities, the weather in popular diving destinations, and games.
www.coconut-cove.co.uk
Dive Alert Plus (SRP: £54.50)
In the last few years, there have been several instances where divers have ended up drifting for hours after losing contact with their dive boat, and this has brought home the need to carry items which will make yourself as visible as possible.
Flags and DSMBs are one solution, and a standard whistle is fine, but a powerful air horn which can be heard over several miles is a more-effective signaling device. The Dive Alert was one of the first such devices on the market and it is a best-seller.
However, having some way to signal your buddy underwater is also handy, and rather than using rudimentary units like tank-bangers or rattles, then an air-powered ‘quacker' is the way to go.
This means two air-powered devices. If you want to use both, you have to mount them one above the other between your power inflator and your BCD hose, which obviously isn't ideal.
Not any more. The Dive Alert Plus isn't that much larger than a standard Dive Alert, yet it incorporates the surface air horn with an underwater signalling device in one compact unit. A large dial lets the user select which device to operate quickly and easily, and then with the push of a button, you can signal your boat or your buddy.
www.cpspartnership.co.uk
Dive-Logs SAC logbook pages (SRP: Pack of eight from £3.95)
Dive-Logs has just added a new type of logbook page to its range. The Surface Air Consumption (SAC) log sheet is targeted at divers who want to monitor their breathing rate and try to improve.
It allows divers to track their SAC rate over a number of dives on a single sheet, and identify factors that might have contributed to high and low air consumption.
Best of all, instead of having to dig out a calculator, you can use the Dive-Logs SAC calculation chart. Every pack of SAC logbook sheets contains several copies of this chart in both metric and imperial and for most common tank sizes.
Dive-Logs also do a dive log placeholder for your binder that has a multi-unit version of this chart engraved on it. This retails for £4.95, including delivery.
www.dive-logs.com
Intova digital camera (SRP: £98)
Underwater digital photography has been getting steadily more affordable over the last couple of years, with ever-cheaper cameras and housings being released from the Far East.
The original Intova digital camera was a steal at £199.95, but it has been reduced to £150, making it even more of a bargain. However, if that is still too much for the budding snapper to shell out, then how about £98? Yes, unbelievably, that is the price of this latest Intova camera and housing.
The housing is waterproof to 39m and allows full control of all the functions of the camera, which has five megapixels, a 2.5-inch LCD screen, 4x digital zoom, full-function flash and a 16MB internal memory. Incredibly, it even comes with a 1GB memory card!
www.cpspartnership.co.uk
Poseidon Flexi Base 220 undersuit (SRP: £110)
Poseidon has entered the market for drysuit undergarments with a series of underwear based on the unique properties of 100 per cent Merino wool, to be used according to the layering principle.
Remember - clothing doesn't create heat. The function is to maintain the heat your body generates and to insulate from outside cold, as well as transport excess moisture away from the skin.
Wool is a natural material and has been used by humans for thousands of years. The uniqueness in the wool is the ability to insulate from heat and cold and, at the same time, maintain moisture both inside and in between the individual fibres - something that synthetic fibres cannot. Other unique features include the fact that wool will keep you warm even if wet, is easy to care for - and is machine-washable.
The Flexi Base 220 is designed for use in cold water and, combined with the Flexi Base 50 (SRP: £110), is suitable for temperatures down to 10°C.
www.poseidon-uk.co.uk
Scubapro dive bags (SRP: £29-£219)
Scubapro has completely redesigned its line of diving gear bags for 2008, separating them into four distinct categories - Prestige bags, Travel bags, Accessories bags and Business bags.
The Prestige range are, as the name suggests, top-of-the-line bags offering total protection for your precious gear.
The Travel bags are large volume, lightweight and easy to move, so ideal for transporting dive equipment.
The Accessories bags complement the larger travel bags, and include mesh sacks and dry bags.
The Business bags are an Instructor bag and a PC backpack that clearly brand you as a diver thanks to unmistakable Scubapro logos.
The bags feature tough polyester 1680D material, YKK zippers, rubber ergonomic handles and, on the wheeler bags, stainless steel shafts and saltwater resistant in-line wheels.
www.scubapro-uwatec.co.uk
Snapsights Sports Utility Torch (SRP: £18.50)
If you are after a cheap-and-cheerful back-up torch, then the Snapsights Sports Utility Torch is worth checking out.
It features a one-watt high-power LED, which gives six to eight hours burn time from four AAA batteries, and it is waterproof to 100m. It comes in yellow, pink and blue, and has a handy lanyard already attached.
www.cpspartnership.co.uk
