Polar Bear 8mm Rubatex Hood Review January 12, 2007
Posted by Andy Carroll in : Equipment, scuba gear , 2comments
Well, I bought one of these hoods before Christmas and now it has a few dives in it I though I should tell people just how good it is.
When I first purchased it I had heard mixed reports, well, bad reports really. Howard Radcliffe had one and seemed to be happy with it whilst Bob Cooper had returned his as he didn’t like the fit. The guys at Polar Bear said they would happily let me return it if it didn’t fit, so I ordered a Medium and handed over my £40. For that you get an 8mm hood in black with red lining. It is made from what is called Nitrogen Blown neoprene, which basically means it does not compress as much as other neoprene at depth, giving it better thermal properties. It is contoured to fit the head and neck area very closely.
I am a great believer that if you focus on keeping your head and ‘core’ warm then you can worry less about your hands. I prefer to wear 3mm gloves and so far I have been wearing 3mm gloves without feeling the cold at all, which is just the way I want it.
When I first tried the hood dry, out of the packaging it was really hard to get on as the hood is contoured to the shape of your head, and as the material is so thick it makes it hard. It was initially extremely tight, to the point of giving me earache and headache, but I thought that I would give it a chance, get my hair cut , and see if it would loosen up after diving. Wearing it in the office is perhaps not the best way to impress your colleagues and evaluate a diving hood. I also liked the fact that it was a simple black hood, with no advertising or logos on it. I prefer to be paid if I am going to advertise at a dive site
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UWATEC unveils new Aladin dive computer September 13, 2006
Posted by Andy Carroll in : Equipment, scuba gear , 4comments
Scubapro have announced their latest scuba diving computer, the Aladin TEC 2G. This seems to be causing quite a splash within the diving community, and funnily enough, I have just ordered the existing TEC model for myself to replace my broken Suunto Vytec. This from the press release;
The latest addition to the Aladin Dive Computer line. The TEC 2G is an easy-to-use two-gas computer offering decompression calculations that adjust to your actions. Engineered for advanced and demanding divers, the TEC 2G offers a sophisticated predictive multi-gas algorithm, fully adjustable settings and the compact size and accessibility of the Aladin line.
Seven Tenths launch new ‘Sim’s Rough Idea’ T Shirts July 5, 2006
Posted by Andy Carroll in : Trivia, scuba gear , add a comment
Any regular readers of Sport Diver will no doubt be familiar with Sim’s Rough Idea, a cartoon strip drawn by Sim Marriott. Seven Tenths have teamed up with Sim and produced a range of t-shirts based on the cartoon strip.
They look pretty cool and are quite different from the Seven Tenths usual look.
Suunto Dive Computers Recalled; Software Bug ‘A Potential Risk to Divers’ June 23, 2006
Posted by Andy Carroll in : Decompression, News, scuba gear , add a comment
Suunto have announced a recall of some D6 and D9 dive computers following the discovery of a software bug. To help spread this around here is the press release in full, and the actions to take are at the bottom;
Quality and safety are paramount concerns for Suunto. Our testing program for the D9 and D6 product by Suunto employees and independent divers all over the world has been extensive.
Despite this, Suunto Oy has identified a software bug in the D9 and D6 instruments. The software bug may cause the D9 and D6 to incorrectly track dive time on rare occasions, potentially causing a risk to the diver.
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Deepoutdoors Unveils New Buoyancy Compensator June 15, 2006
Posted by Andy Carroll in : scuba gear , add a comment
I use a wing for my buoyancy as I have always felt that it performs better underwater, but many other divers prefer the stability on the service that a Jacket BC provides. DeepOutdoors have been working on a design for the past four years which apparently satisfies both requirements.
The BC consists of two bladders, one for the wing part (back bladder) and one for the front of the BC. Using a Dual Inflation system the BC transfers air from the back bladder to the front bladder when a diver surfaces providing the diver a more upright, natural position.
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New Rescue Laser Distress Flare & Light for Scuba Divers June 1, 2006
Posted by Andy Carroll in : scuba gear , add a comment
Aquastuff have recently added this laser light distress flare key fob to their range of scuba diving gear. Apparently this device can be seen up to 20 miles away and in daytime up to 3 miles away. It is also waterproof up to 25 mtrs (80feet) or so which makes it useful for many recreational divers, although I’d like to see it waterproof to a little deeper than that.
At £72 ($130?) it seems a bit pricey though, but I guess you don’t worry about that on that day when the boat isn’t there to pick you up.
