Thank poor captains and skilled explosive handlers for the 40 ships that litter the waters off the Bahamas’ 12 main islands. Here, divers can explore everything from freighters and steamships to airplanes, landing craft and patrol boats.

If you’re looking for a destination packed with adventure, history, superior diving and a vibrant natural heritage, then set your sights on Honduras and the Bay Islands.

From sharks to sailfish, wrecks, divers and beyond, our readers have submitted some incredible images for our [2013 Scuba Diving Photo Contest](http://scubaphotocontest.bonniercorp.com/photo_contest/65/submit). While they're not our winners just yet, here's a gallery of our favorite black and white images ... so far. (Captions provided by photographers.)

When it comes to a lightweight BC designed for travel, it’s hard to beat the Air Travel. no surprise, it earned the Testers’ Choice in the Travel category.

Voted Testers’ Choice in this category, the Axis delivers the functions, features and performance most coveted in a streamlined general-purpose back- buoyancy BC without unnecessary bells and whistles.

This year’s Testers’ Choice winner in the jacket-style category is a comfortable and stable BC with a good weight system, efficient valves, and a long list of convenience features.

Divers looking for an entry-level BC that’s well appointed and performs admirably — and doesn’t cost a lot of money — will be drawn to Prime MRS. It nails the important stuff at a good price, earning it the Best Buy award.

IST’s Flexus jumpsuits are available in three thicknesses—3 mil, 5 mil, and 7 mil—to provide dependable thermal protection in both temperate and tropical waters. The 5 and 7 mil suits are triple glued and double blind-stitched, with the 7 mil offering zippers on the ankles to aid in getting in and out of the suit.

The Beta semi-dry snorkel from Cressi has a large-bore tube that allows lots of airflow while you’re enjoying the scenery just below the surface. The profiled splash guard deflects water away from the top of the tube when swimming in choppy seas; water that does manage to find its way in is easily expelled through the lower purge valve.