September 2007

Photography by Joseph Byrd

Atomic Aquatics: Smoke on the Water fins

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| Atomic Aquatics: Smoke on the Water fins|
Atomic's newest open-heel fin gets its name from the translucent black panels on its long split blades, which are a bit more flexible than previous models from Atomic. Also new are the spring straps made of rust-resistant 316 stainless steel. According to Atomic, these straps are designed to stretch easier than standard spring straps yet are stronger to resist breakage. Large rubber heel pads with oversized finger grips make donning and doffing the fins a breeze, as do the EZ Lok buckles. To detach, simply squeeze the tabs and slip the buckle off the post. To re-attach, slide the buckle onto the post and it clicks securely into place. In the water the fins felt fast, agile and powerful, and we look forward to giving them a full performance review in the 2007 Scuba Lab fin test, scheduled for the November issue. Price: $249. Contact: www.atomicaquatics.com.

SeaSoft: Seawolf Weight Harness

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| SeaSoft: Seawolf Weight Harness|
Traditional weight belts and even your BC's integrated-weight system can be annoying and uncomfortable when carrying a heavy ballast load. A better approach is a weight harness, and you can't do better than the Seawolf. This is a really well-made weight-tote system with enough adjustments, both length- and width-wise, to accommodate virtually any diver. The shoulder straps are padded for comfort, the two-inch waist belt uses a hefty stainless-steel buckle and there is even a two-position sternum strap with double-sided adjustments. Ballast is secured in two, large zippered weight pouches that load from the top. Each pouch holds up to 15 pounds of lead. To ditch, a yank on plastic handles allows the weights to fall free. If 30 pounds of lead won't sink your boat, you can add nonditchable pouches (optional) for a total weight load of 50 pounds. Price: $169.99. Contact: www.seasoftscuba.com.

Tilos: Airporter II Tote Roller Bag

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| Tilos: Airporter II Tote Roller Bag|
Measuring 28 inches tall by 18 inches wide and 16 inches deep, the Airporter II Tote offers a lot of gear-packing space in a clever box design. The main storage compartment is a cavernous three-sided hard case. The rigid back and walls provide good impact protection while enabling the bag to maintain its shape when partially loaded. The soft lid, made of 600 Denier nylon backed with PVC, sports three zippered compartments. The larger compartment is designed for fins, while the two remaining pockets are sized for lights, masks and other smaller gear. There are a couple of compression straps to back up the main case zipper and cinch down the load, and molded rubber handles on top and front for hefting the bag onto counters. The bag rolls on a pair of large-diameter luggage wheels and uses a standard nonlocking pull handle. Price: $283.48. Contact: www.tilos.com.

Aeris: XR-1 NX Dive Computer

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| Aeris: XR-1 NX Dive Computer|
Aeris's XR-1 NX dive computer is a basic, easy-to-use data cruncher that offers the most critical air/nitrox features--but very few extras--at a low price. Capable of monitoring nitrox mixes up to 50 percent, it uses a single push-button control for accessing its operational modes. The display screen is split into two data windows and uses big digits, familiar graphics and icons, and gray-yellow-red bar graphs for nitrogen loading, O2 exposure and ascent rate. They all combine to make tracking dive data a simple, intuitive task, both underwater and on the surface. The XR-1 NX is available as a module sized to fit into most gauge consoles, as a wrist-mount unit or as part of Aeris's two- or three-gauge console packages. Price: $289.95; $299.95 in a wrist mount; $379.95 with two-gauge console, or $419.95 in a three-gauge console (as shown). Contact: www.DiveAERIS.com.

Innovative Scuba: Concepts Compass/Slate Combo

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| Innovative Scuba: Concepts Compass/Slate Combo|
The popularity of hoseless air-integrated computers has eliminated the gauge console on a lot of scuba rigs--so where do you rig a compass? Innovative Scuba offers this compact clip-on compass/slate combo that lets you carry a navigation aid on any D-ring. It comes with a swivel clip and retractor that extends to over 24 inches, letting you use either compass or slate without worrying about dropping it into the depths. The liquid-filled, fast-response compass is readable from the top or through a side-view window and features a luminescent floating dial for night diving. Price: $59.95. Contact: Your local dive shop or (719) 597-2885.