This latest model from Mares shows how manufacturers continue to distill all the best qualities of jacket-style BCs. Read why the Mares Prestige 2 MRS+ is this year's Testers' Choice for jacket BCs by ScubaLab.

While other compacts had brighter, tighter hot spots, the Gamma has a wider central beam and a broad outer halo that doesn’t drop off much nearly out to its limits. Check out how the Ikelite Gamma was our ScubaLab Best Buy.

UK’s newest compact, the Vivid eLED delivers a lot of performance in a small package. Read why the Vivid is the ScubaLab's Tester's Choice in the Pocket Lights category.

Careful where you shine this light when night diving, or you’ll quickly become unpopular. It’s blazing, with a hot-spot meter reading higher than any others in our test, though some had broader main beams. Find out why this dive light was our ScubLab Testers' Choice in the Primary & Canister lights category.

A diver's principal light source, these new models are getting more powerful and more compact. Check out SCUBALAB's review of 15 of the latest dive lights.

Aqua Lung’s Zuma BC saves air travelers precious weight and bulk. Its soft backpack design is compact and weighs less than five pounds, yet still gives divers creature comforts like a lumbar support and integrated weights.

DOLPHIN TECH helps divers keep a low profile with two new side-mount buoyancy systems. Rated for either 21 or 42 lbs of lift, the SMB harness and bladder are ideal for qualified divers venturing into caves, wrecks and other confined spaces.

Take a peek behind the scenes at the 2014 ScubaLab BC tests, held in March at Florida's renovated Blue Grotto cavern.

Before you get in the water with your brand-new BC, here are our best tips for prepping it so that it's ready for its first scuba dive.