By John Brumm

Photography by Joseph Byrd

Henderson H2 Titanium Wetsuits

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Henderson pioneered the concept of a super pliable wetsuit with its Hyperstretch line, and other manufacturers quickly followed with their own versions of high-stretch neoprene suits. Henderson has done it again with its new H2 Titanium line. Like the Hyperstretch suits, the H2 expands up to two-and-a-half times its original size, but adds even more comfort and performance. The H2 is made of an ultra-soft memory foam rubber sandwiched between a new fabric called Aquasilk (exclusive to Henderson). This synthetic fabric is durable, pill-resistant and comfortable against the skin. "It has a softer, sexier feel to it than our original Hyperstretch," says Henderson's Joe Polak. "It gives you the performance of synthetics and the comfort of natural fabric." The suit is double-glued and blind-stitched and all seam ends and intersections are reinforced. The H2 also has a new sealing system that includes a first-rate, 360-degree smooth-skin neck seal on an adjustable collar. Wrists have smooth-skin seals too, 1.5 inches wide for optimum efficiency, and the zipper uses a smooth skin on track edges and the underflap to create its own self-sealing system. The only openings without smooth skin seals are the ankles, but they come with nylon gussets, adjustable flaps and Velcro closures. Scuba Diving's Photo Editor Stephen Frink spent a week in the Red Sea diving in an H2 suit, and he gave it a thumbs up: "The suit didn't abrade or pill, and the exterior surface is very nice. The wrist and neck seals are effective in keeping water out of the suit, and the ankle closures are clever. It's easy to don the suit and get a snug fit around the ankles, without the maintenance hassles of zippers." The Bottom Line: Henderson has raised the bar with the H2. It's durable and resistant to abrasions and even pilling, has a great sealing system and is more comfortable than the original Hyperstretch, plus it also comes with lumbar padding and flexible Duratex knee pads. The H2 is available in 3mm, 5mm and 7mm versions, in 12 men's sizes in navy blue and red, and 10 women's sizes in lavender and yellow. Suits will be in dive stores by late November. Prices: 3mm, **$357.99**; 5mm, **$433.99**; 7mm, **$489.99**. Contact: [hendersonusa.com](http://www.hendersonusa.com)

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Mares Cruise Roller Bag

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Your big, bulky dive bag is perfect for carting gear, but what do you do with it when you're not using it? Mares has a nifty solution. Its new full-sized Cruise Roller Bag fits plenty of dive gear, but when you don't need it, it folds to a size not much larger than a briefcase. The Cruise Roller Bag measures 32"x16"x10" for a total linear length of 58 inches, well within airline checked bag size requirements. It weighs only 8 pounds empty, so you can pack plenty of gear into its roomy main compartment, two fin pockets and two lid compartments without tipping baggage scales. Because the bag folds for storage, it doesn't have any side stiffeners to help maintain its shape when packing (although it has a rigid base). The best way to load the Cruise Roller is to first slip the fins in the side pockets so that the main compartment maintains its shape. The lid hinges at the bottom of the bag rather than the side, so you can fold it completely out of the way. The main compartment easily holds an entire complement of dive gear, leaving the extra-large lower lid compartment for clothes and the smaller upper lid compartment, which is removable, for items you want to keep with you once the big bag is checked. The wide wheelbase provides a stable rolling platform. A rigid lift handle on the base doubles as a foot stand to help the bag stand solidly upright when loaded. An over-molded rubber lift handle on top doubles as a tow handle. Note: due to the lack of a rigid, retractable tow handle, we found that the more fully the bag is packed, the easier it is to control when skirting around corners and tight spaces. When rolling isn't practical, the bag comes with a pair of backpack straps that stow in a padded sleeve. When not being used, the Cruise Roller folds into the size of the lower lid compartment (19"x16"x6") and zips up into a neat package for storing. Price: **$180**. Contact: [mares.com](http://www.mares.com)

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DUI Polartec Powerstretch Jumpsuit

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The newest version of DUI's Polartec Powerstretch insulation undergarment for drysuits is designed to keep you warm and comfy, plus features new styling, patterns and colors, and sizing choices. The jumpsuit's dense polyester/lycra blend material holds lots of air, which is what keeps you warm in a drysuit. Highly breathable, it's comfortable and wicks moisture when you sweat. Even better, it's high-stretch, so you can wear a size that's form-fitting without limiting range of motion. We donned a snug-fitting test jumpsuit and performed deep knee bends, toe-touches and overhead arm thrusts without any binding. The jumpsuit comes with light elastic in the wrists and thumb and ankle stirrups. The front zipper is double pull and has a padded under-flap. There are two roomy waist pockets for hand-warming, plus a smaller pocket on the chest. The machine-washable jumpsuit is available in five men's and six women's sizes in gray and navy and aqua blue and dark aqua, respectively. If these sizes don't match your body shape, don't worry. You can get the jumpsuit in made-to-order sizing and colors. A DUI DiveWear Tote Bag is included. Price: **$498** for stock sizes, **$698** for made-to-order. Contact: [DUI-Online.com](http://www.DUI-Online.com)

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Clarification: Mares Raptor Fins Whoops

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Special studio lighting caused portions of the new black version of the Mares Raptor fin--featured in "First Look" in the october 2008 issue--to look silver when we photographed it. Here's what the fin really looks like. The Raptor is the first split fin from Mares. It features natural rubber rails that taper for smooth flexing, and it uses a blend of composite materials to optimize thrust and efficiency. It also includes the Whale Tail open-heel foot pocket for better energy transfer to the blade. Like other versions of the Raptor we've tried, the design offered a good blend of speed, thrust and maneuverability and performed well with a variety of kicking styles. The Raptor also comes with the convenient ABS Plus buckle system. In addition to black, the fin is available in blue, red, yellow and green and comes in three sizes (small, regular and extra-large). Price: **$160**. Contact: [mares.com](http://www.mares.com)

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