By John Brumm

Photography by Joseph Byrd

Scubapro Marin/Marin 2 Mask

||||
|---|---|---|
| |
| Scubapro Marin/Marin 2 Mask|
The Marin mask comes in two sizes to fit a variety of faces. It sports a low-volume, dual-lens faceplate set in a rigid frame with cutouts on each side to enhance peripheral vision. Even without these cutouts, the mask offers pretty good field of vision. We measured 80 degrees of horizontal view and 70 degrees of vertical view, with the majority of that found looking downward where it's needed most. Like a number of other Scubapro masks, the Marin features a large, double-seal silicone skirt that makes getting a watertight seal an easy task. A large nose pocket provides plenty of squeeze room for gloved fingers when it comes time to equalize. The buckles swivel a bit so you can fine-tune fit, and the strap's double-wide headband is comfortable. Bonus: a Scubapro-exclusive application process imbeds color into the Marin's frame, creating a very cool "soft-touch" effect in titanium, blue and red. The Marin 2 offers all the features of the standard Marin, but is sized to fit smaller faces.

Retail price: $96, Marin; $93, Marin 2.

Contact: scubapro.com.

Spyderco Mariner Salt Knife

||||
|---|---|---|
| |
| Spyderco Mariner Salt Knife|
This all-stainless-steel folding knife is designed for use in saltwater environments in general, and on boats in particular. Its rust-free blade is made of H-1 steel. This is a special composite found only on Spyderco knives that uses nitrogen in place of carbon in its steel matrix. According to Spyderco, substituting nitrogen for carbon makes steel harder--so it will hold an edge better--and since nitrogen doesn't react with chloride like carbon does, rust never gets the chance to grab hold. The knife measures 8.25 inches in the open position, 4.75 inches closed. It has a solid, dense feel to it, yet weighs only five ounces. The sheepfoot blade is round-tipped, good for avoiding accidental stabbings or punctures when cutting around people or inflatable boats. A ribbed thumb indent at the top of the blade makes it easier to apply cutting pressure. A serious cutter, it will saw through heavy three-strand nylon cordage, commonly used for anchoring, like paper. The brushed stainless handle has a shackle key, a pocket clip and a hole for stringing a lanyard.

Retail price: $209.95.

Contact: spyderco.com.

Cressi-sub Technica Wetsuit

||||
|---|---|---|
| |
| Cressi-sub Technica Wetsuit|
This 7mm hooded camo suit lets you stealth-dive through the kelp forests, eel grass and rocky reefs of temperate water dive locales. Designed for spearfishing, the Technica's high-stretch Ultraspan neoprene is covered with durable nylon that has a camouflage pattern on the hood, torso and lower legs (the rest of the suit is dark gray), so if you're hiding from a big halibut--or your dive buddy--you can crouch in the weeds and look like part of the bottom. The suit is a two-piece design, with a farmer john bottom and pull-over top. The two pieces hook together at the beavertail with a pair of slotpin fasteners that we've never seen used on a wetsuit, but they seem to work pretty efficiently. A skin-in liner turns the entire suit into a virtual body seal to keep water out and body warmth in. The suit slips on and off relatively easy, offers good range of motion in the legs and arms, and decent flexibility in the chest area where the neoprene overlays for double thickness. Abrasion-resistant patches on elbows, knees and shins allow you to brace against rocks without hurting the wetsuit, and there's a thick pad on the chest for butting a speargun against when loading. Available in five sizes, small to XXL. The suit also comes in 3.5mm and 5mm versions.

Retail price: $375.

Contact: cressisub.it.

Mares Jax Custom Mouthpiece

|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |
| Mares Jax Custom Mouthpiece|
| |
| |
| Convert your Mares' Nemo from a one-gas to a two-gas data cruncher.|
An uncomfortable mouthpiece can put a damper on even the best-performing regulator. While it's always been possible to switch out a stock mouthpiece for another stock mouthpiece in hopes that it will fit better, now you can just as easily fit yourself with a custom mouthpiece that will conform perfectly to your unique bite. The new Jax mouthpiece avoids a complicated molding process by using a new technology that, according to Mares, was created in the dental sector. Customizing this mouthpiece is falling-down simple: stick it in a pan of boiling water for 15 seconds, let it mold to your teeth for a couple minutes, then let it cool for a few minutes more and you have a mouthpiece that fits your teeth to a tee. Make a mistake in the molding process or have some dental work done that changes your bite? Not to worry, the Jax mouthpiece can be remolded simply by repeating the heat/mold/cool process. Available in seven colors, it will fit virtually any second stage.

Retail price: $40.

Contact: mares.com.

More from Mares
Now available: A free software download that converts your Mares' Nemo Wide dive computer from a one-gas to a two-gas data cruncher. All you need is a Drak USB Interface system ($120). The download is available at mares.com

Pelican Nemo 4200 Dive Light

||||
|---|---|---|
| |
| Pelican Nemo 4200 Dive Light|
With Pelican's Nemo 4200 you get the benefits of a pistol grip dive light in a very compact package. The light weighs less than a 1.5 pounds when loaded with four C-cell batteries, and its ABS body is only 5 inches long and 2.75 inches in diameter (not counting the pistol grip). The light's sleek shape allows it to fit into many BC pockets, but even if you have to hang it from your belt, its compact size and slightly negative buoyancy allow it to ride comfortably at the end of a lanyard. A 112 lumens Xenon bulb throws a tightly focused beam that measures 6.0 EV at the hot spot. This is surrounded by a large halo of diffused, but still very usable, light. The Nemo 4200 provides about four hours of burn time on a set of batteries that load into a screw-down compartment protected by double O-rings and rated to 500 feet. It uses an external magnetic on/off switch to eliminate any chance of leakage into the battery compartment and a switch lock holds the light in either the on or off position. Available in black, blue and yellow. A lanyard is included.

Retail price: $53.95.

Contact: pelican.com.