ScubaLab: Top Rated Gear of 2009
In 2009, divers were given a tsunami of new gear, and ScubaLab completed comparative evaluations of six major collections of scuba equipment. As the holiday season approaches, we’ve compiled the ultimate gift list by looking back at the standout products of the year. We’re also taking a peek at 2010, with a preview of a few items that were too late to test, but which show promise for next year’s ScubaLab reviews.
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Top Rated Masks
In August, ScubaLab tested 18 new masks. Here are the standouts from those evaluations.
| | ScubaMax Spider Eye Divers on a budget will find the dual-window Spider Eye a real looker and a Best Buy. Offering many of the features found on masks selling for more than twice the price, the Spider Eye offers good field of view, its skirt is soft and seals well, and its buckles offer dual squeeze buttons attached to flexible tabs for flat folding. Available in black and clear silicone. Price: $36 www.scubamax.us Read our Full Review » |
| Sherwood Rona A combination of great field of view, comfort and ease of adjustment earned the single-window Rona a Testers’ Choice. This mask offers excellent horizontal and downward views, attributable to a close-to-the-lens fit and a superwide viewing window. Skirt-mounted buckles swivel and fold flat for packing. Available in black and clear silicone. Price: $70 www.sherwoodscuba.com Read our Full Review » |
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Too Late to Test
| | Riffe Mantis 5 The new dual-window Mantis 5 uses the same frame as Riffe’s popular Mantis mask, but it’s fitted with a low-volume skirt that brings the lenses in closer to the eyes, creating about 20 degrees more visibility. The mask is designed to fit medium to wide face shapes and comes in black and clear silicone. Optical lenses are available. Price: $84 w/ clear lens; $105 w/ amber or mirror lens www.riffeinternational.com | Read our complete ScubaLab reviews of Masks in 2009 »
Top Rated Wetsuits
In June, we evaluated 14 new 3 mm wetsuits. these four had the goods.
| | Mares Tropic 3mm A contoured fit, watertight seams and excellent seals at this price? It’s little wonder the Tropic earned both a Testers’ Choice and a Best Buy. It’s made with a multilayered tricore material that includes a flexible and fast-drying skin-out chest panel. All seams are glued and blind stitched on exterior layers only, eliminating uncomfortable interior stitching. The adjustable 360-degree smooth-skin neck seal is first-rate, and the zipper sealing system keeps leakage to a trickle. Available in five men’s and six women’s sizes. Price: $160 www.mares.com Read our Full Review » |
| Body Glove EX3 3mm Excellent seals, durable construction and a bargain price make the EX3 a Best Buy. Made with anatomically cut 3 mm neoprene, the suit uses strategically placed panels of Magna Flex in the torso, shoulders, back and behind the knees to maximize flexibility. The interior torso is lined with insulating Thermolite panels for comfort. All seams are triple glued and blind stitched. Smooth Glideskin at the neck and O-ring seals at wrists and ankles minimize water flow. Comes in nine men’s and five women’s sizes. Price: $199 www.bodyglove.com Read our Full Review » |
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| | SCUBAPRO Everflex Steamer 3/2 This Testers’ Choice goes above and beyond in the important stuff, while offering lots of little touches that make diving more fun. It’s made of nonpetroleum-based ultrastretch Everflex neoprene. The interior torso is lined with Heliospan, a superfine fleece. The superb sealing system is all Glideskin, and there’s a rubber security strap for attaching a wrist-mounted computer. Comes in seven men’s and seven women’s sizes. Price: $313 www.scubapro.com Read our Full Review » |
| Henderson H2 Titanium 3mm Henderson’s exclusive H2 250 percent stretch neoprene with a new pill-resistant Aquasilk lining make the suit both durable and comfortable. The ultrastretch neoprene conforms to body curves, seams are watertight, and the seals are excellent. A smooth-skin neck seal offers full 360-degree coverage. Wrist seals are of a similar design, and ankles have water-blocking nylon gussets. Comes in 12 men’s and 10 women’s sizes. Price: $358 www.hendersonusa.com Read our Full Review » |
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Too Late to Test
| | BARE 3/2mm Sport Fullsuit BARE’s new warm-water suit sports 3 mm neoprene in the torso area and 2 mm neoprene in the arms and legs. Armor Flex material protects shoulders and lower legs, a 3 mm Glideskin collar with Velcro adjustment keeps water out, and flat-seam stitching allows for lots of stretch and comfort. Offered in six men’s sizes in blue and red and five women’s sizes in blue and pink. Price: $110 www.baresports.com | Read our complete ScubaLab reviews of Wetsuits in 2009 »
Top Rated Dive Computers
For Sept/Oct, we looked at nine computers. These outpaced the pack.
| | Zeagles N2ition 3 This compact computer rivals the most expensive models when it comes to data-crunching power and features. Its simple operation, three-gas capability and digital compass make the N2ition 3 a heck of a value and this year’s Best Buy. Its expansive screen utilizes big, bold data digits and provides space for entering user-changeable messages (eight characters on two rows). The dive profile is displayed in graphic format, color bar graphs provide at-a-glance tracking of N2 and O2 loading, and an intuitive three-button system makes easy work of navigating through the various functions and modes. Price: $550 www.zeagle.com Read our Full Review » |
| Suunto Cobra 3 The Cobra 3 was this year’s favorite console computer among test divers. It features air integration, a digital compass and bold data digits — all in a sleek console screen not much larger than your old SPG. It uses a dot-matrix display and two-color bar graphs to easily track depth and NDLs, tank pressure and ascent rate. It is nitrox capable to 100 percent, you can program two nitrox mixes and read tank pressure to 5,000 psi. Its new electronic 3-D compass is easy to read and can handle up to a 45-degree tilt. Price: $850, $975 w/ quick-disconnect and dive-manager software www.suunto.com/diving Read our Full Review » |
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| | SCUBAPRO/Uwatec Galileo Luna The Galileo Luna is loaded with advanced features, including hoseless air integration and the best electronic compass around. This Testers’ Choice is single-gas nitrox capable, but SCUBAPRO’s predictive multigas algorithm (three gas mixes) can be purchased as an upgrade. You can also buy a heart-rate-monitor upgrade. Though it’s a fully loaded dive computer, the Luna is easy to use with clearly labeled control buttons. The computer is bigger than most, but it’s also easier to read with its choice of three data-screen configurations. Price: $1,350 www.scubapro.com Read our Full Review » |
Too Late to Test
| | Mares ICON HD How cool is this? A dive computer with a full-color, liquid-crystal display. This new nitrox-capable DC not only crunches data and has a digital compass, it lets you store photos, including digital maps of dive spots. An air-integration upgrade will be available spring 2010. Price: $1,200 www.mares.com |
| TUSA IQ-900 Zen The Zen is TUSA’s first wristwatch-style DC. It offers four modes: timepiece, air, nitrox (to 100 percent), depth gauge/timer and free-dive depth gauge/timer. You can switch between two gas mixes, it has a deep-stop function and backlit display, and a PC download kit is available. Price: $429 www.tusa.com |
| Read our complete ScubaLab reviews of Dive Computers in 2009 »
Top Rated BCs
In the May issue, we rounded up 14 new BCs. these models surfaced as our top picks.
| | Mares Prestige MRS Plus No other BC in our General Purpose category could match the Prestige MRS Plus’ perfect blend of performance and price, earning it a Best Buy. This BC offers the comfort and stability of a high-lift jacket-style BC without the typical bulkiness or inherent buoyancy. The Prestige’s top-rated MRS Plus integrated-weight system is positioned forward, making it very easy to load and even easier to ditch the weight pouches. The power inflator is small and slim, with prominent buttons for responsive buoyancy control. Comes in six sizes. Price: $500 www.mares.com Read our Full Review » |
| Cressi Travelight Anyone who sweats airline weight restrictions is going to love the Travelight. You’d be hard-pressed to find a lighter BC that will treat you so nice underwater. Earning both a Testers’ Choice and Best Buy in the Travel BC category, it was the lightest jacket-style BC in the review, weighing in at just 6 pounds, yet it offers all the features you would want, including generous cargo pockets and an excellent integrated-weight system. The soft pack is comfortable, stable and folds compactly for packing. Comes in five sizes. Price: $444 www.cressi.com Read our Full Review » |
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| | Aeris 5 Oceans The 5 Oceans earned both a Testers’ Choice and a Best Buy in this year’s Dual Purpose category, and, overall, is our favorite BC for 2009. Light and compact for travel, with plenty of buoyant lift and ballast capacity, its minimalist rear air cell is made of stretchy BioFlex backed by bungee cord, enabling it to maintain a low-profile shape. Plus the QLR weight system is tops. Comes in five sizes. Price: $490 www.diveaeris.com Read our Full Review » |
| SCUBAPRO Glide Pro The jacket-style Glide Pro is comfortable, stable and offers a valve system that allows for pinpoint buoyancy control. This Testers’ Choice winner features a velvety-soft neck roll and comfy back pad, and offers plenty of adjustment with its swivel shoulder buckles and depth-compensating cummerbund. The integrated-weight system is super secure. Comes in six sizes. Price: $599; $721 w/ Air2 www.scubapro.com Read our Full Review » |
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Too Late to Test
| | AQUA LUNG Zuma At only 4.4 pounds, the Zuma is an ultralightweight, back-inflation integrated-weight BC. Its unique design eliminates the need for a hard backpack, so it can be laid flat or rolled up for easy packing. The easy-to-use SureLock II integrated-weight system holds up to 20 pounds of ballast; optional trim pockets are also available. Features include a fold-down pocket, adjustable sternum strap, D-rings to attach accessories and grommets for attaching a knife. Comes in four sizes and two color combinations. Price: $395 www.aqualung.com | Read our complete ScubaLab reviews of BCs in 2009 »
Top Rated Regulators
In July’s reg shootout, we put 14 new breathers to the test. Here are the top guns.
| | Atomic Aquatics T2x Ultralightweight, top-drawer performance and now more nitrox friendly — that’s the T2x. This solid bar titanium super reg comes with a factory-sealed first stage and a low-pressure port swivel turret. The second stage sports a titanium Comfort Swivel. What’s new: Internal parts have been changed from titanium to Monel, making this Testers’ Choice reg in the Over $500 category more oxygen compatible, so you don’t have to dedicate the T2x to nitrox like you did with the T2. Featuring Atomic’s seat-saving orifice, automatic-flow control and a depth-activated venturi control, this is one easy breather. Price: $1,549 www.atomicaquatics.com Read our Full Review » |
| Atomic Aquatics Z2x The Z2x’s breathing machine and in-water performance are comparable to the T2x, plus the regs share many of the same standard features, but the Z2x costs about a third as much, earning it a Best Buy. For 2009, Atomic added a Comfort Swivel as standard equipment and offers the choice of either a fixed seven-LP port first stage or an optional five-LP port swivel turret first stage. Like the T2x, the Z2x features automatic-flow control, a depth-activated venturi control and a seat-saving orifice. Price: $499 www.atomicaquatics.com Read our Full Review » |
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| | Mares Prestige 12S The Prestige 12S carried one of the lowest MSRPs, making it a Best Buy. It’s the latest version of Mares’ MR12 balanced-diaphragm first stage, which has proved reliable. It’s slightly smaller than its predecessors, with better port orientation. It still uses Mares’ tri-material first-stage valve and the dynamic flow-control port to maximize airflow to the second stage, which comes with many features found on Mares’ more-expensive models. Price: $375 www.mares.com Read our Full Review » |
| Aqua Lung Titan LX The Titan LX is a Testers’ Choice and our overall favorite reg in the Under $500 category. It is compact and lightweight, and offers all the performance you could possibly want in a reg for a little cash. This year’s Titan LX is lighter than its predecessor, and it sports Aqua Lung’s ACD (auto-closure device), which keeps water out of the first stage. The second stage comes with an easy-to-use venturi lever to prevent free-flows at the surface, plus a choice of standard and Comfo-Bite mouthpieces. Price: $440 www.aqualung.com Read our Full Review » |
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Too Late to Test
| | Cressi MC9 Ellipse Balanced The compact, hyperbalanced diaphragm MC9 first stage is teamed with the lightweight Ellipse Balanced second stage to create one of Cressi’s top-line regs. The MC9 is covered with a protective elastomer shell. The Ellipse Balanced is equipped with both a dive/predive switch and breathing-resistance knob, and has an internal heat exchanger for diving in cold water. Price: $499 www.cressi.com | Read our complete ScubaLab reviews of Regulators in 2009 »
Top Rated Dive Lights
In the Jan/Feb issue, we reviewed 28 torches. These three models finished first.
| | Princeton Tec Shockwave LED The Shockwave LED stood out in this year’s test due to its superbright spot, wide periphery beam and long burn time. It also earned appreciative nods for its good price. The torch uses three Maxbright LEDs and eight C-cell batteries to create its intense yet efficient beam. Burn time is about 10 hours when set to high power, about 20 hours on low power. The locking trigger switch is easily operated one-handed. The light comes with batteries, lanyard and a lifetime warranty. Price: $140 www.princetontec.com |
| SCUBAPRO Fuego If we could have only one pocket-size torch for both day and night diving, this year the Fuego would be our choice. It’s a compact light, yet it generates enough illumination to get you through all but the murkiest nighttime water conditions. Its 5-watt LED offers an intense, focused beam surrounded by a wide halo of light. The rubberized co-molded body and locking on/off switch provide a secure grip and easy one-handed operation. Four C-cell batteries provide about four hours of burn time at 100 percent power. After that, the light continues working with a diminished beam for about 20 hours more. Comes with a two-year warranty. Price: $80 www.scubapro.com |
| | UK Super Q eLED The Super Q eLED was the smallest and lightest minitorch in this year’s Backup Light category, yet in tests it burned the brightest. Its hot spot rivals many primary lights in sheer beam intensity, and it will run up to five hours at full power. It sports an ABS body, Lexan twist on/off lens and is rated to 500 feet. It comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and charger, making its initial cost a bit higher than other backup lights we’ve tested, but over time you save money on batteries — plus produce less toxic waste for the local landfill. It comes with a limited lifetime warranty. Price: $120 www.uwkinetics.com | Read our complete ScubaLab reviews of Dive Lights in 2009 »
