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Behind the Scenes: 2014 ScubaLab BC Tests

By Mary Frances Emmons | Published On April 18, 2014
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Behind the Scenes: 2014 ScubaLab BC Tests

This spring ScubaLab packed up the van, rounded up our test team of divers, and headed for north-central Florida's Blue Grotto cavern to test the latest crop of 16 BCs, including jacket-style, travel, tec and sidemount. Here's a peek behind the scenes; look for the BC reviews in Scuba Diving magazine's June issue, on newsstands May 20, and during the month of June at scubadiving.com.

View our dive to the base of the cavern: Diving the Blue Grotto Cavern [Video]

This spring ScubaLab packed up the van, rounded up our test team of divers, and headed for north-central Florida's Blue Grotto cavern to test the latest crop of 16 BCs, including jacket-style, travel, tec and sidemount. Here's a peek behind the scenes; look for the BC reviews in Scuba Diving magazine's June issue, on newsstands May 20, and during the month of June at scubadiving.com.

View our dive to the base of the cavern: Diving the Blue Grotto Cavern [Video]

A hand-painted sign outside Blue Grotto's office shows a cutaway of the cavern.

Jon Whittle

ScubaLab director emeritus John Brumm unloads BCs at Blue Grotto.

Jon Whittle

Tanks and BCs are lined up for test-team divers at Blue Grotto.

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ScubaLab test team divers swapping out BCs at Blue Grotto.

Jon Whittle

ScubaLab test team divers dived 16 BCs in two days of testing at Florida's Blue Grotto.

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Tanks wait for test team divers.

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The test team supervisor's work area.

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ScubaLab test-team divers record notes and scores on waterproof paper attached to slates.

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A ScubaLab test-team diver enters the water at Blue Grotto.

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Test-team diver Eric Michael, former editor of both Scuba Diving and Sport Diver magazines.

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Test-team diver Roger Roy is the director of ScubaLab.

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ScubaLab director emeritus John Brumm, right, reviews scores with test-team supervisor Alex Bean.

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Scores and notes are transferred from test-team sheets.

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Lunch is a DIY affair.

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Florida's Blue Grotto cavern is a popular spot for dive training. Test-team divers shared the bowl with many other divers throughout the test days.

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Blue Grotto recently has opened a new entrance to its cave system, on the opposite side of the bowl from the cavern, forbidden to all except certified cave divers.

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Florida's Blue Grotto has recently been substantially renovated by new ownership, including new multilevel platforms, dive-friendly picnic shelters, cabins, a swimming pool, and a new dive shop, coming soon.

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Test-team divers put BCs through a series of underwater tests.

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A ScubaLab test-team diver performs BC tests at the surface at Blue Grotto.

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Test-team divers make adjustments to a BC.

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ScubaLab director Roger Roy examines a BC inflator.

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A few of ScubaLab's team of test divers, including, from left: ScubaLab director emeritus John Brumm, test-team supervisor Alex Bean, test-team diver Eric Michael, Scuba Diving magazine deputy editor Mary Frances Emmons and ScubaLab director Roger Roy.

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