What’s New

FOURTH ELEMENT SUMMER 2020 COLLECTION

Fourth Element has released its Summer 2020 Collection so we can emerge into the sunlight looking cool. In a statement, Fourth Element explained: “For Summer 2020, there are messages of hope for the environment and celebrations of unity, splashed by a colour palette that is anything but gloomy. For divers, freedivers, conservationists and ocean lovers alike, it’s time to come together and tell the world what we believe the future should look like.” They added: “All our designs are printed in water-based inks, these are free from harmful chemicals and therefore more gentle on the environment. Each T-shirt in this collection is made from 100 percent organic cotton, traceable from farm to factory, GMO-free and grown without the use of chemicals. They all come packaged 100 percent plastic-free too!” The Summer 2020 Collection is available to buy online now! Many designs come in male and female cuts, but there are some women-only designs as well. www.fourthelement.com

GOOD TO DIVE

Exposure protection and dive wear powerhouse Fourth Element has joined forces with The Diver Medic to create an ocean-friendly disinfectant and labelling system which shows when a piece of dive kit has been cleaned and is ready to use. The world is going to be a very different place in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the diving fraternity is going to have to embrace the changes that come with that. Thankfully, diving as an activity is naturally socially distant, and through a medium that prevents virus transfer - I have yet to see a study that shows coronavirus can ‘swim’ through a couple of metres of fresh or salt water! - but it is the kit side of things that can pose an issue. Personal gear is not such a problem, as it is only used by the owner, though the octopus element needs dealing with, but for dive schools and dive centres, where students and those renting equipment will be coming into contact with different pieces of kit, it is more of an issue. That’s where Good To Dive comes in, the brainchild of the creative forces behind Fourth Element and The Diver Medic. Available in a powdered form, it dissolves and is effective in fresh or salt water, and can be used to safely disinfect masks, regulators and BCDs. The Good To Dive system also includes paper-based tape, which can be applied to regs, masks and their boxes to show that they have been treated with a disinfectant. Good To Dive is available in 1kg tubs, and just 15g is required to prepare a gallon of sterilising fluid. Even better, once you are done, Good To Dive can be safely discarded without damaging the aquatic environment. www.goodtodive.com

KUBI DRYGLOVES ICELANDIC WOOL INNER GLOVES

Drygloves are becoming an increasingly familiar sight on cold-water divers, and the KUBI dryglove system is one of the most-popular, thanks to its ease of use and robust construction. Now KUBI has launched a new thermal inner glove made from 100 percent Icelandic wool. Designed with a thinner cuff, they are available in three sizes – small, large and extra-large. www.kubistore.com

MARES 28XR / HR

The HR is Mares’ first reg developed for a stage or sidemount (a complete sidemount set is available). It has four low-pressure ports on a swivel, with an additional inline low-pressure port, and two symmetrical high-pressure ports. It has a balanced diaphragm and environmentally sealed ‘TBP’ (twin balanced piston), and offers adjustable cracking resistance. www.mares.com

SEALIFE MICRO 3.0

SeaLife is introducing the new Micro 3.0 underwater camera, the latest and third generation of its popular permanentlysealed Micro camera series. The camera is leak-proof with no O-rings to lube or maintain, so there is never a worry about flooding the camera. Like its forerunners, the Micro 3.0 features an ergonomic, compact design with easy-to-use controls and menus. The camera has a 16-megapixel Sony CMOS image sensor and offers 4K ultra-high definition video. Since it’s permanently sealed, the Micro 3.0 has a large three-plus hour battery good for a full day of diving and built-in 64GB of memory to store thousands of photos and hours of video. The camera’s ease of use starts with the three wide piano key type buttons that are easy to locate and control, even with dive gloves on. The intuitive camera’s Easy Set-up feature quickly guides you through the correct settings based on the shooting environment, depth and lighting accessories used. While the Micro 3.0 takes away the fuss and fiddling with

camera controls that plague most underwater cameras, the Micro 3.0 does have an easy option for fine-tuning underwater images with manual white balance adjustments and the ability to capture images in RAW format, for those that want to edit their images later. The built-in wide angle 100° lens allows the diver to get close to the subjects while still keeping everything in the picture. The Micro 3.0 offers WiFi sharing ability, so you can wirelessly preview, download and share pictures and videos to a smart phone or tablet with the free Micro 3+ app available at Google Play or Apple App stores. The larger 260K high-resolution 2.4” TFT colour LCD display makes capturing and reviewing photos and video easy. The Micro 3.0 includes the Micro 3.0 camera, wrist strap, USB adapter, 3’/90cm USB cable and camera pouch. The optional ‘Screen Shield’ is available for the camera’s display window to protect it from fingerprints and scratches. www.sealife-cameras.com

APEKS MARINE EQUIPMENT CLOTHING RANGE

Just in time for the summer, Apeks Marine Equipment has launched an eye-catching new clothing range, including T-shirts and hoodies. The Manta Heritage Collection is in memory of the first-ever Apeks Marine Equipment regulator. These retro-inspired T-shirts, hoodies and jumpers celebrate both the produce and the product logo, which was actually hand-painted on to the regs during production! ‘Designed for life after your safety stop’, the entire Apeks Marine Equipment range is made from 100 per cent highquality organic cotton, made in wind and solar-powered factories, printed in the UK, printed using water-based inks, and shipped in plastic-free packaging. They are printed on-demand, so there’s no over-stock or wasted material. www.lifestyle-apeksdiving.com

SANTI DIVING CUBE BACKPACK

Drysuit and exposure protection supremos Santi Diving have added this nifty backpack to their line-up. According to Santi Diving, the Cube is ‘designed to meet the needs of every user with its multi-tasking’. It is made from 100 percent waterproof PVC, and has a unique rectangular shape to maximise its load space. There are side clip straps for attaching additional items, and a small mesh pocket inside the top flap. Inside there is a padded compartment for a laptop, along with pockets for smaller items. The wide padded shoulder straps are comfortable for extended use, and there is a chest strap for greater stability. www.santidiving.com

SHARKSKIN CHILLPROOF TITANIUM RANGE

Australian brand Sharkskin have always been at the cutting edge of exposure protection technology, and with their new Chillproof Titanium, they claim this is ‘a game-changing new fabric that will revolutionise the way you dive’. The Chillproof Titanium offers unprecedented warmth in a neutrally buoyant trilaminate garment due to far infrared captured, generated and radiated by titanium nanoparticles impregnated in the fabric. Sharkskin Chillproof Titanium, which is made in their Australian factory, retains all the features of traditional Chillproof – neutrally buoyant, breathable, windproof, waterrepellent, flexible, lightweight and anti-microbial. While being incredibly warm, the Sharkskin Chillproof Titanium looks incredibly cool with a stylish new outer fabric, complimented by a chunky stainless steel zip and Titanium-look reflective graphics. www.sharkskin.com

THERMOCLINE FRONT-ZIP JACKET AND FULL-SUITS, AND QUARTER-ZIP TOPS

In response to popular demand, Fourth Element has added several front-zipped designs to its OceanPositive Thermocline range. Featuring the same breathable, machinewashable, neutrally buoyant alternative to 2mm neoprene, the new Thermocline garments are made with fabric using ECONYL(R) regenerated nylon from ghost fishing gear and other post-consumer waste. A zip-through jacket for men and women, front-zip full-suits and quarter-zip tops complement the range of existing styles and are available now from retailers. www.fourthelement.com

SCUBAPRO LEVEL

The Level front-adjustable BCD, with its Super-Cinch tank band, brings together all the best performance and comfort features you’ll need for any recreational diving scenario. It is lightweight yet extremely rugged – the bladder is made of EndurTex high-tenacity 420 nylon fabric – but what the Level BCD really delivers is comfort. Convenient swivel shoulder buckle straps, a sternum strap and adjustable cummerbund with double-pull over-strap enable you to dial in the perfect fit. The bladder is designed to comfortably wrap around your body without squeeze, and the full-sized backpack, working together with the Super-Cinch tank band, holds the tank rock solid for maximum stability. The integrated weight system loads easy and ditches even easier with its low-profile 40mm flat buckles. Also included are two large Velcro-closing cargo pockets, one of which offers metal grommets for attaching a knife, four D-rings for clipping on additional gear, and two Octo pockets for storing both a safe second and a console hose. www.scubapro.com

HOLLIS KATANA 2 / DUAL-BLADDER VERSION

According to Hollis, the Katana 2 harness sets a new standard in sidemount diving. Designed in collaboration with Edd Sorenson from Cave Adventurers, Hollis developed a unique new ‘quick-fit system’, which allows users to easily tailor the onesize-fits-all harness to their specific size or adjustment preference in a matter of minutes (the design allows for an H- or Y-style harness configuration, depending on user preference). Hollis has added more lift, more weight capacity, single and dual bladder options, and the best-quality materials the company is renowned for. The Katana 2 is also the first sidemount harness in the world to be designed with closed-circuit sidemount capability, with integrated mounts for the popular KISS sidewinder. www.hollis.com

ATOMIC AQUATICS SCUBA HEAT

There are all manner of gadgets and equipment designed to keep you warm when diving in cold water, from advanced heat-retaining fabrics to heated undersuits and drygloves. Now Atomic Aquatics has entered the fray with the Scuba Heat, which not only prevents your reg from freezing up and freeflowing, but warms up the air that you are breathing! Described as ‘the personal thermal protection device for you and your regulator’, the Scuba Heat’s coil mounts on to your tank band and is routed between your first and second stage. As air from the first stage enters the coil, it is instantly warmed by the surrounding water, then exits the coil toward your second stage. There are no moving parts, batteries or heating elements. The heat-exchanging coil is made of a special thermally conductive and corrosionresistant copper nickel alloy that will not reduce air flow or otherwise degrade your regulator performance. www.atomicaquatics.com