In this year’s highly competitive field of 3 mm wetsuits, these four stood head-and-shoulders above the rest.

From our recent test of the latest BCs, these four models were the clear performance leaders.

This year ScubaLab put a group of new regulators through a grueling test regimen — these four models were the top performers.

ScubaLab Review: The Matrix is a wristwatch dive computer on steroids. It is easy to read, easy to program, and full of advanced data crunching features. Test divers were unanimous in picking it as the Testers Choice in this category.

We collected 11 new and redesigned models, and tested them in our ScubaLab shop and at Blue Grotto in Williston, Florida.

There are times when renting dive gear makes sense, but there are some excellent reasons for why you should purchase your own gear.

What's new in the world of dive gear for August 2012.

We test more diving equipment and collect more data than anyone else in the industry. The annual best scuba regulator test is our team’s favorite test of the year.

Sure, there might be other dive gear deemed more important to basic survival (a reg) or your general well-being (a dive computer) than a BC. But when it comes to being able to comfortably acclimate to being underwater — to the point where you feel like a resident rather than a clumsy topside tourist — the BC is the most important component of your kit.