Time to Test

On a sun-splashed Southern California morning last April the ScubaLab test team, aboard Body Glove’s dive boat Disappearance, skirted the eastern coastline of Santa Monica Bay, headed for the rocky cliffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Skipper Bob Meistrell eased his 64-foot vessel into a quiet spot on the edge of a massive kelp bed and dropped anchor on a sandy bottom in 40 feet of green water. The test team, comprised of six divers and one test coordinator, got ready to hit the water with this year’s new crop of regulators. There were 14 in all, running the gamut from economy to money’s-no-object. This was judgment day — the final of three test stages — and we couldn’t have asked for a better one. When all was said and done, we found what we were looking for — the year’s best breathers.

Mares Abyss 22 Extreme

Features

This is the Abyss 22 plus Mares’ new Dry Cold Water Kit, which insulates the first stage and includes a coating for the second stage to prevent ice formation. The first stage has a Tri-Material valve to enhance durability and includes a LP port called Dynamic Flow Control, which minimizes intermediate pressure drop during inhalation. The second stage uses Mares’ VAD — a bypass tube that directs air to the mouthpiece and reduces inhalation resistance. In our tests this reg consistently performed above average. Divers found it to be dry and smooth in all positions, it cleared easily and bubble interference was minimal.

Specifications

Bottom Line

This system delivers the goods and would be excellent for extreme temps, but it’s a little pricey.