November 2006

By Bill Kendig

DeepOutdoors D2 BC

||| |---|---| |

Can't decide between the streamlined profile of a back-buoyancy BC and the stability of a jacket-style? With the new D2 from DeepOutdoors you can have both. This BC has a dual-bladder system. The main air cell is a compact back-buoyancy bladder that minimizes drag even when fully inflated to its maximum 35 pounds of lift. It's also connected to a front waist bladder that provides an additional 20 pounds of lift. At the surface, when you need a little extra help floating upright, you inflate the waist bladder by pulling a red toggle to open the transfer valve. This front cell has its own dedicated dump valve, or you can deflate it by transferring the air back to the main bladder. In the water, the D2 is a stable weight-integrated BC, thanks to a two-band, semi-soft backpack. The weight system uses mechanical buckles with a Velcro backup, and the pockets are positioned slightly back to provide a better swimming attitude and make room for large cargo pockets. It's a comfortable BC, too, with a thick, nonbuoyant back pad and a buckle-secured cummerbund. Price: $875. Contact: [www.deepoutdoors.com](http://www.deepoutdoors.com).

|

Aeris Mako Fins

||| |---|---| |

A combination of lightweight materials and flexing blade technology make these new open-heel fins from Aeris light, comfortable and responsive. The soft foot pocket feels natural and flows right into a blade that has side rails, stiffening stringers and a flexible center all made of traditional rubber. The rest of the blade is plastic, and includes High Performance Vents designed to accelerate water over the blade. While the flex of the blade is softened by the supple center channel, the Mako has a lively rebound, offering the stability of a paddle fin with the ease of a split. Adjustable quick-release buckles and wide heel straps provide a secure fit, while rubber strips on the bottom keep your feet firmly planted on deck. Look for complete test results in our next Scuba Lab fin test. Available in blue, yellow and black/gray. Price: $89.95. Contact: [www.diveaeris.com](http://www.diveaeris.com).

|

Underwater Kinetics SL4 eLED

||| |---|---| |

Underwater Kinetics has taken its tried-and-true SL4 light to a new level of burn time by replacing the old-school filament bulb with a high-intensity white LED. According to UK, the LED can squeeze 10 to 12 hours of full-powered illumination from a set of four C-cells (twice as long as the standard SL4) before dropping off to 10 percent of its brightness for up to 50 hours. In other words, you won't get stranded in the dark when the batteries run down, as the faint glow will still allow you to read gauges. The SL4 eLED is light (15.2 ounces) and rugged (thanks to an ABS polycarbonate housing), and it fits easily into BC pockets. The small lens puts out a bright white hot spot with a good- sized periphery, and we found it bright enough to use as a daytime light for peering under ledges as well as a backup primary for night dives. Price: $76.95. Contact: [www.uwkinetics.com](http://www.uwkinetics.com).

|

XS Scuba Travel Hangers

||| |---|---| |

Take care of your gear with these rugged, fully functional hangers. They fold up to fit inside your gear bag, but are sturdy enough to hold up under the weight of just-rinsed equipment that's ready to dry. The BC hanger offers upturned arms to keep the jacket from sliding off, the wetsuit hanger has wide shoulders to spread the load and prevent creases in the suit, and both have drop-down arms for accessories. Available in black, yellow and blue. Price: $12 each. Contact: [www.xsscuba.com](http://www.xsscuba.com).

|

Aqua Lung AquaFlex 5mm Jumpsuit

||| |---|---| |

The AquaFlex 5mm Jumpsuit is just a couple of millimeters shy of the more common 7mm suits but fathoms different in fit. The combination of a slightly thinner suit and Aqua Lung's four-way stretch material makes for easy donning. Flexibility and range of motion were surprising, and the AquaFlex neoprene seemed to take on the wearer's shape, hugging every curve and filling every gap. Robbert Bruins of Aqua Lung tells us that the AquaFlex neoprene is also "compression-resistant," meaning it will bounce back dive after dive. Triple-glued and blindstitched seams, a skin-in neck seal, and a three-way zipper seal all work to keep warmth in and water out, while molded kneepads offer flexible protection. Available in 13 sizes for men and 10 sizes (including tall and short options) for women. Price: $330. Contact: [www.aqualung.com](http://www.aqualung.com).

|