January 2007

By Bill Kendig

Photography by Joseph Byrd

Oceanic VT3

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The new VT3 is the first of a new generation of dive computers from Oceanic that are capable of wirelessly tracking multiple gas supplies. Users can pair the wrist unit with as many as three transmitters to keep tabs on their primary gas supply, stage tanks, deco bottles or--thanks to the new Buddy Pressure Check feature--other divers. The VT3 is capable of handling dive profiles with three different nitrox mixes (21 to 100 percent oxygen), and it comes with a long list of features like the Air Time Remaining function, which monitors your depth, breathing rate, cylinder pressure, ascent time and decompression status to tell you how long you can remain underwater. What's surprising about a computer with this many advanced functions is how simple it is to use. Three buttons and a first-rate owner's manual allow you to intuitively navigate the computer's settings and customize them to suit your needs. Price: **$639**, wrist unit only; **$949.59** with one transmitter and PC interface kit. Additional transmitters are $419 each. Contact: [www.OceanicWorldwide.com](http://www.OceanicWorldwide.com).

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O'Neill System II 7mm Suit

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If you're diving in water cold enough for a two-piece 7mm suit, you're going to need a hood. Unfortunately, when you tuck in the bib of a traditional hood, you're often left with a bulky, choking pain in the neck. Not so with O'Neill's System II 7mm suit, a farmer John/jacket combo with an externally attached hood that's held in place by a zipper in back and two quick-release buckles in front. When we took the suit for a test dive, we found that the hood's smooth-skin face seal and external bib worked effectively with the adjustable smooth skin neck collar of the jacket to keep cold water out. Both the farmer John and the jacket are finished with smooth-skin O-ring seals at the cuffs. The farmer John also features O'Neill's comfortable Firewall insulating jersey on the chest and back panels. Price: **$389.95**. Contact: [www.oneilldive.com](http://www.oneilldive.com).

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SeaSoft Pro BC

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The Pro BC from SeaSoft is full of surprises. For starters, it comes in just two sizes, but thanks to a patent-pending design, each one can be adjusted to fit a wide range of divers--from 90 pounds to 230 pounds in size regular; 170 pounds to 475 pounds in size XL. We put the regular-sized Pro to the test and found it worked as advertised, easily adapting to provide a secure fit for a 140-pound test diver wearing a 3mm shorty and a 200-pound diver in a 7mm wetsuit. In the water, the soft-pack BC is surprisingly stable. It's also very comfortable, with padded, contoured shoulders and a thick, cushiony back pad. The integrated-weight system holds up to 30 pounds of ditchable weight, and we found the pouches easy to load and ditch. There are no cargo pockets on this BC, but you might not miss them. Each Pro comes with a UK SL4 light secured by a retractor in a custom-made pouch on the right side, and a second retractor with a brass clip for gauges on the right. Price: **$649.99**. Contact: [www.seasoftscuba.com](http://www.seasoftscuba.com).

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Life-Safer Personal Retriever

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If you dive from your own boat, here's a piece of safety equipment worth adding to the gear inventory: the Personal Retriever rescue device. Coiled around the aerodynamic foam disc is 100 feet of 650-pound test polypropylene line. A U.S. Coast Guard-approved substitute for the old-style ring buoys, the Frisbee-shaped disc is easy to throw and provides enough buoyancy to keep a 300-pound person afloat. Price: **$139**. Contact: [www.life-safer.com](http://www.life-safer.com).

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Scubapro Titanium Watch

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Computers have replaced them for the task of monitoring dive time, but analog dive watches remain as popular as ever, thanks to rugged good looks and can-do functionality. The new Titanium Watch from Scubapro is a perfect example of why. It sports updated styling and classic dive watch features, including a one-way rotating bezel, ultra-luminous dial and hands and a scratch-resistant crystal face. The machined titanium case is rated to 700 feet, and the watch comes with a both a black rubber band and a titanium bracelet strap to fit any occasion. With this watch on your wrist, you can expect compliments from divers and nondivers alike. Price: **$600**. Contact: [www.scubapro.com](http://www.scubapro.com).

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Sartek Micro 2

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Canister lights don't get more compact than the Sartek Micro 2. The rechargeable battery pack is just 4.5 inches long and 2.25 inches in diameter, small enough to clip onto a D-ring or stow in a BC pocket. A 40-inch cable connects to a compact 10-watt HID light head that puts out a blistering blue/white beam. We measured an EV reading of 10.5--which is right up there with the brightest lights we've ever tested. The Micro 2 10-watt HID system comes with a lithium ion battery pack, harness clip, protective rubber cover, universal fast charger and a car adapter for juicing up the battery on the go. According to Sartek, you can expect two hours of burn time from a fully charged battery. Price: **$595** with a fixed-focus light head; **$635** with an adjustable light head. Contact: [www.sartek.com. ](http://www.sartek.com)

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