August 2007

Mares 8-6-5 Trilastic Wetsuit

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| Mares 8-6-5 Trilastic Wetsuit|
High-stretch temperate-water wetsuits are the rage these days, but even among its competitors, the Mares 8-6-5 Trilastic stands out. The neoprene on this suit is so soft, so supple, you'd think you were squeezing a two-mil spring suit. The suit maximizes its thermal insulation without strait-jacketing your range of motion by varying the thickness of the neoprene: 8mm skin-out neoprene is placed in the torso area, more flexible 6mm neoprene goes in the arms and portions of the legs, while 5mm skin-in neoprene in the neck, wrist and ankle seals minimizes water intrusion. All seams are glued and blind-stitched. The shoulders are covered with an anti-scratch polyurethane pattern to keep BCs from sliding (this same material is on the knees too, but the pattern doesn't cover much leg area). A skin-in zipper underflap creates an efficient seal against the reinforced zipper track to minimize water intrusion, plus offers some spine padding. The zipper itself is shorter than what we've seen on other 7mm suits; however, the comfy Sapphfire plush lining allows the suit to slide effortlessly over the skin, which simplifies donning and doffing. Available in six men's and six women's sizes. Price: $350. Contact: www.mares.com.

Seahorse Hurricane SE920 Carry-on

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| Seahorse Hurricane SE920 Carry-on|
Measuring 24 inches tall by 15 inches wide by 10 inches deep, the Hurricane SE920 hard case meets most airline requirements for carry-on luggage. It rolls on oversized luggage wheels on a 14-inch wheelbase, pulled by a solid plastic retractable handle that locks in both the up and down positions. You can easily navigate the Hurricane through the airport, down the jetway, and all the way to your seat, where two large fold-down handles make lifting the case into the overhead compartment a cinch. An automatic purge valve is integrated into the right-side latch. On the standard model, these latches are not locking, but holes are provided for affixing padlocks. If you'd prefer more security, you can add keyed locking plastic or metal latches for an additional $12 or $15, respectively. Carrying an unconditional lifetime guarantee, the Hurricane SE920 is available in black, gunmetal gray, yellow and orange. Price: $125.95 with foam, $107.95 without foam. Contact: www.seahorse.net.

Henderson Insta Dry Boots & Gloves

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| Henderson Insta Dry Boots & Gloves|
What's the one thing worse than climbing into a damp, funky wetsuit every morning of your dive trip? Putting on damp, funky boots. Henderson's Insta Dry boots eliminate the problem because unlike traditional neoprenes, the Insta Dry material has no outer layer of nylon to absorb water. These boots have another big advantage--a new, low-profile sole custom-designed for wet traction. The tread channels water away to provide a superior, sure-footed grip on wet boat decks and docks, but the boot still fits easily into your fin pocket. Bonus: A crease in the heel works as a very effective fin strap retainer. Insta Dry boots are available in 3mm and 5mm, and sizes from 5 to 13. The gloves are another innovative use of the form-fitting Insta Dry material, providing warmth without sacrificing articulation. A textured surface on the palms and fingers provides a steady grip, and there are no zippers to leak or straps to fool with. A smooth skin lining also helps seal water out at the wrist. Tip: Before your first dive with the gloves, put them on and make a fist to set a custom fit to your hand. Price: Insta Dry Boots, $83.56 to $88.20; Insta Dry Gloves, $45.22 to $48.88. Contact: www.hendersonusa.com.

Atomic Aquatics Medium-Fit Frameless Mask

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| Atomic Aquatics Medium-Fit Frameless Mask|
Divers who went wild for Atomic's Frameless mask only to discover that the mask wouldn't fit their faces, can let out a hearty Homer "Wooo-hooo!" because now there's a smaller version of this popular low-profile mask. The new "Medium-Fit" model uses the same large UltraClear front window that bonds directly to the skirt, the same butter-soft silicone skirt material and the same efficient strap buckles--pull the strap and it tightens with a nice ratcheting click, depress the button and the strap smoothly loosens. The only difference is the size of the skirt; on the Medium-Fit it's about a quarter-inch narrower to seal on more slender faces. When not being worn, the mask's frameless design allows the buckles to fold snugly against the skirt so it will fit into Atomic's contoured case (included). Shaped like the mask itself, the case requires only half the packing space as a standard mask box. Both mask and case are available in clear or black. Price: $99. Contact: www.atomicaquatics.com.

Chammyz Boat Coat

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| Chammyz Boat Coat|
This boat coat is a dual-purpose dive jacket. The inner liner, designed with its own pullover hood, can be worn by itself as a thigh-length, zippered sweatshirt. Made from the natural stock of trees and plants, this unique fleece fiber is lightweight and provides a wicking action to absorb and evaporate dampness. When the wind kicks up, or if you're being rained on or catching spray off a speeding dive boat, all you need do is zip on the lightweight shell and you've got a waterproof/windproof boat coat. Both liner and shell offer two roomy quarter-panel pockets and drawstring cords for cinching up the hoods. However, unlike traditional boat coats whose zippers start eight to 16 inches from the bottom hem to allow some freedom of movement when sitting or climbing around a dive boat, the Chammyz Boat Coat's zipper starts at the hem, which makes the coat feel a little restrictive around the legs. Also missing are elastic or Velcro wrist straps to rein in sleeve ends. Tip: Tugging down on the liner sleeves, then folding them back over the shell, helps control excess sleeve length. Available in 10 colors and five sizes. Price: $150. Contact: www.chammyz.com.