BIG FINS AFOOT The new Sporasub Variant universal full-foot fin can be fitted with a choice of three blades - in highly flexible technopolymer, an even more flexible version for scuba, and a carbon-fibre version likely to be most often chosen by champion free-divers. A side-effect of the detachable pivoting blade is the fact that, enormous though these fins are, in two parts they can fit into any dive bag! £51-£195 depending on blade.

NEW PARTNERSHIP New life has been breathed into the marketing of Draeger Dolphin and Ray semi-closed circuit rebreathers with the recent association between the manufacturer and Air Liquide in France and Aqua-Lung. In the UK, the distribution of Draeger leisure diving products will be handled by the Aqua-Lung International group company Apeks Marine Equipment.

ROSE STILL A ROSE The Sporasub brand might be new to the UK but its products have a certain familiarity about them. Take the Matrix entry-level regulator, at only £150. It has an S40 diaphragm first stage equipped with a patented Dynamic Balanced System and compact second stage. All becomes clear when you know that Sporasub is owned by HTM, manufacturer of Mares and Dacor products.

DRESSED TO DIVE Dive is a new brand of diver's casual wear. Its range includes T-shirts, tank-tops, Barbie-doll T-shirts, denim shirts, nylon swim shorts and women's polypropylene swimsuits, baseball caps and denim and suede caps. Typically a zippered sweatshirt costs £29 and a baseball jersey (illustrated) £32.

GIRLS IN THE HOOD The ScubaDo ScubaGoodHood is said to have been designed originally for divers who are allergic to sea-lice and jellyfish stings. It serves as an inner lining for a neoprene hood or stows a lady diver's hair and can relieve the discomfort of a mask-strap. It features an elongated neck and bib that can be tucked under a wetsuit. Available in three colour ranges, it costs $30 and can be bought on-line from the USA.

ADOPT-A-TURTLE Leatherbacks, loggerheads, green, olive ridley, kemp's and hawksbills are all species of turtle, and each one is under threat of extinction. The MCS will, through its recent Adopt-a-Turtle campaign, provide financial and practical assistance for marine turtle research and conservation projects worldwide. Adoption costs between £16 and £22 and gets the benefactor a certificate signed by David Bellamy, a poster and fact-sheet, a colour portrait, a T-shirt and a cuddly toy turtle too!

TRAD TO TEK Knitted beanies are a nod in the direction of the traditional hardhat diver, and mask-strap pads are essential for technical divers who wear their masks on the back of the head. It's just part of an extensive range of leisurewear, which includes the Atmos heavyweight T-shirt, available from Seven Tenths divewear.

DOUBLE BUBBLE The Sea Eagle tough wing-style BC is unashamedly aimed at tekkies and other divers who use twin cylinders. It is a twin-bladder design with two direct-feed hoses, a stainless-steel backplate and large comfort pad. It's sprinkled with enough D-rings to satisfy any tekkie and has two large front pockets. £350.

WINDWARD LIVEABOARD The SeaHawk is said to be the first liveaboard dive boat based in Grenada in the Caribbean, and operating from the Rendezvous Beach Resort, which is the spice island's first dedicated dive resort. Twelve passengers can be accommodated in six cabins and there's a penthouse cabin, too! Six-night packages with up to five dives per day will set you back from £900.

LIVING LEGEND The all-new Aqua-Lung Legend regulator has a striking-looking polymer-covered six-port first stage and a compact second stage equipped with heat-exchanger and ideal for coldwater diving. Like all today's Aqua-Lung regulators, it comes with alternative mouthpieces. It is priced at around £270, but there are also more complex coldwater Supreme versions.

HOT GROTTO Grotta Giusti Spa, near Monsummano in Tuscany, has 34°C water all year round! This natural cave benefits from deep geo-thermal heating. You have to stay at the Grotta Giusti Terme e Hotel to dive it (cheapest rooms are about £70 a night half board) and be a qualified open-water diver. All gear except mask can be supplied.