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COLD HEART? Want warm hands? Scubapro's Hyperflex semi-dry gloves are cosy and stay reasonably dry inside because they come equipped with a smooth-skin wrist seal. These 5mm gloves have grippy palms and are tightened up over your suit seal with a Velcro-laden tab. They cost £29.95.

FEEL THE PULSE Typhoon International claims that it was the first company to make wetsuits in the UK. It has now launched a new range of Pulse wetsuits which covers a wide range of watersports, and at an attractive price. Using a new four-way stretch 3mm neoprene for what the company calls an outstanding body fit, each has a friction seal at the neck, and a metal slider on the zip. There is no underarm seam and for guys a saddle-crotch keeps things comfy. Available in a wide range of sizes including children's, prices range from £30 to £70.

SAFETY AT HEART In pursuit of first-world standards of safety and reaction to emergencies, the safari boat of Ocean College Dive Centre in Sharm el Sheikh, my Seagull, now carries a cardiac defibrillator unit. Its safari guides, already trained in CPR and oxygen administration techniques, have been trained to use the unit should the need ever arise.

BORED? BOARD! If you find the sea has cut up too rough to go diving, something that happens at this time of year, why not do some body-surfing off the beach instead? The Surfster inflatable body board takes up little space in the boot of your car and will give hours of fun in the surf-zone. It is of dual-density construction and has soft foam-filled handles. It beats walking on cliffs spotting different varieties of lichen! £35.

READ ME Lush new brochures with some new diving-holiday ideas and some good old favourites too are available from Barefoot Traveller, Harlequin Worldwide Travel and Dive Worldwide. From Bahamas and Bonaire to Tahiti and Polynesia, from Cat Island to Sri Lanka, from Mexico to the Maldives, almost all possible destinations are covered. And if this is not adventurous enough for you, Tall Stories invites you to participate in adventure sports holidays across the globe, scuba-diving included.

CUTTING EDGE The new American-made Superknife combines utility knife and pocket knife in one unit. This switch-blade style tool has a box-cutter blade that is always sharp because it is easily interchangeable. When the blade loses its edge, you swap it for a new one. No toy, it's a finely machined, well-engineered tool in stainless-steel and anodised aluminium. £19.95 plus p&p direct from Classic Carpentry Tools.

GO SOUTH RegalDive now offers direct flights to Marsa Alam in southern Egypt and has a new liveaboard programme to take advantage of that. Legendary dive sites such as the Brothers, the Elphinstone, Daedelus Reef, St John's Reef, Rocky Island and Zabargad are all within easy striking distance for a one-week trip. No more lengthy bus rides south from Hurghada, and all-inclusive holidays are still good value from £749. If you prefer to stay on dry land, dive-packs are a bargain. Buy one and get one half-price if you stay at the Sol y Mar, Kahramana or Amaraya Club at Marsa Alam.

WHEN'S HIGH TIDE? You'll know this and the tide times, low and high, spring and neaps, for all the year and next year too, if you use the QuickTide planner. It tells you the tide times fast and it's easy to use. No subtractions for coastal displacement, no adjustments for BST. Just check the date and turn the dial! Available for three areas: Boston to Bournemouth and Northern France; Northern Ireland through Anglesey to Scotland and the North-east of England; and the West of England, Wales, East Eire, Normandy and the Iberian Tidal Coast. £8.27 inc p&p.

NEO VISION New for 2004, the Cressi Matrix mask is a natural progression in design from the successful Big Eyes mask. Cressi says it gives a 30% wider field of view than traditional masks in all directions, not least downwards. Its new anatomically designed frame is streamlined to give minimal visual obstruction and incorporates soft rubber inserts. The strap and buckles use a secure ratchet system designed to make it simple to adjust even when wearing thick gloves. £50.

STICK IT IN YOUR ALBUM Now you have got yourself a digital camera, what do you do with all those underwater pics? Adobe Photoshop Album 2.0 promises to answer every issue connected with organising, filing, fixing and sharing your photos. It's software for your PC that works with Windows 2000/Me/XP and acts as a digital hub. It has features designed for use with a digital camera, printer, scanner, Palm OS, photo-enabled mobile phone, CD player or recorder, or the Internet. Around £39 from Jessops.

BUDGET RUN Every June the sardines run in vast numbers along the coast of South Africa and draw all the big predators that feed on them, such as dolphin, sharks and whales. The Sardine Run has been well-publicised but many divers who fancy the experience have been put off by the cost. Dive the Big 5 now offers what it calls a budget Sardine Run, based at Shelly Beach near Protea Banks. A seven-night expedition next June will cost £700 per person sharing, and includes accommodation, B&B and dinner and transfers to Durban airport, though not flights. If the sardines don't turn up, the Protea Banks still await you.

STRETCHING BELIEF The Apollo Bio Vest is made of a rubber-like synthetic gel that stretches in the order of 1500%, so that it clings where it touches. One size truly fits all! The idea is that you wear it under your wetsuit for added protection against the cold. Its hydrophobic properties mean that water falls off it so that the wearer becomes dry almost as soon as the wetsuit is taken off. Price to be announced.

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