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Not to be confused with the larger Icaro Tec, this is a wing-style BC designed to suit most leisure divers. It employs the same aero-spec aluminium backplate but is a single-bag design that uses Cordura 1000 material and gives 16kg of lift. The harness has multiple D-rings and there is the option to fit pockets, too. The Seac-sub Icaro costs £420, with pockets from £11.
Aqua Distribution 01709 515157
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These new short fins seem well-suited to those who dive in confined spaces. They cost £99 and there is to be a spring-type fin-strap as an optional extra.
CPS Partnership 01424 442663
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Fed up with people picking up your dive gear by mistake? Want a simple, foolproof method for ensuring that the skipper doesn't leave you floating lost and far from home? Want to identify yourself under water in case the worst happens? Scuba Tags are, according to Dive-Logs, a simple method for doing all these things. The UV-resistant acrylic tags are engraved with up to five lines of information about you, with up to 20 characters per line. Scuba Tags also double as luggage tags. Each one has a stainless-steel split-ring plus cable ties and costs £6.95.
Dive-Logs, www.dive-logs.com
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Go-Dive, the diving retailer in Derby, has introduced its own range of luggage for divers. Among other models, this includes the Go-Sub Deluxe Mask, Fin & Snorkel rucksack-style bag (£25), the Go-Sub round Regulator Bag with zipped neoprene computer case inside (£25), and the Go-Sub Dive Traveller.
This last is a strong and practical wheeled travel bag built around a strong ABS luggage box with internal compartments, two large pockets for fins and two front sections, one of which is detachable with shoulder-strap. It has a single monopod handle. (£119) Each bag is constructed from 1000 denier ballistic-nylon material and features high-visibility reflective piping.
Go-Dive 01332 755488
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Manufactured to an expensive US military-style specification, Metalsub underwater lights are made in the Netherlands and don't come cheap. Umbilical designs have a choice of battery pack with a unique tank-mounting and a cable with a watertight but readily disconnected plug. The super-bright 24W HID125 lamp (illustrated) is constructed in marine-grade aluminium with a Teflon finish, costs £411, and connects to a 12V ni-cad (£255) or ni-mh battery pack (in three types from £261). With the cheaper ni-cad, expect burntimes of at least a couple of hours. The battery-pack has a precision-made tank mount. The charger costs £92.
Mikes 020 8994 6006
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Fed up with lugging that big tank about? This might be the answer. The Dive Cadi is permanently attached to your cylinder. You simply drop off the wheels before you dive. It's made of stainless steel, so it promises to last some time with seawater use. The tank is firmly attached at both neck and boot, and the frame adjusts for height. The wheels are big enough to handle rough terrain and light enough to stow while you're under water. The manufacturer does not recommend its use if there is any danger of entanglement. The price is £160.
www.divecadi.com
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It may be marked "Trident", but that's not its name. In fact this wetsuit is so new that it doesn't have a name yet. It's the latest offering from Pinnacle Aquatics, the New Zealand diving suit company run by John Gordon and his son Cory that first brought you the idea of a wetsuit lined with Merino wool.
This one really is intended to keep out the cold. It is made from 7mm titanium mix neoprene with internal seals at both cuffs and ankles. It has ankle zips to assist the passage of bigger feet, and Kevlar kneepads on its pre-formed legs and arms. There is a heavyweight spine pad, and no zip to flush water.
The neoprene is claimed to be so flexible that the way to climb in is through the neck hole! An integrated hood pulls over with a massive bib section held in place by Velcro and press-studs. As with the name, the price has yet to be decided.
Oceanic 01404 891819
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Those who struggled with the PADI Recreational Dive Planner will be pleased to know that it is now available in an electronic format. The eRDP handles exactly the same aspects of dive-planning, such as maximum depths, surface intervals, pressure groups and adjusted no-decompression limits. You simply input the data and read off the results. You can also switch between imperial and metric. PADI tells us that the device is simple and straightforward to use. It costs £17.40.
PADI www.padi.com
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CAPITAL CAMERAS: London underwater camera specialist Ocean Optics has relocated up the Strand to a new dive store called Mavericks at Bush House in the Aldwych (www.oceanoptics.co.uk). Meanwhile, West Country-based Cameras Underwater has moved into the space Ocean Optics vacated in the Ocean Leisure dive store in Charing Cross, to open its first London showroom (www.camerasunderwater.co.uk)
RADIO HIRE: Ever need a back-up marine radio? Icom is offering a hire service from £5 per day per radio to anyone with the appropriate VHF hire radio licence (www.icomuk.co.uk)
BOC GAS: Clubs and dive centres can now get their gas from BOC, the UK's largest gases company. It will supply diving-grade oxygen and helium to fill nitrox tanks and for trimix blends to those who provide such a service. For safety, BOC says it will demand to see appropriate certifications. (www.boc.com)
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