IN A COUNTRY KNOWN FOR ITS CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION, the Nevada city of Las Vegas remains unique. It consumes about the same amount of energy each year as the whole of France.
You might think it a strange place to hold the annual US Diving Equipment Manufacturers' Association trade show, representing as it does the acme of American excess. Las Vegas is hardly in step with commonly subscribed-to philosophies of conservation and ecology. On the other hand, it's the sort of place in which people like to spend time.
Las Vegas is the city where anything goes. You can have anything you want, if you can afford to pay for it. This October, it managed to draw to DEMA the crowds of attendees that had been absent last year at the rather dull Houston venue.
Unfortunately, it did not draw in as exhibitors some of the major manufacturers, such as Scubapro or Mares. Those that did turn out found a strong attendance among US dive-shop owners, instructors and numerous international diving professionals.
The vast Las Vegas Conference Centre is the size of 68 football pitches, but the hall used for the DEMA show was only part of that available area. It was still huge, and stuffed mainly with exhibitors representing major travel destinations and dive centres from all parts of the world.
One could have been forgiven for thinking that DEMA was really a dive-travel show, with diving equipment taking very much a second place. Perhaps the event needs a new name!
It confirmed the suspicion that divers were still prepared to spend money, but that it was going to be on dive travel rather than gear.
Few startling developments were in evidence on the equipment front apart from, as we have come to expect, some redefined fins. One type was from MorFin and another from Tilos.
There is always someone at DEMA with a radical rethink of fin design that will never see the light of day. We don't expect either of these latest ideas to catch on, either!
On the other hand, British-based Funky Fins are conventional by function but simply bear bright psychedelic designs. Funky Fins reported big demand among international dive centres for its products.
California-based Tilos also showed a novelty snorkel that includes a whistle.
Another novelty item was the Oceanic emergency diver's raft, which packs into a pouch attached to the BC camband. The idea is that a lost diver can survive a lengthy wait at sea if he is actually out of the water. Oceanic's British distributor told me that he doesn't expect to stock any of these rafts, but that didn't stop its enthusiastic inventor giving it the hard sell!
As in recent years, with most items of equipment it was a case of gradual evolution rather than revolution. For example, the diving public is bound to accept readily Cressi's new Reaction fins. They are a further development of its successful Rondine range.
Cressi also showed some short fins aimed, together with new goggles and a swim-hat, at the swimming market.
Oceanic and Apeks both showed new ranges of regulators that will be appearing next year, including the tiny Oceanic ZX. Oceanic has included the patented dry valve technology into most of its range.
This allows a regulator to be safely dunked in a rinse tank without its dust-cap in place.
Aqua Lung (US distributor for Apeks) showed the all-new Apeks XTX range of regulators, which looks certain to be popular with British divers. All-American Atomic Aquatics revealed its new Z2 regulator, an outwardly similar design to the rest of its range of regulators topped by the all-titanium T2, but now available in a less-exotic and therefore less-expensive metal.
Cressi revealed a prototype of a simple balanced-piston version of its very successful Ellipse, and that promises to be available at an entry-level price too.
For those who like something a little more military in appearance, Zeagle showed its new Rapid Diver system. This is an open-circuit system remodelled for quick deployment, and uses a fairly small tank.
You can add more tanks and regulators until it becomes as unwieldy as a conventional scuba set, but this gives it that macho appeal so beloved of elements of the American buying public. It's sure to get lots of takers among divers with flat-top haircuts.
Cressi launched its Penta mask, a side-window version of its now popular Matrix, and Oceanic revealed its for-the-military-only mask with head-up display. This is now in production, and will no doubt be offered in a civilian version at some point.
HydroOptix at last entered the real world with a prototype version of its Mega 4.5DD domed mask that does not require the user to wear contact lenses. The Mega Zero-d is a hybrid that uses a flat panel for normal vision, combined with the dome that will give the wide peripheral view, albeit out of focus.
Also shown was the Mega 3.5DD, an upgradable version of the Zero-d that goes some way to converting a Zero-d user to dome optics.
Atomic Aquatics displayed a virtually unbreakable mask, the Sub-Frame, which uses a stainless-steel frame.
It looked very desirable but will inevitably be expensive. A frameless version was also shown. Both use a new type of glass for ultra-clear vision.
Italian manufacturer Ocean Reef exhibited its latest version of the Neptune 6 full-face mask with communication system. This has seen continuous development since it was introduced some years ago, and continues to become more refined.
There seemed to be endless new versions of the same old BC themes. Ralf Tech exhibited a prototype of a minimalist-style wing, and was ready to hear visitors' views on how it could be improved. Cressi had a new range of conventional BCs, including an improved AquaLight.
Custom Divers showed what is bound to be a popular wing, the Bravo. It will appeal to a wide range of divers, from entry-level to full technical with backplate, and achieves this feat by being constantly adaptable.
The novel two-part buoyancy cell has a flexible barrier within that effectively converts it from a single-bladder wing into a two-bladder design, simply by attaching a second inflator hose to the back section.
Apeks launched a new technical diving wing system that was claimed to be equally versatile, and OMS showed a new lighter-weight technical approach to the backplate and harness.
Oceanic, with by far the largest exhibition stand at the show, also showed a number of new BCs, including the back-flotation Excursion (it replaces the older Chute) and an unusual technical diver's jacket-style BC, the Probe LX.
There was little sign that BCs without a corrugated hose, a popular development taken up by manufacturers last year, had been widely accepted by the buying public.
In the area of diving suits, Waterproof from Sweden showed some very sexy and high-quality designs with multiple panels, including a suit for women that would even accommodate the tortuous curves of a Las Vegas showgirl.
Weezle showed a less-than-sexy balaclava-type hat that will keep the wind out during long, cold boat rides, and its new base-layer garment in a Clovertech Aquaduct cloth. The Weezle people were also quite excited (in a very restrained and British sort of way) about a soap powder called Charlie's that they thought perfect for washing undersuits.
The Swedish company Si Tech had a quick-release hose to add to its clever slide-or-push drysuit valve system. And Canadian manufacturer Whites showed a new modular undersuit system.
British closed-circuit giant Ambient Pressure Diving was at DEMA in force with its Evolution and Inspiration Vision models, now said to be produced at an increased rate of 50 per month.
Kevin Gurr of Delta P Technology said that his company was now in full production with its Ouroboros CCR, but not in nearly such high numbers as APD.
Custom Divers says it will be importing the impressive Megladon as soon as it is CE-marked. German producer Submatix revealed a simple closed-circuit version of its until-now semi-closed circuit rebreather. And APD showed its new user-friendly dive-planning software for both open- and closed-circuit diving.
There were several developments in diving computers, but none was exceptionally dramatic. Delta P Technology launched a new optional algorithm for its VR users, offered as an upgrade. It does away with formal deep stops and starts conventional deco-stops at a deeper level instead.
The new Suunto Vitec DS now offers the same RGBM deep-stop option as is already available with the more advanced Suunto D9.
Cressi showed its latest Archimedes 2 in a two-gas nitrox format, together with the watch-sized EDY. Seiko, the Japanese watch company, makes both of these Cressi computers.
Oceanic displayed its latest gas-integrated, three-transmitter, watch-sized Atom 2.0, together with the larger all-new, three-nitrox-mix, gas-integrated-by-transmitter VT3.
Digital photography, both in stills and video formats, is the new growth interest for the majority of divers worldwide, because it has become so easy to get good results.
Interesting new products included the Ikelite housing for the latest JVC 30Gb hard-drive video camcorder, and a large range of economic housings from Fantasea Line that include one for a very inexpensive ($75) Sunpak flash set-up, and a housing for the Nikon SB800 digital flash.
Fantasea Line also showed a new development with a housing for the Nikon Coolpix P1 and P2 digital cameras. Pictures can be downloaded by WiFi, thus avoiding having to break open the housing and risk disastrous floods.
An interesting prototype housing for small digital cameras displayed by Proteus uses a clever bit of electronic circuitry within it to access all the camera functions through the camera's USB2 port. The significance is that one housing will fit a wide range of cameras, as controls are no longer location-specific, so buyers will be able to go on using the same housing even if they change cameras at a later date.
The housing has a built-in optical port for retaining the original camera lens angle-of-view and giving pictures with brighter contrast and colour over an ordinary flat port. At the time of writing, 11 different brands of camera were listed as being compatible.
At the professional end of the photography equipment market, European manufacturers Subal and Seacam both showed mouth-watering underwater housings with marvellous optical viewfinders. These are intended for cameras that most of us can only dream of owning.
American producer Light and Motion showed all its extensive range of housings, but most notably ran a giant flat-screen TV with footage shot by Chuck Nicklin a few weeks previously at Lembeh Strait. The veteran cameraman used the latest high-definition video in a Light and Motion housing and with lights by the same company.
The results demonstrated were breathtakingly crisp, sharp and colourful. This signals a new phase in the development of underwater video equipment.
High-output LED lights seemed to be very much in evidence. OMS revealed two models so new that they were almost still secret. FantaSea Line displayed its good-value LED 44, intended for use as a very even aiming light, while top-quality producer Keldan, from Switzerland, had improvements to its ongoing high-output HID lights. These seemed very expensive once but today, with divers prepared to spend ever more on their kit, they look far more attainable.
Among diving accessories, Custom Divers had a new small version of its high-quality line-reel; OMS showed its new O2 delivery system; H20 Audio revealed a 100m-rated deep dive waterproof MP3 player; and, on a more serious note, TekAir launched its Cyclone portable carbon-monoxide detection device.
This is intended for checking the purity of compressed gas supplies.
Less relevant to divers yet interesting, Molecular Products, manufacturer of rebreather scrubber material, showed its Portable Atmosphere Control Unit. This can remove expired-air CO2 and generates O2, so supplying emergency breathing gas for four people in an enclosed space for up to 24 hours.
Luggage manufacturer Stahlsac exhibited a couple of new examples of its finest-quality dive-bags, but a sign of the times is the fact that the Stahl brothers admitted to shifting production of these from its USA factory to China.
Spyderco offered a range of what one British dive-shop owner called a "knife for life". The Salt series is made from H1 steel, a grade promised never to rust, yet sharpens to a good edge.
Though the turn-out of manufacturers and distributors was disappointing, those that did exhibit reported having one of the best DEMA shows ever.
The hundreds of destination and dive-centre booths reported mass advance bookings. The US diving industry seems to be seeing the long-awaited turnround in what has in recent years been a business with lacklustre growth.
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Oceanic emergency diver's raft
Cressi Reactions
the latest from Funky Fins
MorFins
Tilos
New regulators from Apeks (XTX)
Atomic Z2 array
Cressi Ellipse in piston form
Oceanic DVT first stage
and ZX second stage
Ocean Reef Neptune 6 full-face mask
Two Sub-Frame masks from Atomic
Cressi's Penta
and Hydra
HydroOptix Mega Zero-d
Apeks technical wing
Cressi conventional
Custom Divers Bravo wing
OMS lightweight approach
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