September 1998
Comfortable with convention
John Bantin is pictured wearing a BC so comfortable he was loath to return it to its maker
Comfortable with convention - Cressi-sub S102 BC
Not such a flying start - The Skystreme
Steeling the show? - Stahlsac wheeled duffel bag
Shaping up nicely - Scubapro Hi Tech Steamer wetsuit
Into the light - Ikelite PCa back-up light
Cressi-sub S102 BC (£295).
Regular readers have probably spotted that I do not tend to favour conventional BCs. I prefer a wings configuration. This is because I like to dive unencumbered by an item that is bulky.
I especially dislike the effect you get underwater when the BC rises up under the armpits and remains floating above the shoulders. Sometimes I am left feeling as if I am swimming inside the BC rather than it being part of me.
I was delighted to find that the Cressi-sub S102 did not do this. Although it looks like other conventional BCs, it fitted me snugly on the surface and continued to do so when subjected to lift underwater.
This is no doubt due to a design that puts its heavyweight material (1000 denier) bag well up under the arms, combined with an elasticated waistband strap over a wide cummerbund. This latter can be pulled tight before diving and stays tight even when the neoprene of the suit has shrunk in thickness due to the effects of pressure.
When I surfaced and needed to inflate the BC fully while I waited for the boat, I was also agreeably surprised to find that it inflated away from me rather than crushing me in its grasp. The maximum lift (15kg for size M) was mainly located low down, so I floated in armchair comfort.
There is the usual sternum strap to stop the shoulder straps slipping apart, and these shoulder straps bear three D-rings, two on the right and one on the left. There are two additional D-rings at the lower edges of the BC too. However, the S102 is not really a tekkie BC. It falls more into the wannabe category.
Nice touches include the zipped pockets (easily big enough for a lifting bag) which are unusually easy to access under water.
Inside these are second self-draining pockets held closed by velcro, and these prove ideal for secreting away the odd extra weight.
These are supplemented by two outside pockets, plus a small zipped one in the cummerbund which I found was ideal for keys, keeping them remarkably dry.
The hard backpack is hidden behind a soft cushion, and the sleek direct-feed mechanism was easy to use. You dump air by pulling on its hose. Because the BC followed the contours of my body so well, the dump valve (also functioning as an over-pressure valve) was always in the right place.
Air was released extremely readily. In fact, having been used to less efficiently designed BCs, I found I often dumped more than I intended, even with a quick tug.
I used the Cressi-sub S102 for more than 40 consecutive dives before I reluctantly returned it to the manufacturer. It was the first conventional-design BC I had enjoyed using in a long time. It comes in sizes S, M, L and XL, and costs 295.
Cressi UK 01484 310130
Not such a flying start
An all-purpose thingummy fails to take wing
The Skystreme sets out to be all things to all men. To the uninitiated it might look like an oddly shaped piece of tinfoil with strings, but little do they know that in an emergency it is designed to be a radar-reflective location marker, a light signal, a windsock, a thermal vest, a cushion or even an air-splint for damaged limbs (I reckon you could do a pretty good barbecue on it too).
That is the theory, and certainly it is possible to wrap the Skystreme around various parts of your body, but our big question was: would it fly? We took it out on a RIB in Swanage Bay. It was a pleasant day, with only moderate winds ruffling the surface, but the maker says the Skystreme will become airborne in winds as light as 4mph - a little over walking speed.
We put a diver in the water and asked him to send up the signal. His first problem proved to be tearing open the kite's foil container, which in the water proved difficult to manage with or without gloves on, and required a bit of serious work with the front teeth.
The kite then has to be inflated, but not too rigid or it won't fly. It wouldn't fly, hard as our tester tried, so he let a little air out by inserting the pressure reduction straw - again, a slightly delicate operation in the water, and certainly in heavy seas.
The Skystreme continued to float well, but nothing would induce it to take off, even when we dragged it behind the RIB. It did eventually take to the air, but only once we were back on the pier, by which time it was looking much the worse for wear.
This is a one-off product and costs £25, so the chances are you won't have tried out a Skystreme before you use it for real.
In an emergency, you had better hope you: a) have read and remembered the instructions; b) have your own teeth; c) have a healthy breeze - certainly if you hope to trail a lightstick or a windsock beneath it.
It will certainly keep you occupied while you wait to be rescued, but might not do your blood pressure much good.
Orbic Ltd 01795 52178
Steve Weinman
Steeling the show?
Stahlsac wheeled duffel bag (£194).
People who buy themselves a Rolex pay a high price, but they never need buy another watch. When I wrote the cheque for mine more than 20 years ago, I broke into a nervous sweat. It is only a modest stainless-steel model, but nevertheless it cost a lot. It has hardly been off my wrist since. Buy the right thing and the wounds of the purchase soon heal. You are left with the quality.
I have a garage full of dive bags with handles torn off, zips broken or material scuffed through. Then I discovered Stahlsac, the Rolex of the dive-bag world.
Stahlsac is an American company run by the Stahl family (and it's a happy coincidence for the German market that the brand translates as "steel bag").
Stahlsac makes its own bags, unlike most dive equipment manufacturers which buy in sub-contracted stock. Stahlsac bags are expensive, but to my mind they are probably the best-quality dive bags available.
Regular readers will know how I have enthused over the two largest and hence most expensive models in the line-up. I liked their dirt-resistant, wear-resistant, baggage-handler-resistant, ballistic-quality material and rust-proof, jam-proof zips. My only criticism really was that they are so roomy that once they are fully loaded you need someone to help you carry them. So Stahlsac lent me its latest offering to try - simply called a "wheeled duffel bag". Now I always thought of a duffel bag as something I took my gym kit to school in, closed with a drawstring. Not this one.This slightly less than gigantic bag can be transformed in a moment from a hold-all, to a rucksack, to a wheel-along bag with extending handle, depending on circumstances. The wheels are particularly suited to the smooth surfaces found in airports.
There are two load sections. The larger (70 x 36 x 22cm approx) is ideal for wet items of dive gear and includes a segregated net section. Zip that up and there is a second space almost the same size (63 x 35 x 22cm approx) which I used for my dry clothes. This is closed by a similar two-way rust-proof zip. The ordinary carrying handles are fixed to the bag in the usual Stahlsac bust-proof way. It certainly proved an ideal load-carrier for one (large) diver.
Just to test it, I took it for a trip round the world involving 747s, light planes, buses, vans and small boats. It took everything in its stride and came back looking like new.
Nothing is perfect and I was slightly irritated that it refused to stand on its wheels once fully loaded because the centre of gravity gets pushed too far forward. You really have to go into hold-all mode when putting it down after wheeling it. I cheated for the photograph by jamming a rock under the forward part.
The Stahlsac Wheeled Duffel Bag costs £194.
MarKat 01935 815424
Shaping up nicely
Busty women who look as if they have a sausage up their vests when they don a wetsuit can now breathe easily, says Farzi Mireskandari (left). Definition is at hand
Scubapro Hi Tech Steamer wetsuit (£179).
As you squeeze into your wetsuit for the third time in one day, you seriously consider missing the dive because your fingertips no longer have the strength to pull the clinging material up over your thighs. You begin to wonder why you chose this pastime instead of something more elegant.
I bet you have been given endless advice on how to put on your suit. It is amazing how it went on so easily in the shop.
The salesperson promised it would be even easier when wet. You bought the right size; you haven't put on weight and you thought you had really got the knack of peeling it up your legs without any stupid expressions. So what happened? Well, don't despair, it's your suit - not you.
More people must be put off diving in the early stages of training because of the trauma of getting into their suits than for any other reason.
I've just had the welcome task of trying the new Scubapro Hi Tech Steamer wetsuit. Unbelievably, it is easy to get on and easy to pull off. The zips at the ankles help. But the best thing about it is that it is actually flattering.
Those women who have substantial breasts and who feel that they look like they have a salami sausage strapped to their chest when wearing a wetsuit can now be assured that there will be definition. The less well endowed will be able to trade in their boyish flat chest for a nice girly front.
All this because the seam-lines of this suit are in the right place to give you shape. The smooth-skin on the outside of the front and back body panels enhances the look of your waist-line, and the suit comes in the most elegant and flattering of all colours - black, my favourite! So if comfort and looking good is important, this could be the wetsuit for you.
In fact, when I turned up wearing the Scubapro wetsuit for my very first water-skiing lesson, everyone thought I was a professional!
Apart from getting it on and off, it also works well. The back-entry YKK zip is positioned at the right angle to make it easy to pull closed with its long tag; the velcro around the back of the collar is large enough to stay where you put it and will not open up to flush water through the suit during the dive.
Smoothskin on the inside here helps make a water-resistant seal against the skin, and the top of the zip is secured with a second helping of velcro.
The shiny black knee-pads are generous, substantial and flexible. However, the neoprene wrist seals turned out to be too big as usual. Even the ankle zips were not really tight enough to hug me the way I like. I suppose the openings have to be big enough for those with larger feet.
There is a downside. It's not cheap for a 5mm wetsuit, especially considering that some of the stitching had started to come undone after only 20 or so dives
The Scubapro Hi Tech Steamer wetsuit costs £179 and comes in a range of off-the-peg sizes for both women and men.
Scubapro 01256 812636
Into the light
Ikelite PCa back-up light (£27).
IF you need a light underwater, the chances are that you really need two. Ni-cads run down, batteries go flat, bulbs fail and, heaven forbid, lamps can even flood!
Many divers hastily thrust a small torch into the pocket of their BC as some kind of back-up. It might allow them to see their instruments during an ascent once a dive has been aborted due to the failure of their primary diving light, but they might find that it is not powerful enough for anything else. I like to take a back-up light that I know is as good as the super-trouper with which I start my dive. So what do I use?
I have found the Ikelite PCa to be a little marvel. It uses six AA batteries, the same as I use in much of my photographic gear, so battery purchasing is kept simple. After fitting the batteries, it clamps shut on its water-sealing O-ring.
You use hand-pressure to close the unit and a clamping ring to secure it, and there is a simple through-body on/off switch. It fits in the palm of the hand, but belts the light out as good as any other. Its beam is not broad but even, with little spillage outside its hotspot.
In short, it is the best torch I have found for my needs, although I am always waiting for someone to show me something better!
The somewhat larger Ikelite PC (£32 including batteries) uses C-cells and is brighter, but it does not sit securely under the elastic strap of my underwater flashgun, nor is its battery requirement compatible with the rest of my gear. (You can of course use rechargeable ni-cad cells instead of alkaline batteries.)
The burn-time for a new set of six proprietory AA cells for the PCa is about two hours. There is one thing you should know, however. When the batteries go dead, it is not a protracted affair. They die instantly, so carry a spare lamp!
The Ikelite PCa costs £27 (including batteries).
Oceanic SW Ltd 01404 891819
Appeared in DIVER - September 1998
