DATELINE :- 6th March 2000

DEMA Show

Holding steady in Las Vegas
Las Vegas is home to some of the biggest and brightest stage shows anywhere, but this year's DEMA Show was neither the biggest nor the brightest, writes Mike Busuttili.
Recent years have seen some down-sizing of manufacturers' stands, but Mares showed confidence in its market position by deciding to stay away altogether this time.
One place to look for more divers is among previously unconsidered age groups. Major training organisations now consider that 4 or 5 is not too young for a first taste of diving. PADI's SASY course (Supplied Air Snorkelling for Youth) lets 5- to 8-year-olds breathe from a miniature scuba set while supported at the surface by a foam-filled BC.
At the ripe old age of 8 they can take the Bubblemaker course in a pool, and at 10 dive to 12m with a certified parent or instructor.
Over at SSI they were introducing the Scuba Ranger course, aimed at starting kids between 4 and 8 off using SASY equipment. It said a number of its schools had identified a need to include younger family members when the others took up diving.
Most of the training organisations are working hard at making first dives simple and easy. Whether its PADI's Discover Scuba or SSI's Try Scuba, little time or commitment is required and no suggestion made that the experience will lead on to a longer, more costly process.
Several manufacturers offered masks with curved lenses to restore our field of vision to a claimed 140¡ or 180¡ and minimise magnification.
Technisub's new Sphera mask is a neat solution: featherlight, close-fitting, and likely to prove the most economical. Hydro Optix, a new company, has taken a high-tech approach to the problem and come up with the Mega, for young, near-sighted divers (likely price around £40) and the Max, for those needing complete correction (expect £400).
Good news for those aiming to take up underwater photography came from Sea and Sea. Its new entry-level camera, the MX-5, is a simple point-and-shoot 35mm job with built-in flash that will sell for just £139.
So you think your club RIB is well equipped - do you have a Videoray? This pocket-sized ROV comes with an 80m umbilical tether connecting it to a surface control unit. To avoid diving "near" a wreck, slip it over the side and drive it down to check that the anchor is fast and correctly placed. Alternatively, follow the dive team down for maximum safety - and for just £6000.
Stay in touch with an underwater pager; the WW Dolphin is a wrist unit which allows you to send any one of 14 preset or SOS messages to up to 14 other divers at
a range of 500m.
It also incorporates a direction-finding facility for returning to the dive boat.
A future development could allow the boat to follow divers without SMBs.
There will be a full report on DEMA 2000 next month.

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