scuba equipment – Submerged Travels

June 9, 2020June 15, 2020

Tips for Finding the Perfect Fins

For diving fins are an integral part of how we move around underwater they are one of the most efficient ways to propel ourselves with all of our gear on. While there is no perfect science for finding fins this will cover some considerations in determining which fins will best suit your diving style. This will be more handy for divers looking for their first set of fins but could also be helpful for divers looking to replace an old pair of fins.

First consideration: full foot or open heel?

Full foot fins are generally regarded as snorkeling fins but are often used as diving fins for warm water. They are usually a bit smaller than traditional fins, use a full foot pocket with heel, and usually are a bit lighter and cheaper than open heel fins. These are a good option for someone who only plans on doing warm water diving, they will not keep your feet warm enough for cold water diving. The sizing for these fins usually is a range of shoe sizes (7-8, 9-10, 11-12 etc…) this will vary with each brand.

Open heel fins are just what they sound like they have a foot pocket with no heel and a strap to keep the foot secure. These fins are almost always used with booties. They are generally a little bit more robust in the blade and the foot pocket to accommodate the boot, and can cost a little more. The open heel fin is the ideal fin for diving because of its versatility, despite the extra weight can be used in warm or cold water by going to a thinner or thicker boot, feet are also something that we need to worry about overheating while diving so wearing a thick boot in warm water isn’t an issue, except for travel weight. Open heel fins can also have a variety of different straps for the heel ranging from rubber or silicone adjustable with clips for quick disconnect, to silicone, bungee, or spring straps that are usually at a set tension and used for easy removal. This can effect the cost of the fin but can also usually be changed so if you would like to upgrade to spring style straps that is possible. The sizes of the open heel fins is much more general usually ranging from XS to XL but with the adjustable strap or spring strap able to accommodate a wider variety of foot sizes.

Second Consideration: Comfort.

What you want to avoid when buying fins.

This is the most import step in finding the right fin, comfort should be your primary objective because if its not it will make the experience unbearable like going on a hike in dress shoes. Depending on which style of fin you decide to go with you will be next trying them on, if you are getting an open heel you will need to find a comfortable bootie first. For the full foot fins you want to make sure that when in the pocket your foot is secure and not shifting around, too much space could lead to rub spots that cause blisters. You also don’t want the foot pocket too tight because it may cause cramping in the foot. Consider trying out different brands if possible because their foot pockets and ranges of sizes will differ. For open heel fins it will be a very similar process you want to try on different sizes and make sure that the bootie fills the entire pocket you should not have any gaps when worn, gaps can cause the fin to move and shift on the foot and work less efficiently. For people with small feet make sure that the heel strap is not completely maxed out, sometimes this can still not be enough and the fin can fall off under heavy kicking. Check and make sure that the foot is not experiencing and squeezes or pressure points from the pockets these can become uncomfortable and possibly cause cramping, sometimes due to the heel strap being to tight. For both the full foot and the open heel make sure to extend the leg and kick with the toes pointed to replicate the position your foot will been in while diving this will be a more accurate portrayal of how the fin will feel. Consult with the sales person if you are having trouble determining if it is a good fit, but ultimately you will feel if it is comfortable or not.

Third Consideration: soft or stiff blade?

The softness or stiffness of the fin blade will differ from style to style and most brands will have a range to accommodate all styles of divers. Soft blades have a lot of flex to them and are much easier to kick but do not provide a great deal of power. With the soft blade it will not be as obvious that you are kicking a fin and will feel like a more fluid motion. Softer blades are most efficient with the flutter style kick. These are generally popular with newer divers, divers with injuries, or divers that may not have the best kicking form because they are more forgiving and require less strain. Stiff blades will provide more resistance when kicking and have increased power to the kicks, you will be aware that you are kicking. These fins can be a little heavier and sometimes shorter, becoming very popular in the technical diving space because of the ability to maneuver and push a diver with more equipment. These blades work best with some form of frog kick, but can be efficient when the flutter kick is used as well. This fin is best for divers that are used to kicking and have stronger legs and a good kicking form to maximize their efficiency. There are also a variety of fins in-between soft and stiff, like stated before focus on comfort first if you are a new diver whatever you start with will become your normal.

For divers replacing an old pair of fins, I generally suggest sticking with a fin that is roughly the same stiffness or softness as the last pair. If you have been diving that fin for a while it will be an awkward transition going from soft to stiff and vise versa. If you have not been diving in a while and don’t remember how soft or stiff your fins may have been it shouldn’t matter that much.

Split fins: these are fins that are just what they sound like split down the middle of the fin leaving two fins instead of a single blade per foot. The split fin is very efficient in how they work channeling the water straight back on both the up and down kick. A majority of the time the split fin is a very soft fin, ideal for divers that may have a injury that could affect their kick. While very popular for a while new fin designs have found ways to maximize efficiency of the fin with out the split, so they are becoming less common.

Fourth Consideration: Color.

Like all other dive equipment most fins will come in a variety of colors to allow divers to personalize their gear. The color of the fin will not affect its performance, so in reality it doesn’t matter but some divers will choose a particular set of fins over another because of the color option. I recommend agains this but if you need to match your gear have at it. Most fins will offer at least the basic 3 colors (black, blue, yellow) but with new styles more colors are becoming popular (teal, pink, purple etc…) Fins are a great way to identify other divers underwater and having a different color will make you more recognizable. Some more tech oriented fins will often only be offered in one color usually black, but many divers will write their names on them to make them identifiable.

June 21, 2019April 4, 2021

Which Scuba Brand Makes the Best Equipment?

This may be one of the difficult answers to truly answer in the dive industry because it is subjective and always going to to be driven by personal opinion. Each dive shop will likely claim that the brand they carry has the most reliable, highest quality equipment that puts others to shame, and they will say this to sell the equipment. Some dive shops are unfortunately just like used car lots saying whatever they can to up sell you to the next item. Now most dive shops are not massive and it is impossible for any one shop to carry every brand, so most pick one, two or even three primary brands. The other dilemma is the actual number of brands I am going to focus on a few of the largest names including, Scubapro, Aqualung, Mares, and Huish Outdoors (Oceanic, Zeagle, Suunto, Atomic, Hollis). You should be able to find at least one of these brands at any dive shop that you may visit, there are others like Sherwood, Seac, and Tusa but are probably not going to be the primary brand especially for BCD’s, regulators, and Computers. Here is a brief overview of what to expect from each brand.

ScubaPro

Scubapro is probably one of the most recognizable names in the industry right now and has some equipment that stands out. The first thing to know about Scubapro is that it is most likely going to be the most expensive option. They make a very high quality product but they have little to offer in terms of middle of the road pricing. Scubapro equipment is either the more expensive low end, or the most expensive high end. Now they do produce a very high quality product that is rigorously tested and reliable but you will pay a premium. Now in terms of equipment BCD’s are really where Scubapro shines in my opinion they have many options with multiple styles and prices ranging from about $450 on the low end to over $1000 on their high end bcd. Bcd’s are also were there is going to be the largest variation between these brands. While Scubapro does make a quality computer and regulator I feel you only have two choices for each very high end or low end no middle ground, and while this is true for the bcd’s there are enough options to minimize that gap.

Aqualung

Aqualung is a company that has been around since the beginning and may be one of the most recognizable brands. In terms of over all pricing Aqualung is a little more spread evenly with very budget friendly options especially with regulators and computers, and high end regs that don’t knock the wind out of you when you hear the price. In terms of their BCD’s they have the I3 inflator system that I am not personally sold on but have met a number of people that are very happy with it. The regulators are what really stand out for me, the dive computers are actually almost identical to oceanic dive computers because they purchase from the same company oceanic does. The regulators provide a large variety of options for divers on a budget and divers looking for a high quality versatile regulator.

Mares

Mares is a very large brand that most don’t realize is as big as it is. Owned by the Head company and this partnership also owns SSI the training agency. Now this is where i find it hard to hide my opinion because in terms of dive equipment I am not overly impressed with anything from Mares. I am not a fan of the quick disconnect pockets on their bcd’s, their regulators are underwhelming, they function but I would prefer another brand first, and their computers are functional. I would have to say that of everything Mares I would have one of their low budget computers as a starter or backup. Mares in general is a great starter equipment company but I have not seen the value in their equipment beyond that. Its not that I think that they make bad gear I just believe that these other brands make better gear.

Huish Outdoors (Oceanic, Suunto, Zeagle, Atomic, Hollis)

Huish Outdoors is a Unique situation and in a dive shop you are not going to see the Huish logo most likely but they do own all of these brands, (at least an exclusive distributor for Suunto). One of the reasons I wanted to include Huish is because I like the fact that they have accumulated brands that specialize. Now for the most part each of these brands has a primary focus, most of them do dabble in other areas but are known for one primary thing. Zeagle is known for BCD’s, Suunto for Computers, Hollis for Regulators, Atomic for Regulators, and Oceanic dabbles evenly in all three but has been known as an innovator for computers for many years. Unlike the other three brands above that are distributing R&D among all aspects of equipment Huish has brands that they have acquired that have a particular focus. Most of their equipment is reasonably priced With the exception of Atomic they make very high end regulators on par with Scubapro. If you get something from one of these brands especially in their wheelhouse you know it will be very high quality for the cost.

In the end it is a personal choice which brand is best it may be situational, when picking a brand it is important to consider the long term, how easily can I service this equipment, is there a shop that I can take this equipment to if I have an issue. I this equipment going to fit the style of diving that I intend to do and fit my personal budget. The key to all of this is to determine your needs, figure out what features you want and then talk to your local dive shop professional because in all honesty no matter which brand you ultimately decide on you will have quality gear. You just want to make sure you are comfortable in that equipment and how to properly use and care for the equipment.

So in order to avoid giving a BS answer that there is no best equipment I am going to break it down into tiers High, middle, and low, in terms of price and among those name brands for my preferred for BCD, Regulator, and computer. Now keep in mind that all of these brands make quality equipment and the ultimate choice comes down to personal preference in features and access, talk with your local dive shop cause they will likely be the ones servicing your equipment.

High:
BCD: Scubapro
Reg: Atomic
Computer: Suunto/Scubapro (the G2 is a pretty amazing computer)

Middle:
BCD: Zeagle
Reg: Aqualung/Oceanic
Computer: Oceanic/Aqualung

Low:
BCD: Oceanic/Mares
Reg: Oceanic/Aqualung
Computer: Mares/Aqualung/Oceanic

May 28, 2019

What Does it Cost to Get Scuba Certified?

Taking the plunge and getting certified for many people is scary not only because it is a new experience but also because of the cost, So what does it cost to get certified? This is one of the greatest questions in the diving industry, and most commonly asked in any dive shop. No matter which agency you get certified through Padi, SSI, Naui, to name a few, all of them are providing the same fundamental training and skills. The differences will be in the format that these skills and how the information is taught. Since it is safe to say that all open water certifications no matter the agency are equivalent lets break down the what the general expected cost of an Open Water certification would be.

There are many ways to break down these cost and different shops and different agencies will vary in their prices but this is a guide to provide a general idea of how much it should cost to get scuba certified. These cost will be broken down into training (Classroom, Pool, and Open Water dives), Materials, Rental, and Personal gear. Now with all of these they will vary from shop to shop for training, rentals and personal equipment and agency to agency for materials, so i will be providing a general estimate for each of these because it may differ at your local dive shop.

Training is the most important part of the certification and will be what truly molds the experience of getting certified. It is the personal touch that the instructor provides that will shape your experience and path as a diver. The ability to provide clear instruction and knowledge for the students will leave a huge impact on new divers. This is where the true value of shopping around for your certification will matter. Finding a shop and instructor that are devoted to providing you the student with the best experience possible. As for the price this is the portion of the cost that the instructors themselves are paid from. Some shops will split the cost of classroom/ pool and open water dives, and others will provide an all in pricing. For the aspect of training expect anywhere from $200 to $350 to cover the cost of training (classroom/pool/open water dives).

Materials are completely determined by the certification agency and can vary depending on what format of program you are taking, accelerated programs will be more costly and allow students to complete a majority of classroom portion of the program at home. The three largest and most recognizable agencies Padi, SSI, and Naui materials will range from $75-$189. With these materials they are at this point in time offered as printed books to study or online digital material, SSI provides only digital material, while Padi and Naui offer printed material or digital e-learning.

Rentals are something that are absolutely necessary for open water dives unless the new diver has decided to purchase their own BCD, regulator, tanks, weights, and wetsuit. These items to purchases would quickly reach a couple thousand dollars, most new divers will rent these items for their certification, once again rentals will depend on the shop and what kind of gear is needed for the dive, wetsuits will depend on the temperature of the water, the other items will be necessary regardless. Normal expected rental cost for this equipment should be expected around $60-$150. Some shops may provide rental packages that include other gear like mask snorkel, fins that may affect this price.

Most dive shops will request or require new students to purchase their own personal gear, Mask, Snorkel, Booties, Fins, and Gloves. This is because these items are a personal fit gear that will drastically affect your diving experience if they do not fit properly. Once again these items will vary drastically in price and some shops will offer student discounts to help promote the purchase. In general expect at minimum $150 for all of your personal gear and price can go up to as high as $500. Keep in mind this is equipment necessary for scuba, made to a very high quality and made to last when taken care of properly.

In the end the price is hard to give an exact number, and when you ask a dive shop employee that is why they will hesitate to answer because there are many factors that can affect the total cost. The lowest to expect when getting certified not including personal equipment would be somewhere around $400 and the highest could be somewhere around $700 with a majority of them somewhere in between. With this being said average price all in to get certified will be somewhere in the range of $600. Personal equipment is where the larges variance in price will be in terms of personal choice, the Training, rental, and materials will be pre determined by the shop. The most important thing to consider will be what will work best for you, dive shops and dive professionals will provide advice for what the best route to take is for the goals you wish to meet.

May 28, 2019

Oceanic Jetpack BCD Review

The Oceanic Jetpack BCD is a bit of an anomaly, it is a one size fits all travel BCD that strives to slim down all of our favorite aspects of back inflate BCD’s into one convenient package. The Jetpack BCD comes in two different packages one thats just the BCD and the complete package which includes a detachable backpack. The gimmick of the Jetpack is that this BCD transforms from a bag able to fit all of your personal gear, to a light weight travel style bcd with a large amount of personal adjustment.

In terms of what this bcd is designed for it does function well, everything about it makes sense and performs the way it should. With that being said i’m just not in love with this bcd. I am a fan of all of the features, many of them are clever and makes sense in their purpose, but it just doesn’t feel the way I want a travel bcd to feel. Lets start by covering the features of this bcd. The Jetpack is designed as a travel bcd, but not the traditional travel bcd. Instead of purely going for the most light weight and basic design to cut weight for checked baggage, the Jetpack does cut weight but doesn’t cut as much retaining some of the many comforts of a standard bcd.

The breakdown/set up

The jet pack is made as a one size fits all bcd that almost completely comes apart, removing the cumber bun weight pockets and storing them in the zip away rear panel that contains the bladder, inflator, tank straps, cumber bun and weight pockets when in the travel mode. In this configuration there is a backpack that can attach to the broken down bcd and can be used as a carry on bag for airline travel. This system does work pretty we’ll and the detachable backpack is very large and has a great amount of storage space. The set up is fairly simple, the rear panel unzips and rolls up secured with a few pieces of velcro the bladder extends beyond the edges, the cumber bun, weight pockets are attached and the shoulder straps are unclipped from the base of the bag and attached to the weight pockets. The most difficult part is threading the cumber bun through the hidden loops and adjusting the shoulder straps for personal comfort lengthening and shortening the nylon webbing. The cumber bun does attach using velcro attaching to itself appears to be surprisingly secure but I can only assume that over time the velcro will give out. But for the time being it appears to be working just fine.

What I like:

The truth is this BCD does really work well, the modular pieces feel secure when attached and provide an abundance of adjustability. One feature that I am very happy to be included is the cumber bun, most travel bcd’s this is the first feature to be eliminated in order to cut weight. For me it provides an additional level of security and makes the bcd feel like it is wrapping around me more. They also employ a different stomach strap system from other Oceanic BCD’s instead of the traditional pull from the center out the straps are laced back and use a pul from the sides to center, This is a feature i have seen on many Aqualung bcd’s. The back inflation style makes it a very comfortable dive and uses high quality durable materials that dry relatively quickly. The materials never felt over saturated with water leaving me wondering if it had dried fully before packing. The last thing I am very fond of is the backpack, this thing is great. Weather it is attached or detached this thing has a ton of space, pocket for laptop, many interior mesh pockets for storage of small items, two exterior pockets, straps on the sides great for sandals or beach towels, and zips completely open which can be nice when you are unpacking or looking for something in the bag.

What I don’t like:

For the most part I am pretty happy with the Jetpack, it functions how a bcd should and has many features that I wish a traditional travel bcd would have, but it is not perfect at least not for me. I am not a tall person and the length of this bcd is a little too much, I feel like no matter how much i play with the adjustments that I cannot get it to sit perfectly for me because I have a short torso. I have also found that the placement of the deflator is just not right for me I find my self having to adjust my body positioning more while diving to deflate. This could be because of the length of the bcd and how it fits my body or just that I am so used to my primary bcd I need more time to adjust. Another small issue I have is the weight, for a travel bcd the jetpack is a little heavy, about 6.25 lbs which is lighter than a traditional bcd but also heavier than most lightweight travel bcd’s sitting somewhere in the middle. The salvation for this issue is that it packs into a backpack and can be used as a carry on so weight is not as much as a factor in the long run. My final issue is with the placement of the tank strap, I understand that for the length of the bcd it has been set low to prevent swing of the tank but I wouldn’t mind an additional strap a little higher for a more secure hold, it does have a valve strap that can aid in some stability but I personally prefer a double strap system.

In the end it is going to depend on what you are looking for in a travel bcd, if you are looking for something that is very adjustable, and can be used as a carry on this is a perfect option. If you are looking to cut as much weight as possible then it may not be the best option. It does function as a high quality bcd with durable materials and I experienced no technical issues. The price is a little high for a travel bcd with the Jetpack Complete (includes backpack) coming in at $599 while most travel bcd’s are around the $450 price range. The one size fits all feature may be a bit exaggerated not the most ideal for those who are on the shorter side but as a bcd that could be an extra for a friend not needing to worry if it fits is a very nice option. Over all I do like the Jetpack, it functions well as a bcd and has many clever features but I am not in love with it.