Scuba Gadget - The Deep Background on Scuba

You giant stride from the gate of the dive boat into the cold swells of the Pacific Northwest’s emerald sea. But unlike on other entries you don’t bob quickly back to the surface with your OK sign beaming. “What’s up?! I am sinking!” goes through your mind. You have an important first choice – whether or not to panic. No panic and you have some good options for recovery and more dives. Panic and you may have only a few minutes before drowning.

That was just one scenario that went through my mind upon a recent discovery while cleaning my dive gear. Thankfully I was not jumping off the back of a boat with my defective gear; instead I was in the comfort of my garage trying to understand why my Dive Rite wing was blowing air out from the lower dump valve. I shuddered as I watched the corroded spring that holds the valve closed and the air inside crumble to bits in my hand. Luckily, I dodged that bullet, as did my partner, my friend and dive shop owner Grant, and the owners of every Dive Rite wing recently inspected by another local dive shop owner at his shop.

The story I wanted to be able to write was one that told how the folks that run dive equipment companies, most likely divers themselves, are extra vigilant and responsive to safety issues with their products. I wanted to hear that upon finding one corroded stainless spring, that was never supposed to rust under any dive conditions, they immediately launched a full scale investigation and rapidly notify dive shops and customers of the potential threat to their life. That’s the responsible thing to do. And when you read this in the recall statement, “…the company is working closely with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPC) and has instituted a VOLUNTARY recall…,” it spins the impression that they “recently” found a problem and are taking quick action to protect divers.

But I cannot tell that comforting story. The story of what we learned

Continue reading The OPV Recall: Illustrates why you should check all your gear today. →

I’d like to share with you a little story….

It was almost two years ago when I began SCUBA diving. After my Open Water certification I was hooked! I became obsessed with the sport and as that obsession grew, so did my love and appreciation for the environment that so kindly embraced me.

I grew up on a farm, so to speak, and have always been one to care about plants and animals, do my part in recycling and so on, but it wasn’t until I became a diver that I truly began to understand something that I took completely for granted: a world that exists that is hidden from most people’s view. So many people don’t give weight to things that they don’t see: our water, our oceans, and the animals that are in those environments. I didn’t until I experienced it.

Last year I became a volunteer at the aquarium.  Everything I learn there continues to make my passion grow. I’ve learned to protect animals that I wouldn’t have ever even worried about – ones that I could actually harm. Did you know that when you’re beach-combing you need to return a rock to it’s original location after your’ve looked under it?

I didn’t.

Do you know why that’s important?

If you’re like me, you’d freak out to know that you caused any harm to a helpless animal. If you don’t place that rock back you are most likely causing harm to something, whether it’s the coralline algae that lives on top of the rock or an animal that has a nice, safe hiding place. This is just a small example of what I’ve learned this year.

Last night I attended an event at the aquarium. We watched a documentary called “A Sea Change” (www.aseachange.net).  The movie is about a grandfather, a retired history teacher, who is on a quest to understand what is happening to the world’s oceans.  During his journey, he is constantly mulling over the world that he is leaving for his grandson and future generations.

The movie talks directly about ocean acidification and it’s affects on our oceans. Ocean acidification is the ongoing decrease in the pH levels of the Earth’s oceans, caused by their uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The CO2 coming off our land,

Continue reading Documentary “A Sea Change” Inspires Action →

Divers who get in the water with more frequency than that of a “vacation diver” will most likely invest in their own gear. So you scrimp and save and visit your trusted LDS (local dive shop) and buy what your local experts recommend and … “It feels great, how did I ever dive with that crappy rental gear! “ Then you go about diving, you get some experience, you see new gear while on trips or while reading your dive magazines (think ScubaGadget.com . You start to think, “my diving would be so much better if I had that drysuit, that better dive computer, those split fins. You pull our the credit card and then …“this new gear feels great, how did I ever dive with that beginner gear.” And often you may think, “If I would have known what I know now, I would have started with the new whatever and not spent the money on my old whatever.”

So why didn’t the experts at your LDS show you that “the whatever” first? Continue reading EDITORIAL: Broaden your Horizons: A World of SCUBA Gear Awaits You →

Brackets and mounts for pony bottles or (redundant air systems) range from simple hook-on bags to complex and often expensive bracket systems. Some are simply nylon or canvas bags that hang on to your main tank and flop around. On the other end of the spectrum are the ones the require you to mount brackets onto your every one of your main tanks and your pony bottle. Prices can range from around $45 to over $175 for just the part that holds the tank. Most we have seen before now have at least one failing. They are either too hard to use, too floppy, too expensive or only work with special adapters on all of your tanks.

A new pony bracket, XS scuba’s (Highland brand) “Stainless Steel Pony Mount” has everything you want in a pony mounting system and at a reasonable price. In our live-dive testing we found this bracket extremely easy to mount and un-mount with the pony, very sturdy once mounted and very simple and quick to attach and detach to any main tank (works with rental set-ups too). Unlike another brand of bracket we previously tested which would not fit a pony that was only .25 inch larger than the standard, the XS scuba mount is designed to fit multiple tank sizes, in the ranges of a 4.4” to 5.5” diameter for pony and 6.9” to 8” for main tank. For all these features, the best news just may be that at and msrp of $95 it is priced only in the lower mid-range of the field.

Our test model had one noticeable design quirk, which Mike Piantoni from XS says will be remedied soon. In marked contrast to the nice soft rubber feet on the brackets to protect your tanks from scratching, the cam that locks down the mounting strap on the pony was not protected with the usual piece of material commonly found on other tank cams. Scratches were evident on first use. If you get one of these early models that does not include the cam guard material, it is not difficult to make a temporary guard for the cam out of found material (Until you get XS to send you one.). A small snippet of thin outdoor carpet worked fine for ours.

We also found that the soft rubber feet can fall out if nudged when putting the pony onto the main tank. We reccommend to both users and the manufacturer that you pull them out and reinstall with a dab of silicon cement to prevent this problem.

With a slight deduction for those minor issues, we give the XS Stainless Steel Pony Mount 4.5 stars for its ease of use, flexibility, and affordable price.

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FTC full disclosure statement: XS Scuba provided Scuba Gadget with a floor model of this bracket without charge to be used for the live testing for this article.

In the proper world of the future when there is a Pulitzer prize category for scuba writing, Daniel Lenihan has the first one in the bag. Submerged is not a new book, being first published in 2002, but I have not found many divers that have read it yet. Every diver should, as well as anyone that likes adventure or history. Not just because it is “a gripping saga” in the words of Clive Cussler, a master of the gripping fiction dive saga sub-genre. And only partly because Lenihan’s artful prose rivals those of have won the prize Pulitzer. But, also because it is all true and will either make you a better diver or make you wonder why you have put off becoming a scuba diver. It deserves every word of the hundreds of lines of praise from readers, newspapers, dive magazines, archeology journals, history journals and others.

You can open most any page and find edge of the seat, compelling lines such as these from the very first page: “No one speaks as we intently study the emerald-green expanse of Lake Superior from the stern of our anchored vessel. No flicker of movement, no slick undulating circle disturbs the verdant glass – nothing that would indicate the presence of a diver’s bubbles boiling to the surface. They are late… very late, and unspoken fear is tangible. The raising tension has become a sixth member of the team gathered on the deck.”

I, like many divers are amazed to learn that America even has an underwater archeology team, let alone an elite team. The team with the edgy acronym of SCRU (Submerged Cultural Resources Unit) is made up of “park rangers” from the U.S. National Park Service with a passion for extreme diving and the discipline of professional archeologists. If Lenihan’s tales were well made into a TV series we could have another Sea Hunt capable of inspiring a flood of new divers signing up for classes. I am one of the boomer divers that dives because of the inspiration of Mike Nelson (Sea Hunt) and from beginning to the end of this book I was further inspired to become a better diver, a better writer and to learn more of the rich history that the author uncovers in the depths of our national waters.

LINKS: The publisher (http://www.newmarketpress.com/title.asp?id=550) | Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Submerged-Adventures-Americas-Underwater-Archeology/dp/1557045054)

Italian scuba equipment manufacturer Cressi is working with the US consumer product safety commission on a recall of their Cressi Ellipse Black MC5 Regulator.

The problem involves a partial obstruction of the High Pressure (HP) port which can produce an inaccurate reading on the pressure gauge, resulting in a slow descent of the needle in the pressure gauge.

While no injuries related to this problem have been reported, Cressi has received three reports of inaccurate pressure readings while the scuba regulators were in use.

The recalled regulators have model name Ellipse Black MC5. "Cressi MC5" and "Cressi Black" are printed on the regulator. The regulators were sold between March 2009 through August 2009.

Consumers should immediately stop using the regulators and return them to a Cressi authorized dive shop for a free repair. Consumers can also return the product to Cressi USA at One Charles Street, Westwood, N.J. 07675.

For additional information, contact Cressi at (800) 338-9143 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.cressi.com (recall information link is on the menu bar or directly http://www.cressi.com/recallmc5.asp).

Fourth Element, makers of our current favorite undergarment, the Arctic, is getting ready to launch glove liners for dry suit gloves.  We saw these at the DEMA show in Oct 2009., and are eager to try them out.

Made using a soft neoprene foam which has a thermal bamboo/charcoal derived lining, these gloves are said to be both warm and environmentally friendly. The added benefit of this lining is that the lining also has antimicrobial properties, which means that the gloves will not develop the characteristic odour to which divers have become accustomed as quickly as traditional glove liners.

The gloves themselves are designed to be water proof with double glued, blindstitched and sealed seams. This may seem a little like overkill for dryglove liners, but who hasn’t had their drygloves fail? Having some residual protection from the liners in the case of a dry glove flooding is therefore not only desirable, but necessary for every dryglove user at some stage of their diving. These liners provide this protection whilst the light material from which they are made still affords good dexterity and feedback.

We’ll let you know if the gloves are as good as promised.  The dry glove liners will be launched in February.

Scuba Schools International (SSI) today and National Geographic are sponsoring a traveling speaker series that kicks off with Nat Geo photographer Paul Niklen. Niklen grew up in a small and remote Inuit community on Baffin Island with no radio, no TV and no telephone. Here are a few of the Paul Niklen events scheduled. For full information on the program see http://events.nationalgeographic.com/events/speakers/ 

• Tuesday, December 8 at 7:30 pm – The Field Museum • Chicago, Illinois
• Wednesday, January 6 at 8:00 pm AT&T Performing Arts Center, Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House • Dallas, Texas
• Benaroya Hall • Seattle, Washington – Monday and Tuesday, April 19 and 20 at 7:30 pm

Retailers and divers are no longer just looking at the innovative Whites Fusion drysuit (see other Fusion articles) saying “what’s that?” Now they are saying I “want one.” Ron Ault, of HoodSport n’ Dive in Washington state, told us that nearly everyone that demos a Fusion suit buys one.

This demand has created a “happy problem” for Whites. While Whites has its own agents outside the US to sell the Whites Fusion, they do not have any where near the international infrastructure of a company like ScubaPro. Due to the increased international demand for Fusion suits, Whites has set up a licensing agreement with ScubaPro to distribute its own, ScubaPro Fusion in Europe and the Asia Pacific regions. The ScubaPro Fusions are still manufactured by Whites. The ScubaPro distibution does not include the Americas where Whites will be the name on Fusions.

In other Fusion news:

We hope to have more news and a live review on the new Fusion Bullet skin show at the recent DEMA show and coming this month.

Also Whites has reinvented their website using the a web 2.0 model which focuses on constant customer interaction and feedback (http://whitesdiving.com/). It is rare to see any company in the dive industry that “gets the web” as much they have. Whites new web strategy mimics that some of the most successful companies in the tech industry. Essentially this model creates a conversation with customers which drives the company to innovate in directions that most accurately serve the needs of its customers.

Underwater GPS for recreational divers would have been the most exciting product at the 2009 DEMA SHOW, if it were real! Here is what the the press release said and notice the present tense -  “Navimate™ is the first product to provide divers with the full functionality, convenience and safety of GPS navigation and positioning while underwater. This affordable wrist-mounted product displays the diver’s exact latitude and longitude, as well as his or her position on a high resolution map of the underwater terrain.” Everything in the press release and the slick color flyer gave us the impression that it was both amazing and available now (see http://www.shbinstruments.com/Navimate.htm). Then we got to the booth and things got a little more clear.

What we saw was a big poster and a plastic mock-up of a wrist banded platform with some fake buttons and a paper map. The booth guys admitted it was a prototype, but it would be out next year, they claimed. Here is the back peddle message from the team leader, Dr. Barry Megdal. He writes, “We never intended anyone to think that the units we showed at DEMA were production units, or were waterproof …We have been developing algorithms and hardware with prototype units which have given excellent results, but are not “pretty” enough for a show.” 

Since GPS signals will not travel through water, the idea behind Navimate is to have a floating buoy or transponder hung from a boat ($300 msrp) that picks up the signal. The wrist units ($700msrp) are suppose to use multi beam rf to determine range and bearing from the buoy and accurately show the position of each wrist unit. Soon after the initial release of Navimate, Shb (the Navimate company) says

Continue reading Navimate “claims” to have Underwater GPS but then shows how good they can fin backwards. (DEMA 2009 product announcements) →

XS Scuba’s cool new and tiny multi-tool has some hard to find and frequently needed tools for tank valves, hoses and regulators. Joshua Hill of Tacoma Scuba says he loves this tool because it is the first multi tool available with an inflator (schrader) valve tool and a valve nut slotted screwdriver. It is common on boat dives that someone will need a BCD hose adjustment to save their dive and no one ever seems to have one. Other dive shop owners and dive masters to whom we showed the tool were equally excited. We heard a few Tim the Tool Man Taylor style grunts of joy when divers saw this tool. All agree that it is a must have for any save a dive kit. At a retail of less than $30 it is also an easy choice. Two cautions: The O-Ring pick will quickly get you bleeding until you learn to open it up with caution. Dive pros selling the tool should always advise their customers on the recommended uses for some the specialized tips to help divers avoid bigger problems by over-tightening.

The only downside and as has been an ongoing issue with XS Scuba, you cannot find info about the tool on there website. We know dealers have the tool, but it is hard to find any more info on the web yet. We will just keep whining about this (on our readers behalf) until they listen. They make great products, but divers can’t buy them if they can’t find them.

A shameless but justified advertising plug fits here. If your website is behind the curve, contact http://www.SumnerMckenzie.com. It is justified because Sumner McKenzie, is the main sponsor of Scuba Gadget.

Full Disclosure Statement: XS Scuba provided this product to Scuba Gadget for the purposes of review and testing for this article to Scuba Gadget without charge.

In case you saw the infomercial or the bulk Sham Wow pack at Costco and thought that it may be good for wiping gear or soaking up water in your car – “FORGET ABOUT IT!” We got sucked in by the ads and bought a pack of them. They do not work at all. They just push water around. They are so NOT ABSORBANT that we considered sewing them together to make a drysuit out of them.

Editors note: This year we chose to give two overall best in show awards. One for products now shipping and one for products coming soon. The main factor that we use for choosing best in show is our judgment that it the product is revolutionary and will make a change in the dive industry or a major sector of the dive industry.

BEST IN SHOW FOR PRODUCT (Products Coming Soon Category)

Integrated Silicone Seal System (I.S.S.S) | by WaterProof and Si Tech

These two creative Swedish dive equipment manufacturers, WaterProof and Si Tech collaborated to make a revolutionary new seal system that will improve the lives of dry suit divers and save money to boot. If not for one small problem – you cannot glue silicon to the suit – we would likely have had silicon seals on our drysuits for years. Enter Si Tech. Si Tech has a had a quick connect ring systems that attach to the suit arms for years. Like DUI’s Zip Seals, they allow you change your wrist seals, without glue, on the fly. Now Si Tech has designed a flexible neck ring, "Neck Tite" ring system to do the same for the neck seal.

Even at first thought, silicone drysuit seals make perfect sense to divers. They are extremely stretchable (40% more than latex), very durable, eliminate the latex allergy problem, require no maintenance, are naturally slick (no powder needed), very comfortable (no numb thumbs) and easy to doff and don. Everyone that saw them wanted a set, "right now!" We stretched and poked at them with sharp finger nails (see video) and they are remarkably tough. They should have a much longer life than any latex seal. We wonder if dive shops are going to be reluctant to promote them in fear of losing replacement business.

The only question that people consistently asked is, "is the neck ring going to be comfortable to wear." This is an especially pertinent question for Whites Fusion drysuit divers. The fusion is so flexible that anything added, like this neck ring, could easily be noticed and reduce comfort. I know that I can tell the difference from a DUI drysuit with a zip neck seal and one without the zip neck seal. However the payoff of having the silicone seal would be worth a little loss in comfort.

The product is promised by February 2010 at a price close to current latex seal price.

BEST IN SHOW FOR PRODUCT (Products Shipping Now Category)

The Vindicator Safety Valve Handle | by Scuba Stik

What does the dive master do just before you jump of the boat? What does your buddy do just before you enter the water? Grab your tank valve and check to make sure it is fully open. There have been many dive incidents, accidents and even deaths due to a valve that was only partially open.

The Vindicatory Safety Valve Hand by Scuba Stik, clearly shows full red when it is off and green when it is fully on. In between the green ring progressively hides the red ring to indicate the degree the valve is open or closed. It is a simple, elegant and "why didn’t I think of that" solution.

Some dive shop owners we interviewed felt we were going out on a thin limb giving this product a best of show. All agreed it is a creative innovation but a few thought it was a bit more gimmicky that valuable. We will have see which opinion prevails.

Being red-green colorblind I had to ask what to do if I had trouble seeing the colors. The inventor, Ed Davis, said that was easy, just drill holes in the outer ring and look for the dots to be empty or full.

Patent Battle

At the show we noticed that XS Scuba was displaying a similar valve handle on their new tanks. It turns out that the XS Scuba lawyer advised them that the product “would likely not be patentable.” So they made some themselves. However, Ed Davis of Scuba Stik had other advice from his lawyers and did apply for a patent and expects that it will be fully approved shortly. We talked with him about it and later on our way back to XS Scuba booth we happened upon a heated conversation between Ed and Mike Piantoni of XS Scuba. After a bit of back and forth they cooled down and came to an agreement to work out reasonable licensing terms when the patent is finalized.

Shop owner’s to whom we showed the valve found it a creative solution but not were not as sure as us that it will be a hit.

We are reporting live from the DEMA SHOW via ScubaGadget, http://www.twitter.com/scubagadget.

WE ARE BACK FROM THE 2009 DEMA SHOW. HERE ARE THE TIDBITS WITH MUCH MORE TO COME….

An amazing travel BCD that converts to a usable day pack. It is the JackPack from DiveSystems. Currently only in Europe. They also have a technical dive computer with a heads up display that, unlike Oceanic’s Head Up Display, fits any mask. The system handles mixed gases.

Beach Buddy is a full gear dolly system that wraps around your tank, the wheels pop off, are pressed into the bottom, and stay with you when you dive. Great for older divers, those with back issues and long walks on shore dives.

We checked in on the Smart Gear cart that we loved at last years DEMA show. It is the ultimate but expensive gear dolly. It was supposed to be out last winter but the model now has many new features and is reported to be in production.

Another item we loved last year, that was also due to market is the Pocket Buoy. It is shipping now.

The new German built Seareq Enos GPS and radio diver locating system is already saving lives on a few  liveaboards. At around $4500 for the receiver and $1250 for the diver unit, it quickly pays for itself with increased sales and customer confidence. The current option EPIRB, can cost $100,000 for a rescue and it can take hours for the SAR team to get notified. Every dive boat should look into this one.

A remarkable development from WaterProof of Sweden that will also be available from Si Tech stands to change the drysuit world — Continue reading We are at the DEMA Show. Live updates (11/9/2009 back home) →

If you are of diver “of a certain age” (mine) you will be excited to learn that the TV show that started it all for the boomer divers is now available free online. You can catch many of the Sea Hunt episodes on either Hulu or Fancaset (http://www.hulu.com/search?query=Sea+Hunt&st or http://www.fancast.com/tv/Sea-Hunt/91746/full-episodes). If your are not a boomer, check it out and see why you have so many dive buddies in their fifties.

ScubaSight Dive Mirror

Before we got in the water on our first test try of the ScubaSight® – Multi use underwater mirror, we were skeptical. Our dive buddies made lots of jokes about primping before the dive. Thinking it merely a novel idea – using a mirror to view what was behind us – we splashed, anticipating a sketchy review. We were quite surprised at how valuable this device turned out to be!

Made of marine grade materials (2.9″ x 2.9″), completely waterproof, with rounded edges and an elastic band to hold it in place, we secured the mirror to the forearm, near the wrist. With no adjustment feature on the elastic band (the website says to tie another knot to size the mirror wristband and cut off the excess), it was a bit wobbly, but served its purpose nonetheless. After a some adjusting and experimenting

Couldn’t see my dive buddy? A quick flash of the mirror showed him to the right, behind me. Where is he now? Mirror up, a fast glance, and there, got him in my sights. It was relaxing knowing that I did not have to twist and spin to find my dive buddy. He was right there in the rearview mirror.

On the surface we compared notes and found that each of us had felt that same comfort at being able to spot one another with a quick glance. Perhaps we had misjudged the ScubaSight® mirror?

Subsequent dives showed us how handy a little mirror can be to a dive. Continue reading Can’t see what’s behind you? Look in your ScubaSight mirror! →

Divers can soon sit around the fire and talk about the old days when we had to use those stiff and bulky rubber hoses on our regulators. With the introduction of the new Miflex Xtreme-hi (high pressure) hose there is no longer any reason to have dangly rubber on your reg. This product line is nothing less than amazing.

First there was the amazing and super flexible Miflex Xtreme LP hose (for regulator second stages, octos, bcd and drysuits). We have been using them for many months and cannot imagine ever using a rubber hose again. They are 30% lighter than the old rubber hose. You can tie them in a knot with no loss of air flow and they are come cool colors t hat are not black (more colors in Europe than the US). The Miflex Xtreme is quickly becoming standard on new regulators from some manufactures. All other regulator,  BCD and dry suit manufacturers need to wake up and follow suit.

While the Miflex Xtreme LP hose was the herald of a new age of for scuba hoses, the newer Miflex Xtreme-hi stands to blow the collective mind of the industry. This hose goes way beyond normal scuba safety standards. It can handle an incredible pressure of more than 2000 Bar (more than 29,000 PSI!). Every diver to whom we showed the hose was stunned when they saw it. ”Wow, can this really be a HP hose?!” was one of the mildest reactions. It is unbelievable to us and others that that this tiny string of a hose can replace its fat predecessor. Regulator and equipment guru Don Peterson, well known in the Pacific Northwest, was practically jumping for joy when we showed him the Miflex Xtreme-hi. I found it a pleasure to use it on my Suunto Cobra computer. It feels like I am carrying my air integrated computer on a thin, braided watch chain.

The reason this hose is so visually shocking is Continue reading Miflex Xtreme-hi High Pressure Hose is Here – send your rubber hoses to a SCUBA museum. →

It’s the tail end of Harbor seal pup birthing time in the Puget Sound in Washington State and perhaps in your area, too. If you frequent the beaches, as we do, you’ve probably seen a seal pup resting peacefully on the shore. The resting pups are often so still and quiet they can seem injured or even dead. Truth is, they “haul out” to get warmth and rest while mom is away. Often they are left for long hours while mom fishes. Extremely vulnerable to the perils of humans and their dogs, only 50% of the pups survive their first year. In response to a growing need to protect the vulnerable pups, a group of volunteers called “Seal Sitters” take turns sitting with the seals day and night, watching over them, and keeping them safe while the pups grow.

Seal Sitters was formed in 2007 when seal pups began appearing on the urban beaches of West Seattle. A cute curiosity, the pups were often surrounded by alarmed or inquisitive humans. A group of animal lovers contacted NOAA for advice and soon Seal Sitters was formed.

The Seal Sitters’ goal is simple – protect the pups from curious onlookers, well meaning individuals who want to “help” the pups, and dogs. Additionally, Seal Sitters educates the public about seals and their habits, assess the health of the pups, and provide key data to government agencies and biologist who seek to improve our marine eco system.

We interviewed a volunteer seal sitter to find out what she does, how she likes it, and her perceptions of how the public treats the work that she does to protect the seals. Continue reading See a seal? Leave a seal: Interview with a “Seal Sitter” →

Halcyon

About 20,300 pieces of Halcyon Scuba diving equipment, is subject to recall. Halcyon Manufacturing Inc. in cooperation with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission has initiated a voluntary recall of select Eclipse, Evolve, Explorer, Pioneer and CCR35 buoyancy compensator’s (BCDs) manufactured between January, 2006 and September, 2008. In addition, select Halcyon inflatable devices (Lift Bags, SMBs, DAMs, Surf Shuttles and Diver Lift rafts) may also be affected.

These BCDs or Inflatable Devices could develop excessive corrosion or rusting problems with the stainless steel Over Pressure Valve (OPV) spring, causing the spring to fail and the BCD or Inflatable Device to leak through the OPV. It is unlikely that most of these units will experience any problems since the potential defect is limited to a very small portion of the total number of OPV springs used during this time period. However, given the potentially serious implications all OPV springs should be checked to minimize risk or inconvenience to Halcyon customers. BCDs manufactured after September, 2008 are not included in this voluntary recall.

IMPORTANT LINK REGARDING THIS RECALL:

http://www.halcyon.net/opv-recall

OTS (Ocean Technology Systems)

About 900 Guardian full-face masks from Ocean Technology Systems of Santa Ana, Calif. The masks were recalled because the there is a chance visor can dislodge if significant pressure is applied vertically to the top and bottom of the clamp. This would cause the mask to flood. The company has received three reports of dislodged visors, but no reports of injuries. The masks were sold by diving equipment retailers around the country and through direct sales between March 2009 and August 2009. Details: by phone at 877-270-1984; by Web at http://www.otscomm.com or http://www.cpsc.gov.