Diver Magazine Christmas Article Part Three - New Underwater Toys for Christmas
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New Scuba Products For The Holiday This Year - The Third Day of Christmas
(Unedited story in 6-parts - Feature for December issue of Canada's Diver Magazine www.divermag.com)
By Stephen Weir
With only a few weeks left until Christmas, the expert buyers at Diver Magazine have once again come to the rescue of weary holiday shoppers with our well-informed gift suggestions. This time, the buyers have zeroed in over 20 last-minute gift suggestions that are all new (or improved) this year.
Holiday trip for divers with deep pockets. Sir Richard Branson the owner of Virgin Air, is leasing his newly refurbished Necker Belle to discerning and rich travelers. The Necker Belle is a magnificent 32-meter long 14-meter wide catamaran that has a top cruising speed of 20 knots! She has a crew of seven, including a dive master and a marine biologist and has four double cabins to accommodate eight divers. Necker Belle will be available for tailor-made weekly Caribbean charters in February 2010. The seven-night weekly charter rate will be $88,000 (plus 25% for food, fuel, etc). www.virginlimitededition.com
Santa says gift will give diver a sense of Zen. There are a number of wristwatch style dive computers and then there is the Zen! The IQ-900 Zen is TUSA's latest full-featured wrist-top, watch style computer. Above water it is a stylish timepiece, underwater it is a powerful air computer, nitrox computer and digital depth gauge/timer (or use it as a free dive depth gauge/timer). The dive computer features an optional deep stop function for additional safety. The deep stop mode is activated when a dive exceeds 24 meter for more than a second. Upon ascent, it will display a deep safety stop screen and the recommended stop depth for a period of 2 minutes. $640 US http://www.tusa.com
He sees you when your diving … Santa doesn’t need one but maybe you do. The new Buddy-Link is an underwater signaling device that lets dive buddies send and receive sound and flashing light alerts. The Buddy-Link “B-Link” transmits ultrasonic signals back and forth between divers through a thumb-size device that easily attaches to the periphery of a mask. The device alerts a diving Buddy by generating a tone and flashing lights when the other Buddy taps the unit. $350 US for 2 Buddy-Link Units. http://buddy-link.com
Booking that Christmas Dive Trip. Published in 2009 Scuba Caribbean by Mary L. Peachin is an up-to-date, island-by-island review of diving in the Caribbean. Aside from the American author’s chapter on diving in Cuba (inaccurate and highly biased) the book is a worthwhile reference tool. Aimed at the sport diver, there is little tech dive information in the book. Foreword by Undercurrent Magazine founder Ben Davison.
BCD Mr. SC SVP! As the name implies, the new Equator BC delivers comfort and performance as you circle the world in search of the ultimate diving experience. Made by Scubapro – UWATE, this buoyancy compensator has a lean, lightweight design. Can be worn over a dive skin in the Caribbean or on top of a dry suit for the Great Lakes. www.scubapro.com
CUTLINE: Far Left. Buddy Link. Near Left. Equator BC
TO BE CONTINUED ... excerpts and dive shorts right up until Christmas Eve, at www.stephenweir.com
New Scuba Products For The Holiday This Year - The Third Day of Christmas
(Unedited story in 6-parts - Feature for December issue of Canada's Diver Magazine www.divermag.com)
By Stephen Weir
With only a few weeks left until Christmas, the expert buyers at Diver Magazine have once again come to the rescue of weary holiday shoppers with our well-informed gift suggestions. This time, the buyers have zeroed in over 20 last-minute gift suggestions that are all new (or improved) this year.
Holiday trip for divers with deep pockets. Sir Richard Branson the owner of Virgin Air, is leasing his newly refurbished Necker Belle to discerning and rich travelers. The Necker Belle is a magnificent 32-meter long 14-meter wide catamaran that has a top cruising speed of 20 knots! She has a crew of seven, including a dive master and a marine biologist and has four double cabins to accommodate eight divers. Necker Belle will be available for tailor-made weekly Caribbean charters in February 2010. The seven-night weekly charter rate will be $88,000 (plus 25% for food, fuel, etc). www.virginlimitededition.com
Santa says gift will give diver a sense of Zen. There are a number of wristwatch style dive computers and then there is the Zen! The IQ-900 Zen is TUSA's latest full-featured wrist-top, watch style computer. Above water it is a stylish timepiece, underwater it is a powerful air computer, nitrox computer and digital depth gauge/timer (or use it as a free dive depth gauge/timer). The dive computer features an optional deep stop function for additional safety. The deep stop mode is activated when a dive exceeds 24 meter for more than a second. Upon ascent, it will display a deep safety stop screen and the recommended stop depth for a period of 2 minutes. $640 US http://www.tusa.com
He sees you when your diving … Santa doesn’t need one but maybe you do. The new Buddy-Link is an underwater signaling device that lets dive buddies send and receive sound and flashing light alerts. The Buddy-Link “B-Link” transmits ultrasonic signals back and forth between divers through a thumb-size device that easily attaches to the periphery of a mask. The device alerts a diving Buddy by generating a tone and flashing lights when the other Buddy taps the unit. $350 US for 2 Buddy-Link Units. http://buddy-link.com
Booking that Christmas Dive Trip. Published in 2009 Scuba Caribbean by Mary L. Peachin is an up-to-date, island-by-island review of diving in the Caribbean. Aside from the American author’s chapter on diving in Cuba (inaccurate and highly biased) the book is a worthwhile reference tool. Aimed at the sport diver, there is little tech dive information in the book. Foreword by Undercurrent Magazine founder Ben Davison. 
BCD Mr. SC SVP! As the name implies, the new Equator BC delivers comfort and performance as you circle the world in search of the ultimate diving experience. Made by Scubapro – UWATE, this buoyancy compensator has a lean, lightweight design. Can be worn over a dive skin in the Caribbean or on top of a dry suit for the Great Lakes. www.scubapro.com
CUTLINE: Far Left. Buddy Link. Near Left. Equator BC
TO BE CONTINUED ... excerpts and dive shorts right up until Christmas Eve, at www.stephenweir.com
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