At the DEMA Show 2016, we checked out the coolest new dive products from their list of 2016 Showcase items. Below are some of the cooler items we saw during the four-day event.
Airstream Evoque by OMS
Airstream Evoque by OMSUp first is the Airstream Evoque by OMS. The new first-stage design makes you wonder why no one thought of it before. The hose connections are angled downward, forcing your hoses to do the same. The result is a much more streamlined profile. There’s less hose drag and fewer opportunities for hose entanglement, not to mention the general “coolness” factor (always important). Simple idea, huge difference.
Seabob by Cayago
During a demonstration, we were impressed with the speedy and maneuverable Seabob water sled by Cayago. The sled has the propulsive force of 680 newtons. Don’t know what means? That’s fine — just know that it’s powerful and fast. It has six gears/power levels so you can choose to cruise along or go for an all-out thrill ride. If you hate swimming against strong currents, or you just need to James Bond your way to a villain’s lair, the Seabob will get the job done quickly and quietly. Check it out in the video below.
IQ Lite Backpack by OMS
You can hold the OMS IQ Lite backpack aloft with just your pinky finger. At only 2.4 pounds (a little over 1 kg), this is an ideal backpack for traveling. Thanks to OMS modular designs, you can modify the pack to suit nearly any dive configuration, including single-tank, doubles, or side-mounts. Add the OMS wing and the entire BCD will still only weigh 5 pounds (2.2 kg).
Dive Inspire luggage tags
Despite all the shiny new gear at DEMA, one of our absolute favorite finds at the show was Dive Inspire. We could not get over their luggage tags, magnets and keychains. And, these small and inexpensive trinkets make absolutely perfect stocking stuffers for divers and non-diving ocean-lovers alike. Check out their site to see their entire line. It includes wonderful reusable bags that start out looking like a fish or whale, but then turn into a bag that you can use instead of plastic.
Pandora Multi-tool by Artisan & Ocean
This nearly all-in-one, lightweight, and rust-proof tool the size of a credit card can replace 15 individual tools such as spanners, hex wrenches, and the all-important bottle opener. While they’re a bit pricey at $55 for stainless steel and $99 for titanium, their multiple functions make them a good buy. Currently, the only dealers are in South Korea, Philippines and Singapore.
Square Grouper by CineBags Inc.
Tired of your expensive camera gear bouncing around with a dozen rigs in a small rinse tank? The Square Grouper is the answer to your problem. This collapsible bag is made of waterproof, heavy-duty fabric designed to be your own personal camera-rinse bin. It has a padded strap for easy carrying and reflective fabric to keep things cool. You can check them out here.
Paralenz
Dubbed the “World’s Greatest Action Camera for Diving” by its creators, the Paralenz certainly looks to add some variation to typical underwater-video cameras. While still in beta stages of testing, this camera is about the size and shape of a small flashlight. You can mount it in various locations, including your arm, head, and — more interestingly — from a tether that you drag behind you. The latter adds something to your videos that they don’t normally have — you. The camera auto white balances, can sync to your phone and auto-logs your dives. There are more accessories in the works as well. Check out their finished Kickstarter campaign here, and visit their website here. Also, check out their video below.
Snow’s Cut Super Insulated Soft Cooler
Cool drinks are sometimes hard to come by on a dive boat. Dry Case set out to solve that problem. You can use their insulated dry bag as a soft cooler to hold up to 48 cans of your favorite beverage. It has a dry pocket with a touchscreen panel for your phone, an insulated sandwich pocket, removable backpack and shoulder straps, and a water drain. While the sides are soft, they’re stiff enough to make loading and unloading your drinks and ice a breeze. You can check it out and purchase one here.
Shark Attack Mitigation Systems (SAMS)
Attacks on divers are rare, but it’s never a bad idea to take steps to prevent one, as long as no animals are hurt in the process. Shark Mitigation Systems created and patented new wetsuit designs for ocean-sports enthusiasts that make it harder for sharks to see them, essentially offering underwater camouflage. After analyzing how sharks see and detect prey, Shark Mitigation Systems created three visual designs – for surfers, deeper water, and shallower water. Surfboard, swimwear, and dive-gear manufacturers can license the designs to use on their equipment. To read more about the science behind the designs, you can check out their website.
Light-Coded Air Tank Transmitter
While made to work with their air-integrated computers, Ratio Computer’s new light-coded transmitter is useful as a standalone air indicator as well. It attaches to your or your buddy’s tank (or your student’s, if you’re an instructor) and flashes one of three color-coded lights repetitively. A green flashing light indicates the tank has 1500 psi (100 bar) or more. Yellow means the tank is between 1500 and 700 psi (100 – 50 bar). Red means the tank has 700 psi (50 bar) or less. The flashing light makes it quick and easy for a buddy to see the status of your air and vice versa.
They also have an optical fiber to run from the first stage to your regulator so you can see the light on your own tank. While this air indicator is no substitute for conscientiously checking your air manually — nor is it intended to be — it is a good backup system, especially for instructors keeping an eye on students. You can see and read more about it on their site.
