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Logging Your Dives Online – 3 Top Dive Logging Websites

  By Joe Ross • August 12, 2013 ,
divelogs.de Dive Profile From Imported Dive Computer Data

divelogs.de Dive Profile From Imported Dive Computer Data

In the early days of dive computers, uploading dive data to a personal computer wasn’t even on the radar. My first dive computer was an Oceanic Datamax Sport, a solid computer that was compact, easy to read and simple to operate. It would store quite a few dives, but didn’t provide a means for exporting them. After literally decades of logging my dives in paper logbooks (almost 3,500 dives, in fact), I finally bought a SubGear XP10, which made it possible to upload dives to a PC.

The problem is SubGear’s Dive.Log software is PC only, and despite claims made by the manufacturer, a Mac (Linux would be unthinkable) version appears so far down the horizon, I gave up wishing for it ages ago. I’ve been keeping around a netbook running Windows XP just for logging dives and generating decompression tables with GAP. (See: Moving Your Logbook from PC to Mac)

That issue resolved, I’ve taken a great interest in logging dives online. First, I just think it is fun to be able to share dive profiles, dive site and location information and notes about equipment, conditions, sightings, etc. with divers from around the world. More significantly, it forces dive computer manufacturers to conform to standards or risk being displaced by computers that make it easy to upload data to any platform their customers wish.

I’ll focus on what I think are the three best online dive logging websites: divelogs.de, PADI ScubaEarth and DiveBoard. I maintain profiles on all three, so I’m not advocating for any one of these to the exclusion of the others. Rather, my hope is to encourage as many divers as I can reach to share their experiences online and help build all of these into thriving online communities.

divelogs.de

Divelogs.de is a website that has been online for quite a few years and is clearly the most refined of the dive logging websites I’m profiling here. I learned about divelogs.de when exploring the capabilities of SubSurface, a multi-platform desktop program for logging dives, developed by Linus Torvalds, the developer of the Linux operating system. (More on SubSurface later…)

divelogs.de Home Screen

divelogs.de Home Screen

At first glance, divelogs.de looks like a project developed by engineers, which makes sense, because it is. All the functions are there. The menus make sense and the site is fast. Divelogs.de is also capable of importing dive data from just about anything. If you visit my profile, most of the dives that have actual profile data, were logged with the SubGear XP10. My most recent dives, however, were made with the Shearwater Petrel. Both live harmoniously at divelogs.de.

Access your dive logs from anything

The whole point of logging dives is to document your diving experience and to be able to recall information like weighting and exposure protection, environmental conditions, dive site information, etc. While dive computer manufacturers appear to be making incremental moves toward standardization, most are still proprietary. So, you buy a dive computer from brand X, load brand X’s software into your computer and live with it. Thanks to divelogs.de, changing dive computers is a snap.

Divelogs.de provides an awesome range of export options. Here’s the current list:

  • PDF
  • eBook with or without images from your dives
  • Google Earth
  • Excel
  • UDCF
  • DLD which is divelogs’ own format containing much more data than UDCF (Thanks Rainer for the tip!)

Your diving log book as an eBook

If you’re like about a zillion people, including me, your iPad or iPhone is a constant companion. Thanks to diveloge.de, you can now export your logbook into the epub format in the form of an electronic book. For travel, this means you can skip the paper logbook and demonstrate your experience like you would any other book. Between that, and PADI’s eCard, you really don’t have to carry anything else with you.

Dive Logs in iBooks

Your Dive Logs as an eBook

There may be a few dive operators out there who aren’t quite tuned in with the digital age, so taking along your cards and paper dive log may still be a good idea, but I personally haven’t had any issues. (I also haven’t been anywhere very exotic for quite some time.)

I have to admit, part of the appeal of having my logbook in the form of an eBook is the cool factor. Flipping through pages of logged dives in iBooks, everyone wants to know how I get them there. The truth is I just click a button.

Map your dives

divelogs.de Dive Site Google Map

divelogs.de Dive Site Google Map

Another cool feature is the ability to map your dives. Stored with your other dive information, divelogs saves GPS data if you choose to include it. By location, once you have identified a dive site, every time you log a dive made at the same location, that information will be reflected automatically. This is not a feature exclusive to divelogs, but it is cool nonetheless.

What I believe is unique to divelogs.de is the ability to export dives to Google Earth. Next time I run a trip, I am excited to be able to hop from dive site to dive site using Google Earth to orient divers to what they can expect on arrival to each location. Once I have a chance to try this in front of a real group of divers, I’ll be sure to post a followup.

divelogs.de Export to Google Earth

divelogs.de Export to Google Earth

Other features of divelogs.de

If you haven’t guessed by now, I am a huge fan of divelogs. While it doesn’t share the high-end, polished look of the others, it is far and away more advanced in terms of function and integration.

I particularly like that it wasn’t developed commercially–at least not to my knowledge. Divelogs.de is a program created by divers, for divers and it simply works. And, since the site is developed and maintained by divers, as technologies and needs evolve, so does divelogs.de. As a side note, that’s one of the key reasons SubSurface is so powerful, but that’s a topic for another article…

Diveboard

diveboard.com - Diver Certifications

Diveboard profile page showing certifications.

Diveboard was the first online dive community that I personally was impressed with enough to create a profile. I still like it. Some of the key features include dive logging (of course), mapping of dives, storing your certifications, diver to diver messaging, and photo galleries.

I like the way all of these features function, and love the look and feel of the site. In practice, I don’t find myself actively using Diveboard like I do divelogs.de. Primarily this is because Diveboard isn’t nearly as sophisticated in it’s ability to import dives.

A quick look at my Diveboard profile shows a fairly sizable collection of dives, but they lack all of the important details about location, etc. The same exact file imported into divelogs included all of that information. Diveboard also breaks on import if the planets don’t line up just right. So, while I like Diveboard a lot, and applaud the developers for doing a great job, the simple fact that I must manually edit individual dives makes it too time consuming to be practical if you have a lot of dives to add information to.

diveboard.com - Dive Profile View

diveboard.com – Dive Profile View

Once entered, Diveboard’s dive profiles look beautiful. There are plenty of options for adding detail about individual dives and various locations, etc. I should mention with all of these websites divers have the option of keeping their information private, visible only to “buddies” or public.

One thing I really like about Diveboard is it’s “Community.” Basically, it is a blog but has quite a following among active contributors. Topics range from preventing regulator free flows to becoming a dive instructor.

There’s also a gallery, where members can post photos or browse those that have been posted by others divers. Many are spectacular, and as the community grows, Diveboard is sure to add functionality. My guess is, eventually, Diveboard will provide better support for expanded import/export options, as well as many new features even they haven’t thought of yet.

PADI ScubaEarth

PADI Scuba Earth

PADI Scuba Earth

First, I can’t emphasize enough that PADI ScubaEarth is in beta. As a PADI instructor, I am included in their surveys and have a bit of insight as to what’s to come with ScubaEarth. As new features roll out, I’ll be sure to include them. In the mean time, I’ll give my opinion about the site in it’s current beta state without being too critical.

The idea behind ScubaEarth is to create a global community of divers, resorts, PADI dive centers and related organizations. It is a huge undertaking and PADI is uniquely equipped to make it work. As the top certifying agency, PADI has incredible global reach, not only among certified divers, but with every manufacturer, retailer, independent instructor and others.

Basic features of membership to ScubaEarth include logging dives, a growing community of members, messaging, personal galleries and a “dive locker” for storing details about your equipment. That could be very handy in the event of loss or theft.

ScubaEarth also provides tons of great editorial content like featured dive destinations. It makes sense since PADI publishes popular dive magazines in addition to countless publications like books, videos, slates, marketing materials and who knows what else.

PADI Scuba Earth Featured Destinations

PADI Scuba Earth Featured Destinations

Site wide, ScubaEarth provides information about dive stores and resorts worldwide, along with a very Facebook-like “wall.” All of this is very cool and done in the uber-branded, high-end way PADI is famous for.

If ScubaEarth has a weak link, dive logging is it. At present, dives can only be logged manually, so visual profiles are out of the question. One thing that’s nice is that you can search for a dive site and, if that site has been logged previously, location details will be provided.

But, that doesn’t change the fact that dives must be logged one at a time, and for those with lots of dives, it can take hours or days to plug in all the details. I have it on good authority that PADI is looking into options, but I have no way of telling if direct data import is in the works or not. One thing’s for sure. PADI will do whatever it takes to make ScubaEarth the powerful, popular platform it invisions.

Final thoughts…

First, I’d like to restate my appreciation for the developers of each of these for having the vision and commitment to bring such great websites to the diving community. If you haven’t already, I recommend you get online and create an account with all three of these websites, if for no other reason than locking up your favorite screen name.

I’m sure you’ll find features in each that are worth exploring, and the more members each site has, the more motivated they’ll be to add features and increase compatibility.

For me, the favorite, running away, is divelogs.de. I only discovered the site recently and instantly it’s become part of my standard dive logging routine to upload dives (automatically from SubSurface, incidentally) to the site. At the same time I log dives, I create a new eBook and save it to my iPad. It’s all effortless, with seamless ease of use that makes it feel more like a desktop application.

Give them all a try and please send me your comments, and let me know about others I may not be aware of.  I’ll look forward to profiling those too.

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Moving your dive logbook from PC to Mac

  By Joe Ross • July 25, 2013 , , ,

Sort out dive log computer compatibility problems and getting your old dive computer data into your new software.

Divelogs.de screenshot

Divelogs.de screenshot

Tell me if this sounds familiar. You’ve been using a particular dive computer for quite a while, and have hundreds, if not thousands of dives logged using the software it came with. Now, you’ve decided to move from a PC to Mac, and need to find some way to move all your logged dives from PC to Mac, but the dive computer manufacturer doesn’t have a Mac version of its software, and they make matters worse by locking you into some proprietary logbook format.

Well, that’s exactly what I’ve been dealing with for the last couple years. In fact, I’ve kept a netbook around, running Windows XP for about 5 years now, simply because it was all I had to get dives out of my (recentyly dead) Subgear XP10 dive computer. All of my computers run either Linux or Mac OS X, yet I’ve been forced to keep this one little machine running Windows for exactly two programs; Subgear’s Dive.Log and GAP for generating decompression tables. I don’t yet have a solution for GAP, but I’m working on getting it to run under Wine on the Mac. However, after much frustration, I have finally managed to get all of my dive computer data out of SubGear’s Dive.Log and into a dive logging program that is compatible with Mac OS X.

The Dive Computer Challenge

In my case, I made a move away from my old SubGear dive computer for good, replacing it with a Shearwater Petrel. That means I don’t have a need to import dive data directly from the XP10 into the Mac. I simply wanted the dives out of the Subgear, and into whatever software I’d use moving forward.

The Shearwater Petrel syncs through Bluetooth and the company supplies dive logging software that is already Mac compatible. You’d think simply exporting dives from one and importing into the other would be a piece of cake, but not so as neither would support a format that is common to the other.

Dive Log Formats

If you’re lucky, your dive computer software will support exporting into a more or less universal format. Examples are DAN DL7 or DL1, UDCF or Excel file like CSV. The issue I had is that Shearwater Desktop (Shearwater’s name for its dive logging program) wouldn’t import any of those. Just getting Dive.Log to export was no picnic.

So, I turned to diveboard.com, where I’d created an account some months back. DiveBoard has the ability to import DAN and UDCF files, along with a few others. It’s pretty cool (here’s my profile: http://www.diveboard.com/joescuba), but I haven’t taken the time to really engage with it. The problem I had was DiveBoard wouldn’t import my Dive.Log files correctly. Either they’d bomb out as corrupted, or not work for some other reason.

I knew I was on the right track, but needed a magic bullet. The problem really was with Subgear. The simple fact is Dive.Log is not fully tested, and it is clearly not being actively updated. Back to the drawing board…

Thank you Linus Torvalds!

That magic bullet came in the form of a clue inadvertently provided by Linux creator, Linus Torvalds. Linus, it turns out, is an avid scuba diver. As such, he’s taken a natural interest in dive computers and related software, especially related to Open Source and compatibility with the Linux operating system.

He’s developed a program called Subsurface that is compatible with a few additional dive log formats but still wouldn’t directly import (at least not as complete files) anything generated using Dive.Log. However, under the file menu, there is a link labeled “Upload to divelogs.de…”

I ignored that link for my first several attempts at importing data. Frustrated, I decided to stop trying and just poke around in Subsurface a bit. It imported my dives from the Shearwater Petrel without a hiccup, and is really a more robust program than Shearwater Desktop, so I was already planning to use it as my primary logging program–especially since it will run on Linux, which is my preferred OS anyway.

Having dug through about everything that Subsurface has to offer, I decided to see what divelogs.de is all about. Turns out, it’s a bit like DiveBoard, although not as pretty. I figured if divelogs.de is good enough for Linus to put in Subsurface’s menu, it’s good enough for me to create an account (visit my profile page here: https://en.divelogs.de/log/joescuba).

The aha moment!

Naturally, now that I was a proud divelogs.de member, the next step was to see exactly how one goes about uploading his or her dives to the site. And, there it was… shining like a beacon on a dark, foggy night. Under a link labeled “Import logbook,” they list a fairly exhaustive collection of supported formats, and glistening near the bottom of that list is “Subgear Dive.Log.” In my joy, I believe I wept a little.

My native Dive.Log file imported flawlessly, with individual dive profiles completely intact and all the supporting data right where it belonged. BUT, I still needed to get the dives into Subsurface and/or Shearwater Desktop. As it stands, I’m half way there. From divelogs.de, I was able to export a UDCF file that Subsurface imported easily.

Platform independent dive computer

It took a couple days of screwing around but the bottom line is I now have fully platform independent dive logging program that supports my complex technical dive profiles stored in the Shearwater Petrel AND has the dives stored that had been previously locked away in an obsolete netbook, running an obsolete operating system.

There are MANY uber-cool things to love about divelogs.de, as well as Subsurface, so I’ll profile both independently when I get a chance. In the mean time, I’ll bask in newfound glee as I upload dive profiles with reckless abandon.

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Shearwater Petrel Dive Computer

  By Joe Ross • July 23, 2013 , ,

Review of the Shearwater Petrel Dive Computer

Shearwater Petrel Dive Computer

Shearwater Petrel Dive Computer

I’ve owned and used a number of dive computers over the years. The most recent of these was the Subgear XP10, I bought a couple years ago as a simple Nitrox computer for sport dives. Before that, I had an old Oceanic Datamax Sport for that type of diving.

For technical diving, I’d been using an old VR3, and occasionally a Vytec. The VR3 was great for it’s day, but the software always sucked, and the way they lock them at the factory blows. The Vytec never really was a full-fledged technical decompression diving computer in my view, even though it does support gas switches.

Since my XP10 crapped out on me, and none of my computers were really ideal for the range of diving do anyway, I knew it was time for a switch, but was on the fence about what computer to switch to. As a side note, for the last 18 months or so, I’ve doing all my technical dives on tables generated using GAP decompression software. My primary timing device/depth gauge has been the Scubapro Digital 330m Depth Gauge backed up with any other dive computer in gauge mode.

Shearwater Petrel

I had been looking at the Shearwater Petrel since it came out last year. Prior to that, I had planned to buy the Shearwater Predator. I hadn’t made the leap because my deep dives have been more like exercises in precise time and depth management than sightseeing anyway. Even with the computer, I plan very strictly based on the tables I generate using GAP.

But, being an instructor, I do tons of NDL dives using simple computer profiles, as well as lots of sport dives in general. I basically had it with all of my crappy old computers, and when my Subgear XP10 wouldn’t turn on last week, that was it.

The Shearwater Petrel is a technical decompression diving computer in the truest sense. The diver has full control over gradient factors, a choice of decompression algorithms (standard is Bühlmann ZHL-16C), support for 5 breathing gases, customizable views, and of course, out of the box support for closed circuit diving.

So far, I have only made a couple shallow dives with the Shearwater Petrel during an altitude diving course I conducted over the weekend at Lake Tahoe. So, all I can offer at this point is a series of first impressions. The long and short of it is that the Shearwater Petrel is the most intuitive dive computer I have ever used. Here is a list of a few things I love about it:

  • Easy to read with the ability to customize views for the needs of different types of dives
  • Constantly visible PPO2 display
  • Compact for the type of computer it is
  • Bright, easy to read display
  • Simple menus with hints
  • Uses cheap AA battery
  • Bluetooth dive log uploads
  • Mac compatible

My initial dives with the Petral have been no-deco dives, but the view is pretty obvious about what’s happening during the dive whether you have a ceiling or not. Basically, the bottom row of the screen shows your NDL or the depth/duration of your next required stop, plus minimum time required to reach the surface. I should probably note that I am diving open circuit.

The computer also displays your current gas. Changing gases is done by pressing the left button and toggling to your selected gas. Press the right button to make the switch. Gas switching on some computers in miserable. The Vytec is one of them.

The main thing I like about the Shearwater Petrel is that everything you do with it is contextual. If you need to change gases, that process has been made as simple as possible based on where you are in the menu system. Diving in general, all the critical details are available at a glance, yet if you need more detail, it is almost always a single right button press away.

I will, of course, form a more comprehensive opinion once I’ve had a chance to really dive with the Petrel. But, I think, having been in the water with it for a couple repetitive dives, I have a good sense of how it will perform in more demanding circumstances. So far, the Shearwater Petrel is the best computer I’ve ever dived with. It is easy to read and comprehend, as well as easy to use underwater.

Being fully customizable, there’s nothing I find that makes me question it’s suitability for serious technical diving. I’ll follow up with more detail once I’ve had a chance to do some deco dives with it.

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Mounting a GoPro Camera to Scuba Gear

  By Joe Ross • December 17, 2012 , ,

20121216-191201.jpg

Mounting a GoPro to Scuba Gear

recently got my hands on a GoPro Hero video camera. I honestly never gave GoPro much thought since I am in the media business and use a lot of high end video gear all the time. Underwater, I’ve been shooting with a slightly outdated Sony HD camera in a Light & Motion housing and a pair of mounted video lights for a long time. It’s compact for what it is, but I set a goal recently to be able to travel without carrying any of that, including my MacBook, and just shoot and edit with a little camera and an iPad.

Even with the other camera, the GoPro has made quite a mark as a cheap and virtually indestructible POV cam. After purchasing the GoPro, I did a little research and learned that the Hero 2 shoots blurry video underwater because of some kind issue with the dome port on the standard housing.

Fortunately, the solution is a $40 replacement housing from GoPro that has a flat port instead of the dome. So far, I haven’t shot anything underwater with either of them, so the only comparisons I have are from YouTube, but that’s not the point of this post anyway.

I have been struggling for a while over how I could mount the camera without interfering with my mask or other equipment. I want to shoot hands-free, and be able to create time lapse sequences of entire dives. So, here’s what I came up with.

Using the GoPro’s handlebar mount, I’m able to attach the camera directly to the valve of my old school 3500 psi Genesis 100 scuba tank. This is actually a second generation valve. Unlike the original, it is configured to attach an H-valve or isolator bar, and the extension provides the perfect attachment point to mount the GoPro. And, I can reach it, so I can turn it on at the beginning of the dive and not have to shoot a bunch of video of the sky prior to descending. That’s the theory anyway.

Mounting the GoPro camera to a set of doubles

Doubles are a little different setup. Well, actually it’s the same setup, but a different concern. For technical dives, I love the idea of shooting the entire dive from the diver’s perspective. I’m not sure if it’ll be all that cool shooting dives with the back of my head always in the frame, but that’s something I’ll deal with later.

20121216-191254.jpg

Mounting the GoPro to my doubles isolator bar works just fine, and I can reach it. However, the thumbscrews could potentially impede my ability to control the isolator valve, which is not something I’m willing to risk on a ceiling dive. I’ll try it in shallow water and see if its a problem. My guess, just by looking at it, is yes.

20121217-195602.jpg

Plan B will be to replace the thumbscrews with stainless hex head screws cut to exactly the right size. That will get the GoPro mount completely clear of the isolator knob. I could also use a remote isolator knob, but that means more crap on my chest, and I’m not accustomed to that setup anyway.

The pictures aren’t great but you get the idea. In a week or so, I’ll get underwater finally to see how it all works out. In the mean time, if you have experience with this arrangement or something similar, I’d like to know how it’s working.

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PADI Altitude, Drysuit and Enriched Air Specialties

  By Joe Ross • June 22, 2012 ,

Scuba diving specialty certifications every mountain diver should have.

PADI Specialty Course

PADI Specialty Courses

As much as we all love to get into the deep blue, warm water of the tropics, for most of us the majority of our diving takes place near where we live. I feel lucky in that great diving is close by. Lake Tahoe is just 45 minutes up the hill, with Donner Lake and others also nearby.

Ocean diving in places like Monterey Bay can be reached in half a day. What all of these sites have in common is cold water. The rest take place at altitudes typically greater than 4,000 feet. With this in mind, three PADI specialty courses make sense for diver in areas like ours.

PADI Altitude Specialty Course

The thing about diving at altitude is that while air is compressible, water is not. In essence, this means there is a reduction in atmospheric pressure that causes an increase in the pressure gradient between your body tissues and ambient pressure upon surfacing. In short, there’s a greater chance of forming a bubble unless strict guidelines are adheres to.

The PADI Altitude Specialty Course deals with the use of specialized tables and other practices that keep high elevation diving as safe as possible. Other considerations covered are thermal protection and the aquatic environment itself.

PADI Drysuit Specialty Course

Diving at altitude almost always means dealing with colder water than you’ll experience during your tropical vacation. In our case, water temperatures as low as 39 degrees (f) are common all winter, and even during the Summer when the water reaches a balmy 55 degrees, enhanced thermal protection provided by a drysuit is generally the diver’s best choice.

The Drysuit Specialty Course deals with all of the issues involved in diving safely in a drysuit. Like the Altitude Specialty Course, the drysuit specialty also includes making two open water dives. Both courses can take place entirely at the dive site, which generally makes for a fun time.

EANx, or Enriched Air Nitrox Specialty Course

Finally, EANx, or Nitrox as its commonly called is a breathing gas consisting of elevated oxygen levels in combination with reduced amounts of nitrogen. Since your body metabolizes (uses up) the oxygen, the reduced partial pressure of the remaining nitrogen means less of it is available to absorb into your tissues. (That’s not a 100% accurate description of the physics of what’s taking place, but there’s not enough space here to go into detail.)

Basically what this means is that, for a given depth, no-decompression bottom times are dramatically increased. For altitude divers this is very handy because we deal in theoretical depths, which greatly reduces our NDL.

However, diving with enriched air means accepting very strict rules regarding depth and oxygen tolerance, among others. It’s a big deal, but for the disciplined diver, Nitrox can be a godsend. For sea level divers, EANx increases bottom times dramatically as well, making gas consumption the limiting factor on most dives rather than no decompression limits.

So, there it is; the perfect trio of specialty diving courses for the cold water diver at altitude. Not surprisingly, these are also the most popular diving specialties that I teach. If you’re interested in learning more, you can reach me be email (joe@joescuba.com) or through Sierra Diving Center, (775) 825-2147. Be safe! Have fun!

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Deep See Pulse Dive Fin Review

  By Joe Ross • April 25, 2012 ,
Deep See Pulse Dive Fins

Deep See Pulse Dive Fins

Dive fins have undergone a revolution in recent years. In addition to countless designs using every material imaginable, split fins, fins with hinges, unique venting options, spring straps and every shape imaginable dot scuba diving self propulsion landscape. Despite the incredible range of options, a few of us divers simply want a fin that will push water and feel comfortable throughout the dive.

The Deep See Pulse by Aqualung is just the ticket for divers that prefer a paddle fins. Personally, I decided on the Deep See Pulse because it is similar in size to my beloved Apollo Prestige but lighter for traveling, and very inexpensive.

So, new fins in hand, er foot, I rushed out to make some dives. The first thing I noticed is the foot pockets seem to handle my large DUI Rock Boots better than the Prestige. I was concerned about this because the appear to be narrowing. Apparently, that’s an illusion because they slipped on with little effort. The shape of the Pulse’s foot pocket keeps the fins snug but not tight. So far, so good.

Once I started kicking, I immediately noticed the difference in stiffness compared to the Apollos. The Deep See Pulse is quite a bit stiffer. I can see how some divers would find that uncomfortable. On the other hand, stiff blades respond to very subtle movements, so I’ve always liked that-especially when taking pictures or shooting underwater video.

So, the bottom line is the Deep See Pulse is a well made, moderately stiff fin that’s light weight and feels good in the water. Split fin lovers will probably not like it much, while traditionalists like me will like it a lot. I’ve made about 40 dives with the Pulse so far and feel that I made a good choice. It’s also a great, no frills, fin for tech.

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SubGear Cayman SCUBA Regulator Review

  By Joe Ross • April 22, 2012 ,
SubGear Cayman SCUBA Regulator

SubGear Cayman SCUBA Regulator

About a month ago, I decided it was time to think about replacing my old Poseidon Cyklon 300 regulator with something a little more up to date. About the same time, I learned that the SubGear Cayman is actually one of Scubapro’s most popular and reliable regulators, but with a different cover. As a side note, much of SubGear’s line is, in fact, rebranded equipment from Scubapro. The XP10 dive computer, for example, is the Scubapro Aladin.

Anyway, I bought a new SubGear Cayman and have been diving with it a lot for about a month. For comparison, I frequently dive with the Cyklon, Apeks XTX50 (Tek3) and Atomic T1 titanium.

Technical details (from SubGear):

  • High performance balanced diaphragm first stage with dry chamber for all temperatures, including cold or murky water
  • Balanced second stage with diver adjustable venturi for easy to operate effortless air flow
  • Cayman is our best, for the discerning diver
  • 4 Low pressure ports
  • 2 High pressure ports

At first glance, the SubGear Cayman is obviously well made, and being a product of Scubapro, that pretty much goes without saying. Mine came in set up for a yoke valve, so before even leaving the store, we’d already converted it to DIN. The point there being that it is easily set up for either DIN or yoke.

The SubGear Cayman has 2 high pressure and four low pressure ports located in fixed positions with no swivels or turrets.  A diver using a drysuit and an octopus will max them out. That’s one for the BCD inflator, two for the second stages, plus the drysuit inflator. If you run your drysuit inflator under your right arm like me, you’ll be stuck crossing one hose from left to right. Not true if you use a safe second like Aqualung’s Airsource 3 (which I do most of the time, but not always).

Next to the mouthpiece, there’s an adjustment for venturi, which provides a vacuum assist to reduce breathing effort. I find that I use it to detune the second stage to avoid a free flow at the surface, but even then, breathing is effortless, so I rarely touch it anyway.

The whole thing is dry sealed for cold water performance, which is a big deal for our high elevation mountain lakes. 39 degree water is pretty typical around here, and I’ve never experienced any issues with the Cayman.

I have a lot more to say about the SubGear Cayman but I am being pressed for time, so I’ll have to save that for a followup post. The bottom line is that this is a really great regulator that I am glad I bought. I’d recommend it to anyone and may buy another one to use as a deco reg.

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New Free SCUBA Classified Ad Website

  By Joe Ross • April 21, 2012 ,
Free Scuba Classifieds

Free Scuba Classifieds

I’m not sure if the world needed another free classifieds website or not, but here’s one more. I mostly created joeuw.com as a test related to another project, but now that it’s finished and live, I really like the site and would like to see people use it–especially after looking around at the few scuba gear classified websites I was able to find out on the web.

My thinking is that most divers are gear hounds like me, and end up with a growing collection of used dive equipment that no longer fits the type of diving they do. So, if you fit that category, someone is looking for that dive gear that’s just sitting in your basement or garage.

At this moment, the site’s brand new, so please post your stuff for sale and help me make my site grow. It’s free.

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Fourth Element Halo 3D Review

  By Joe Ross • April 2, 2012 , ,
Fourth Element Halo 3D

Fourth Element Halo 3D

Over the weekend, I taught two classes, a PADI Drysuit Specialty Course and a PADI Altitude Diving Specialty Course. Being near Lake Tahoe, both are popular courses, so I spend a lot of time in Tahoe’s frigid water. On Saturday’s dives, we were fighting 80+ MPH wind gusts, and the beach looked like a hurricane zone. Between the wind, snow and 41 degree water, it was quite an experience for the student.

Yesterday was much calmer, with even a little sun poking through from time to time. For these dives, I had my first opportunity to take a brand new, Fourth Element Halo 3D drysuit undergarment out for a test drive. The Fourth Element website goes into great technical detail about “body mapped insulation” and “SpaceTek compression resistant panels” but companies make up names for things all the time, and I just wanted to dive the thing and see if I stay warm.

That said, it is precisely those compression resistant panels that I was most interested in. In essence, Fourth Element places corrugated panels on the chest, front upper leg and other strategic areas that are compressed when underwater in a normal diving position. Those panels are rigid enough to keep their loft, but not inflexible, and not in positions where they interfere with movement.

For my test, I wore only a very thin wicking base layer and the suit. I had on a pair of wool socks and dry gloves as well, but nothing to skew my experience with the Halo 3D.

As I mentioned, the water temperature was between 41 and 42 degrees, depending on which computer you believe, so we’re not screwing around. It’s cold! One thing about Fourth Element is that they think everything through. They don’t just bolt on features and list them in sales literature. Their gear is obviously designed by divers with a clue about what divers need.

Among those features are correctly positioned holes for p-valves that your wouldn’t even notice unless you needed them, and they weren’t there. A biggie for me is the stirrups. Every other drysuit undergarment I’ve used has them, but all are thin, stretch out over time, and slip right off my heel when jamming my legs into my drysuit. Fourth Element made them a major component of the leg of the suit and they actually work to keep the leg from bunching up around your calf or knee. Anyone who knows what this is like will appreciate that.

The undergarment itself is extremely well constructed. It’s fleecy on the inside, easy to move in and very comfortable. I like that there’s no extra bulk, but putting it on, I was worried that I might be in for a cold dive because of that.

Suited up, we headed into the water. I should mention that my drysuit is a DUI CF200x, in case you’re wondering. On the surface, I really didn’t even feel the cold-especially with the dry gloves. Heading under, aside from that initial brain-freeze you get with a wet hood, I felt warm and comfortable like I hadn’t ever in water this cold. I never realized how much compression in the chest area leads to loss of insulation, but it was very obvious that these panels made a huge difference.

On a typical dive, I’ll begin to feel the cold in the first 10 or 15 minutes, but can stay relatively comfortable for an hour or more. (In technical diving, cold is definitely the limiting factor for me.) With the Halo 3D, I really wasn’t even aware of the cold, except in my feet and finger tips, for a good 30 minutes. I remember thinking how funny it is that I froze in 77 degree water in Hawaii in December, but here at 41 degrees, I was perfectly warm!

By then my student was getting pretty cold, so we surfaced at the 38 minute mark. I was very excited about the performance of the Halo 3D, and my decision to buy one ASAP was already made. The second dive ran 39 minutes and was pretty much a carbon copy of the first.

That was with nothing but the Halo 3D. Typically, I’d add an extra layer of fleece, and sometimes stick those chemical toe warmers to each sock. In the end, the Fourth Element Halo 3D is by far, the most comfortable and warmest drysuit undergarment I have ever worn. At over $500, it’s not cheap. But, chances are, if you’ve been diving a while, you’ve already spent more than that trying out other undergarments, and compared to all the other gear, what’s another 500 bucks to stay warm?

So, to sum up. Mine is already ordered. What more can I say?

To follow up: I got a call from Jeff at Sierra Diving Center. He had just hung up the phone with someone at Fourth Element who’d read my review and wanted to make it known that Sierra Diving Center is one of only two Fourth Element test centers in North America. That means anyone wishing to test dive Fourth Element undergarments can do so through the shop. The store number is (775) 825-2147.

If you’ve never been diving in a drysuit, they can make arrangements for you to do a drysuit orientation dive, or even take the drysuit certification course at the same time. If you’d like to do those dives with me, just ask. I’ll look forward to getting in the water with you.

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Apeks Tek 3 Review

  By Joe Ross • March 14, 2012 , ,

Apeks Tek 3 Hose Routing

About six months ago, I made a regulator change on my technical rig from Poseidon to Apeks. My Poseidon regs (Cyklon 300′s) are close to 25 years old, and while they’re still exceptionally good regulators, the hose routing sucks, and getting parts has become a hassle. For sport diving I use an Atomic T1 that is spectacular, but titanium is definitely not appropriate for tech since it can’t be used with oxygen levels over 40%, so I sure wasn’t going to try to match that.

So, since I’d be buying a matched pair anyway, I decided to go with the Apeks Tek 3′s. One thing people say all the time about Poseidon is that they’ll deliver A LOT of air, which is true, but I always felt the relatively high cracking pressure made them feel stiff after breathing my Atomic. Down deep, they perform well regardless. At least there’s no perceptible difference that I could distinguish at any “normal” tech diving depths.

Anyway, back to the Tek 3 set. The obvious thing when you start screwing hoses together is that they all rout straight down. This is very cool for making valves accessible, but some divers have complained that this puts a sharp bend in hoses that must cross left or right. I think they’re right, but it’s not that sharp a bend on my setup, and certainly not enough to cause my hoses to wear any faster. I think it depends on your configuration, wing choice, tank position, etc.

All put together, the Tek 3′s look awesome! To me, they look like they could be chromed engine parts on a hot rod as much scuba gear. I couldn’t help but just stare at my rig when I first put it together. I had gotten so used to the Poseidon tangle of hoses, I kept thinking I left something out. So, for anyone with hose routing issues, Apeks is a good choice.

Not longer after, I got to make my first dive using the Apeks Tek 3 set. It was late Summer so even Lake tahoe is around 60 degrees at the surface. Down around 100 feet, it dropped to maybe 50, so it would be a few months before getting into the 39 – 40 degree range. So, I set everything up and jumped in the water. The first thing I noticed is that even detuned, they breathe better than the Poseidons.

Now, months later, I’ve had them underwater a lot, including temperature extremes. Being nearby, we dive Lake Tahoe all year, with water temperatures as low as 39 degrees. If a regulator is going to freeflow, Tahoe is the perfect place for that to happen. So far, that just hasn’t been a problem. The regulators are well sealed to prevent it, and my practical experience has been that it works.

The Apeks Tek 3 breathing effort is consistant with what I’m used to from my top of the line Atomic. Personally, I don’t tend to fiddle with the tuning underwater, but the adjustment is pretty dramatic for those who do. I just dial it back to prevent freeflow on the surface and generally leave it as is. By mid-Summer, I’ll be making deeper trimix dives in the 300+ range, but based on conversations with other Tek 3 divers, I don’t anticipate much change.

I will say that the Apeks XTX50 second stages that are supplied with the Tek 3 are extraordinarily comfortable. The Poseidon Cyklons have always gotten irritating after about an hour in the water. I don’t know if it’s the shape of the mouthpiece or what, but jaw fatigue, while tolerable, isn’t something any of us need to deal with. With Apeks, it’s not an issue. Partly, it’s because the XTX50 weighs practically nothing in the water. Also, the Apeks mouthpiece design has an odd little tab across the top that run along the roof of the diver’s mouth, just above his or her teeth. I didn’t know how I’d feel about that in the water, but in practice, it’s by far the most comfortable mouthpiece I’ve ever taken on a dive.

The bottom line is the Apeks Tek 3 set is an awesome group of regulators, specifically designed to meet the needs of technical divers. The breathing effort is amazing, the cold water performance is top notch, and they are built to last and last. Obviously, there are other exceptional regulators available, but I personally believe any technical diver considering new regs should take a look.