Test Extra

Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine

FOURTH ELEMENT TECH FINS | SRP: £139.95

Mark Evans: Broad, vented ‘jet-fin-style’ fins are all the rage at the moment, not just with the technical diving fraternity, but also with recreational divers wanting to have power, control and manoeuvrability.

Alongide their Rec Fins, Fourth Element has now launched their Tech Fins, but being Fourth Element, these are not just your normal run-of-the-mill dive fins. Made from natural rubber, the body and blade of the Tech Fins has a different density gradient – what this means is that the blade portion, equipped with stiffening lateral rails and strengthening ribs, has the optimal stiffness for thrust and ‘snap’, while the foot pocket, especially the leading edge where it meets the top of your foot, is exceptionally soft and supple. This is unbelievably comfortable, and means you can even get away with wearing thinner booties with the fins.

Fourth Element have managed to achieve this feat by making the Tech Fins via compression moulding, as opposed to the more-normal injection moulding method.

Compression moulding has enabled Fourth Element to give these different areas different densities. Clever stuff. And the innovation continues. The usual three large vents allow water to flow easily along the blade, which is said to reduce drag and fatigue, while so-called ‘turbulence disruptors’ on the blade beneath the vents give the fins a distinctive look and make them stand out from other ‘jet-fin-style’ fins. These are apparently inspired by the nodules on the leading edge of the pectoral fins on a humpback whale and are designed to allow the fins to move through the water more efficiently.

What this means underwater is that you get an immense amount of thrust from the fins. They deliver a terrific frogkick, but work with modified flutter, helicopter turns, and so on as well. Diving in my drysuit, these provided huge amounts of power, and I could make small adjustments to my positioning as I was taking photographs with ease. The short, stumpy nature of the fin blade also means they are excellent in tight, confined areas, like inside wrecks or cave systems. The Tech Fins are slightly negatively buoyant, but not massively so, which means they are not too heavy for the travelling diver. Medium tip the scales at around 2kg, XXLarge take this up to 3.5kg. Stainless-steel spring straps with a large heel pad, complete with big thumb loop, keep the fins securely in place and are easy to pull on and pull off, regardless of exposure protection on your hands.

A handy webbing and stainless-steel hanging/carrying strap comes with the fins, and goes through the hole in the tip of the blade. This can be used for storage of the fins on the hook in your dive lock up, when you are walking to and from the dive site, or even for when you are negotiating a dodgy exit and need both hands free. While the Tech Fins are robustly constructed, and natural rubber is inherently tough and durable, it is reassuring to know that all the components are recyclable when the fins reach their ‘end of life’.

The Tech Fins comes in four sizes (Medium, Large, X-Large and XX-Large) and three colour-ways – all-black for the traditionalists, grey with an orange heel-pad for those who want a bit of colour, and an eye-catching aqua turquoise blue for those who really want to stand out. www.fourthelement.com

Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine

TECLINE V1 TEC II ICE | SRP: £403

Mark Evans: Tecline Diving offers a touchpoint in pretty much every area of diving, and they have a couple of regulators in their line-up, and we got hold of the V1 Tec II Ice for review. The distinctive balanced diaphragm V1 first stage, machined from maritime bronze and ready for UK diving thanks to its dry chamber and cold-water kit, certainly stands out from the crowd thanks to its steeply angled ports.

As per the norm, it has two high-pressure and four low-pressure ports, but these are arranged in a deep V shape (hence the name), which puts all of the hoses into a great orientation for effective routing, and ensuring that there is nothing poking up from your upper body that could be a snag hazard. This works well on a single-cylinder set-up as we had here, but would be equally beneficial if you have two of these first stages on a twinset.

The other benefit of this hose routing is that when mounted correctly at the right height on your BCD, you can tilt your head back without touching the first stage. When I was in a nice trim position, I could look well ahead and be well-clear of the back of my head hitting the V1.

Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine

TECLINE V1 TEC II ICE | SRP: £403

Likewise, the Tec II pneumatically balanced second stage is also eye-catching, with plenty of shiny stainless steel around the large purge button, and on the large cracking resistance control knob. As I discovered, this knob is easy to locate and twist even wearing drygloves or thick neoprene, and the Venturi lever alongside it is also a decent size, so similarly simple to use.

The ergonomic mouthpiece is very Aqualung-esque, much like the Comfo-Bite, and is just as comfortable. Combined with the lightweight body, this means you do not have to bite down too hard to hold the reg in position, so no jaw fatigue on long dives. The reg body is made of materials resistant for big temperature changes, and has additional heat exchangers for cold waters, plus there is a Teflon coating of metal parts as well.

Myself and my fellow testers were impressed by the V1 Tec II Ice. It is a good-looking unit, it gave a smooth, dry breathe in all orientations, the mouthpiece is right up there with the best on the market in my opinion, and it comes in at a decent price point. The V1 Tec II Ice comes with a ten-year warranty for peace of mind. www.teclinediving.eu

Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine

SDC OCEANRIDER ‘GREAT WHITE’ | SRP: £425

Mark Evans: There may be more and more wrist-watch-style dive computers coming to market, from the likes of Suunto, Scubapro, Aqualung, Crest, Shearwater and Garmin, to name but a few, but I firmly believe there will always be a place for the traditional diver’s watch.

Maybe the days of people actually diving in them and using them for purpose – ie. keeping track of your dive time – is long gone unless you are some ultra-traditionalist, but a good, solid dive watch is still a badge of honour, something that singles you out in the pub as a diver. Now there are a plethora of ‘dive watches’ out there, but the funky OceanRider range from new-kids-on-the-block SDC Watches certainly stand out from the crowd, for various reasons.

The simple but striking design of the watch faces is very eye-catching, particularly the Great White reviewed here. The other three – Black Tip, Ocean Blue and Silky Grey, which have black, blue and grey dials as you might expect – are good-looking bits of kit, but the Great White is the stand out for me, as I can’t recall seeing a dive watch with a white dial. It attracts positive comments and attention in day-to-day wear, but it really ‘pops’ in underwater photographs.

Yes, we took the watch diving to put it to the test properly. As we’ve established, the probable natural habitat of most dive watches will be topside, but you still want a watch that is capable of doing what it was originally intended to. The Great White ticks all those boxes – it has a 42mm case crafted from 316L stainless steel, so is very robust, and it is powered by the fully automatic Japanese Seiko NH35 movement, so is accurate. It is depth-rated to an impressive 300m, and of course has a uni-directional bezel.

Another nice feature of the OceanRider range is that they tap into the current trend for reusing discarded materials. Sean Clements is the man behind SDC Watches, and he says that he ‘sought to challenge the status quo by creating luxury dive watches and combining upcycled materials’. To this end, he utilises old wetsuits, which are collected from dive centres around the UK and then cut and stitched into silicone rubber to make unique watch straps. Not only do they look good – and different - but they are also very comfortable.

Continuing the eco-friendly vibe, all of the OceanRider watches come in a box that uses 100% biodegradable and sustainable FSC sourced materials, including a natural water-based, vegan-friendly glue. As well as Sean using upcycled materials in his watches, 5% of every sale goes to the Marine Conservation Society too. www.sdcwatches.com

t: 01202 122006 e: info@dorsetdiving.co.uk a: 25A Ringwood Road, Poole, Dorset, BH14 0RF 5 Star PADI Dive Centre offering PADI Courses, Kit Sales, Servicing, Air Nitrox and Trimix Fills. In house IDEST test station and workshop for on site repairs. www.dorsetdiving.co.uk

t: 01305 824555 e: info@underwaterexplorers.co.uk a: Unit 1, Maritime Business Centre, Mereside, Portland, Dorset, DT5 1FD Leading Dorset dive centre stocking all major brands, air, nitrox, trimix fills, rentals and servicing beside Portland Marina and across from Chesil Beach. www.underwaterexplorers.co.uk

t: 01708 837032 e: contact@bespokescubadiving.co.uk a: Becontree Heath Leisure Centre, Althorne Way, Dagenham, Essex, RM10 7FH Our mission is to provide quality & professional scuba training in a relaxed friendly environment. www.bespokescubadiving.co.uk

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t: 07779 605863 | e: tim@diveshack.uk.com a: 17 Station Parade, Harrogate, HG1 1UF Harrogates number 1 dive store. www.diveshack.uk.com

e: info@dive-site.co.uk a: Jackdaw Quarry, Capernwray Road, Over Kellet, Lancashire, LA6 1AD The UK’s finest inland dive site... Welcome to Capernwray, the beautiful diving venue on the edge of the Lake District. www.dive-site.co.uk

e: info@eastlancsdiving.co.uk a: Daisyfield Pool, Daisy Ln, Blackburn, BB1 5HB East Lancashire’s only PADI approved Dive Centre - Undertaking all PADI courses and Specialities from Try Dive to Professional. www.eastlancsdiving.co.uk

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t: 07957 710334 e: contact@mkscubadiving.co.uk a: Unit 50A, I-Centre, Howard Way, Newport Pagnell, Milton Keynes, MK16 9PY Friendly, professional and patient PADI, SDI and TDI scuba instructors, we proudly offer you high quality service, equipment and facilities. www.mkscubadiving.co.uk

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Recreational, Instructor, and Technical Dive Logs Custom Dive Logs Log Book Stamps Gear ScubaTags Compact Lightweight Binders Custom Dive Slates Dive Maps Fish Identification Certification C Card Holders

The lure of Porthkerris’ house reef proves too strong to ignore for Editorial Director Mark Evans.

We chat to the distinctive face and voice behind the Andy the Northern Diver YouTube Channel about exploring, stunt work and freediving.

Whistlestop tour around the numerous HMAS warships sunk around Australia’s coastline.

Insider’s view on making a career out of diving, as a couple head out to the Mediterranean.

Leigh Bishop investigates a mysterious deep shipwreck that refused to give up its name.

Editorial Director Mark Evans dives the Tecline Peanut wing and Garmin G1 dive computer.