The DeeperBlue.net Reporting Team are here on location at DEMA 2006 to report on all the latest happenings.
The show has gotten off to a great start with the 600+ exhibitors filling the vast convention center. Numerous first time DEMA attendees could be seen stopped in their tracks as they entered the main show floor.
During the course of the show we’ll be bringing you the latest products, gadgets, tools and services being launched or showcased on the floor. Keep an eye out for daily wrap ups here in the Special Feature section as well as news flashes in our News Section.
After getting the booth ready and everyone collecting their Media Passes the team headed out to the show floor to report on the following interesting products or booths:
PADI
The Professional Association of Diving Instructors plans to launch an online version of the academic portion of its introductory Open-Water Diver course in the Spring of 2007. (more…)
(John Liang)
Hotsuits Heated Wetsuits
The latest wave from down under is the new Hotsuits external heat pack, the “Heated Kidney Belt.” This product is perfect for cold water divers, night diving, multiple dives, or for those who are prone to getting the chills. How does it work? It’s simple. A gel-filled pack slides into a superstretch neoprene belt which fastens around the waist with Velcro. The belts are one size fits all, and can fit anyone from children to hefty adults.
The gel pack rests on the small of the back (thus the “kidney” reference) and delivers 129 degrees of heat
(54 degrees Celcius) to the diver for approximately one hour. The heat is activated by pressing a button in the center of the pack. The best part about these heat packs is they are exponentially reusable. Just boil them in water for 15 minutes to recharge your pack again and again! Also available are heated wetsuits, which feature built-in pockets for the gelpacks in the kidney area as well as under the armpits. 5mm Semi-dry and 3mm wetsuits are available.
Check out www.hotsuits.com.au for more information and pricing.
(Linden Wolbert)
Suunto
Those of you waiting for Suunto to come out with a Macintosh-compatible Suunto dive watch may have to wait a bit longer. Company officials exhibiting here at the DEMA Show say the soonest that could happen would be some time next year.
(John Liang)
OMS
In conjunction with Grey Wolf Innovations, Inc., Ocean Management Systems (OMS) introduced the Tesseract CCR Rebreather. (more…)
(Christopher Chin)
Sea Stinger Pole
Sea Search, Inc., the Jacksonville, FL-based maker of the Sea Stinger(TM) Pole Spear, has introduced an upgraded version of the pole spear at the DEMA Show here.
According to company officials, the toggle that connects the patented spear tip to the pole is now a rotating lock instead of being spring-loaded.
What makes Sea Stinger unique is its weight — most pole spears weigh about two pounds, while the Sea Stinger wieghs just over a pound with the speart tip included, according to company literature.
Sea Stinger also sports a cam lock that allows the elastic band to be placed from the back end of the spear to nearly the midpoint of its length, thereby changing the hand position.
“With the power and speed of the Sea Stinger Pole Spear, a skilled spearfisherman can almost compete with a conventional speargun and still maintain the flexibility of a pole spear,” the company literature states. Go to www.seastinger.com for more info.
(John Liang)
PSI
PSI, the worldwide leader in Training in High Pressure Cylinder Safety, announced their new Spanish Language Instructor Program as detailed in our news flash. (more…)
(Christopher Chin)
Light and Motion
Light and Motion took the opportunity to launch working prototypes of their new Titan D200 housing, designed specifically for the Nikon D200 10.2 Megapixel digital
SLR camera. (more…)
(Christopher Chin)
Ocean Reef
Tired of your regular mask, snorkel and reg? Perhaps Ocean Reef’s Neptune Space Predator should go on your holiday list. This full face mask offers maximum comfort while offering many bells and whistles that traditional masks could only dream of. For starters, the Predator provides a more natural breathing system.
The regulator has been integrated into the mask itself, so this means no more jaw fatigue and biting through mouthpieces.
The superior range of visibility results from the wide-angle peripheral mask so you can actually see the D-rings on the upper half of your BC, and the fish swimming beside you. Talking with your buddy is made easy thanks to their line of underwater communication products. Predicting that full face masks are the future of underwater breathing, communicating and even eating and drinking, Ocean Reef is taking dive equipment to the next level. Prices and add-ons can be investigated further at www.oceanreefgroup.com.
(Linden Wolbert)
Gates Underwater Camera Housings
Known for their reliable yet simple mechanical designs, Gates offers a variety of housings for the recreational to professional Hi-Def shooter. With the demands of Standard Definition video disappearing, Gates now exclusively makes HD housings. With special attention to the optics that go in front of the camera, Gates ensures the clearest image possible when shooting High Definition.
Not unlike the importance of prescription glasses to the human eye, the ports and optics that go in front of the lens on a Gates housing will unleash the full potential for clarity and crispness that HD has to offer by finding the best match for each specific camera. This prevents distortion, vignetting and softness, which is essential in the world of HD. Also unveiled at DEMA 2006 is the new Gates High Resolution External Color Monitor. This allows the user to achieve critical focus that is widescreen and undistorted, staying true to the actual image being captured by the camera. More available at www.GatesHousings.com.
(Linden Wolbert)
So, that’s it for today. Join us tomorrow for more updates from DEMA 2006 in Orlando, Florida.
