DEMA day 2 has just closed and as the trade slowly filter out of the show floor we are reflecting on the day that was. Apart from sore feet and general dehydration from the dry Vegas air, everyone seems to be in excellent spirits.
Keep your eyes peeled to our DEMA Show Coverage section at https://www.deeperblue.com/dema-show/
To link to the coverage, please use the following URL: https://www.deeperblue.com/dema-show/
Silent Diving – Rebreathers
Don’t know what to get your girlfriend or wife for Christmas? How about an Evo-Plus?
Okay we’ll stop projecting our desires for our own new rebreather onto all of you DB readers but we do think you’ll enjoy hearing about these two equipment updates from SilentDiving.com. First up is the Evo-Plus – which takes their Evolution kit and pairs it with an Inspiration canister – increasing the typical canister life from 2 hours up to 3 hours. Moreover, the overall unit size is only a tad bit bigger.
Then you have their new Open Circuit Bailout, OCB – which gives you dual functionality with the flip of a switch – you can instantly go from your closed circuit to open circuit, breathing off of your diluent without ever taking the mouthpiece out of your mouth. Silent Diving is offering this component at a MSRP of $1,200 as a stand-alone or $1,100 when you order it in-unit.
Order yours at SilentDiving.com
Hollis – Keeping Diving in the family and Manufacturing in the US.
Move over OMS, Halcyon, Dive-Rite the Hollis family has big plans. For those of you who have never heard of the Hollis name, let me provide you with a bit of background. Robert Hollis is the founder of one of the dive industry’s leading companies – Oceanic, among his many good fortunes he’s been blessed with having several kids who are following in his footsteps and carrying on the family business. The Hollis line of technical and recreational dive equipment is just under two years old, and the vision for 2009 is to provide the highest quality dive equipment and innovative technology for commercial purposes. Two of Robert’s sons are leading the charge at Hollis – twin brothers Zachary and Nicholas. Nick serves as the line’s product manager and his twin Zachary provides in-house design expertise with a background as a CNC machinist. Last year’s line of BCD’s, back-plates and wings has been dramatically expanded to include the Prism II Rebreather; the H160 Scooter, a full line of dry suits and much more. Nick Hollis describes the product line as a high-quality, complete line of technical equipment. “Not only are we are fast growing,” says Nick “but most of our development occurs right at home in San Leandro, CA, USA.” Dive shop dealers and divers should appreciate the integrity of this family operation as it makes every effort to maintain a domestic manufacturing base, which not only augments the local economy with jobs, but it also allows them to keep oversight on the development and QA of every piece of equipment.
The H160 Scooter currently boasts the deepest depth range of any scooter in the market at 660 ft and has a 2-hour run time. In addition, all Hollis dry suits are made with a patented material called “Wear Force” which is a stretchy Kevlar-like material that provides greater mobility than any other dry-suit material. With over 100 dealers worldwide and affiliates in Germany, Asia, Australia, Canada and the UK Hollis is well on its way to deliver upon its mission to design and manufacture the best underwater products and help those who share a passion for diving begin their journey, wherever it may lead.
Start your journey at www.hollisgear.com
Yamamoto’s ‘Biorubber’ Racing Bodysuits Take on Speedo
When the Japanese Olympic triathlon team tried out Speedo’s RAZR bodysuit, they complained that the suits felt too restrictive and weren’t stretchy enough. That’s when composite material manufacturer Yamamoto Corp. stepped in, and built the new “Biorubber Swim Mark III” material for them.
The material comes in three layers. The outer surface is a limestone-based, micro-honeycomb structure and is not from a petrochemical base, for those of you who might be environmentally conscious. Its drag coefficient in the water is only 0.021, much less than conventional neoprene materials that can have a coefficient from 1.38 to 1.83. The middle layer is a flexible titanium alloy for heat retention, and the inside layer is a single-knit stretch polyester jersey.
While the material’s genesis came from triathlon swimmers, Linda Kitayama, Yamamoto’s overseas sales manager, told DeeperBlue.com that the material could also be used for freediving. “We are talking to some freediving customers about having or using this material for freediving in warm places like the Bahamas,” she added.
Check the material out at www.yamamoto-bio.com.
Henderson Enters Freediving/Spearfishing Market with New Camo Wetsuit
Henderson Divewear is entering the freediving and spearfishing market with the introduction of a new camouflage wetsuit at this year’s DEMA Show. The hooded jacket and farmer john pieces feature a “Digital Ocean Camo” pattern and come in 3mm and 5mm thicknesses.
Additional features include a stretchy ThermopreneTM inner lining, “double-glued and blind” stitched seams, a hook-and-loop beavertail, flexible elbow and knee pads, a “flow-vented” hood to let trapped air or regulator exhaust out if you use the suit with scuba gear.
The cocking pad on the chest features the “Bold Henderson Freedive” logo, and the suit jacket and farmer john come in sizes S to 3XL.
For more information, check out the Henderson Web site at www.hendersonusa.com.
SEAC Showcases New BCDs, Fins at DEMA
Italian company SEAC is showcasing a pair of new BCD vests as well as two new sets of fins at this year’s DEMA Show.
The MITO vest for men and the MUSE vest for women are both rear-volume BCD jackets, and both come with a removable “jock strap.” The waist belts feature expandable pockets, and the women’s MUSE vest has a soft and self-draining padding for maximum comfort.
SEAC’s new Propulsion 4×4 open-foot fins sport a new steel spring trap for maximum stability. The blade material is made of a technopolymer with a “special formula,” and the shoe material is made of thermoplastic rubber. SEAC’s new FUGA full-foot fins are a “combination of three materials,” according to the company’s promotional literature.
For more information, check out their Web site at www.seacsub.com.
Effervescent Inc. Introducing New Line of Waldies Work Shoes
Effervescent Inc., the makers of the Waldies line of foam clog shoes, unveiled a host of new designs at this year’s DEMA Show, among them one for the work environment.
The new Waldies DanaTM clog, retailing for US$65 and available in white, brown (“earth/obsidian”) or black (“obsidian/obsidian”), is meant for those worker bees who spend most of their time on their feet – retailers, nurses, restaurant workers, or heck, anyone who just wants to wear a stylish version of the foam clog so prevalent on the weekend at the beach or wherever. It is available in women’s sizes US4-15 and men’s US4-13.
Also new at DEMA for the beachgoer (or casual worker bee) is the Waldies TahaiTM, which a company spokeswoman said was all the rage among Italian Serie A soccer players after games or workouts. Available in five color combinations, they come in men’s sizes 6-13 and women’s 6-15 and retail at US$35.
The AmeliaTM sandal features gentle acupressure nubs and an elevated heel. Retailing for US$35, it comes in 20 different color combinations. While generally marketed to women, a company spokesman said the firm tries not to label the shoes “men’s” or “women’s” because “we go to Japan with this AmeliaTM and the men liked it.” So much for that, huh?
While not brand-new, the Waldies ArubaTM sandal became a hit among men at a previous DEMA Show, causing the company to add sizes 11, 12 and 13 to the product line, according to the company official.
For more information (and to learn more about how Waldies came on the market before the ubiquitous CrocsTM and even won a patent infringement case against Crocs), go to www.waldies.net.
