	"Best of the Web ... scuba tips no other source dares to publish" — *Forbes* Authoritative • Independent • Nonprofit
	Join us!

Diving Gear & Equipment Reviews & Recalls

| Equipment Recalls | Dive Computers | Regulators/Rebreathers | Underwater Photo |
| BC's | Masks, Fins, Wetsuits, Weight Belts, Etc | Air and Tanks | Merchandising | Miscellaneous |

Below you'll find links to Undercurrent articles concerning all kinds of dive gear and equipment, from regulators to fins, dive computers, BC's, tanks, ... There are regulator and dive computer review articles, problems with BCD's, suggestions for diving accessories, how effective and how safe are some kinds of scuba equipment, manufacturer recalls, how to use and how NOT to use some diving gear, ... Honest, unbiased info about dive gear that you will not find in other publications.

Articles from 2010 and on are only available in full to Online Members
unless there is a after them. Article previews are available otherwise.
Join and get immediate access to these articles.

What others have to say about Undercurrent

Recalls of Dive Gear and Equipment

For Undercurrent Online Members, articles with are available to all
Problems with Weight Pockets , the complaints keep on coming, 6/13	“Another” Recall for Aqua Lung’s SureLock Weight Pockets, 4/13	Yes, Another High-Pressure Hose Recall, 2/13
Potential Danger with Aqua Lung Weight Pockets, 11/12	These High-Pressure Hose Recalls Should Have Divers Concerned, 11/12	Atomic Aquatics Recalls 4,200 Dive Computers in North America , 10/12
189 Failures Lead to Recall of 17,000 Miflex Hoses , 5/12	Nobody Wants a Bursting Scuba Hose, questions arise about Miflex’s high-pressure hoses, 11/11	DUI Recalls Weight Systems, 8/11
Edge and HOG BCDs Pose a Danger , 5/11	OMS Recalls 20,000 BCs, 6/10	TUSA Regulator Recall, 5/10
Recalls of Mares Computers and Tusa Regulators, 3/10	Recalls for a Regulator and a BCD, 2/10

Available to the Public
Nemo Air Computer O-Ring Recall, 9/09	Poseidon Recalls Its BCDs, 8/09	Brownie’s Third Lung Recalls Its Hookah Air Compressors, 2/09
Apeks and AquaLung Announce Regulator Recalls, 8/08	Poseidon Clips Its Wings In Dive Gear Recall, 7/08	Regulator Recall from Oceanic and Aeris, 1/08
Faulty Gear? Contact Your Dealer, Not the Manufacturer, 9/07	Regulators: Two Recalls and NOAA's New Favorite , 7/07	Dive Computer Recall, 5/07
Halcyon Recalls Explorer-40 BCs, 2/07	Scubapro Recalls Dangerous MK20 First Stages . . . Finally, 10/06	Scuba Pro Recalls X650 Second Stages, 7/06
Darwin Air Computer Recall, 4/05	Aladin Air X Nitrox Computers Recalled, at last, 4/03

Dive Computers

For Undercurrent Online Members, articles with are available to all
Is Your Dive Computer Correct?, for depth and temperature, it may not be so accurate, 5/13	Comparing Dive Computer Watches, Suunto, the originator, versus everyone else, 3/13	Atomic Aquatics Recalls 4,200 Dive Computers in North America , 10/12
A Computer for Non-Techie Divers, the $350 Cressi Leonardo, 2/12	Which Dive Computers for High Altitude Diving?, 11/11	Recalls of Mares Computers and Tusa Regulators, 3/10

Available to the Public
Nemo Air Computer O-Ring Recall, 9/09	Is This Ascent Rate Alarm Useful?, 6/09	Battery-Eating Uwatec Computers, 3/09
A Must Have for Nitrox Divers, oxygen analyzers that met our requirements, 2/09	The Misuse of Dive Computers, 8/08	Dive Computer Watches, eight to consider wearing on your wrist, 5/08
New Innovations in Dive Gear, 3/08	Irrational Fear of Flashing Dive Computers , why your only fear is fear itself, 7/07	The Tactical Use of Dive Computers, tips and tricks for lowering your DCS risk, 5/07
Dive Computer Recall, 5/07	Serious Software Error in Suunto Computers, 7/06	DAN or Your Computer? When to Fly after Diving, 3/06
Dive Computers: Part II, 6/05	UWATEC Settles Over Dive Computer, — the final calculations of the Aladin Air X Nitrox, 5/05	Comparing Dive Computers, — identifying the liberals and the conservatives, 5/05
Who Gets Bent More?, 5/05	Darwin Air Computer Recall, 4/05	Reports From Readers: Part I, Cozumel’s adult dive operators, Bonaire bummers, 8/04
Computer Problems: Part II, more reasons why a back-up is mandatory, 8/04	Oceanic Objects to Review of Veo 250, 8/04	Endemic Computer Problems: Part I, readers’ reports illustrate why a backup is essential, 7/04
When Your Computer Is Discontinued, 7/04	The New Wave of Dive Computers, tests find some more readable – and conservative, 4/04	UWATEC Sport Dive Computers Go Dumb, 8/03
Aladin Air X Nitrox Computers Recalled, at last, 4/03

Regulators & Rebreathers

For Undercurrent Online Members, articles with are available to all
Mastering Rebreathers, 2nd Edition, 1/13	These High-Pressure Hose Recalls Should Have Divers Concerned, 11/12	Diving with Helium May Be Limited, 10/12
Improving Rebreather Safety: Part II, oxygen analyzers: the rebreather’s weakest link, 9/12	Rebreather Resources, 9/12	Improving Rebreather Safety: Part I, up to 10 times more dangerous than open-circuit diving, 8/12
Widow Blames Dive Gear for Death of Filmmaker, 8/12	Two Letters to the Editors, 2/12	Scubapro Nixes its “Free Parts for Life” Program , 1/12
A Mouthpiece to Prevent Diver’s Mouth, 11/11	Nobody Wants a Bursting Scuba Hose, questions arise about Miflex’s high-pressure hoses, 11/11	For Regulators, Light is Right, seven lightweight regulators that are heavy duty for dive trips, 3/11
The Next Generation of Rebreathers: II, but questions of safety and insurance coverage linger, 2/11	Will the Open Circuit Regulator Become Obsolete? , the next generation of rebreathers and training, 11/10	What’s More Dangerous, the Rebreather or the Diver?, 6/10
TUSA Regulator Recall, 5/10	Recalls of Mares Computers and Tusa Regulators, 3/10	New Dangers of Rebreather Diving , read this before you buy or upgrade rebreather gear, 3/10
Recalls for a Regulator and a BCD, 2/10	Rebuttals About Regulator Servicing, 1/10	Good Technicians Are Going Extinct at Dive Shops, 1/10

Available to the Public
Servicing Your Regulator, how to avoid those high costs, 9/09	Four Solid, Inexpensive Regulators, well-suited for all but the most demanding divers, 6/09	Anatomy of a Free Flow, manual controls are a marketing gimmick, 4/09
Brownie’s Third Lung Recalls Its Hookah Air Compressors, 2/09	Rebreather Firm Wins Its First U.S. Lawsuit, did diver error or product liability cause a user’s death?, 2/09	Rebreathers, Pack Your Canisters Properly, 10/08
Apeks and AquaLung Announce Regulator Recalls, 8/08	Rebreather Deaths Are on the Rise, 3/08	Regulator Recall from Oceanic and Aeris, 1/08
The Most Likely Time for Your Regulator to Fail, 8/07	Regulators: Two Recalls and NOAA's New Favorite , 7/07	Looking for the Strong and Sturdy, test divers rate the regulators, 3/07
Scubapro Recalls Dangerous MK20 First Stages . . . Finally, 10/06	Scuba Pro Recalls X650 Second Stages, 7/06	Have a Little Nitrox, M'Dear, 7/06
Killer Regulators, 6/06	The Apeks Tungsten Regulator: bling bling, 2/06	Convenient, High- Performance Octopus, 10/05
Titanium and Nitrox Don’t Mix, 9/05	Scubapro MK20 Cracking Problem Deepens, did Scubapro stay silent?, 8/05	Is Your First Stage Up to the Job?, some may not deliver, 7/05
Tobago, West Indies, not your everyday Caribbean, 6/05	Aqua Lung’s “Mistral” Regulator, high tech nostalgia trip, 6/05	Regulator Servicing, — what should you expect when it’s time for service?, 4/05
Regulator Service , — is once a year too much, 3/05	Computer Problems: Part III, air-integrated glitches, 9/04	Jean-Michel Cousteau Tells All, says critters died to be in dad’s documentaries, 7/04
Two Equipment Problems with Aqualung/Seaquest Gear, 7/04	Same Day Switching Between Air and Nitrox, divers do it, but is it sensible?, 3/04	Are We Warmer Diving with Nitrox, 2/04
Breathe Nitrox, Dive an Air Computer?, 10/03	Is the Inspiration Rebreather a Death Trap?, 4/03	Breathing Easy Below, regulator tests find the good and the not-so-good, 3/03
24,700 Faulty Oceanic Regulators, 1/03	Is Your Gear Safe with Nitrox?, at what oxygen content is ignition possible?, 1/03	Rebreather Readings, 6/97
USD’s Micra Air System, An ounce of prevention . . ., 1/97	The Micra ADJ, 1/97

Underwater Photography

For Undercurrent Online Members, articles with are available to all
Are You Getting Free Gear to Review? , 6/13	DEPP: Off the Recommended List, nobody wrote in to rave about their great service, 4/13	Camera Housing Leak Tests , a better way to ensure your pricey camera is waterproof, 4/13
A Brighter Side of Underwater Photography, how Lembeh resorts are turning their guests into better divers, 1/12	The Equipment Insurers Side of the Story, DEPP defends itself to complaints published in Undercurrent, 8/11	Amphibico Shuts Down, Deep-Sixing Buyers and Warranty Holders, 7/11
The San Francisco Ocean Film Festival Wants Your Video, 1/11	Fair for Photographers? , NAUI wants all rights to your work, free of charge, 8/10	A Dive Camera that Floated 1,000 Miles and Still Works, 7/10
Underwater Photos with Digital Compacts, no strobes or heavy gear needed if you use these cameras right, 5/10	Dive Photos: Compact or Full Frame? , our gear expert gives the pros and cons of both camera types, 4/10

Available to the Public
Flashing the Marine Life, 8/09	Perfect Your Underwater Photos, these how-to guides will help you create a better images, 4/09	Stop Chasing Digital Innovations, that next camera upgrade may get you nowhere, 9/08
Are Your Dive Photos Worthy of a Book?, this diver thought so -- and published his own, 8/08	Reader Tip: “Pad” Your Camera Gear, 7/08	New Travel Rules for Dive Gear Batteries, 2/08
Underwater Photo Tips From the Pros: Part I, Cathy Church, David Doubilet and Martin Edge give advice, 10/07	Is Digital Imaging Photography? Part II, master manipulators of advertising, 8/05	Is Digital Imaging Photography?, not if it’s in the hands of master manipulators, 7/05
The Divi Tiara Resort, Cayman Brac, the Nikon School of Underwater Photography, 10/04	Clearing Up Underwater Photos, 10/04	Film Jam, 8/97

BCD's (Buoyancy Compensators)

For Undercurrent Online Members, articles with are available to all
Problems with Weight Pockets , the complaints keep on coming, 6/13	“Another” Recall for Aqua Lung’s SureLock Weight Pockets, 4/13	Potential Danger with Aqua Lung Weight Pockets, 11/12
Integrated Weights Vest: Helpful or “a Piece of Junk”?, 5/12	Two Letters to the Editors, 2/12	Scubapro Nixes its “Free Parts for Life” Program , 1/12
Emergency Breathing from Your BCD , why don’t dive agencies teach this technique?, 6/11	How to Breathe from a BCD, 6/11	Disinfecting Your BCD, 6/11
Edge and HOG BCDs Pose a Danger , 5/11	Guaranteed to Travel Light, the Scubapro Litehawk vs. the Dive Rite TravelPac, 10/10	OMS Recalls 20,000 BCs, 6/10
Where’s Your Customer Service, Scubapro?, a reader’s detailed 30-minute video is met with silence, 3/10	Recalls for a Regulator and a BCD, 2/10

Available to the Public
Poseidon Recalls Its BCDs, 8/09	The Inadvertently Inflating Power Inflator, 2/09	Sleek BCDs from Mares and Halcyon, one is a clear winner for the traveling diver, 6/08
A Rusty BCD Connection Can Rocket You to The Surface, 3/08	Lighten Up with Travel BCs, 4/07	Halcyon Recalls Explorer-40 BCs, 2/07
Faulty Oceanic and Aeris BC Inflators, 10/04	More About Weight Integrated BCDs, 9/04	Halcyon Power Inflator Defect, 7/04
Two Equipment Problems with Aqualung/Seaquest Gear, 7/04	Weight Integrated BCDs, worth the hassle for traveling divers?, 5/04

Masks, Fins, Wetsuits, Weight Belts, Dive Lights, Etc.

For Undercurrent Online Members, articles with are available to all
Need a New Wetsuit? , stretch, seams and other factors bring big changes, 11/12	Behind the Masks, what to buy for your face shape, vision, even color preference, 8/12	The Fins Sharks Like Best , 11/11
I Can See Clearly Now ... Underwater , contacts, lens inserts, prescription mask or magnifying glass?, 9/11	Shed Your Lycra Inhibitions, slinky Lavacore suits help keep you warm and keep out jellyfish, 8/11	DUI Recalls Weight Systems, 8/11
The Mask-under-the-Chin Syndrome, 7/11	Problems with Peeing in Drysuits, 5/10	Boldly Wear What No Diver Has Worn Before, 2/10
Fittest of the Fins, our gear expert dived in feet first to test the best, 2/10

Available to the Public
Stoppering the Problem: Do Ear Plugs Work Underwater?, 10/09	New Divers Need to Reduce Their Weights, 6/09	Sales of “Shark Shields” Soar in Australia, 5/09
Will Argon Keep a Drysuit Diver Warmer?, 5/09	Get A Magnifying Glass, 4/09	Have Problems With Your Mask’s Upward Vision?, 4/09
Have to Replace Your Mask?, downward vision is a distinguishing feature, 1/09	How Divers Will Never Be Lost Again, new personal GPS device still working out the kinks, 10/08	Rescue Devices For Saving Your Bacon, the role that flags, flashlights, etc. play if you’re lost at sea, 9/08
The Fastest Fins for Divers, achieve the same speed for either $786 or $160 a pair, 7/08	A Brief History of the Wetsuit, 6/08	Backup Lights for Divers, the five brightest - - and the five dimmest bulbs, 3/08
New Innovations in Dive Gear, 3/08	Unusual Scuba Fins, Part II: Force Fins, one thumb up and two down, 2/08	Testing Quirky and Not-So-Quirky Fins, which are worth putting your feet into?, 1/08
The Warmest Wetsuit Lining Ever?, One manufacturer swears it’s wool, but is that just sheep pucky?, 9/07	NOAA Nixes Split Fins, 6/07	Ill-Fitting Wetsuits, 4/07
Weighing In on Weight Systems , two schools of thought about their use, 4/07	A True Lifetime Warranty, 3/07	CDs: The Ideal Surface-Detection Aid?, 2/07
Getting the LEDs Out, 2/07	Comparison of Fin Tests, a few stand out, 8/06	Fin Myths, 8/06
The Wonderful Whizzer of Aus, 7/06	Emergency Wet/Dry Suit Repair, 4/06	Putting Spring Straps in Your Kick, 4/06
An Artificial Gill for Divers?, 4/06	Sporasub Ignores a Subscriber, but Undercurrent Gets Their Attention, 3/06	Delight in the Details, 1/06
Velcro, Water and Weights, they don’t always mix, 10/05	Why Do A Freshwater Rinse?, 3/05	Moving Your Weights, — from your love handles to your navel, 2/05
And the Weird Winner is . . . ., 1/05	Get a Grip: Manta Bite Mouthpiece, 10/04	Readers Report on Equipment Insurance, is your homeowner’s or renter’s policy good enough?, 6/04
The Quirks of Equipment Insurance, changes make replacement tougher, 5/04	Rodale and Force Fins Agree to Disagree, 2/04	Scientists Debunk Fin Claims, Apollo voted best of seven in performance, 1/04
Getting Into Dry Suit Diving, 8/03	Split Fins vs. Quattros, 8/03	What if the Burst Disk Doesn’t Burst?, 6/03
Luxfer Tank Trade-In Is No Bargain, But Worthwhile, 6/03

Air and Tanks

For Undercurrent Online Members, articles with are available to all
Filling Cylinders In Water, perhaps a cause of a tank explosion, 2/13	Death in Belize from Exploding Tanks , 1/13	CO Poisoning Risk Higher Than You Think , why and how divers need to protect themselves, 7/12
Scuba Tanks as Lethal Weapons , Videographer loses his arm, 2/11	$350 to Fly with a Pony Bottle?, 1/10

Available to the Public
Why Your Old Aluminum Tank May Be Rejected for Testing, 3/09	Velcro, Water and Weights, they don’t always mix, 10/05	Shaking the Rust in Thumbs Up Cozumel, 8/05
Tanks, Rebreather Bottles, and Spare Airs May Be Confiscated, 5/04

Dive Merchandising

For Undercurrent Online Members, articles with are available to all
The DEMA Dive Show, a slightly irreverent review, 2/13	How About Recycling Your Old Dive Gear?, 1/13	What Dive Shops Think About Your Gear, especially if you didn’t buy it from them, 1/13
What’s the “One DEMA” Product This Year?, John Bantin reports on what’s worth buying and ignoring, 1/13	Dive Stores in the Internet Age , survival means better local service, 2/12	The Nautilus Lifeline Finally Ships, and how a little openness can prevent PR headaches, 11/11
The 2010 Dive Equipment Show, something for (almost) every diver, 1/11	Can You Name Your Price for Dive Gear? , it’s officially taboo…unless you know how to as, 4/10	Good Technicians Are Going Extinct at Dive Shops, 1/10

Available to the Public
Recycling Your Old Dive Equipment, for divers with worn-out gear, it’s not easy being green, 8/09	Dive Gear Warranties: Always Honored?, generally satisfactory, with some annoying quirks, 7/09	“This Industry Isn’t Run By Divers Anymore”, reader feedback from sport divers and industry professionals, 5/09
A Personal Perspective on Dive Innovation, has the dive industry run out of new ideas?, 3/09	Smart New Products Debut at DEMA, An emphasis on safety and rescue, 1/07	The Dive Industry and the Internet, Part V, keys to survival, 9/06
Dive Stores, the Internet and the Industry, Part IV, who will survive?, 8/06	Divers, the Internet and the Industry: Part II, . . . authorized vs. unauthorized dealers, 6/06	Divers, the Internet and the Industry: Part I, what's to become of it all?, 5/06
Dwindling DEMA 2004, — the Houston, Texas, show, 1/05

Miscellaneous

For Undercurrent Online Members, articles with are available to all
Hey, There’s an App for that Dive, digital dive info worth downloading onto your iGadget, 3/13	Two Easy Ways to Recycle Your Dive Gear, 2/13	Why DEPP Has Been Giving the Silent Treatment to Divers, 2/13
Do You Need a Dive Watch?, or is it just expensive arm candy for divers?, 5/12	Death Due to Poor Gear Maintenance, are you more careful than this Virginia police department?, 4/12	Nautilus Lifeline: User Error or Gear Malfunction?, 4/12
When Crew Disrespects Your Gear, what to do when your equipment gets broken or lost, 3/12	This Year’s Batch of Dive Gizmos, my picks and pans of the annual DEMA show, 1/12	The Nautilus Lifeline Finally Ships, and how a little openness can prevent PR headaches, 11/11
Pegasus’s New, Cheaper DPV, readers debate: the leisure model is $800 less and just as good, 5/11	The Latest Smuggling Device: Scuba Scooters, 3/11	The 2010 Dive Equipment Show, something for (almost) every diver, 1/11
Underwater Scooter Racing., 11/10	Look, Ma, No Hands Underwater , a DPV that’s easy to maneuver and not too pricey, 7/10	Self-Rescue Tips from Readers , 4/10
Taking Your Cell Phone Diving: Dumb Idea or Good Safety Tool? , 1/10	Reader Advice for Not Getting Lost at Sea, 1/10

Available to the Public
Subscribe to Diver, the British Pub, 5/99

Can't find what you're looking for here? Try our
Dive Destination Index	General Dive Travel Index	Dive Gear Index	Diving Health and Safety Index	Diving Environmental, etc. Index
*or use our back issues Table of Contents or our site search*


Sign up to receive our free Undercurrent Online Update email with news for serious divers
Update Your Preferences	Unsubscribe
We will not sell, exchange, or give your email address to any third party .