Nerdy? The optional OceanLog allows you to easily transfer dive data from your GEO to your PC via a plug-in USB cable, so you can geek out with medians, averages, maximums, and p-values. Gnarly, Charley! The GEO Personal Dive Computer lists for $430. The pocket protector is your responsibility.

[Via Diverwire]

• 3mm wet suit (or equivalent)
  
• Regulator + octo
  
• Computer
• Mask
• Snorkel
• Fins
• Booties
• Gloves
• Small light
• Dive log with PADI tables, fish ID cards, etc.

A while back, we told you about ReefNet's Sensus Pro dive tool, a mini dive data recorder that can store 100 hours of dive information. If you've got a Pro, ReefNet wants to offer you $35 (or one of their DVDs) to upgrade to their new matchbox-sized Sensus Ultra.

This new and improved depth-activated data logging instrument can record up to 1500 hours of dive data, like depth and temperature profiles. Apparently, the highly-configurable Ultra resolves depth and temperature to unrivaled precision: 0.5 inches and 0.01 degrees C, respectively. According to ReefNet's Kris Wilk, "To put it in perspective, that's 20-100 times better than most dive computers." Additionally, the press release states that the Sensus Ultra features a dedicated storage space where user data such as certification or medical information may be stored. Very cool.

Sensus Ultra kits retail for $150 and include the data recorder, download unit and the necessary software for Windows XP, Mac OS, and Palm OS. If you're interested, you can take a mini-tour of the Ultra online.

Dive Zero is a brand new "youth-oriented scuba diving/extreme sports video magazine." Filmed in high-def, this video magazine has the same components as a traditional, print magazine -- gear reviews, trip reports, destination profiles, etc. -- except the content sits on a DVD, and you "read" the magazine by watching your TV.

Recently, I viewed the premier issue. At just under an hour long, the Dive Zero team has assembled a very engaging product that was both entertaining and informative -- which is more than I can say for most of the stuff I see on TV. If you like looking through your dive magazines during lunch breaks, while traveling, or at the beach, a DVD video magazine probably isn't going to interest you. However, if you believe the static nature of a magazine doesn't lend itself to the beauty of the dynamic, underwater world, getting your dive news via a high-def DVD will really appeal to you.

Dive Zero Issue #1 opens with "A Day In The Life," a profile of 20-year-old videographer Justin Bongers, who lives on Grand Cayman. Working for Ocean Frontiers, Bongers shoots footage of the island's east end diving and assembles it for visitors to purchase. The segment follows Bongers through a portion of his day filming both fish and guests. Although I would've liked to have seen more of Bongers in post-production (How does he assemble the footage so quickly for guests?), "A Day in the Life" is an interesting peek into the life of a dive professional.

The next section is called "Spot Check." It profiles a Canadian dive site known as Pavilion Lake, one of only three freshwater coral lakes in the world. Looking more like piles of spilled concrete than the Caribbean's coral formations, the coral footage in this segment is, nevertheless, excellent. Moreover, the segment includes practical tips (like how to get there), and some fast facts about the Lake. It sure looks like a cool, "secret" dive spot.

The third segment, "Trick Tips," was my favorite. Featuring half a dozen tips divers should know -- from how to replace a mask underwater, to how to do the frog kick -- this section was fast but thorough. Moreover, the hosts of this section seemed relaxed, knowledgeable, and confident in front of the camera. Old-timers may feel uncomfortable with teens giving them tips on diving, but the information was accurate, and their delivery was casual, yet careful. More, please!

Rounding out the premier issue is:

• "Mixed Tape" -- Ryan Lohr takes viewers on a tour of a Cayman wreck, the Doc Polson.
• "Danger Zone" -- This montage from Wakefest 2006 has nothing to do with diving, but is, nevertheless, very cool.
• "Paradise" -- This photo essay of Grand Cayman covers some of the many bars, restaurants, and dive shops available for visitors.
• "Tune Up" -- The Dive Zero team profiles two new BCs, two new regs, some deck shoes, a dive computer, and a new mask.
• "Hot Spot" -- Ian Oppen dives the underwater cliffs in Canada's Kettle Valley River.

What's the verdict? I believe the Dive Zero team has something brilliant on their hands. Being able to see a specific dive site in moving images is a powerful way to learn whether you want to visit that destination. In this regard, I believe Dive Zero is more intriguing than a traditional print magazine. If you're curious to see what Grand Cayman, Pavilion Lake, or Kettle Valley is like, Dive Zero has the goods, and many of their high-def shots will likely impress you.

The same goes for gear reviews. While I can get a lot out of a blurb in a magazine about a new BC, for example, seeing people interact with gear is, in my mind, far superior. (That said, I hope Issue #2 provides more close-ups, especially for small items like a dive computer: I want to see the bells and whistles in detail, and high-def should afford that.)

However, where a print magazine trumps a video magazine is in the level of detail that accompanies most print mags. In my opinion, Dive Zero needs to offer more concrete details for divers -- How many dive sites are there? What's the best time of year to go? What's the price of that dive computer? As the Dive Zero team learns how to balance concrete, detailed information with underwater footage fun, Dive Zero will become indispensable to traveling divers.

In short, Dive Zero is filled with great underwater images and good overviews of some cool dive sites and new gear. While their new, cutting-edge format might not appeal to some people, I believe this is "the magazine of the future." Moreover, as the producers provide more information in their DVDs -- maybe with the ability to switch on and off crawl text that offers details about what's onscreen? -- Dive Zero will grow in popularity and their subscriber base will grow drastically.

If you want a sample of what the video is all about, check out their teaser on YouTube or some of the short videos they have on their site. If you're ready to buy your own copy, the premier issue is available on their site for $18 (international shipping is free for the first 100 orders!). I can't wait to see what's in Issue #2.

• Retractor mount (and wrist)
• Two less buttons
• No watch features such as Stopwatch, Alarm, Countdown Timer, etc.

Dive's Charles Hood recently grabbed 7 popular dive computers -- all of which retail for $500 or less -- and took them diving. The computers had two things in common: they all performed well, and they all had user-replacable batteries. That's where the similarities ended. Their algorithms were all slightly different (the TUSA IQ 700 was the most conservative model he tested), and their user interfaces varied substantially.

Interestingly, Hood's only complaint was that many of the owner's manuals didn't accurately describe the model he had, or -- worse -- they were simply too confusing to be useful (like the manual for the Aladin Prime). The model Hood liked most -- the Suunto Gekko -- had the best user interface, the clearest manual, was the simplest to use, and -- surprisingly -- was the least expensive computer he tested. Don't let that spoiler prevent you from checking out the rest of the list, but if you want to learn more about the Gekko, head over to Suunto's website.

Oceanic's VT3 dive computer can switch among up to three different Nitrox mixes containing 21-100% oxygen. The VT3 also sports over-sized digits, a nifty "Patented Air Time Remaining Algorithm," alarms that require user acknowledgment, a SmartGlo backlighting system, a 24-dive on-unit logbook, diver-replaceable batteries, and more. The VT3 also features an optional wireless transmitter, so a diver can monitor gas pressure from up to three independent cylinders. (This is clearly ideal for technical diving applications. However, it may also be useful for recreational divers using the Buddy Pressure Check feature.) The VT3 receiver runs $599. With the wireless air-integrated transmitter, the unit runs $999.

If you plan to be in the Seattle area late next month, you might want to stop by Underwater Sports' 28th Annual Divers Fair sale. Scheduled for the weekend of July 28-30, customers can save up to 50% on every imaginable kind of dive gear from companies like Atomic, Apollo, Atlan, Cetacea, DeepSee, DiveRite, DUI, Harvey's, High Tide, Ikelite, JBL, Light & Motion, Mares, McNett, Northern Diver, Oceanic, OMS, O'Neill, PADI, Pelican, ScubaPro, SeaLife, Sea & Sea, SeaSoft, Stahlsac, Trident, USIA, Underwater Kinetics, Viking, XS Scuba, and Zeagle.

According to Calvin Tang, who attended last year's event, "this is honestly, hands down, the best time and place to gear up - especially if you've recently got into scuba." In fact, this year's sale features over 100,000 items, including thousands of regulators, thousands of suits, thousands of computers, and hundreds of tanks. Calvin claims the best part of the event is that all the reps show up to answer questions and to demonstrate their equipment.

Sadly for me, the Fair couldn't be much farther away and still be in the same country. This is too bad, especially since I dropped my reg off to be serviced this week. Upon seeing my vintage Dacor unit, the repairman's eyes popped out of his head and he reminded me that Dacor's replacement parts are hard to come by. Depending on the news he gives me, it may be time to buy a new reg. I could certainly use one at 50% off. Maybe Calvin can buy me one and ship it to me.

I have a wrist-mounted dive computer from Oceanic. I really like its features, but I hate the buckle: it's way too long, and I end up having to fold it and loop it under the buckle. I could cut it, I suppose, but for some reason, I have this morbid, unhealthy fear of trimming the excess, because I know that as soon as I do, I'll wish I hadn't. (Perversely, that's why my weight belt is still about 4 feet long, and is always flapping in the breeze.)

Anyway, if you wear wrist-mounted gear when you dive, but you dislike the way the strap and/or buckle works, you might be interested in an elastomeric boot. More than just a difficult-to-pronounce name, elastomeric boots are seats into which the computer (or compass, or timer) snaps and which accepts a 3/16-diameter Bungee that fits around your wrist. Available for Suunto's Vyper/ Vytec Dive Computers and SK7 Compass, and Uwatec's Digital Bottom Timer, these mounts are easier to don than a rubber strap, depth-compensating, tough, and flexible. Ranging in price from $8 to $18, the mounts do not come with their own Bungee cord, meaning you have to color-coordinate on your own. If you need help, that's what Home Depot salespeople are for.

Mares has unveiled 4 new and/or tweaked pieces of dive gear, just in time for the summer dive season.

1. The Demon Mask -- Boasting superior comfort and increased flexibility, the Demon claims to offer "the widest field of vision with the least amount of drag."
2. The Avanti Excel full foot fin -- Claiming to offer "greater thrust with the same effort," the Excel features a Super Channel Thrust, which facilitates optimal thrust. Moreover, Mares claims the fin's blade is angled for maximum efficiency.
3. The Vector Epic -- Sporting an elastic cummerbund, the Epic is a weight integrated jacket-style BCD, featuring the MRS Plus weight-release system.
4. The M2 computer -- Retaining the best of the M1 model, the M2 computer tosses in a few extras, including newly-designed button distribution, updated software, and a new price. It also features user-changeable AAA batteries, an increased log book capacity, Air/Nitrox/Bottom timer modes, and more.

Have you received your tax refund yet?

[Via Scuba Diving]

From Oceanic's website:

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Oceanic Worldwide of San Leandro, California, is voluntarily recalling Oceanic Versa Pro revision 2A Digital Dive Computers. While operating in the User Selected Digital Gauge Mode, displayed Elapsed Dive Time can be in excess of actual elapsed time.

Oceanic has received a report of two Versa Pro revision 2A units that experienced the offset time displayed while operating in User Selected Digital Gauge Mode. No injuries have been reported.

Oceanic Versa Pro 2A Dive Computers subject to the recall are only the revision 2A units which have serial numbers 12000 through 18176 which is located on the side of the module and can be viewed if after the front button is depressed to activate the unit, it is held depressed until the Diagnostic Mode screen completes its countdown and the Serial Number screen appears displaying the module's SN and software firmware revision (r2A). The unit will shut Off when released.

Authorized Oceanic dealers sold Versa Pro 2A modules, that were manufactured between March 21, 2003, and February 7, 2005, in wrist and console mount configuration during March 2003 through April 2006 for between $429 to $639, depending on the configuration with other instruments.

Consumers should immediately discontinue further use of Versa Pro 2A Dive Computers for User Selected Digital Gauge Mode operation (as a Depth Gauge/Timer) and take it to any Authorized Oceanic Dealer, or return it directly to the factory for an Upgrade to Versa Pro revision 2B.

Should you have any questions, please contact Oceanic's toll free Recall Helpline at (888) 854-4960 or locally at (510) 562-0500 between 8 am and 5 pm Monday through Friday Pacific Time.

X-Ray Magazine has provided excellent scuba, photo, and marine news in their downloadable magazines since February of 2004. This weekend, they released their 10^th issue. As usual, it's completely free. Also as usual, it's completely great: X-Ray is quickly proving itself to be among the best dive-related resources out there!

The 100-page issue covers recent marine discoveries at Davidson Seamount and off Saba Bank Atoll; explains why corals like the North Sea's oil rigs; reports on dive shows in Chicago, Genoa, and Moscow; and has a bunch of information about whales, sharks, turtles, and shipwrecks. There is also a lengthy section devoted to dive fashion.

In their travel section, they feature diving in Norway. Although I don't shiver with excitement at the thought of cold-water diving (actually, I just shiver), the pictures and descriptions of Nordkapp, Lofoten Islands, Trondheim and the other locations really got me pumped. They also have a fascinating feature on the Ordinskaya, the longest underwater cave in Russia. And don't skip the great sections devoted to diving in New Britain, PNG or in Hawaii. I also recommend checking out the article about whether being certified as an "advanced diver" really makes you advanced (page 57).

Finally, be sure to check out page 12 of the issue. The editors deemed our podcast with Lloyd Godson newsworthy! Thanks, guys!

The 26^th Annual London International Dive Show is scheduled for Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2, in London 's ExCel Exhibition Center. There will be over 260 exhibitors in attendance. Moreover, the Show will feature talks ranging from discussions of Baltic Wrecks to the Future of Diving. Among the many speakers at the Show will be the Chatterton/Kohler duo; John Boyle; Monty Halls; and Jean-Michel Cousteau. Ticket prices run 7.50GBP per day and gain you entrance to the exhibition halls and the guest speakers. That's a great deal.

[Thanks, Drew!]

If you're in the Boston area this weekend, don't forget to check out the Boston Sea Rovers' 52nd Annual Clinic, hosted by one of the premiere dive organizations in the world. Packed with diverse and interesting daytime seminars - ranging from The Macro World of St. Vincent to Murder on the High Seas to Why Divers Die - and an evening film festival hosted by Philippe Cousteau and showcasing Wes Skiles, Stan Waterman, Howard and Michelle Hall, and others, the weekend event sounds like it'll be as informative as it is fun.

The Sea Rovers also offer a variety of workshops, so you can get your learning on; a number of exhibitors, so you can get your spending on; and some activities for kids, so you can get your relaxation on. Tickets run $25 per day, or $40 for a two-day pass. (Fees for workshops - like those offered by Berkley White, James Wiseman, and Eric Cheng - are extra.) Gosh, I wish Boston were closer to me, so I could go!