O-Rings
At the Florida Dive Show, I talked to the vendor from Deep Outdoors. Rather than showcasing their newest mainstream recreational dive gear, they took an alternate approach: they were highlighting their Mini-Breather. Ranging in design from the Classic Pro to the Sport MK1 to the C-Pro, the Mini-Breathers aren’t designed with typical recreational divers in mind.

Made from denier rip stop cordura and molded EVA, MiniBs are shaped like backpacks, and all the essential gear is inside the backpack. Moreover, the air cylinder is in the horizontal position – inside the MiniB next to the ...

Here's an interesting product for all divers who want to "strengthen" their lungs and improve their breathing. That is, maybe you can't hold your breathe so well, or you have lung problems that could be alleviated if you give your lungs a little power boost. Well, I can't say for sure if it works, but the Powerbreathe, seems an interesting product. The unit runs about $70.00, and they say that if you use it twice daily for just four weeks you will improve breathing. There are three units: The Fitness Inspiratory Muscle Trainer (the blue one) expands lung capacity. The ...
Looks like steel-tank-maker Pressed Steel (PST) is in receivership and a buyer is being sought. The Milwaukee based PST has been in ligitation around moving their plant to a new location and basically owe more money than they have in the bank. 

Pressed Steel makes some of the best steel tanks available today but have had problems with keeping up with demand as of late. The company has been making tanks since 1902,  however this could be the end of Pressed Steel as a ...

In Australia recently, an aluminum scuba tank that was being stored in a garden shed exploded, splitting the tank in two and damaging the walls of the shed. Considering no one really lives in Australia, no one was injured. However, the incident prompted the Australian government to caution consumers who own 15- to 30-year-old aluminum tanks. Many of the tanks manufactured during this time were made of aluminum alloy 6351, a material that is susceptible to sustained load cracking.

Of course, the chance that you will be injured by an exploding cylinder is pretty minimal. Nevertheless, if you think the old ...

This month, Dennis Y. O'Hair was set to face trial for first-degree murder. He had been charged with killing Jason Schulwitz who investigators found bound, beaten and stuffed into a garbage can in the back of his Ford Expedition in December, 1999. Officials believe Schulwitz had failed to repay Colombians who supplied him with counterfeit money and cocaine, and O'Hair was dispatched to exact revenge. However, due to insufficient evidence, and the death of the lead investigator, charges against O'Hair have been dropped.

According to the U.S. attorney's office, Schulwitz transported at least 70 pounds of cocaine and $225,000 in ...

BCD systems, jackets
Halcyon Voluntary Recall of Select Explorer 40 BC's (Serial Numbers Listed Below)

Halcyon Manufacturing has identified a very small number of Halcyon Explorer-40 BC's sold after July 2005 that could develop problems over time. In these few units it is possible that the over pressure valve (OPV) could ...
Diving Computers

X-Ray Magazine has provided excellent scuba, photo, and marine news in their downloadable magazines since February of 2004. This weekend, they released their 10th 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 ...

Masks, Fins, Snorkles

If you don't have the luxury of a large gear bag when you travel, saving space might be important to you. In that case, you might want to consider a folding mask. Although they don't feature a hinge that really "folds" them in half, folding masks are masks that lay down ...

Other

Do you scuba dive with a bunch of shady characters? Do you feel uncomfortable leaving cash or other important documents on the boat when you get wet? If so, maybe the Aqua Roo is for you. Fashioned from abrasion-resistant ripstop double-coated nylon, the Aqua Roo is a fully submersible waistbelt ...

Regulators
Taking care of your regulator is one of the most important duties you can perform. For some, this might be a breeze. For the rest of us, who are a bit behind the technical curve, Mares has a nice write-up concerning how to care for your reg. From routine maintenance ...
Swimming Suits

Most wetsuits are made from a few large pieces of rubber that are cut to resemble the human form. They are then stretched to fit a "person" and stitched together. Wetsuits made in this fashion often lack durability: the seams are stressed from holding together the large pieces of material that are stretched over a person's body. However, if ...

Video

Olympus released their 7.5 megapixel Live View digital E-330 SLR this year to much hoopla. The first SLR camera to offer the ability for users to see an image on the LCD before the shutter is depressed, the E-330 is, well, revolutionary. Recently, Jeff Mullins, owner of Tulamben's Reef Wreck ...