What has changed in the Scuba industry in the last 10-15 years?

[BoltSnap]

I'm just starting to get back into diving after a 15 year break and I'm curious how things have changed in the scuba industry in the last decade in a half? I started diving in 2006, stopped in 2008 and am just now getting back into it. So...what did I miss?

I'm curious on any advancements/changes in gear, technique, computers (I'm loving all the wristwatch styles that seem to be available now), and understanding where the industry has headed the last few years. Are split fins still a thing? Is the DIR method still around? Any and all insights are welcome - thank you in advance!

A couple of years ago technology was developed to fill tanks with air through USB connections from computers with Windows O/S. A Mac version isn't expected since MacIntrash O/S isn't considered a real O/S. Nitrox and He fills will be added in coming versions.

 

[Cheizz]

A couple of years ago technology was developed to fill tanks with air through USB connections from computers with Windows O/S. A Mac version isn't expected since MacIntrash O/S isn't considered a real O/S. Nitrox and He fills will be added in coming versions.

I fill my tanks through an open-source app. Do you still need to physically connect stuff? DUDE!

 

[BoltSnap]

I fill my tanks through an open-source app. Do you still need to physically connect stuff? DUDE!

USB wireless transmitter!!!

 

[Johnoly]

... For a large open water operation, they are just better.

Especially the Pneumatic fill whips where you don't have to spend time screwing and tightening the yoke knob both on & off. When filling 40 tanks that just came off a boat, it's a HUGE time saver. I was a former tank filler.

 

[broncobowsher]

Especially the Pneumatic fill whips where you don't have to spend time screwing and tightening the yoke knob both on & off. When filling 40 tanks that just came off a boat, it's a HUGE time saver. I was a former tank filler.

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Pretty sure I have seen one for DIN in the parts catalog, but have not seen one in the field.

 

[Nick_Radov]

DIR is still a thing, with GUE, ISE, and UTD as the main agencies teaching that approach. I think backplate / wing setups are much more common outside pure DIR practitioners, too. We've now got Carbon Fiber travel backplates coming in under 1lb, to make even the traveling diver happy! It's possible the hose routing and approach to lift cord management might've changed a bit, as did some of the drills.

Most DIR divers now route the primary regulator long hose down in front of the wing rather than behind as was common 15 years ago. This is due to the popularity of donut style wings which extend below the bottom of their tanks, as well as the port positions on popular 1st-stage regulators.
Some DIR divers no longer carry cannister lights because handheld LED primary lights are bright enough (at least for short dives). If they don't have a waist mounted battery cannister then they'll stick a plastic rod or long lead weight on the right waist strap just to have something to hold the long hose down in place.
There was a brief period around 15 years ago when some DIR divers routed the light cord under the long hose in order to keep the long hose clear for donating gas. But that created more problems than it solved due to the risk of accidentally trapping the long hose when clipping off the light head and is no longer considered good practice. And, of course, with handheld LED lights there's no cord at all.

 

[Tracy]

Pretty sure I have seen one for DIN in the parts catalog, but have not seen one in the field.

I have them. They work very well. It is the DIN valves themselves that are fragile in a large commercial operation.

 

[Belzelbub]

I fill my tanks through an open-source app. Do you still need to physically connect stuff? DUDE!

I'm Beta testing an update to iOS using Airdrop functionality to fill my tanks. So far works pretty well up to EAN50.

 

[Nick_Radov]

Another new thing in the past 15 years is that radio surface signaling devices are now affordable and fairly common.

• The Nautilus Lifeline can transmit a distress signal with GPS coordinates on the marine VHF band to nearby boats and search aircraft. Those are cheap enough that every diver ought to have one. It's a one-time expense with no subscription fees.
• The Garmin inReach Mini 2 with a dive case is more expensive and requires a network service subscription. But it's a lot more capable than the Lifeline since it can communicate with the Iridium satellite constellation from almost anywhere in the world and supports bidirectional text messaging. So, you can call for a rescue even if you've drifted far away from the dive boat.
• The latest Apple iPhone 14 has a built-in Emergency SOS feature which supports bidirectional messaging with the Globalstar satellite constellation. There are dive cases available.
• There are also personal locator beacons (PLB) available for diving use which can send satellite distress signals. Those haven't been very popular with divers but remain an option.

With all of those signaling options available now there should be no reason for a diver to ever be lost at sea again.

 

[Belzelbub]

With all of those signaling options available now there should be no reason for a diver to ever be lost at sea again.

True. There should be no reason, and there really is no good reason, but I'm not holding my breath on this.

I carry a Nautilus Lifeline with me on every boat dive. I have it, so it's easy to do. I've never seen another diver with one, so I know it's still somewhat rare. It will still take some time for this to become the norm.

As an example most boats are equipped with VHF radios. For quite some time now, these radios were required to have ASC functionality. ASC can transmit a distress signal including GPS coordinates to nearby boats and the CG. That only works if the VHF is properly connected to a GPS device, or has an on-board GPS receiver. The vast majority of boats did not have their VHF and Chartplotters connected. It's still true today despite it being a lot easier to connect today. Just about all current VHFs and Chartplotters have NMEA 2000 at a minimum. That's essentially plug and play if the backbone is set up. Older models used NMEA 0183, which was admittedly more difficult as there was no color standard with 0183, so you had to look up which colors were for TX and which were for RX to connect.

Likewise, EPIRBs are fairly cheap now. I'll certainly spend a lot more filling my boat's fuel tank than an EPIRB costs, yet we still hear about boaters going missing, when they likely would be quickly rescued if they had an EPIRB.