have shifted back from the Saddleback Leather Water bag to Scuba equipment haha
You must be thinking i am crazy, but trust me this is a tough one
I would not get a leather bag to take on a boat. They take a lot of abuse and more often than not ride under the seat so get completely soaked. And Salt water stained as they dry. Many dive specific bags are made of strong cordura nylon mesh - some have dry pockets in them also for things like your wallet, phone etc.
LeisurePro lists a bunch of them. Typically there's a harder bag used to transport your gear on flights, a softer mesh boat-only bag that takes all of it onto the boat - and can be folded up and stowed, and all sorts of smaller specialized bags - for regulators, weights etc. And an infinite number of hard cases made by companies like Pelican to protect cameras, dive computers and more fragile gear. Space is limited on most boats so the more collapsible/configurable, the more useful.
1. Torid Pulse sounds like a real fun thing. I am sure he'd love to use it. Is the one offered by LeisurePro the best one in the market? If no, could you please suggest one from the most reputable and durable brand?
It's the only one made currently. H2Oddyssey is a reputable company and this is the first time they've marketed something like it. It's a very simple mechanism internally and being metal it's probably very reliable:
H2Odyssey has been supplying the diving industry since 1986 and has built a solid reputation.
As the other poster mentioned, I never even thought of using it as a student signaling device. Both the ring hitting them and the click when it's fired should get someone's attention pretty easily. There's also options for devices that go inline on your inflator hose that make quacks, beeps, and even horn noises at the surface to alert boats. But that would be hard to know if he already has one. As an instructor, it's likely he does.
2. Nautilus Lifeline is something that will keep him safe and that is something i'd definitely want to buy him. So i'd repeat my question. Is the one offered by LeisurePro the best one in the market? If no, could you please suggest one from the most reputable and durable brand?
That's really about the only one using that
exact technology in that price range. There are similar things on the market - called PLB's (Personal Locator Beacon) or EPIRB's (Emergency Personal Indicating Radio Beacon) some of those are portable and can be used by divers also. The one advantage the Nautilus has it that it has the option to work over Marine Radio frequencies so in effect divers floating can "call their boat" for pickup if they get separated. The PLB's/EPIRB's are more of a last ditch - I want the Coast Guard or other emergency rescue services to find me. They use them on boats to rescue people who fall overboard. They're all typically going to be more expensive - closer to $500. McMurdo is one company that sells them, there's others. Google it.
The Nautilus is the first one specifically designed for diver use. I can't speak to the reliability but a search here will turn up a few posts from people who have/have used one. I personally have never held one - they're only about 3-4 years old IIRC. Nautilus has a mfr's forum here on SB so there might be more info there.
3. Could you suggest the best polarized glasses? The best brand and the best glasses?
Oakley's and Bolla's are really popular with sportfishermen as they allow them to cut the glare and see into the water. I think that would be useful for divers also. I personally like Serengeti's but they have a different technology. Some Serengeti's come with Polarized Lenses but the ones I like for boats are the Photochromic Gradient lens models. Ever had your eyes get tired from squinting in the Sun for long periods of time? That's precisely what they fix. On a dive boat you're often the tallest thing for miles. Since many are also white the reflections can be tiring. Pilots use Serengeti's and Ray-Bans for the same reason.
One more thing, you are a Scuba diver yourself so you'd be able to answer this better. Do you think he'll like a torid-pulse or a nautilus lifeline as a gift? Would you like it if you were gifted one?
If I had a Torid Pulse, what I would likely do with it is try to sneak it on the boat and into the water then ambush my friends with it. Since I dive with the same group usually, that's going to get old fast. Might be fun with kids in a pool occasionally.
I can't speak to the Nautilus as I personally have no plans to own one. But I have very good navigation skills and never
expect to allow myself into a position where I'd need one. I've been in situations where you might - surfacing farther downrange from a boat than expected. But I just waited to be picked up. Or started calculating how long it would take to reach the nearest shore...
From the standpoint of showing concern for his well-being - it would have to be the choice.
One other thing to consider is that if he works in a shop, they likely provide some safety gear and cameras for his use. I don't think many have the Torid Pulse yet though...
