Nick.Lucey
Series Host
Rate a destination and enter now!
Enter today and you could win one of 11 exciting gear prizes, just by telling us about your last dive vacation.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER: www.scubadiving.com/top_100
Give us your opinions on any destination you've visited in the last three years. Each complete survey you fill out gives you another chance to win one of these prizes:
Scubapro MK25 S600 regulator
Scubapro's top performing balanced piston first stage, the MK25, paired with its best-selling high-performance air balanced second stage, the S600, is the ultimate regulator combination. The S600 truly matches the MK25's characteristics and, thanks to its adjustment possibilities, it adapts to all diving conditions and all diver preferences. Ease of breathing is the essence of this system: The balanced flow valve provides constant and effortless air flow; the diver-adjustable inhalation control enables personal adjustment of breathing effort; the diver-adjustable Venturi Initiated Vacuum Assist (VIVA) dive/pre-dive control switch and extra high flow exhaust valve make for easy breathing; and the super-flow hose provides for smooth air delivery. In addition, the precision molded, lightweight components, and anti-freeze materials provide high corrosion resistance and enhance cold-water performance. Retail Value: $682.
Mares Pegasus BC
The Pegasus is a simple, low-profile rig that's got the travel angle covered by weighing in under 8 pounds, and with its streamlined back-buoyancy air cell and efficient harness system, it's very comfortablealmost like you're not wearing a BC at all. A nice shoulder-strap design and dual-position sternum straps offers snug stability. The Pegasus features a removable parachute-style crotch strap that fits around the thighs for added stability, knife attachment grommets, roll-up zippered pocket, two D-rings and a dual position hose clip to secure equipment and accessories. It's also a full-featured BC with the MRS-Plus weight-release system and a bungee-retracted air cell with up to 45 pounds of lift. The power inflator has an ergonomic shape that fits well in the hand and an efficient pull-dump exhaust. The alternate shoulder dump on the right side has a large toggle near the chest strap that's easy to find. Retail Value: $425.
Mares Cruise Journey Backpack, Cruise Office & Cruise Backpack Pro
Though not designed by Mares as a complete luggage combo, these bags can be combined for a unique three-bag approach to dive traveling, allowing you to split the packing loadand the weightof your packed items. You can split your carry-on gear between the Cruise Journey and Cruise Office and use the Cruise Backpack Pro for your checked-bag gear. Retail Prices: Cruise Journey Backpack, $100; Cruise Office, $70; Cruise Backpack Pro, $240.
Mares Cruise Roller Bag
Mares new full-sized Cruise Roller Bag fits plenty of dive gear, but when you don't need it, it folds to a size not much larger than a briefcase. It weighs only eight pounds empty, so you can pack plenty of gear into its roomy main compartment, two fin pockets and two lid compartments without tipping baggage scales. The main compartment easily holds an entire complement of dive gear, leaving the extra-large lower lid compartment for clothes and the smaller upper lid compartment, which is removable, for items you want to keep with you once the big bag is checked. When rolling isn't practical, the bag comes with a pair of backpack straps that stow in a padded sleeve. Retail Value: $180.
Scubapro Caravan Rolling Duffel
The Caravan is a rolling duffel designed for air travel, and will make sure your gear arrives safely. The bag has soft sides, a rigid back and base and a variety of handles and straps for lifting and carrying. But most important, it holds a lot of stuff in a humongous main compartment and a detachable backpack that zips onto the top end of the bag. The main compartment easily accepts a full complement of tropical-weight dive gear plus T-shirts, shorts and sandals while still coming in under the common 50-pound weight limit. Retail Value: $189.
Scubapro White Tip Knife
The perfect compact, BC-mounted back-up cutter. Only six inches overall, it comes with a 2.5-inch blade offering an inch of serrated edge, an inch of plain edge, and an angled tanto tip that's nicely blunted right at the tip. The blade and handle are made from a single length of 304-grade hard-tempered stainless-steelthe handle portion is over-molded to provide an easy grip. The sheath offers a push-button release button that keeps the knife secure until needed. The White Tip comes in a kit complete with hardware to mount to a hose, a strap or a BC. The sheath also has slots for threading a pair of rubber straps for mounting on an arm or leg. For added security, there's a hole in the handle for a lanyard. Retail Value: $58.
Atomic Aquatics Frameless Mask
This mask fits great, has a wide field of view, great squeeze-tab buckles, and it folds up flat in a cool low-profile case. The shape of the lens was computer designed to maximize field of view both side to side, measuring an impressive 85 degrees of horizontal vision and 75 degrees vertical. In terms of in-water performance, Atomic's choice of top-shelf materials has a number of benefits. The lens is made of UltraClear tempered glass, which reduces distortion and improves light transmission resulting in better visibility. Bonus: The soft silicone skirt with wide double-seal edge sticks to your face like a magnet. The nose pocket is roomy, too. Retail Value: $99.
Atomic Aquatics Smoke on the Water fins
This impressive new fin gets its name from the smoky transparent panels on its long split blades. They are a bit more flexible than previous versions of the Atomic Splitfin, but in our 2007 ScubaLab Fin Test, they also generated the highest thrust measurement, tied for the fastest speed score among open-heel fins and slashed through the slalom course with a top-three performance. Bonus: They come with heavy-duty stainless steel spring straps that make donning and doffing these fins a breeze. Retail Value: $249.
Atomic Aquatics SV1 Snorkel
New from Atomic, the SV1 shows there's more engineering than one might think behind the humble snorkel. SV stands for scupper valve and inside the SV1 snorkel, just behind the mouthpiece, there's a one-way flap valve inside an internal tube that lets water pass through the snorkel and collect in a self-draining lower reservoir without obstructing the breathing passage. The tube is oblong-shaped for improved hydrodynamics, while a rotating mouthpiece chamber and a sliding snorkel keeper allow you to position the snorkel just so. Retail Value: $54.99.
Akona AKB176 Roller Carry-On
The AKB176 is the perfect carry-on bag and boasts a fully padded main compartment and a lower front lid compartment shaped to accommodate Akona's optional regulator bag. The smaller, upper front lid pocket has a built-in organizer for cell phone and other extras, plus offers easy access for a TSA-approved toiletries bag. Retail Value: AKB176 Roller Carry-On, $120.
Akona AKB188 <10 lbs. Bag
This Akona bag is perfect for all the items you plan to check. It's lightly padded with a large main compartment, two side pockets, internal mesh pocket and deep front lid pocket, all designed to comfortably fit everything you're checking and stay within airlines' weight restrictions. AKB188 <10 lbs. Bag, $165.
Note: All prizes will be awarded by random drawing from the pool of completed surveys filled out before October 15 that contain a valid e-mail address. Winners will be notified by e-mail and must consent to have their full name, city and state published in Scuba Diving magazine and on ScubaDiving.com.
Enter today and you could win one of 11 exciting gear prizes, just by telling us about your last dive vacation.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER: www.scubadiving.com/top_100
Give us your opinions on any destination you've visited in the last three years. Each complete survey you fill out gives you another chance to win one of these prizes:
Scubapro MK25 S600 regulator
Scubapro's top performing balanced piston first stage, the MK25, paired with its best-selling high-performance air balanced second stage, the S600, is the ultimate regulator combination. The S600 truly matches the MK25's characteristics and, thanks to its adjustment possibilities, it adapts to all diving conditions and all diver preferences. Ease of breathing is the essence of this system: The balanced flow valve provides constant and effortless air flow; the diver-adjustable inhalation control enables personal adjustment of breathing effort; the diver-adjustable Venturi Initiated Vacuum Assist (VIVA) dive/pre-dive control switch and extra high flow exhaust valve make for easy breathing; and the super-flow hose provides for smooth air delivery. In addition, the precision molded, lightweight components, and anti-freeze materials provide high corrosion resistance and enhance cold-water performance. Retail Value: $682.
Mares Pegasus BC
The Pegasus is a simple, low-profile rig that's got the travel angle covered by weighing in under 8 pounds, and with its streamlined back-buoyancy air cell and efficient harness system, it's very comfortablealmost like you're not wearing a BC at all. A nice shoulder-strap design and dual-position sternum straps offers snug stability. The Pegasus features a removable parachute-style crotch strap that fits around the thighs for added stability, knife attachment grommets, roll-up zippered pocket, two D-rings and a dual position hose clip to secure equipment and accessories. It's also a full-featured BC with the MRS-Plus weight-release system and a bungee-retracted air cell with up to 45 pounds of lift. The power inflator has an ergonomic shape that fits well in the hand and an efficient pull-dump exhaust. The alternate shoulder dump on the right side has a large toggle near the chest strap that's easy to find. Retail Value: $425.
Mares Cruise Journey Backpack, Cruise Office & Cruise Backpack Pro
Though not designed by Mares as a complete luggage combo, these bags can be combined for a unique three-bag approach to dive traveling, allowing you to split the packing loadand the weightof your packed items. You can split your carry-on gear between the Cruise Journey and Cruise Office and use the Cruise Backpack Pro for your checked-bag gear. Retail Prices: Cruise Journey Backpack, $100; Cruise Office, $70; Cruise Backpack Pro, $240.
Mares Cruise Roller Bag
Mares new full-sized Cruise Roller Bag fits plenty of dive gear, but when you don't need it, it folds to a size not much larger than a briefcase. It weighs only eight pounds empty, so you can pack plenty of gear into its roomy main compartment, two fin pockets and two lid compartments without tipping baggage scales. The main compartment easily holds an entire complement of dive gear, leaving the extra-large lower lid compartment for clothes and the smaller upper lid compartment, which is removable, for items you want to keep with you once the big bag is checked. When rolling isn't practical, the bag comes with a pair of backpack straps that stow in a padded sleeve. Retail Value: $180.
Scubapro Caravan Rolling Duffel
The Caravan is a rolling duffel designed for air travel, and will make sure your gear arrives safely. The bag has soft sides, a rigid back and base and a variety of handles and straps for lifting and carrying. But most important, it holds a lot of stuff in a humongous main compartment and a detachable backpack that zips onto the top end of the bag. The main compartment easily accepts a full complement of tropical-weight dive gear plus T-shirts, shorts and sandals while still coming in under the common 50-pound weight limit. Retail Value: $189.
Scubapro White Tip Knife
The perfect compact, BC-mounted back-up cutter. Only six inches overall, it comes with a 2.5-inch blade offering an inch of serrated edge, an inch of plain edge, and an angled tanto tip that's nicely blunted right at the tip. The blade and handle are made from a single length of 304-grade hard-tempered stainless-steelthe handle portion is over-molded to provide an easy grip. The sheath offers a push-button release button that keeps the knife secure until needed. The White Tip comes in a kit complete with hardware to mount to a hose, a strap or a BC. The sheath also has slots for threading a pair of rubber straps for mounting on an arm or leg. For added security, there's a hole in the handle for a lanyard. Retail Value: $58.
Atomic Aquatics Frameless Mask
This mask fits great, has a wide field of view, great squeeze-tab buckles, and it folds up flat in a cool low-profile case. The shape of the lens was computer designed to maximize field of view both side to side, measuring an impressive 85 degrees of horizontal vision and 75 degrees vertical. In terms of in-water performance, Atomic's choice of top-shelf materials has a number of benefits. The lens is made of UltraClear tempered glass, which reduces distortion and improves light transmission resulting in better visibility. Bonus: The soft silicone skirt with wide double-seal edge sticks to your face like a magnet. The nose pocket is roomy, too. Retail Value: $99.
Atomic Aquatics Smoke on the Water fins
This impressive new fin gets its name from the smoky transparent panels on its long split blades. They are a bit more flexible than previous versions of the Atomic Splitfin, but in our 2007 ScubaLab Fin Test, they also generated the highest thrust measurement, tied for the fastest speed score among open-heel fins and slashed through the slalom course with a top-three performance. Bonus: They come with heavy-duty stainless steel spring straps that make donning and doffing these fins a breeze. Retail Value: $249.
Atomic Aquatics SV1 Snorkel
New from Atomic, the SV1 shows there's more engineering than one might think behind the humble snorkel. SV stands for scupper valve and inside the SV1 snorkel, just behind the mouthpiece, there's a one-way flap valve inside an internal tube that lets water pass through the snorkel and collect in a self-draining lower reservoir without obstructing the breathing passage. The tube is oblong-shaped for improved hydrodynamics, while a rotating mouthpiece chamber and a sliding snorkel keeper allow you to position the snorkel just so. Retail Value: $54.99.
Akona AKB176 Roller Carry-On
The AKB176 is the perfect carry-on bag and boasts a fully padded main compartment and a lower front lid compartment shaped to accommodate Akona's optional regulator bag. The smaller, upper front lid pocket has a built-in organizer for cell phone and other extras, plus offers easy access for a TSA-approved toiletries bag. Retail Value: AKB176 Roller Carry-On, $120.
Akona AKB188 <10 lbs. Bag
This Akona bag is perfect for all the items you plan to check. It's lightly padded with a large main compartment, two side pockets, internal mesh pocket and deep front lid pocket, all designed to comfortably fit everything you're checking and stay within airlines' weight restrictions. AKB188 <10 lbs. Bag, $165.
Note: All prizes will be awarded by random drawing from the pool of completed surveys filled out before October 15 that contain a valid e-mail address. Winners will be notified by e-mail and must consent to have their full name, city and state published in Scuba Diving magazine and on ScubaDiving.com.
