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Mark Evans: With dive equipment, I’ve always advocated ‘buy once, buy wisely’, and urge people to get kit that will grow with them, rather than buy basic and out grow it soon into their rise up the diving ladder of skills and experience. However, it has to be said that the vast majority of people starting out on their diving journey will never venture into open-circuit technical diving or closed-circuit rebreathers, so really, they don’t need to blow a shedload of cash on an all-singing, all-dancing computer that has a whole host of features they will never, ever use or need. Many entry-level computers still boast features that would allow the user to dabble in some entry-level technical diving (I am talking multiple nitrox mixes and gauge mode) so there is still the option for them to accompany you further on your diving adventures before an upgrade becomes necessary. And that is the case with the Aqualung i330R. The i330R is the new kid on the block in the dive computer market, and I reckon it is going to give the established players a run for their money, as it is the only one under £300 with a full colour screen and a rechargeable battery.

The i330R is quite a compact unit, but with that vividly bright full-colour IPS display, it is exceptionally easy to see even in bright sunlight and bad visibility. Some full-colour screens in the past have suffered when you have been in the shallows on a sunny day, but the display on the i330R had no issues. Obviously, on a night dive, it would really pop. The screen display – with the depth at the top, no-deco time in the middle, and the max depth and dive time on the bottom – is very clear, and the bars on either side (one for showing tissue loading, and the other indicating your ascent rate) work well. There are only two buttons mounted on the right-hand side to navigate through the intuitive menus, and these can be operated wearing thick gloves. A single quick press lets you scroll through the sections, and a long press takes you into the sub-menu. When you want to return to the main screen, you press and hold both buttons in. Very easy and you can get your head around it within a couple of minutes of playing with it straight out of the box. Entry-level dive computers need to be easy to use, and I always think it is a solid fail if you need to reference the instruction booklet or digital manual to find out how to conduct basic operations.

When it comes to maximising your dive time, the i330R uses a tried-and-tested Z+ algorithm, and once you are back on the surface, you can download your dives to your phone or tablet via Bluetooth and the DiverLog+ app to make logging your dives a doddle. You can also use DiverLog+ to manage your computer settings.

Alongside that colour screen, one of the main features of the i330R is the fact that it is factory-sealed, and has a rechargeable battery,

so there are no worries about flooding it when you do a battery change – always a concern when you have a unit with a user-replaceable battery. Battery life is good – Aqualung reckons you can get 30 hours out of a charge - but you can top up the juice via the USB and magnetic charging cable as and when you need to on your dive trip. The brightness of that screen can also be dialled down if you want to extend the battery life a little more. To protect that display, a screen protector is already fitted – a nice touch, and you don’t have to faff about fitting your own and then getting air bubbles underneath. The computer is fitted with a NATO-style webbing strap rather than the convention rubber versions, or the bungee cord that is often offered as an option. I like NATO straps – they are strong and secure and they look good as well. Remember, aesthetics is important.

So, the Aqualung i330R. I have to say, for £269, it is phenomenal value for money. The fact that it has Bluetooth capabilities and offers air, nitrox, freedive and gauge modes - and in the nitrox mode can handle up to three mixes from 21-100 percent - makes it worth that price tag anyway, but once you factor in the rechargeable battery and the full-colour display, it represents even more of a bargain. To put that into perspective, to get a full-colour screen on a wrist-mounted computer previously, you would have needed to add another couple of hundred pounds on to that amount to get something like the Shearwater Research Peregrine or the Suunto EON Core. Both of these are extremely capable computers in their own right, but the i330R costs nearly half as much as their retail prices. No, it doesn’t have air-integration or a digital compass, but Aqualung had to leave some features out to keep it so keenly priced, and in my opinion, I think the benefits of that vivid, very clear display and the rechargeable battery outweigh the lack of these features. www.aqualung.com/uk

Mark Evans: The Aldebaran sounds like some main bad guy in the next Netflix fantasy drama, or maybe that winged chap from Flash Gordon, but it is actually a 150m-waterresistant dive light from Italian firm Best Divers. At first glance it looks like a standard anodised aluminium dive torch, with a plastic lantern-style handle, but a quick look around the front at the ‘business end’ shows where this differs from other lights. There are four white LEDs spaced evenly around the outer edge of the wide lens, but right in the centre there is a red LED. This ‘colour compensation’ is designed to bring back red shades to their original colour. Now, I have yet to dive this in the tropics, but even in the depths of Vivian Quarry, when we shone the torch on some of the encrusting growth on the slate walls, and the rusting remains of some of the mining equipment, it did indeed seem to bring back some of the rich colours. It will be interesting to see how it does with corals and sponges in warmer waters – watch this space for an update when that happens! Regardless of that red LED, the torch is phenomenally bright, pumping out 3,500 lumens on full power via a 14 degree beam. You get around 120 minutes on full power, but can also drop this down to half power – and then fully off – using the sliding switch. This is quite small, but can be operated with thick neoprene or even drygloves.

There is a twist mechanism to lock the switch so that the torch cannot be accidentally turned on. This is mainly for during transportation, etc, anyway, but I’d advise setting this to open before diving, especially if you are going into cold water with gloves on, as this is decidedly awkward to turn once you are gloved-up. It comes with a plastic lantern-style handle, which comfortably sits in your hand, but if you don’t want to use this, it is easily removed and you can then hold the torch itself in your grasp. It comes in a neat bright-red padded zipped case, which holds the torch itself with its lantern handle in place, a lanyard, the two batteries, the charging station and the USB charging cable. www.miflexhoseshop.co.uk

t: 01202 122006 e: info@dorsetdiving.co.uk a: 25A Ringwood Road, Poole, Dorset, BH14 0RF 5 Star PADI Dive Centre offering PADI Courses, Kit Sales, Servicing, Air Nitrox and Trimix Fills. In house IDEST test station and workshop for on site repairs. www.dorsetdiving.co.uk

t: 01305 824555 e: info@underwaterexplorers.co.uk a: Unit 1, Maritime Business Centre, Mereside, Portland, Dorset, DT5 1FD Leading Dorset dive centre stocking all major brands, air, nitrox, trimix fills, rentals and servicing beside Portland Marina and across from Chesil Beach. www.underwaterexplorers.co.uk

t: 01708 837032 e: contact@bespokescubadiving.co.uk a: Becontree Heath Leisure Centre, Althorne Way, Dagenham, Essex, RM10 7FH Our mission is to provide quality & professional scuba training in a relaxed friendly environment. www.bespokescubadiving.co.uk

t: 07841 561680 e: info@blackwaterdiving.co.uk a: 18 Lower Park Road, Loughton, Essex, IG10 4NA PADI Dive training focussed on beginners. Try Scuba Diving for £20. Private swimming pools. Learn to scuba dive with 1:1 instruction at Blackwater Diving. www.blackwaterdiving.co.uk

t: 01375 892444 e: info@diverse-scuba.co.uk a: Ye Old Plough House Motel, Brentwood Road, Bulphan, Essex, RM14 3SR Diverse Scuba are one of the leading 5 STAR PADI IDC dive centres in the UK providing scuba diving courses and services to the Essex region. www.diverse-scuba.co.uk

t: 01268 520111 e: info@orcascubadivingacademy.co.uk a: 17 Repton Close, Burnt Mills Estate, Basildon, Essex, SS13 1LN Established in 2007 the Academy a vision of Gary to deliver the very best Scuba Diving School in Essex. www.orcascubadivingacademy.co.uk

t: 01622 212022 e: scuba@blueoceandiving.co.uk a: West Park Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 7AF 5* PADI scuba diving courses and training, organised diving trips and events, scuba equipment and friendly advice based in Maidstone. www.blueoceandiving.co.uk

t: 01843 621188 e: dive@kentscuba.com a: 23 Maple Leaf Business Park, Manston, Ramsgate, Kent, CT12 5DG Scuba is our passion and we want to share that by enabling others; turning your dreams into realities. www.kentscuba.com

t: 01227 700374 e: sales@divingproducts.co.uk a: Windgates, Church Lane, Waltham, Near Canterbury, Kent, CT4 5SS Kent Tooling Diving Products produce the widest range of rebreather and diving supplies and accessories in Kent and the UK. www.divingproducts.co.uk

t: 07779 605863 e: tim@diveshack.uk.com a: 17 Station Parade, Harrogate, HG1 1UF Harrogates number 1 dive store. www.diveshack.uk.com

e: info@dive-site.co.uk a: Jackdaw Quarry, Capernwray Road, Over Kellet, Lancashire, LA6 1AD The UK’s finest inland dive site... Welcome to Capernwray, the beautiful diving venue on the edge of the Lake District. www.dive-site.co.uk

e: info@eastlancsdiving.co.uk a: Daisyfield Pool, Daisy Ln, Blackburn, BB1 5HB East Lancashire’s only PADI approved Dive Centre - Undertaking all PADI courses and Specialities from Try Dive to Professional. www.eastlancsdiving.co.uk

t: 07957 710334 e: contact@mkscubadiving.co.uk a: Unit 50A, I-Centre, Howard Way, Newport Pagnell, Milton Keynes, MK16 9PY Friendly, professional and patient PADI, SDI and TDI scuba instructors, we proudly offer you high quality service, equipment and facilities. www.mkscubadiving.co.uk

t: 01603 485000 e: info@scuba4me.co.uk a: 62 Whiffler Road, Norwich, NR3 2AY We are Norfolk’s Premier dive centre with our own on-site swimming pool and well stocked shop with the latest equipment. www.scuba4me.co.uk

t: 01332 665353 e: sales@godive.net a: Nottingham Road, Spondon, Derby, DE21 7NP Take your diving to the next level with GoDive, the UK’s first fourth element concept store. Start shopping with us today! www.godive.net

t: 01752 228825 e: info@aquanauts.co.uk a: 88 Vauxhall Street, The Barbican, Plymouth, PL4 0EY Waterfront full service centre with direct access to the best wreck and reef diving the UK has to offer. www.aquanauts.co.uk

t: 07976 526050 e: info@dreamdiversltd.co.uk a: 18-20 Greasbrough Rd, Parkgate, Rotherham, S62 6HN PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centre based in Parkgate, Rotherham. Our instructional team has been teaching PADI courses together in the Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield and surrounding areas of South Yorkshire since 2005. www.dreamdivers.co.uk

t: 01939 291303 e: severntecdiving@gmail.com a: The Glyders, Church Road, Baschurch, Shropshire, SY4 2EG We are a Scuba Diving Training Center with over 20 years experience with a multi-agency approach to scuba diving. www.severntecdiving.com

t: 01935 353525 e: info@dive.academy a: Unit 7-8 Boundary Avenue, Commerce Park, Yeovil, Somerset, BA22 8UU Somerset’s Premier. Scuba Diving Centre. Book a lesson. www.dive.academy

t: 07743 719172 e: info@scubacourses.co.uk a: Trent House, Trent Walk, Joiners Square, Hanley, Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire, ST1 3HE Offering a full range of training, servicing and expert advice. www.scubacourses.co.uk

t: 0800 699 0243 e: info@oysterdiving.com a: Maritime House, Basin Road North, Portslade, E. Sussex, BN41 1WR PADI 5-star IDC centre in London and S.E. Holidays around the world, active club and local dives. Exclusive lake in Surrey. www.oysterdiving.com

t: 07889 883232 e: info@planetdivers.co.uk a: Planet Divers, The Angling Club, Royal Parade, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 7AA A Friendly Crew, Great Diving all year round. Excellent, Fun trips UK & Abroad for all levels, non-divers welcomed. www.planetdivers.co.uk

t: 0121 706 6628 e: info@aquasportonline.com a: The Dive Centre, 50 Lincoln Road, Olton, Solihull, West Midlands, B27 6PA The only purpose built diver training centre and dive shop in the West Midlands and the only PADI Dive Centre in the whole of Greater Birmingham and Solihull. www.aquasportonline.com

t: 07920 556116 e: instructor@hotmail.co.uk a: Filton leisure Centre, Elm Park, Fiton BS34 7PS DM Scuba hold pool training sessions in Bristol, Swindon and Bath giving you plenty of choice. www.dm-scuba.co.uk

t: 01142 332995 e: info@learn2dive.co.uk a: 185 Holme Lane, Hillsborough, Sheffield, Yorkshire, S6 4JR Welcome to Diveworld, dive school, dive club, dive retail and servicing, dive travel and more, the complete scuba package. www.learn2dive.co.uk

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