Test Extra

Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine

APEKS EXOTEC | SRP: £747

Mark Evans: Backplate-and-wings are all en vogue right now, but many people do not want to go down that route and still like the feel and familiarity of more-traditional BCDs. Backinflate BCDs provide a combination of the better aspects of both jacket-style BCDs and backplate-and-wing set-ups – if you aren’t planning on heading down the technical route in the future (obviously BPW are modular and can be adapted for twinsets, etc), and want all the comfort and features of a jacket without the bulk, they are well worth considering.

Enter the Apeks Exotec. The Exotec represents an evolution from the long-standing Apeks Black Ice backinflate BCD, but thanks to its eye-catching orange anodised aluminium finishings and features – which seamlessly match with other Apeks products, such as the torches, spools, reels, etc - combined with slick, hard-wearing Armoguard bladder, it certainly looks ready for the modern era. You can get it with more-subtle grey anodised aluminium fittings if you are a bit of a shrinking violet.

While it has evolved from the venerable Black Ice, there is much that is brand new on the Exotec, chiefly the BioReact articulation point behind the lumbar support. We are all used to BCDs having rigid backplates, but with the Exotec, the upper part of the backplate can move independently to the lower part, pivoting on the BioReact joint. What this means is an unparalleled ability to bend and twist into all sorts of positions you would not normally contemplate while wearing dive kit. Now we aren’t all going to be playing Twister when going diving, but in reality, what this innovation offers is a high degree of comfort both topside and in the water. For example, I could bend sideways to pick up my camera and the upper part of the Exotec went with me, while the lumbar support stayed solidly in place. Underwater, I was also able to bend and flex with no hinderance.

The comfort and performance of the Exotec on the surface was showcased as we walked through the car park to the water’s edge at Capernwray. My buddy in his BPW was bent slightly forwards as he walked, whereas I was upright, the weight of the cylinder comfortably sitting on the lumbar support. So-called GripTek fabric helps keep the BCD in place as well.

Underwater, the Exotec is also extremely efficient, holding you in a nice flat trim position, but equally allowing you to turn on your side and hold that position without it overly

trying to force you back into trim. Useful if you are swimming alongside someone or something and trying to photograph or video them. The bungee system on the bladder keeps it tucked in nice and snug to reduce drag, and the chance of snagging on hazards if you are ferreting around in a shipwreck.

Like the Black Ice, there is the ability to personalise the fit of the BCD – undo four nuts and you can adjust between medium and large around the waist, which is handy if you need to swap from bulky drysuit to rashguard and board shorts. The backplate also has three different height positions to allow for optimum fit. The aforementioned Armoguard is not only hard-wearing and looks cool with its slick finish, as I found out it also dries extremely quickly – very handy when you are abroad and want your kit bone dry before flying home. I have often had to balance the padded backpad of my Transpac II on top of a door in front of the aircon unit to try and eke the last bits of moisture out of it.

I also mentioned the nifty anodised aluminium fittings before too. There is a proliferation of D-rings as per the norm, but on the chest strap, there is a neat G-hook, which allows for simple one-handed operation. There is another of these hooks on the upper tank retainer strap. They are simple to hook into place, but once there is a bit of tension on them, they will not undo unless you want them to.

While there are more than enough D-rings to attach all manner of accessories, you probably don’t want to look like a Christmas tree, so the Exotec also features two relatively large drop-down pockets on either side of the waist strap. When not in use, these fold up and Velcro closed out of the way, but opened up, they are big enough for a spool and small DSMB, or a back-up torch.

The Exotec is fitted with Aqualung’s tried-and-tested Surelock integrated weight system, but even here, they have upped the ante. The Surelock pockets have anodised aluminium handles rather than the usual plastic ones which match with the rest of the fittings. The Surelock system is one of the most-secure on the market – a definite ‘click’ tells you the pocket is solidly in place, and then it will only release when you grab the handle and give it a good tug. There are also two non-dumpable trim weight pockets tucked neatly behind the Surelock holders. Controlling your buoyancy in the Exotec is simple, as there is a pull dump on the right-hand shoulder, and two on the bottom of the wing on either side. At first glance this might appear overkill, but I like have the two dumps on the bottom of the wing as it means you can reach back and tweak your buoyancy with either hand if the other one happens to be occupied. These flat valves are very streamlined compared with normal dump valves, but they vent rapidly when needed. The Powerline inflator sits comfortably in your hand and can fill the Exotec swiftly.

The Exotec is well-made, looks great and performs exceptionally well. It isn’t too heavy, so would suit the travelling diver as well as those heading off to local waters. This is a fully featured, high-spec back-inflate BCD, akin to the Scubapro Hydros Pro, and the price point reflects this, however, you do get a serious bit of kit for your money, so if you are hankering for something different to your jacket-style BCD, but don’t want to venture into the realm of backplate-and-wing, this is well worth some consideration. You have all of the familiar jacket features – pull dumps, adjustable shoulder and chest straps, pockets, integrated weights – but with the benefit of less-clutter up front and all your buoyancy around the cylinder. www.apeksdiving.com

Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine

SEALIFE SPORT DIVER HOUSING | SRP: £295

Nigel Marsh: Underwater photography is extremely rewarding, but it can also be very frustrating. Wouldn’t it be great if underwater photography was as simply as using your smartphone? Well, it can be with the SeaLife Sportdiver smartphone housing. SeaLife is an American company formed in the early 1990s, with their goal being, as stated on their website – ‘to offer an easy and fun way to capture undersea wildlife and underwater memories in an easy, uncomplicated way’. And they have certainly achieved their goal with this smartphone housing.

When I first heard about this housing, I can honestly say I was a little dubious. I questioned who would want to risk losing their data and contacts if you had a flood and also how would a smartphone even work in a housing with its limited buttons? I soon discovered how SeaLife solved these problems when I was sent a Sport Diver smartphone housing by their Australian distributor Underwater.com to give it a test run. Straight out of the box I was very impressed with the simple and smart design of the housing. It is rated to 40m, made of a tough polycarbonate and feels solid in the hand. And best of all, the one housing fits almost any make of smartphone.

The housing has only one O-ring, only four buttons to control the phone and a simply lever shutter release. Opening it up, via the locking mechanism on the door latch, inside I found an adjustable cradle for the phone, and very importantly, a vacuum seal system. This vacuum seal, along with a moisture detector, keeps your phone safe from a potential flood. Issue one solved.

So how do you control the phone in the housing? SeaLife solved this issue with an app, that is downloaded in seconds. Once downloaded, the app takes control of your phone, making sure it doesn’t shutdown while in the housing. It also tells you its time to load it into the housing and do the vacuum seal. Three pumps, and three minutes later, the housing was ready to be used, with a green LED indicating the housing was watertight. A blue LED also told me the housing and phone were connected via Bluetooth.

The housing was now ready to go, displaying four icons on the left (photo, video, settings and preview/playback) and five on the right (phone power, housing power, video mode, zoom and Bluetooth). These are controlled by the four buttons on the back of the housing – mode, up-arrow, downarrow and OK. Very simple.

I had a quick play and found the buttons easy to use and camera settings simple to navigate. In the settings I was very surprised by the amount of control the system gives you. You can simply use auto, but the app allows you to set shutter speed, ISO, exposure, white balance, photo resolution, video resolution and a few other functions. The shutter release works smoothly and is used for both photos

Each issue, the Scuba Diver test team bring you the latest product and equipment releases from the dive industry. Cannot wait for the next edition? Keep up-to-date with all the latest gear news and reviews by heading over to the Scuba Diver YouTube channel! www.youtube.com/ScubaDiverMagazine

SEALIFE SPORT DIVER HOUSING | SRP: £295

and video. The only thing the Sport Diver app doesn’t allow you to use is the phone’s flash. This is actually a smart move by SeaLife, as it forces you to use an external light source, meaning less chance of backscatter and better images. For my test dive I joined Scuba World for a double dive on HMAS Brisbane, off Mooloolaba, Queensland with the Sealife housing set-up with a small video light. Once underwater I quickly had the housing and smartphone running through its paces, snapping off images of stationary reef fish. With these subjects it performed well. It didn’t work quite as well with moving fish subjects, due to the slight shutter delay on the phone. But I still managed to get some acceptable images. I also found the zoom function worked smoothly and switching between photo and video mode was simple.

I avoided the auto settings and played with the shutter speed to control the light, and found it worked perfect with excellent exposure. The good thing with this set-up is the display shows you exactly what you will get, adjusting as you change the shutter speed, getting lighter or darker.

The main issue I found was due to the smartphone, not the housing, with the focusing a little out at times and not great on macro subjects. Downloading the images, I found around 20% were out of focus. I think this was more a case of me not giving it enough time to focus, and I am sure this would improve with practise. I only found two minor issues with the housing. For an old diver like me the display was a little small and hard to read, and holding the housing I found my palm pushed the rear buttons by accident. Both these things are easily solved - by me getting a prescription mask, and with a handle on the right to hold the housing.

I got some great images on my test dive that surprised even me. I found the SeaLife Sport Diver smartphone housing easy to use and would recommend it to any diver looking for a simple and cost-effective underwater camera. www.sealife-cameras.com

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: 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: 07724 412161 | e: info@scuba2000.org.uk a: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Leisure Centre, 50 Duns Lane, Leicester, LE3 5LX Learn to dive or build confidence, experience and skills. Family-friendly, small groups (2:1) and a ‘no-rush’ approach. 1:1 coaching available. www.scuba2000.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

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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: Seventec Diving, Unit 1J, Leaton Industrial Estate, Shrewsbury SY4 3AP We are a Scuba Diving Training Center with over 20 years experience with a multi-agency approach to scuba diving. www.severntecdiving.com

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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

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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: 07967 733764 e: info@belowthesurface.co.uk a: 26 Albert Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, HX7 8AH A PADI 5 star centre with over 30 years’ experience, we teach in small groups & at your pace. www.belowthesurface.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

Recreational, Instructor, and Technical Dive Logs Custom Dive Logs Log Book Stamps Gear ScubaTags Compact Lightweight Binders Custom Dive Slates Dive Maps Fish Identification Certification C Card Holders

Third time lucky for Mark Evans and son Luke on their quest to dive with Lundy’s seals.

We chat to the ‘shark whisperer’, about the men in grey suits, as well as her mastery of cave diving.

North America Editor Walt Stearns offers some sage hints and advice on how best to dive all three of the Cayman Islands, and top sites to visit.

Beth Sadler sees in her 16th birthday with style on a freediving course with Andy Torbet in Cornwall.

Leigh Bishop explores the magnificent ocean liner lying in the depths off Greece.

Editorial Director Mark Evans dives the Tecline Peanut wing and Garmin G1 dive computer.