There’s one thing us scuba divers all have in common, we LOVE new shiny dive gear! New technology, improved design, pioneer pieces, we love it all! Together with Mikes Dive Store we have put together some of our favorite new pieces of dive gear from 2021 so far! Which piece of scuba dive equipment is in your basket?
Atomic Aquatics T25 Limited Edition Anniversary Regulator
Talking about shiny, this has to be the shinest one yet! But, of course, it’s not all about what it looks like! The new T25 regulator holds a serious punch! Director Dean Garraffa – who has a solid background in engineering – built himself a “present” for the company’s 25th anniversary. It comes in the form of the T25 limited-edition anniversary regulator. Titanium is lighter and stronger than brass or stainless steel. It is also corrosion resistant. In 1996 Atomic built the world’s first titanium regulator. Now 25 years later, a highly evolved version of the company’s iconic T3 all-titanium regulator is hitting the market in the form of the T25. Atomic say, “We Broke All The Rules. Again.”
T25 FIRST STAGE FEATURES
- Precision-machined from solid Titanium alloy billet.
- Anniversary T25 engraving.
- Limited-edition serial number.
- Burnt titanium color finish.
- Minimalist yoke design is optimized to use the least amount of material for the lightest weight possible.
- Atomic exclusive balanced Jet Seat high-flow piston.
- Freeze-protected and factory-sealed to prevent outside contamination from silt and sand.
- Nitrox ready – approved for non-dedicated EAN use with mixtures up to 40%. Ports: 2 HP fixed / 5 LP on swivel cap.
Waterproof W7 7mm Women’s Wetsuit
Talking to Girls that Scuba about wetsuits is like talking to a kid about Christmas; we get excited and we don’t stop talking! So we LOVE a new warm women’s wetsuit on the market!
The W7 7mm suit is made from extremely soft, flexible Neoflex 100% CR neoprene in an elegant grey and black colour. It also features soft kneepads with kevlar and duratex reinforcement. There is a double zipper seal system and a spine pad, glide-skin which reduces the water flow through the suit. Double seals in smooth glide-skin in the wrist and legs, with a zipper too, minimise water ingress and make donning and doffing a lot easier. There are two wrist anchor-straps with anti-slip for your computer and two streamlined, easy to use, flexible pockets with enough space to hold a spare mask, SMB with spool etc
Fourth Element 5mm Hydrolock Dive Gloves
While we are on the subject of thick neoprene, these new 5mm gloves from Fourth Element are something else! We got to try these gloves on a cold UK dive last week, and let us tell you they are warrrrm!! Cosy, warm, thick, what every cold water diver wants to hear!
The Fourth Element 5mm Hydrolock Dive Gloves offer an excellent balanced between thermal protection, fit and flexibility on cold water dives. Cold water ingress is almost eliminated thanks to glued, blindstitched and fused seams and a Hydrolock wrist seal that provides a comfortable and effective barrier to water. Flexibility is maintained by using a minimal octagonal grip pattern on the palm.
- 5mm across wrist and back of hand
- 4mm palm for extra dexterity
- Glued, blindstitched and fused seams
- Hydrolock wrist seal
- Octo-print palm for durability and grip
- Minimal print on back of hand to maximise flex
Garmin Descent MK2S Dive Computer
Well, hello there you beautiful thing!! Is this love, or is this just the new Garmin MK2S? AND is this the new smaller Garmin dive computer perfect for smaller wrists? Girls that Scuba everywhere rejoice!
The Garmin Descent MK2S, is lighter, slimmer and has a smaller diameter. It was developed mostly for women that don’t want such a chunky watch but also for anyone that just wanted a smaller model. From a function point of view, the Descent MK2S is exactly the same as the standard MK2. On the outside the titanium bezel and back have been replaced with high strength composite components that all colour match to the straps and also make the watch lighter. The MK2S is still a full on dive computer that supports air, nitrox, trimix and CCR diving but, just like the standard MK2, the MK2S isn’t air integrated so if that is an issue the MK2i is the model for you. The Descent MK2S really does work seamlessly with your everyday life. For most, diving takes up a small percentage of your time, so having a dive computer that also connects to your smartphone, tracks your fitness efforts, sleep and so much more just makes complete sense.
Aqualung Xscape 4/3mm Women’s Wetsuit
Looking for a warm water wetsuit? We’ve spoken about the new Aqua Lung Xscape collection previously, but this Xscape 4/3mm wetsuit is still top of our must-haves for this year! Sustainably made and BEAUTIFUL, this wetsuit looks good, feels good, and doesn’t harm the planet while doing so!
The women’s Aqualung Xscape 4/3mm Wetsuit is an extremely comfortable and stretchy suit designed for snorkelling, freediving or any other ocean related sport in warmer waters (20 and 28°C.). What is different about the Xscape wetsuit is that it is made from Yulex rather than traditional neoprene.
Yulex is a composite material made from a natural rubber laminated with water-based glue and a fabric made from recycled plastic bottles. Neoprene, on the other hand, is a synthetic material that has a greater impact on the environment to make. The suit offers excellent levels of stretch as well as abrasion resistance thanks to the recycled plastic inner and outer layers. The chest panel has an additional inner fleece layer to provide additional warmth over your core. The Xscape has a full length back zip with a double flap to help prevent water flushing through the zip as well as silicone seals on the wrists and ankles.
Scubapro S-Tek Pure System
LOOK at this piece of kit! Wing lovers, this ones for you! The Scubapro S-Tek Pure is a simple yet rugged system that consists of a continuous web harness teamed with a revolutionary designed 3D formed stainless steel backplate and a donut wing. Stainless steel hardware includes a waist buckle, two pre-bent D-rings on the shoulders, one D-ring on the waist, and two D-rings on the crotch strap. The stainless steel backplate comes with Evo-Angle webbing slots for a more natural webbing routing that increases comfort and reduces webbing abrasion. The backplate also provides trim weight system mounting holes, an argon tank mounting point for drysuit divers, 2 x S-Tek Ergo Nuts, plus a convenient built-in carry handle.
The S-Tek Pure is a rugged and reliable tech diving system designed for those extended trips into the depths.
- Continuous webbing harness provides a custom, individualised fit.
- Can be configured as a fixed-shoulder length harness for ultimate simplicity, or in Extender mode that allows the shoulder straps to extend for easier doffing & donning.
- Stainless steel waist buckle allows for a full range of adjustment.
- Two pre-bent D-rings on the shoulders, one D-ring on the waist, and two D-rings on the crotch strap are provided for clipping on extra gear.
TUSA Intega Mask
Finding a mask that fits your face can be a struggle! The TUSA Intega is a twin lens, low profile mask that incorporates the latest in TUSA silicone skirt designs and technologies. What that really means it that whilst TUSA masks have been one of the best brands for finding the right fit for you, the Intega mask will accommodate even more face shapes and sizes than ever before. The new skirt design and the TUSA Freedom technologies takes mask comfort, fit and seal to a whole new level. The biggest talking point is the new skirt which features a new ‘Fitting Ring’ that essentially allows the skirt to change shape to fit both narrow and wide head / face shapes without affecting the sealing surface of the skirt. The skirt also has a ‘hinging’ design that allows the mask to fit to different face angles without creating bunching or pulling at the sealing above and below the mask. The final skirt improvement is a new low friction sealing surface which gives a much better seal, increased contact surface but lower skin tension so even though it is sealing better against more skin it still feels more comfortable. The mask itself comes in a wide range of colours to match their extensive snorkel colour range and features a lightweight yet strong frame. A new buckle design allows effortless adjustment of the strap length and is fixed directly to the skirt to reduce drag and to help minimise stress and movement transfer to the frame of the mask that might otherwise interfere with the integrity of the mask seal.
Disclaimer: This article is sponsored by Mikes Dive Store, however all views are our own. Brand sponsorships help us develop and grow the Girls that Scuba community and continually offer helpful and inspiring content.