Scuba Gear Reviews by christopher krause

TUSA FIN STRAP WITH BUCKLES
Rating: TUSA Strap 9/24/2006

Same high quality staps with user friendly buckles that came with your TUSA fins. Easy to change, and secure. I havent needed to use my extra straps yet but its great to know I wont be stuck on a boat because my strap(s) broke. The extra money may seem unnecessary but its diving peace of mind. Christopher-Madison, WI

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115 out of 239 people found this review helpful.

UNDERWATER KINETICS SUNLIGHT D8
Rating: D8 UK Dive Light 9/24/2006

For the cost you wont find a better light. It will be brighter than 90% of the lights your fellow divers use (unless they all use light cannons) and very durable. A must have upgrade is the lantern grip holder. Depending on how you feel about using/thowing out a lot of "D" batteries check out the rechargable kit from UK too. This light is not compact. Christopher-Madison, WI

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99 out of 187 people found this review helpful.

DEEP OUTDOORS ACCESSORY POCKET
Rating: Small Pocket 9/24/2006

Great product for the money. Will stow defog bottle & small spare dive light securely. If youre looking for a pocket to bring home your treasures look to a larger, more expensive pocket. Christopher-Madison, WI

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96 out of 191 people found this review helpful.

Scuba DIVE FLAG AND FLOAT
Rating: Diver Below Dive Ball and Flag 9/24/2006

This product has notable pros and cons: Pros: Cost. Can deflate it and stow away with ease. Even if boaters see the Diver Down flag and think it means theres a person from Switzerland in the water they can read the "Diver Below" label on the ball and know to keep their distance. Cons: Low profile... less than one meter tall. Diver Down flag is not rigid so you have to jimmy-rig it yourself if you want people to see it. Does not stand upright on its own... youll need to purchase weights for the bottom pocket or stuff the pocket with rocks. Recommendation: 1) increase the flags height by purchasing a cheap piece of dowling from a hardware store. 2) take a clothes hanger and bend it at 90 degrees, punch a few holes in the top of the flag and weave one part of the clothes hanger through the holes to make the flag rigid. Use red duct tape on the top of the flag to keep the clothes hanger from ripping the flag. If you enjoy tinkering with stuff get this flag and itll be better than any premade buoy out there. Christopher-Madison, WI

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169 out of 319 people found this review helpful.

Scubamax REEL
Rating: Reel with click-stop mechanics 9/24/2006

this is by far the best tool ive used to maintain control of a dive buoy. that said, tethered "wrap around" reels will work fine if youre just ping down to a location and are going to tie the buoy to a stationary object. spend the extra cash on this reel if youre going to be towing a dive ball or buoy behind you. it has a comfortable handle and the placement of the drag release click stop mechanism is perfect for thumb control. christopher-madison, wi

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119 out of 228 people found this review helpful.

UNDERWATER KINETICS Sunlight D8/HID Light Cannon Grip
Rating: Lantern Grip 9/24/2006

An absolute must if your light allows it. Switching your light on, off, changing intensity is a breeze with a lantern grip compared to the standard pistol grip. At first I used the pistol grip and found it was difficult to keep the light secured/steady with my lower three fingers while I used my thumb and index finger to manipulate the switch. After purchasing the lantern grip it was easy to let the handle rest on my lower three fingers and use my thumb & index finger to switch settings. Spend the extra few dollars and youll be able to concentrate on your night dive even more. Christopher-Madison, WI

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93 out of 190 people found this review helpful.

UNDERWATER KINETICS RECHARGEABLE KIT
Rating: D8 Rechargeable Kit 9/24/2006

A very good buy for someone concerned with thowing batteries out regularly. I bought two D8s. One from a local shop that did not have the rechargeable pack and one from scuba.com that did. Both lights provide virtually the same output while diving, which I was surprised about based on the rechargeable product description. That said, Ive replaced the 8 D cell batteries on the light from the local dive shop twice and am considering purchasing another rechargable pack to save money. If youre considering the recharge kit for saving money in the long haul or environmental purposes, go for it. If youre looking for output brightness, save your money up and buy a light cannon instead. Christopher-Madison, WI

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100 out of 205 people found this review helpful.