Scuba Gear Reviews by Stephen Slaughter

Oceanic Ultra Dry Snorkel
Rating: Performs as advertised 8/16/2007

Totally dry. Should you get water in the mouth piece by releasing it the bottom purge valve really does help in draining that water instantly. That being said, I found the valve closing unexpectedly while I was in the middle of drawing breath, due to either choppy water at the surface, or me incorrectly guaging my position relative to the surface, or to my head tilting, to be a harrowing experience. The last thing I need when I am out of breath is for that valve to close and panic me. 4 out of 5 because that is what it is supposed to do, even if I wound up not liking it.

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124 out of 260 people found this review helpful.

Seavision 2000 Max Vision Mask
Rating: Big head. 8/16/2007

I have a big head. These fit fine. They purge fine. The defogger that came with them wasnt super, and they are of the variety that has that inner layer of material that you may want to remove with gritty toothpaste and a tooth brush. The goggles themselves are awesome though. Fiddle with the strap and get the size just right and you will find they are comfortable AND seal well. The lenses DO a very good job of amplifying light, after I wore them for awhile I took them off and found that the world both above and below the water is much more grey and drab when you are not wearing the lenses.

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104 out of 218 people found this review helpful.

Force Fins Adjustable Original
Rating: COMMMFFFYYYYY 8/16/2007

i noticed someone elses review mentioned that these fins were the solution for those of us with larger feet. i have a size 16 foot, and could probably still get away with wearing the adjustable force fins with a diving boot. that being said, when i first tried them on at home and walked around a bit i found the heel pads to be abraisive, stiff, and painful. the material is one i recognize, its the same parachute quality nylon you find in the laces of combat boots. in the water this material becomes significantly less uncomfortable instead of feeling discomfort, you will entertain the idea that they are too loose and might fall off while you kick with them. also interesting because i noticed someone elses review mentioning they wouldnt wear these without a boot (i assume because of the comfort factor.) i reccomend you get some fin keepers or savers or whatever they are called. i have come to like them so much that i am paranoid they will fall off. also, my feet cramp almost every time i swim (full on 5 toe pretzel cramps if i swim long enough) and the force fins have in fact completely alleviated this problem. the same goes for my calves, and while they still cramp, the amount of time i can be in the water before they do has been tripled from about an hour and a half to about 4 hours. on the technical side of things, hopefully you have done some research about fins before buying any. you may have read articles that say things like "many still claim that the simplest paddle style fins are the most effective." this is true. they are uncomfortable and fatigue your legs, but they also allow you to kick the way you would if you were swimming finless. kicks like that will propel you faster. that aside, these force fins and paddle fins are roughly equidistant from something like.. oms turtle fins. that is, paddle fins use fast straight kicks, turtle fins use slower somewhat more bicycle like kicks, and force fins work best with a bicycle like kick. i cant be sure what kind of waters you are used to buying these, but on a whim i took them to huntington beach on a bad surf day. they were sufficient in fighting the stronger than average current and rip tide that can often be found there.

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175 out of 343 people found this review helpful.