A Few DEMA Pics

[Benderr]

Lots of new RB stuff, but I'm not RB diver, so the most exciting things to me were actually camera/lighting related. I won't bore you, but I will say that we are on the edge of a lighting revolutiion, and soon everyone will be flooding their caves and night-dives with tons of cheap-ass light, in very compact packages.

Hollis has a new rec and tech rebreather (rec version shown above), a $450 semi-dry suit available next June, an oled trimix-upgradeable air-integrated wrist-mount computer... that was actually just a rebranded VR comp.

Liquidvision had a new rec/tec oled computer with hoseless AI, I REALLY liked the size of the unit and the display. Didn't care that it was not rechargeable, and was tap-based. The menus were intuitive, but I had trouble getting the tap-based controls to work consistently, but I'm willing to admit it was the operator's shortcoming, and not the computer's

Excited to try out the sharkskin wetsuit (the stuff lavacore copied) that doesn't compress with depth, and is neutrally buoyant. The quality of the suits are pretty nice.

Two new tank strap systems (one pictured), one from scubapro, the other from a new kid on the block.

Analox has a CO analyzer with a two-year sensor at a reasonable price. There's another company that has an infrared CO tester, but it's considerably more expensive at $800 (retail). They also have a CO2 tester, but it was over a grand.

[Sludge]

Analox has a CO analyzer with a two-year sensor at a reasonable price.

I got one of these. When I got back home I got out the instructions. It said to calibrate it with a source of known clean air. Then it mentions using a bump test gas. Huh? If this is necessary, why didn't they offer to sell me some?

Who knows about this? If I calibrate it with clean gas, am I okay? Has anybody asked Analox about it?

[Benderr]

Someone on my team got one as well. They did sell a bump tester, but they said to dial it to zero (assuming you're not in a garage with your car running) then exhale into the sensor port. You should see a spike as you do so. I tested this, and it went up to 3, but he said most people are a little higher (especially smokers). They said the sensor was guaranteed for two years.

[snakedoc]

Do the mermaids have to be wetted down every few hours?


Oh yeah, the photo with the mermaid doing the handstand is awesome. Please note the mer - men who are carefully observing in the background (or Creepers as they are known in the scientific world).

[Benderr]

The mermaid doing the handstand was reported to be a boat captain, O/W instructor, and yoga instructor. I'd bet she could handle at least a creeper or two.

[RN]

I got one of these. When I got back home I got out the instructions. It said to calibrate it with a source of known clean air. Then it mentions using a bump test gas. Huh? If this is necessary, why didn't they offer to sell me some?

Who knows about this? If I calibrate it with clean gas, am I okay? Has anybody asked Analox about it?

I went to the Analox seminar. The bump test is nice to have but not necessary. Turn on the analyzer and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Make sure you're not near any exhaust fumes. Set it to zero. Blow into it and it should give you a reading of 1 or 2. That's all you really have to do to make sure it is working. I would recommend a bump test kit at some point. Or just let me know next time you're diving JB and I'll let you use mine for a quick calibration. I won't even start using my bump test kit until I've had my analyzer for at least 18 months.

Oh, BTW, if there are any smokers around, you can always have them blow into the analyzer. You should get a reading in the 40-80 ppm range!

[sskasser]

Mine showed 8-9ppm from a smoker exhaling directly into it mid cigarette (not blowing the smoke into it, just his breath).

[Johnoly]

They sold out of the bump test cannisters the 3rd day of the show. The bump test is just to confirm the sensor is actually working and reading something. The bump test canister is full of 50ppm it isn't to calibrate the unit.

My 1st bump test read 37ppm out of the canister. You can also pull the round nipple off and wave it in clean outside fresh air to zero out the unit. I'll be testing every tank from this day forward. It was a good show, especially the DAN seminars!!