Long Term Test

Mark Evans: The Bali is made from 3mm highquality nonpetroleum-based neoprene, has flatlock stitching, O-ring seals on the wrists and ankles, Supratex knee panels, and printed designs on the shoulders (against abrasion from the BCD) and on the wrist (to help hold the dive computer in place). www.aqualung.com

INFORMATION Arrival date: October 2019 Suggested retail price: * Number of dives: 0 Time in water: 0 hrs 0 mins

Mark Evans: The Suunto D5 has been doing the rounds again, this time in UK waters, and has been seeing plenty of use in ‘watch guise’. It does make a comfortable, sporty-looking timepiece. The full-colour screen always generates plenty of positive comments, and I never worry about burning through the battery with it being rechargeable - just clip on the magnetic charger which slots securely in place and a few hours later, you are good to go. www.suunto.com

INFORMATION Arrival date: April 2019 Suggested retail price: * Number of dives: 48 Time in water: 46 hrs 25 mins Mark Evans: The Sea Dragon Mini 1300S is a great little compact dive light. It can slot into your BCD pocket, or thigh pocket of your drysuit, and it is there when you need it. We also liked the fact that there is a coloured battery indicator around the push-button control for on/off and the different modes/ powers. Green indicates full, yellow is medium, and red means you are on low power. Neat and effective. www.sealife-cameras.com INFORMATION Arrival date: July 2019 Suggested retail price: * Number of dives: 13 Time in water: 11 hrs 55 mins

Mark Evans: Like the Mares Quad, the Mares Genius has a very large screen, but this one is high-resolution full colour LCD and it is impressively bright and easy to read, even in the full sun of the Middle East. This display is all neatly colour-coded, which really helps you to identify the salient information quickly and easily at a glance. www.mares.com INFORMATION Arrival date: August 2019 Suggested retail price: * Number of dives: 8 Time in water: 7 hrs 30 mins

Mark Evans: Guest tester Jason Brown continues to ‘beast’ his Otter Watersports Atlantic drysuit, and has not found it wanting. He has been clocking up dives in his local inland site of Vobster Quay, and also taking it for forays off the South Coast. As he ably demonstrates here, the Atlantic is nice and easy to get on through its telescopic torso, frontentry zipper. www.drysuits.co.uk

INFORMATION Arrival date: February 2019 Suggested retail price: * Number of dives: 75 Time in water: 73 hrs 45 mins

Mark Evans: The VX1 really is an outstanding mask, but as a package, it is not just the mask that impresses. It also comes with a neoprene and webbing strap for those who prefer it over the supplied standard strap - I actually like the normal one better. However, the stand-out is the mask box, or rather moulded zippered hard pouch, which keeps the mask safe and sound but also looks the business. www.apeksdiving.com INFORMATION Arrival date: September 2019 Suggested retail price: * Number of dives: 21 Time in water: 20 hrs 15 mins

Mark Evans: A return to Aqaba for Ross’ Aquaflex, and it was actually quite amusing watching him having to constantly flush it through as he was far too hot in the 28-29 degree C water! The Aquaflex is right at home in low to mid-20s, when its thermal properties will be deeply appreciated, and Penney even used hers in the waters off Wales, which was down to 15 degrees C in the summer. Stick an undervest on and you could UK dive in this. www.aqualung.com INFORMATION Arrival date: April 2019 Suggested retail price: * Number of dives: 67 Time in water: 65 hrs 55 mins

Mark Evans: The Apeks XL4+ has come to the end of its stint in the Long Term Test stable, and the performance has been sublime. Whether we were in UK waters, the Med, or the warmer waters of the Red Sea or the Caribbean, it never missed a beat. Lightweight so it didn’t eat up too much of our luggage allowance, but cold-water proof so it wasn’t phased by low single digit temperatures, it is the ideal regulator for a travelling diver who also does the odd dip in cold water. We had been impressed by the XL4, and the XL4+ is just as solid and dependable. www.apeksdiving.com INFORMATION Arrival date: February 2019 Suggested retail price: * Number of dives: 68 Time in water: 67 hrs 45 mins 81 * = check pricing with local suppliers/centres in your area

SCHOLARSHIP DIARY The Our-World Underwater Scholarship Society is a non-profit, educational organisation whose mission is to promote educational activities associated with the underwater world. It has offered scholarships for over 35 years. owuscholarship.org

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF JOANNA SMART

The most-recent leg of my Scholarship journey had me out of the water for a while as I explored a different side of the marine science and diving industry. I reluctantly left the Faroe Islands after an amazing few weeks learning about seaweed farming and headed to Oslo, Norway, for the Sustainable Ocean Alliance Youth Leadership Summit. The Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA) brings together entrepreneurs, scientists and business people who are all working toward the same goal - a sustainable future ocean. Their Youth Leadership Programme brings together young people from all over the globe for a conference and workshop on sustainable ocean leadership. I was fortunate enough to be included in the 2019 cohort of young ocean leaders.

The summit was packed with exciting talks, workshops, and activities that provided the opportunity to network and meet other young ocean leaders who all share similar goals. This summit gave me hope for the future. I realised that perhaps solutions for the future do not involve reinventing the wheel, but changing how we operate.

From Oslo, I made my way across to Orlando, Florida, for DEMA (Diving Equipment and Marketing Association) show. DEMA is the world’s largest dive trade show. I was able to catch up with sponsors and hosts as well as catch up the Our-World Underwater Scholarship Society family. I was also invited to sit in on a sustainable shark and ray diving workshop, run by Project AWARE. The workshop aimed to develop ideas for the redevelopment of the Project AWARE Shark Diver Speciality, as well as the Sustainable Shark Diving Website. It was fascinating to be in the room with so many important people in shark conservation and ecotourism, while they brainstormed and debated issues related to sharks and rays. It was a great insight into the great work of Project AWARE.

The last month has taught me that a great deal about scuba

diving, marine conservation and sustainable development. This month marks the half-way point in my Scholarship journey, and I cannot wait to see where the rest of the year takes me. n

The first BCD from our Scuba Ranger line, dedicated to juniors taking their first steps into the magical world of scuba diving!

• Kid/junior bcd with a dedicated backpack • 2 Comfortable velcro pockets • Specially designed octopus and pressure gauge pockets • Optional trim weights to be placed on tank strap • Tank band: dedicated adaptable shorter tank band to fit smaller tanks • 1 Size fits all, from 8 – 12 years, thanks to a dedicated adjustment system

At Wakatobi Resort, we take great pride in providing the ultimate in exclusive and personalised service. Our dive staff and private guides ensure your in-water experiences are perfectly matched to your abilities and interests. At the resort, or on board our luxury dive yacht Pelagian, you need only ask and we will gladly provide any service or facility within our power. For all these reasons and more, Wakatobi takes top honors among discerning divers and snorkellers.

~ Simon Bowen