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 Splish, Splash
 * The Deluxe Travel Pole Spear ($66) makes it easy to seize the mechanical advantage on your next spearfishing trip. The six-foot,
six-inch fiberglass rod is armed with a three-pronged stainless steel "paralyzer" tip, and a comfy rubber grip midway down the handle helps provide an accurate slingshot. Use the spear for nabbing medium-size freshwater fish like bass and catfish, or ocean fish such as grouper and flounder. The spear breaks down to a slim 22 inches when packed in
its travel bag. Just don't try to pass it off as a carry-on. |
* If careening through the back alleys of Nassau on a rented Vespa wasn't scenic enough for you, take heart. With the BOB (Breathing Observation Bubble) from Bellaqua ($10,500), you can scoot at 2.5 knots between coral reefs in your very own submersible diving bell, at depths of up to
40 feet. The BOB's clear acrylic dome covers your head and shoulders as you sit on its motorcycle-style seat, allowing 180-degree views without a mask or regulator (we don't know what happens if you get inverted). The bubble scooter uses a standard scuba tank for air supply (exhaled, carbon dioxide-rich air is expelled at the back of the bubble), and a
rechargeable 12-volt marine battery powers the enclosed prop. Average dive time is about 40 minutes, and cruising depth is easy to control by fingering the left-hand ballast buttons (the bladder is connected to the scuba tank like a buoyancy-control vest). As with scuba diving, you'll need your open-water certification to operate BOB on your own.
* More than 30 years after its predecessor was adopted by Jacques Cousteau, the Nikonos-V ($960) remains the gold standard by which high-quality underwater cameras are measured. And for good reason. The relatively simple design (there's no
autofocus and no fancy-schmantzy settings other than f-stop and shutter speed) means you can snap high-quality pictures from the underworld without blowing a circuit. The camera accepts a bevy of lenses, including Nikonos's underwater-only 28mm f/3.5 ($585), which is
wide enough to capture all 12 feet of that mako trailing your diving partner ("Swim, Sancho, swim!"). And best of all, the Nikonos-V body is not only waterproof to 165 feet but also works well on land—enabling you to shoot self-portraits on or off the Banana Boat.
 * When you first swim with Scubapro's Twin Jet Fins ($189) you may find yourself thinking that they feel too effortless to provide much push—until you
notice your partner flailing helplessly in your wake. The secret lies in two hydrofoil-shaped blades that spill water into the center of the fin, generating a more powerful stroke at a significantly lower caloric output. The blades are also angled 27 degrees for even propulsion on up and down kicks.
 * Unless a guide is along for the ride, it's all too easy to overshoot the reef and find yourself in green water, 200 feet above the nearest marine life. But with the flashlight-size Depthmate Portable Sounder ($150) you can make sure you're not dropping your line off the reel. Simply put the head of the Sounder in the water or against the hull of your boat, push the reading button, and a digital display delivers the depth from 1.8 to 260 feet. The sonar device is also a boon for finding deep-water anchors,
and it takes up to 500 readings with a standard nine-volt battery.
Photos: Courtesy of Bellaqua; Clay Ellis; Hacob Khodaverdian; Clay Ellis (2)
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