How many times have you wanted to point out to your buddy an amazing sight and he’s not looking at you? Or if you’re running low on air and want to signal the end of dive, but your dive buddy isn’t paying attention? Many divers who need to catch their buddies attention will normally have tried several techniques from knocking on your tank, to underwater rattlers that often aren’t very effective. Well a New Zealand based company, Scientific Divers have come up with just the solution, a unique hands free and highly effective buddy signaling device.

Buddycall was created and designed by Wayne Smith, a Californian now residing in New Zealand while sailing from California to New Zealand in his yacht wanted a device that could effectively signal his wife on dives that would be small, hands free and convenient to use.

Featured above:  The Buddy Call underwater Signalling Device available at Leisurepro.com

Buddycall is a battery operated diver-to-diver signaling device that enables you to immediately attract the attention of other divers by creating a pleasant but attention grabbing sound which is activated by pressing a large visible button on the device . The Buddycall may be worn around your wrist like a watch or attached to other gear like a BCD and can be heard underwater for up to 100 feet (30 meters) which offers a wide communication radius, above water the device can be heard for around 500 feet and is quite loud. The device is depth rated to 110 feet without any issue. A diver can use a short burst of sound to get a buddy’s attention or leave it in the ON position for hands-free use in an emergency. Divers can also create and use simple codes to pass along messages easily when diving or snorkeling.

Click here to listen what the Buddycall sounds like

Unlike an air-powered signaling device that alerts a diver when the air tanks are low, the Buddycall operates independently and can be used as an emergency device to be able to alert your diving companions immediately or simply to keep in touch with a group to point something out, or check on how much air is left in their tank. It can be used to signal low air, or even and equipment or scuba equipment failure emergency.

The Buddycall is especially useful in low visibility situations or on night dives where you can immediately locate your buddy by using auditory signals helping keep the group together. Dive Instructors in particular will love the Buddycall especially when teaching a certification class, the buddycall can signal students to pay attention to the instructors demos or summon divers that are straying from the group.

Tank bangers and rattle sticks occupy a divers hands, and also are clumsy and inconvienient, with divers often dropping or losing them. The buddycall has been programmed with a sound that is highly effective  underwater and doesn’t scare away the fish.

Lastly this device is relatively inexpensive for the range and functionality it offers, which allows divers to pick up a couple or several of the Buddycall signaling devices for themselves and their diving companions without breaking the bank. The Buddycall system is currently available at LeisurePro.com at a very attractive rate.

*Photo credits: photo from flickr by- tkieft

Anyone who has been regularly Scuba Diving will tell you that it is simply a nightmare trying to carry all your precious electronics on a dive boat.  In this electronic age we simply cannot do without our favorite gadget. Who would think of not carrying their camera with them on their dive boat to capture those precious memories , or the invaluable IPod that you carry for the long boat ride to your dive site and to drown away the noise from the engine? Cell Phones, Radios and GPS devices are other devices that are now simply must haves on our dive trips that are also in risk of getting wet.

Aquapac is a company based out of London, England that has been manufacturing and designing original and top-quality waterproof protective cases for over 26 years now, and has some pretty good products on offer that address almost any electronic equipment  we would want to carry with us on a snorkeling or scuba diving trip.

The key to Aquapac’s waterproofing lies in its award winning protective clip known as the Aquaclip that seals the bag with a simple twist of a lever which is probably best explained by quoting from their site:

“It has a V-groove in one half and a raised V on the other. When the levers on the male half are turned they run up a ramp on the female half – squeezing the two together. The pressure’s not sufficient to cut the soft plastic case material, but just enough to make a totally hermetic seal.” –Aquapac website

For cameras and camcorders there are protective cases for all types of camera ranging from SLRs to compact digitals and is tested up to a depth of 15 feet or 5 m, which means you could use your camera, or camcorder in an Aquapac to take photographs while snorkeling, or film/photograph divers  on shallower dives.  The Aquapac is not a substitute for an underwater camera hard casing for dives based on its depth limitations and it is better suited as a dry bag for your photo equipment for storage on a dive boat, where you need not remove the camera from its bag to take the picture.

The IPod, IPhone and MP3 player casings are particularly ingenious, available in a kit with waterproof earphones from Aquapac, which are connected to your MP3 device which is housed safely in its waterproof bag and supplied with armband and neck lanyards. This is perfect for the dive boat trip, or the beach.

Aquapac also has coverings for VHF-UHF radios, cell phones of all kinds, as well as PDA and Kindle eBook reader cases! LeisurePro currently stocks a wide range of Aquapac products so if you’re interested check them out here.

*Products featured in this article, All available at LeisurePro.com: Aquapac Waterproof Small Whanganui All Purpose Clear Front Case (Aqua-654); Aquapac Waterproof SLR Camera Case With Hard Lens (Aqua-455)

Not completely entertained looking at the fishies and underwater landscape? Or Just tried of hearing your own bubbles spewing out of your dive regulator?

Well, now you can listen to your favorite tunes from Michael Jackson to Taylor Swift um, Pink Floyd all while you’re swimming, snorkeling or even Scuba Diving! Enter the Underwater MP3 Players or Waterproof MP3 Players. Yes, these amazing pieces of modern technology actually allow you to enjoy music underwater.

You listen to music while working out, jogging, cycling, driving…then why not while swimming?

To start with we have the and the Intova H2O Man G3 Waterproof MP3 Player and the Finis Waterproof Swim MP3 V.2, both waterproof up to 3m or 10 ft, it’s not exactly suitable for Scuba Diving but great for getting your groove while doing laps in the pool. The Intova Waterproof MP3 player takes an Micro SD card of 8GB maximum capacity and up to 10 hours playing time whereas the Finis SwiMP3 player can store 256 MB of music. The SwiMP3 uses bone conduction – when the device is placed on any bones of the skull results in the direct transfer of sound vibrations from the cheek bone to the inner ear – which provides the swimmer with exceptional sound clarity.

Another way to splash around while keeping the beats is by using a waterproof MP3 player housing just like underwater digital camera housings. Underwater housings like the H2oAudio S4-1A2 SV-iP4G come with a waterproof headset and silicon earplugs. They support different MP3 players like the Apple iPod. Again the H2o Audio MP3 player housing is submersible up to 10ft/ 3m making it suitable for swimming, surfing and snow/wake boarding.

Lover’s of the outdoors will love the underwater MP3 Player housing from Aquapac. The Aquapac Waterproof MP3 Player Dry Bag is a guaranteed 100% waterproof protection for your MP3 Player or new iPod. The housing is designed to be hands-free as it straps to your arm with a velcro armband allowing you the use of both your hands whatever your favored water activity is. The Best part of this housing is it’s guaranteed submersible to 15 feet (5 meters). However if you plan on using your player while swimming, snorkeling or other water sports you’ll need waterproof headphones, which Aquapac does make but it is sold separately- Aquapac 100% Waterproof Headphones. Although the headphones are tested to a depth of 10m/30ft it’s not suitable for depths beyond 10ft/3m where water pressure may cause hearing damage.

Music while swimming…that’s great! But what about Scuba diving where you dive below 10ft you ask?

There’s a housing out there for that too. H2o Audio’s new iDive300 waterproof case with speakers that clip to your mask strap or can be tucked under a dive hood are just the answer. Waterproof down to 300ft/90m underwater it’s deeper than you’ll be using it for recreational diving. Compatible for Apple different generations of iPods, the iPhone and iTouch, this is a great way of playing music and videos underwater. A fun toy or means of entertainment for divers on decompression stops or simply for recreational purposes, it does however have a drawback. The sound can carry a bit underwater and this might not be much to the liking of your dive buddy nor the fish. It’s also important to remember that, you should no way use these products if you aren’t comfortable with your diving skills and get easily distracted by new contraptions. Have fun but Always Dive Safe and respect the space you dive in.

*All products pictured above available at LeisurePro.com (*except H2o Audio’s iDive300 available at www.h2oaudio.com)

Are you a SCUBA Diver that is just getting started in underwater photography? Or are you looking for a reasonably priced underwater camera that you can take along with you on your next dive vacation which won’t cost you more than your trip? Well look no further; we have compiled a list of 5 reasonably priced underwater cameras available at LeisurePro.com that will allow you to capture your underwater adventures.

Intova IC800 Underwater Digital Camera 8MP ($199)
The Intova IC800 8 megapixel camera with housing is perhaps one of the best value for money underwater digital camera kits out in the market today. Perfect for anyone looking to get into underwater photography as a hobby, without having the equipment cost both an arm and a leg. The IC800 is depth rated to 180 feet and has a 3x optical zoom lens and can accommodate up to 4 GB of memory. Also capable of recording VGA movies with a resolution of 640X680, the Intova IC800 gives the user the flexibility of both video and photographs.

We recommend this Kit for anyone looking for a real value for money kit.

Intova IC10 Underwater Digital Camera 10MP ($249)
The second product from Intova to make our list of truly affordable underwater camera kits is the IC10 (10 Megapixel) Digital camera. Very similar to the IC800 reviewed above, the IC10 has more pixels, offering higher resolution images from the same compact body. Also with a 3X Optical Zoom lens and depth rated to 180 feet, the Intova IC10 is also great value for money providing you with 10 Megapixels of resolution and video and photograph capabilities as well.

Liquid Image Scuba Mask with Camera & Video ($249.95)
This innovative product from Liquid Image, the HD320 is a 5 megapixel digital camera and video camera integrated into a scuba mask capable of operating at a depth till 115 feet, allowing for convenient hands-free operation. The video quality of the Liquid image is a decent 720p recording at 30fps on micro SD storage cards that can accommodate up to 32GB of storage. What fascinates us most about the HD320 is its convenience; no need to have your camera dangling on your wrist off a lanyard, or in your hands, and also the reasonable price of approx. $250 which gives it a place on our affordable underwater camera list.

Ikelite Ultra Compact Housing & Nikon Coolpix L20 Digital Camera Still Package ($ 369.95)
Though from two separate manufacturers, what better combination can be there than pairing Nikon cameras with Ikelite underwater housings?  Despite being on the higher end of our affordable underwater camera list, this perfect pairing makes an appearance purely because of the value you would get from combining two names that you know you can trust. The Nikon Coolpix range of cameras have proved extremely popular and easy to use, and with this package you get the Coolpix L20 which is an image stabilized 10.1 megapixel compact digital camera that features 3.6x optical zoom, 3 inch LCD, motion detection, ISO range from 84 to 1600, face priority, smile mode, in-camera red-eye fix and the list goes on!  The Ikelite Ultracompact digital housing allows for full control functionality and is depth rated to 200ft (60m), and you know your Nikon will be safe in this well-built housing.

In our opinion one of the greatest combo deals for underwater photographers for the great images and camera control options.

SeaLife DC800 Reefmaster 8.1MP Underwater Digital Camera ($399)
From the leading maker of underwater dive cameras, SeaLife’s new DC800 8 megapixel camera is truly a perfect purpose created product.  With 5 dive-specific color correction modes, the DC800 takes sharp, colorful underwater pictures and is reasonably priced as well. Depth rated to 200 feet and equipped with a high capacity rechargeable lithium battery, the DC800 allows you to take photographs all day without needing to swap out batteries.  The Reefmaster DC800 also comes with video recording capability with sound, and 22 land modes allowing it to be used as a terrestrial camera as well.  Paired with the SeaLife external strobes, this camera can be used by amateur and professional underwater photographers alike.

Overall ,an excellent purpose driven camera and affordable as well.

For the Best in Underwater Photography Equipment right from underwater camera housings, digital cameras, strobes, lenses, and more visit LeisurePro.com

Ever since I started Scuba Diving, I have always wanted to try a DPV (Diver Propulsion Vehicle) more commonly known as underwater scooters. However as far back as I can remember these contraptions have been prohibitively expensive, only to be purchased by divers with deep pockets or rented from your local diveshop. The good news is that this no longer holds true, underwater scooters are getting more and more affordable with each passing day and to prove it, I have listed three of them  from Sea Doo available at LeisurePro.com that are really good value for money.

Sea-Doo Dolphin Sea Scooter $159.95 (Sale Price)
This absurdly low priced scooter is a compact lightweight sea scooter that is more popular with kids, works equally as well with adults is capable of speeds up to 2 mph (3.2 Kmph). Weighing just 12 lbs (5.4kg) the Seadoo Dolphin is tons of fun for the entire family whether you are using it in a swimming pool, a lake or in the sea. The depth rating for the sea-doo is only 15ft and gives a battery run-time of approximately 1.5 hours with normal use. The safety features include protective grilles, an auto shut-off mechanism, dual trigger control and positive buoyancy.

The only negative with the Sea Doo Dolphin is that it wears down the battery rather quickly so I recommend anyone going for one to purchase a spare battery. Also Sea-Doo positions the product as a swimming pool scooter for kids, not meant for more serious scuba usage (owing to the depth rating). Overall though the Dolphin is just simply tons of fun and at its price you could get a couple of them for the price of a single sea scooter elsewhere.

Sea-Doo Sea Scooter VS Supercharged Water Scooter- $479.95 (Sale Price)
The Sea-Doo VS Supercharged water scooter is truly a looker and did I mention that it is relatively affordable as well? This scooter was rated no.1 overall by Diving Science and Technology (DSAT). Combining maneuverability and power the VS offers two levels of thrust providing speeds of up to 3mph (4.8 kmph) with a depth rating of up to 100ft/30m. The weight of the VS is just 18lbs/8.4kg and it is quite compact. Once again the battery life is approximately 1.5 hours under normal use, but unlike the Dolphin offers adjustable buoyancy. Great for shore dive getting to and from your dive spot, or going through a current.

The only drawbacks of this otherwise perfect sea scooter is the lower battery life of 1.5 hours and the above average noise that the VS creates living up to its supercharged tag. Otherwise a brilliant product from Sea Doo and a must have for any diver looking for a fast, highly maneuverable scooter.

Sea-Doo Explorer Sea Scooter - $584.99
The Sea-Doo Seascooter Explorer features variable tri-stage speed control with 3-speed selection and packs thrust for a speed of up to 3.3mph and a battery life under normal usage of up to 2 hours. It is rated to a depth of 160ft, which means you can take it on deep dives, and it weighs just 32lbs/ 14.5kg including battery and with new improved safety features such as water leakage protection, low battery voltage protection, over current protection, high temperature protection, safety lock, auto shut-off function, low battery LED light and battery voltage indicator.

The biggest drawback of the Explorer is its weight which makes it difficult to lug around outside the water, and also to haul it back into the dive boat. But it’s the price you have to pay for better battery life.

For more great and affordable Underwater Scooters and other Dive Equipment and Gear visit LeisurePro.com