You won't read this on the spec sheet, but the right dive computer is the difference between a full week of wrecks and sitting on the boat.
I bought the Leonardo because it had more reviews than every other dive computer put together, and after three seasons I understand why. It's not fancy. It just works, every single dive, and refuses to die.
The Suunto D5 is the computer on every equipment table. The Leonardo is the one that's been strapped to a hundred rental wrists. I've owned both, and the difference matters less than you'd think.
I spent three years trusting rented units that were dead before I was, then bought one and everything got simpler. Here's the case for owning yours.
You won't read this on the spec sheet, but the right dive computer is the difference between a full week of wrecks and sitting on the boat.
Most divers use a computer as a fancy depth gauge. I show you how to plan with it, the way I've done a hundred times, so the computer earns its space on your wrist.
The Leonardo is the most-reviewed dive computer on the planet for a reason. But nothing's perfect, and three seasons taught me exactly where this one cuts corners to hit its price.
I bought the F1 because every dive shop seemed to stock it, then spent two years wearing it on 180 dives. It still seals like the first day.
There's a story every dive shop tells about masks: you'll end up owning the expensive one anyway. I tested that theory with the two most popular frameless masks on the market.
After two decades of boxy masks that fogged at depth, I switched to frameless and never looked back. Here's exactly why.
After twenty years of masks that leaked, fogged, and left red stripes on my face, I stopped blaming myself. Here's how the F1 restarted my love of a simple mask.
The #1 mistake new divers make is buying a mask that doesn't match their face. I'll show you the fit test I've used for years so your mask stays sealed.
Everyone owns the F1, and there's a reason. But I've worn enough masks to know its limits, and they're worth knowing before you buy.
I bought the Pro Light because they were the fins on every rental hangar, then kept them through six years of dive trips. Here's what a real season of kicking taught me.
Every dive store clerk has an opinion on split versus blade, and half of them are selling whatever's in stock. I tested both over real dives and I'll tell you what actually matters.
There's a reason every real dive rig uses open-heel fins. I'll give you ten, starting with the fact that you can wear boots underneath them.
For years I thought my leg cramps were just age and a bad morning stretch. Then I switched fins and realized the equipment had been beating me up the whole time.
Choosing dive fins is about your legs and your dive profile, not the flashiest blade on the wall. I'll walk you through picking mine, and what I'd change if I could start over.
The Pro Light is the default dive fin for good reason. But nothing's perfect, and the sizing quirk on this one is worth reading before you order.
I rented BCDs for a decade, then bought the Cressi Patrol and immediately understood why divers stop renting. Two years later it still trims perfectly.
The BCD you'll actually enjoy diving depends on where the lift sits. I dove jackets for years and back-inflation since, and I can tell you the real difference isn't in the marketing.
Every rental BCD I struggled with had been beaten on by two hundred strangers. Here's why I finally stopped renting and bought the Cressi Patrol.
For a guy who works old wood all day, my back has to last. The rental BCDs I used were fighting me the whole dive. Here's how the Patrol stopped that.
Neutral buoyancy is the difference between being a tourist in the water and being part of it. I'll walk you through how I teach it using a BCD that's properly fitted.
I love the Patrol, but honest means honest: the shoulders run snug, and not every diver should be in a back-inflation jacket. Here's the full picture.
At my age and in my trade, I need gear that takes care of me in cold water. The M-Flex 7mm has been that suit, and here's the honest long-term verdict.
Everyone who dives cold water has an opinion on wetsuit versus drysuit, and it usually favors whatever they already bought. I'll compare them on cost, warmth, and how they actually dive.
The biggest lie in diving is that summer is the only season. A 7mm suit quietly turns the colder half of the year into your busiest stretch of diving.
If you dive, you know the moment the water gets cold enough to shorten your trips. When I finally got a 7mm suit that fit, the season just opened up.
There's no better way to waste good money than treating a wetsuit like it's unbreakable. I treat mine the way I treat my tools, and it shows.
Nobody warns you that the first two minutes of a 7mm wetsuit feel like trying to wrestle a wet anaconda. I'll tell you exactly how the M-Flex handles it, and the honest weak points.
I bought the Leonardo because it had more reviews than every other dive computer put together, and after three seasons I understand why. It's not fancy. It just works, every single dive, and refuses to die.
The Leonardo is the most-reviewed dive computer on the planet for a reason. But nothing's perfect, and three seasons taught me exactly where this one cuts corners to hit its price.
I bought the F1 because every dive shop seemed to stock it, then spent two years wearing it on 180 dives. It still seals like the first day.
Everyone owns the F1, and there's a reason. But I've worn enough masks to know its limits, and they're worth knowing before you buy.
I bought the Pro Light because they were the fins on every rental hangar, then kept them through six years of dive trips. Here's what a real season of kicking taught me.
The Pro Light is the default dive fin for good reason. But nothing's perfect, and the sizing quirk on this one is worth reading before you order.
I rented BCDs for a decade, then bought the Cressi Patrol and immediately understood why divers stop renting. Two years later it still trims perfectly.
I love the Patrol, but honest means honest: the shoulders run snug, and not every diver should be in a back-inflation jacket. Here's the full picture.
At my age and in my trade, I need gear that takes care of me in cold water. The M-Flex 7mm has been that suit, and here's the honest long-term verdict.
Nobody warns you that the first two minutes of a 7mm wetsuit feel like trying to wrestle a wet anaconda. I'll tell you exactly how the M-Flex handles it, and the honest weak points.
