Saturday 28 December 2013

Winter Diving or the lack of it!

Hi All,
firstly let me wish you all a very happy 2014 when it comes. 2013 has been a good year for diving but a late start to the season and the arrival of winter storms has made it a short one.
the GO PRO3+ i have to test has as yet been unused but i have been busy modifying a helmet to mount it on along with lighting. Iain and Jim Easingwood of Marine Quest have some great trips lined up for early 2014 and im hoping the weather and the vis will be good so that i can put the GO PRO through its paces. I would love to see how this model performs underwater, especially on the deeper wrecks, rather having to complete a topside review before the unit goes back.
Have a good one
Mike Clark

Tuesday 19 November 2013

Ferei W170 Dive Light

Red Hat Diving
Ferei  W170 Dive Light
The Ferei W170 is the top of the range dive light from this Chinese manufacturer. On unboxing first impressions were of a very high quality piece of kit, which comes in a very nice bag ideal for stowing the torch, straps and chargers. It’s a nice package.
Turning on the light is amazing as the pure cool white light is very bright at 2200 lumens.
Wanting to charge the torch up and get it diving was my priority as it is an exciting product but the instruction booklet supplied with the torch is terrible and in no way tells owners all the information they need to know about the torch features. I found out more by getting hands on and finding things like the 3 power modes by accident. The torch comes with 3 charging parts. A car charger which is highly useful. There is the standard charging cable which as normal goes into a box and then plugs directly into the torch and this is the setup for the AC charging at home. I am unsure if you use the box section when charging in the car?? But I think not. I haven’t found any info on that yet, which isn’t very good (clearer manual required). Good points though are that the torch is fully sealed so you do not have to open up the torch to charge it. This does leave the charging point exposed to salt water. It’s clearly stated that this charging point needs to be rinsed and dried after every dive in salt water.
Once I figured out how to charge the torch a red LED illuminated on the plug and after 3 hours it turned green. This torch takes 5 hours to fully charge but after 3 and 4 hours the charging is at 80% and 90% respectively.  Full charge is said to give a run time of 95 minutes at full power. This should just about give you time for 2 good wreck dives. If you are like me and like to do long shallow scenic dives this run time may be a bit short. You don’t need to use full power all the time though and can easily move to mid power which will suit this type of diving.  I would have liked to see a slightly longer burn time on full power though, as you do need it if you are in murky water.
The head of the torch is also sealed and contains an American Cree LED surrounded by an aluminium reflector all behind a toughened ultra-clear optical lens.
The torch itself is a lantern style and has a very comfortable rubber coated handle, with lanyard attachment points fore and aft. It is constructed with a Type III military grade hard-anodizing aerospace-grade aluminium body (sounds good). This is said to resist scratching and corrosion. I will need more time to see if this is the case but after my testing so far the unit is bearing up remarkably well.
So this package on the face of it looks good, here is how I got on underwater.
On land the light was very bright with a large intense hot spot surrounded by a nice even halo. Underwater I noted as you would expect that the halo focused a bit making the beam narrower. This was good as too wide a beam is like full beam in the car in the fog. So at full power (because I hadn’t as yet found out about the other settings) the torch performed very well illuminating the murky depths of Loch Long. One thing I did note was a slight fogging of the lens. The cold water and the intense heat from the LED must have caused this although the torch does have inbuilt heat sinks. This cleared as soon as I left the water and I have found no information to know if this is normal when in cold water?
It was on my second dive of the day when I experienced a brilliant feature built into this and I believe all of the Ferei dive torch range. After 60 minutes run time the torch blinked. Initially I got a bit of a fright but I did remember reading about this. When the battery level reaches around 20% the LED will blink once every minute for the remaining 20 – 30 minutes of burn time. As LED torches either have power to work or not this I think is a brilliant idea, once you know about it that is!
After the dives
I had a good look over the torch after the dives. All trace of the lens fogging had disappeared. After the rough treatment I had given the torch there were only a few light scratches. What I did note was that a fine coating of rust had formed on one of the exposed charging terminals. The worst of this was removed with a cloth but it will require dedicated attention after every dive trip to keep it in tip top condition.
Cost.
This torch retails for £676 if you look it up on Amazon and you do have the option to buy it in gold as well as black colours. Thankfully though you will not need to pay that amount as John Hewitt of Red Hat Diving is selling this torch at around £300.  Check out John’s website at http://www.johnhewitt.com where you know you will be able to buy with confidence.
Conclusion
Pros
This torch is powerful and well made from quality products. It produces a brilliant white light with a pleasing beam ideal for diving in UK waters.
Great plug in charging without opening the torch.
Reasonably fast charging 80% charge after 3 hours 100% after 5hours.
Excellent low battery warning.
Can be charged in a car ideal for the traveling, camping diver.
Very comfortable to use.


Cons
I would have liked to see a bit longer burn time to ensure 2 dives on full power. This will only be a problem if you are in the water for more than 95 mins with the torch on.
I didn’t like the fogging of the lens. It’s likely just due to the heat of the LED but I can find no information about it.
Lastly that exposed battery terminal will corrode if not cared for.
At time of writing an up rated version of this torch has become available with 3 LED’s in the head. This produces around 2960 Lumens and has a burn time of over 2hrs. This all sounds good if it can do all this.
Mike Clark

Friday 15 November 2013

Mares Avanti Quattro + Fin Review

Mares Avanti Quattro + Fin Review

There are fins of every shape, size and colour on the market today. Some use split fin technology and some are retro harping back to the heavy rubber fins many of us would have learnt to dive in. I currently use Mares Avanti Quattro fins in a delightful shade of green. I have owned them for what must be 15 years.  When Split fins became the fashion I did flirt with some of these designs but even though they were new and shiny I always reverted back to my Quattros.  Many divers must feel the same, as in any dive party there will always be sets of Quattros in the mix.

Needless to say I was delighted when Mares upgraded the fin producing the Mares Avanti Quattro + Fin.  Mares sent me a set to try and they were in the same beautiful green colour. On first inspection the old and new models look identical apart from the obvious change of strap style. There other changes some subtle and some in the materials used. I took them on a dive to find out how they performed.
Notice the differences
The visual differences are very minor. The brand badge is in a different position and it has a + at the end. Would this just be a go faster stripe?
Strengthening bars at the front of the foot pocket have been removed on the new model
The most visual difference is the heel strap. This has been replaced with rubber bungee cord with a large rubber section for the heel. This incorporates a large thumb loop which made donning and removing the fins a breeze. The original fin straps where the only thing I didn’t like on the original fins. The buckles were rather fragile and didn’t take much to break the locking mechanism. So the new bungee fin straps are all good news and even better than the spring straps I put on the old pair. Mares supply a couple of spacers to lengthen the strap should you require more room.
The other differences are in the upgraded materials used to construct the fin.  The stiffer material in the blade (green in the images) is now more flexible.  The rubber in the 4 super channels in each blade is more elastic. These improvements along with the removal of the strengthening bars at the foot pocket improve performance right along the fin blade, making the fins even more responsive.
In the water
As stated already I’m used to diving with these fins and as expected I didn’t expect to notice a massive difference in performance.  As I waded into Loch Long to don the fins. I found the bungee strap easy to use thanks to the large thumb loop. They certainly where very comfortable and with the slightly softer and more elastic foot pocket they felt very secure on my feet.
Taking the first few fin strokes I felt immediately at home. Did I feel any difference in performance? Short answer yes.  I felt as if I had a spring in my step and there was just a little bit more of a snap from each stroke. It was subtle and I’m not talking about ploughing a bow wave across the Loch, it was more a feeling like having a good day at the office. The fins felt comfortable and the reinforcing bars at the side of the blades did their job and kept the water from spilling over the side of the blades. This water was channelled along the fin blade over all those lovely new materials. I did notice that the fins are even more responsive when making manoeuvres in the water. This was especially noticeable when I was making adjustments to my position to take pictures.
Getting out of the water was great too as I located the thumb loop on the straps and removed the fins with ease.
So it’s all good news then and it gets even better. Back in the day when I bought my original set, the Quattros were to top of the Mares range. Today they are near the bottom of the range. This means that while I paid a lot for them 15 years ago the current range of the Avanti Quattro + is a lot cheaper and a quick browse of the internet is showing prices between £55 and £70 which I think makes these fins extremely good value. Being around half the price of more new-fangled split fin designs.
So what you do get with the Mares Avanti Quattro + is a high performing, reasonably priced fin carrying on the tradition of being firm favourite from its predecessor.

Highly recommended.



Mike Clark

Quick Release Lanyard - With Ring & Stainless Ring Clip


I have reviewed Many a Lomo product as they are generally good quality and extremely good value. Recently I got my hands on their Quick Release Lanyard - With Ring & Stainless Ring Clip which retails at £5.99. This is around half the price you would expect to pay for a branded product.
 I used the lanyard for a prime dive torch but only after making a few adjustments to the lanyard.
 The lanyard is supplied with a small karabiner clip at one end and a split ring at the other. I found the karabiner to be fine but the split ring was too soft and lightweight and it started to unravel when tension was put on it. This was disappointing but not too much of a problem. I removed the split ring and utilised the loop of line that is found at the same end as the split ring. All I had to do was unpick a small knot. This then enabled me to thread the line onto the torch and loop the lanyard through it. Job done.
The karabiner clipped to a D ring and off I went. The body of the lanyard is made of curved plastic wire. The use of plastic clips enables lengthening the lanyard at the start of the dive and the clipping it all away tidily at the end.
After making the alterations I found it to be a good product giving great flexibility re torch positioning.
Mike Clark

Thursday 14 November 2013

Go PRO HERO 3+ Black Edition Test

I have just taken receipt of a Go PRO HERO 3+ Black Edition for testing. Im hoping to dive some really nice wrecks with this and i am just awaiting delivery of the dive housing (60M) and a head mounting system. this is a very exciting product and i cant wait to try it out. Keep your eyes on my blog and hopefully U Tube to find out how i get on.
Mike Clark

Tuesday 12 November 2013

Finart Loch Long

Its been a while since i have been in the water, so it was great to get back in at the weekend. Weather was poor on the East coast and i headed West to Loch Long. The weather here was cold but superb and the Loch looked stunning. I arrived fairly late but managed to park up. I managed two nice dives and was impressed with the amount of marine life at this site. Here are a few pictures from my day.
Thanks goes to Paul and all the guys at DEEPBLUE SCUBA and Iain Smillie and his buddies who helped look for a spotting torch i lost on the entrance path at Finart. Its a small led lenser torch with white masking tape around the bezel, if you come across

 





 it please let me know.
Talking of torches I was testing 2 Ferei Torches and a pair of the new Mares Avanti Quattro+ fins. Reviews will follow shortly so keep a close eye on the blog to see my findings.
Mike Clark

Friday 27 September 2013

Gear Tests

I have some superb new products for test and im looking forward to getting in the water and putting them through their paces. 
first up are the new Mares avanti quatro + fins which look identical to my current pair of the old style. Mares state that these popular fins have been recreated with new materials providing even better performance.
John Hewitt of Red Hat Diving has also sent me some impressive looking gear. Two torches from either end of the Ferei light range certainly look great on first impressions with sleek aluminium bodies and as always from Red Hat the prices are very competitive. John also sent me up a frameless Sopras Sub Comada Mask. Im always wary of testing masks out of the blue as fit is a personal thing. however in this instance the frameless design lends itself to fitting most faces and it certainly sticks like glue to mine.
So over the course of the autumn i will be getting these items wet and i will post the results in a couple of months time.
For more info on the products mentioned please visit
http://www.mares.com and http://www.johnhewitt.com/

Mike Clark



Saturday 21 September 2013

Splashing Day Out

Had a Superb day aboard the Jacob George with Iain of Marine Quest and a great group of divers from Sussex. First up it was a quick dash over the border to dive the Shadwan, on which i enjoyed a very relaxing dive taking in the sights. The afternoon dive was everybody's favorite dive of the day (I think its safe to say). We headed back across the border and dived through Tyes Tunnel in fairly good vis of around 8 metres. For me after the excitement of the swim through i was in nudi heaven spying one i have never seen before (let me know if you can ID it as i dont know what it is) and around 6 other different types. fantastic dives and socializing rounded off by some great Soup, Home baking, scones. Fantastic..
Mike Clark

Thursday 29 August 2013

Success at the St. Abbs and Eyemouth VMR Splash In 2013

I really love taking part in the  St. Abbs and Eyemouth VMR Splash In and i support it by entering it whenever i can. Its always a bit stressful as bank holiday weather at the end of August can be a bit changeable. the last few years have been a bit murky under the water. This year was much better with good vis on the Saturday. Sunday was very foggy with better vis under the waves.
there were only 19 entrants this year which is about half the norm but i must say the quality of the submitted images was generally superb. A couple of beginners won the categories and well done to both of them for their shots. I picked up a third place for my Diver Wolf fish shot in the wide angle category and a second place for my shot of a nudibranc in the John Goldie themed Category.



it was a great weekend and thanks goes to everybody who organises the event, All the friends who i now put faces to the names and all the old friends that i meet up with yearly at the event, the sponsors. Most of all thanks goes to my 2 buddies for the event Derek Borthwick and Mathieu Juppin De Fondaumiere who both helped me immensely over the course of the weekend THANKS GUY'S. Lastly Thanks to my wife for letting me away to play over the weekend.

Here are a selection of my shots from the day. My wolf fish shot narrowly missed out from taking the overall prize... Next year 

 Mike Clark

Friday 23 August 2013

ISLE OF MAY

After last years very successful trip i was itching to get back to the isle of May. Once again the trip out with Marine Quest was great. unfortunately my photography on the day was a bit under par as i experienced focusing issues. I certainly never rose to the level of the previous years seal shot. The diving was good and we dived the wrecks of the primrose and the Island. both in good vis. here are some of the days images.

And my thanks go to Phil who kindly sent up a picture of me underwater. Its a thing i dont have much of as im always on the other side of the camera. Nice one Phil Mike Clark







Sunday 11 August 2013

Fortuna Wreck

Catching up with dives now as i have been out a few times in the good weather. last week i was out with Iain and Jim of Marine Quest to dive the wreck of the Fortuna. I had never been on the wreck before and i enjoyed it very much. Here are some images of the wreck. If anybody knows what the strange looking object in the picture labeled "





what is this" please let me know"
cheers
Mike Clark 

Monday 5 August 2013

BACK IN TENERIFE

Well 26 years after i first visited i arrived back in Tenerife. Its where my wife learn to dive amongst the Stingrays of Las Galletas. This time though it was my children who experienced stingrays close up even when snorkeling. It was great to see them get excited about a 1.5 metre Butterfly Stingray as it glided past them.
Diving well i was lucky enough to squeeze one dive in. It was on the wreck El Condesito. I visited this wreck on my previous trip and it was totally intact right down to the light bulbs in their fittings. She isn't like that any more and lies flattened in her magnificent u shaped gully. the stern is still intact and its home to many interesting fish.
i dived with Aqua-Marina Dive 5* Padi Dive Centre in Playa de las Americas and had a great time. The dive rib is great and the rental dive gear was all fine. they have just installed trimix and will be running trimix dives soon.
My dive on the wreck was great but other divers in the group headed out into deeper water which meant a lot of fining in mid blue water not seeing much. This didn't help me with the photography especially since i was only using a wee compact camera loaned from the dive centre. It was great to be back on the wee wreck though and if you get a chance don't miss out on the excellent snorkeling either.
i would love to get back with my own camera gear and try a bit of the technical diving.
Mike Clark