scuba diving

Reviews

Several friends have LED lights by this manufacturer and all are very pleased. I decided to get one and I am too in the short time I have had it.

When attached to the mask, it is very uncomfortable; it is actually painful because on the pressure applied to the ear. I have not yet tried under water; it is possible that water would leak inside the mask because of the flashlight position. The flashlight sent to me has a very different strap, not the one shown in the picture; this may be dishonesty or sloppiness. I expected more from such an expensive flashlight.

I have been using this flashlight for years because the light is very bright and adjustable between wide-angle and focused. It also easily attaches to a swim-mask or, for land use, a headband, for hands-free use. The bulb has a long life, but unfortunately is not replaceable, so when it goes, one needs to replace the whole flashlight. Still I can't complain given I got about 20 years of use (not day to day, obviously) from my last one.

This is a very light weight very bright flashlight. It is just over 6 inches long. It takes two AA batteries. It has a wrist strap so you can avoid dropping it, and it is waterproof. You can't turn it on with one hand because it switches on by turning the front as many waterproof flashlights do. Update. I stand corrected. It has 4 AA batteries.

This is a great flashlight for use on a boat or near the water. Very bright and usedful to see in tight places. Very small in size and easily tucked in a travel pouch.

Reviews

Good film about a guy with a great and unique business. Good if you are interested in personal submarines and aquatic adventure. Pro seller with fast shipping.

"A View From Below" explores the obsessive drive that led the young American, Karl Stanley, to begin construction on a homemade submarine in his backyard when he was just 14-years old. At the age of 24, he began taking tourists on deep water expeditions from Roatan Island, off the coast of Honduras - sometimes going as deep as 2600 feet. Undeterred by those who argue that only professionally-designed and certified submarines can possibly be safe, Karl created a unique underwater craft that allows him and his passengers to get up close and observe fascinating and in many cases undocumented deep sea creatures. His long track record, he argues, and his careful attention to the safety of his craft, more than makes up for his refusal to subject his submarine to the prohibitively expensive regulations of the professional certifying bodies - even while he insists that he is aware of the regulations and adheres to most of them. The film is beautifully shot and presents a range of perspectives on Karl and his work - the opinions of other professionals in his field, those who know him well and those who find him to be a strange character. It doesn't have the feel, though, of a merely informational television video - gorgeous undersea imagery, and impressive visuals dominate over talking-head style interviews. Plus, the interviews are interesting and above all Karl is a fascinating man, whose passion and drive is both inspiring and yet appears to border on obsession. Watching him, though, it's hard to imagine a better life than one in which an unbridled devotion to dreams fulfills itself in a satisfying way of life. I couldn't help but wonder, for a moment, what Werner Herzog might have done with this material -- since Karl strikes me as exactly the type of person Herzog likes to investigate in some of his documentary works (like Dieter Dengler in Little Dieter Needs to Fly or Timothy Treadwell in Grizzly Man). In some cases the film's take on Karl may have been excessively literal, and didn't go far enough for what Herzog calls "ecstatic truth," but might have. There are moments - as when Karl discusses the occasion when his parents sent him to a strict boarding school in order to curb his impulsiveness, and his lingering resentment betrays itself. Or when, on a submarine dive, Karl tells his passenger that Bugsy committed suicide over a woman by diving too deep -- and then, to the passenger's surprise and ours, he reveals a skeleton in diving gear as Bugsy himself. Or when a gigantic shark, larger than the submarine, circles in slowly and devours meat that Karl had attached to his craft. I did like the balance in emphasis between the person and the undersea he explored, and think it wouldn't have been as strong a film if the filmmakers had chosen to make it more about the underwater explorations than about the man who made them possible. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the ocean, or who ever had a dream and let it die because they were told or felt that it couldn't possibly be practical.

I've been waiting for the availability of this DVD since before February of 2009 when my wife and I dove with Karl Stanley to 2000 ft in his submarine Idabel. This film does an excellent job of both telling the story of Karl Stanley and his submarines, and also showing what a dive on the Idabel can be like. Deciding to dive with Karl requires a personal risk/reward assessment and this DVD (in addition to the numerous articles that have been written about Karl) is an excellent resource for making that decision. As a documentary film, it is informative and entertaining. The editing is excellent, with neither too much nor too little time devoted to any single aspect of the film. Technically, the video and audio is also completely professional. As scuba divers and naturalists, the absolute highlights of the film for my wife and I were the incredible fish and other sea creatures that are found only at these depths. While we saw some of these on our dive with Karl, the majority of them we had only previously seen in still photos, if at all. As Karl points out, there's a vast, mostly unexplored world down there. We would have preferred more such footage, but understand that this film isn't meant to be solely a nature documentary. Karl has done what few have even attempted. This is his story. And this DVD tells that story very well.

I thought for a couple months about writing this review. I waited months for this video to be released because I had known about a sub on Roatan Island south of Honduras mainland. I was too cheap to admit interest in going on his sub. When I came back to the States I read and watched and looked at everything I could find about Karl Stanley and his sub, the glorious creatures I had missed seeing. I have the indescribable feeling that I might have done something really exciting in my life if I had just paid the money and taken the ride. I still don't know exactly where on Roatan he is but I am pretty sure it is near where the collectivos( public vans) first enter West End. I wish I had known that then. I never even got to see the sub. Some day I will go back . Karl Stanley will be my first stop.Buying this video is a great investment. For $12 you can see a little of what would cost $500,$800,$1200 (per person).He only takes 2 passengers and he can go down 2500 feet in about a 4 foot sub and visit 20 foot prehistoric sharks. YOU have a choice to buy the movie on Amazon.com before or after you go to Roatan to visit Karl Stanley.You can also visit Stanley Submarine web page. I hope his previous customers get word of this video.They would be jealous of us.

Karl Stanley is an amazing man with an incredible passion for underwater exploration. His remarkable energy and enthusiasm will make you realize that even your biggest dreams are not impossible to reach. After watching this movie, you will want to jump into his sub and see the mind-blowing view from below yourself (which is possible if you pay him a visit in Roatan).

Reviews

If you have an average size nose, it won't fit under the mask. Water seeps in.

If you're looking for a good mask without the big price tag, then get this one. You'll save a ton of money and and be able to enjoy it too! It has held up really well for my family of 8 in the pool. It is comfortable and easy to wear. I love the tempered glass lenses.

Reviews

We ordered 7 sets of these for a trip to Jamaica. For the money, these were awesome snorkel sets. One mask didn't fit one of the guys but when we switched, it fit someone else. One fin broke when tripped on. Over all, we were thrilled with this product.

This product is just wasting money..I bought 2 , one for me and one for my husband and we both hated it..The mask is so big and easily lets the water in.. The fins are ok but not great.. Pay little bit more and get a better one, don't waste your money with that product !!

The snorkel gear was just what we needed to enjoy the water. No problems with anything breaking or malfunctioning. I would say this was a good deal and product.

I purchased this set for my 11 year old son for his birthday right before our vacation to Nags Head. It fit him well with room to grow (he's average sized). He's used it a lot in the ocean and at home in the pool. The goggles seal well and the snorkel stays dry. I feel like we got our money's worth, I just wish it had come with a storage bag like the Jr. sets I bought for my daughters.U.S. Divers Cozumel Mask, Seabreeze Dry Snorkel, and Proflex II Fin Snorkeling Set

We recently purchased two sets of these for a trip to Maui. After reading several reviews here on Amazon, I too was worried about the quality of the fins and reported leakage and breakage problems with the masks. My wife and I used both sets with excellent results! We had some initial minor leaking on my wife's mask and discovered some of her hair was trapped in the seal. We cleared the hair and no more leaking (if you have any facial hair around the seal areas on the face, a little applied vaseline will help with the seal#. The fins held up very well and did a fine job. Fogging may be eliminated with spit. I suggest checking out the tips section on the US Divers website. Additional comments: 1) This is not a professional set. Perfect for the yearly vacation or recreational use. 2) This set is easily packed in a large suitcase and also a beach bag, but a travel bag would have been nice. There are more expensive travel sets sold that fill this void. 3) The fins held up just fine, even around rough coral and lava fields. I accidentally left two of the fins on the top of the rental car and they fell off the roof at 30+MPH. No damage or cracking even then and we used them later that day. Follow the sizing charts listing on the sale page and also in other reader's reviews. 4) Try on the fins and pre-fit the snorkel and mask before you get into the water. It's easier. 5) We saved the original boxes for storage and will pack away inside until next year. This should insure additional trouble-free trips. If you're about to take a vacation, don't even think about renting snorkel gear. We saw several sets of rental equipment during our trip and they were the most basic sets available, not to mention in very used condition. Quality of this set is FAR SUPERIOR to all of the basic rental equipment we saw at dive shops and at the same price as a one week rental (not to mention sanitary concerns)! You will be happy you spent the money on your own set.

Reviews

Awesome swim goggles. Made in Italy. The build quality is great and the fit is amazing. I have a big face so it fits well over the standard swim goggles that tend to press too hard on my eye sockets and gives me headaches. They also look pretty styling.

These googles are great in open water and in the pool. Did a great job of reducing the glare of the sun off the water during my TRI. I will be buying another pair for a backup!

I love these goggles - they provide awesome visibility and are great for me in swimming laps in outdoor pools. I have really light blue eyes and can't go outside without sunglasses (or get headaches). These goggles solve that for me. Highly recommended.

This kayenne goggles from Aqua Sphere are the best! suitable, soft, anti fog, anti claustrophobic, elegant, beauty, what else can I say, simpy buy it, this are the BEST!

When it comes to underwater spectacles, you don't exactly need to look like the hottest thing with two legs. Still, it doesn't hurt. Ordered my set a few days ago for my next outing to the beach here in a couple days, and I'll say this: For the price, I don't think you're gonna find much better. The goggles are stylish (I'd liken them to a set of ocean-going Oakleys) and incredibly comfortable. What's more, they were quick to fit, with special clasps to keep the leftover bands from flapping all over the place. Suction is present, but not painfully overwhelming. All in all, I can't foresee any difficulties or issues with these in use, but I will update if required. Update (08/08/10): Tried the goggles at the beach, and they were prone to fogging. Additionally, they didn't seem to get a decent enough seal to prevent leaks. Will give this another shot, but optimism is fading.