Reviews

"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).

I didnt realize people this incredible existed. While most kids doodle designs of boats and planes, Karl actually followed through with his childhood dream and built not one but two functioning submarines by hand! Whether you're into the amazing footage of 6-gilled sharks or the story of how Karl got to where he is today, it's definitely a must see!

Reviews

Worked just as promised. Pretty easy to use, try it first on land so you get used to the buttons. The shutter button has a rubber plug to prevent it from being pressed - you have to remove this plug in order to use. It also has a microphone somewhere. I added an 8 gig memory card and it barely was filled after 2 hours of recording. The only note is a comment someone else had left: It's recording in high def, so every head movement is incredible rapid. Makre sure you move your head VERY slowly when filming with video, or else you'll get a headache when watching the playback. IT also records quite well above water - it reminds me of a 16mm old time camera, they way it looks.

Good, sturdy camera. Was able to shoot decent video clips. I using it with attached light. However, still images are very bad quality - average exposure time is 1/2 - 1/4 secs, so images are blurry. I wish manufacturer would set limit for still picture exposure time to 1/8 or 1/16 secs. As is, still mode almost useless and could be used only in very bright settings.

I just used this for the first time in a Pennsylvania quarry. I turned it on before entering the water, and turned it off after I got out almost an hour later. The video quality is very good, and it picks up audio well. The images are clear, and should be since it's advertised as high definition. Being this is a first edition, I hope a few changes are made in the next version. First, when seating the mask skirt under a hood, it is very easy to hit the button to change it from video to still image (or reverse), and it can be accidentally shut off. There is a blue or red light (depending whether you are shooting video or still images) that is difficult to see while wearing the mask. It is visible, just not clearly. It would be nice if there was a clear display a little lower. Also, each time I exhaled, the bubbles caused the mask and camera to shake, which is clearly visible in the video. As for the scope of view, the camera seems to be shooting higher than most divers are really looking. When checking my computer, all you see is the top of my console or computer. It would be nice if the camera was even a little adjustable, so it can be tilted up or down depending on what the user is doing. Overall, I'd say this is a hit! Even if there are a few negatives, I was really happy with this mask. I took it to 75' (not deep) for 49 minutes in 45 degree water, and it recorded the entire dive. I can't wait to use it off the Jersey shore for some wreck diving. Now if you can make one to go a little deeper!

Reviews

I've been a lap and lake swimmer for some 35 years and have gone through a long list of goggles until Aqua Sphere came out. Goggles or masks are the hardest part about swimming because you never know how good the seal is until you've done your laps in it. Aqua Sphere is a new concept -- sort of a cross between goggles and a mask. The secret to their effectiveness is the flexible material around the margins. It has the ability to form a perfect seal the first time without endless fiddling around. Eventually the seal will fail when this material loses some of its flexibility, but it's good for at least a year of heavy swimming. My guess is Aqua Spheres fit the widest range of faces and I can't quite visualize them not making a seal with anyone. For the biggest possible field of vision get the Aqua Sphere Seal, their original product. The Vista which I bought has a slightly smaller field of vision.

I did a lot of research before buying and, after a month of using them 3 times/week in a community pool, I can safely say I love 'em!!! They fit great. Don't leak. And the vision with the larger frames is exhilarating. I highly recommend them!!!

I am just getting back in pool after years of treadmills and stationary bikes. Bought these goggles more out of curiosity than anything else and have been very surprised how well they work. Very easy to adjust, tight seal on my face providing no leaking, very low water resistance when swimming at speed, and comfortable for long workouts. Highly recommend these.

I have gone through a lot of goggles trying to find ones that don't leak. I was using the Seal XP and they were okay but I could still get leaks. These seem to be doing the trick for me. I have deep set eyes and only use regular goggles for racing as I don't mind having them real tight for short periods of time. For training though these Vista's are great. They are slightly larger than the Seal XP's and that may be the reason for the better seal for me. If you need a larger goggle and have deeper eye sockets these may be the ticket. I got them from Amazon for $20 and at that price they are a good bargain.

Aqua Sphere claim that they are way ahead of all other swim goggles and that this Vista model is their top of the line. All I can say is that, so far, this is the most I've ever paid for goggles and I'm happy I did it because these are the only ones I can tolerate on my 100-lap pool sessions so... goodbye red eyes :) This model features: - polycarbonate lens with near 180-degree visibility - anti-fog and scratch-resistant coating - nice, low-drag frame that gives me a sexy look in the pool (but that's just me) - claim of 100-percent UVA/UVB protection - silicone strap - one-touch buckles for fitting - made in Italy By far, the best feature are the "quick-fit" buckles which make adjusting the mask if not a pleasure, at least a non-event. My rather long hair always caused me trouble before the Vista. With these goggles, all I need to do is squeeze the buckle and loosen the straps a bit, place the goggles on my face, then squeeze again and tighten the straps and... voila! water-tight in 10 seconds and ready to swim. So far, these proved to be quite durable but even if I had to use to pairs per year they'd still be worth it.

Reviews

I've use the anti-fog solutions (Aqua Sphere) to good effect, but you do have to follow the instructions, which involves pretreatment & drying of the treated goggles before use. Ok if you remember, but not so great if you don't. This product, however, is simple, solves a need, and works very well. Received order quickly in appropriate packaging- very good vendor. Only caveats about the product: 1) They are powerful magnets, BUT they CAN be dislodged by a strong stream of water should you rinse your goggles, and can subsequently be lost. Specifically- the stream out of a shower head, or even the water entering the washing machine (rinsing goggles after loading suits/towels for a post-swim load) can dislodge these magnets if the stream is strong enough. If you're lucky, they'll quickly stick to something metal; if not, you'll have to find them before they're lost down the drain, etc. 2) I'd not store my credit cards/wallet near them in your gym bag- magnets ARE magnets, and I'd suspect that anything with magnetic strips (credit cards, key cards, etc. ) could adversely be affected. Other than the aforementions- a terrific idea & product at a good price.

Reviews

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

My mask broke on first use...one of the pieces to hold the strap the mask popped off when adjusting it. Fortunately, my friend, used a small stick to temporarily fix it, and then it lasted the rest of my vacation. The mask gets foggy pretty fast an water gets inside, no matter how I tried to adjust it.

THE US DIVERS COZUMEL SEABREEZE DRY PROFLEX II MASK,FINS, AND SNORKEL SET ALMOST RUINED MY RECENT SNORKELING TRIP TO ARUBA! THE FINS WORKED VERY WELL BUT THE MASK WAS HORRIBLE AND KEPT LEAKING WATER INTO MY EYES. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO GET A USED MASK FROM SOMEONE THERE BUT THE FIRST 2 OF 6 TRIPS WERE FRUSTRATING AND A TOTAL DISASTER! DO NOT BUY THIS SET UNLESS YOU ONLY NEED THE FINS!!

The low price is worth to get the fins and the mask but this snorkel has a guard but no real shut off system. So get another snorkel which shuts of water flow before your mouth fills up with water if you accidentally submerge.

I purchased 2 sets (one for me and one for the wife) a couple of weeks before my trip to Hawaii, when I first used it I realized the mask leaks a little, turns out there is a slight rip under the nose. When we got out of the water my wife complaint that the tube leaks on her set which required her to blow water out of the tube every couple of seconds. Don't buy!!!!!!

I just tried out this snorkel set for the first time yesterday in the warm water of Costa Rica. Everything worked very well, and was quite comfortable. Though I imagine spending a bit more on a good mask will be worthwhile at some point, for a first timer's set this is great! I definitely recommend it. The snorkel itself works well, the fins are comfortable and have good flex while swimming and the mask seems to do a good job keeping the water out. It does get a big foggy, and doenst fit perfectly on my face which is why Im giving the set 4 stars instead of 5.