Mares Open Heel Fins

As promised, something that has performed well beyond expectations. Initially I trusted the dive shop employee who sold my first and only set of fins. They were bought in Jacksonville Beach, Florida at Atlantic Pro Divers. The cost was about $125, although a quick search on LeisurePro list them for $57.00. They were purchased right before doing the PADI Rescue course. Approximately 12 years later and over 5000 dives they are still going strong. Now that's value, and no warranty required.

There is a Mares dealer here in West-End who sells these and newer versions of the fins but the only thing that has been replaced is the straps. They can be quite pricey, but again worth it. PJ ordered a bunch of new straps for open heel fins used during the rainy season. When the weather gets nasty on the north side we dive the south. At times we do shore dive in Flowers Bay over by Church Wall. That's when the open heel fins earn their money. To clarify, we carry a large variety of closed heel fins, some of which are never picked because they are simply to hard to put on and much less take off while hanging to the back of the ladder. The rest of the year they sit there on the shelf providing cover for Precious, Mally, and Shitty Kitty (our shop cats). In any case, he found some third party fin straps sold by Trident. That strap is also holding up.

I've tried the split fins and they definitely have less resistance and thus less stress on your knees. I'd hate to have to tow someone back to the boat against a current using them. That's a matter of comfort anyhow. I'm just making the case that the Mares Open Heel fins are good reliable ones.

Here are what a pair of well used ones look like;

You can see the third party strap and how it fit right into the Mares clips. I still have the Mares strap, it was switched to simply test it. The fins are starting to tear on the rubber right where your foot goes, but simply because at times someone doesn't zip up their booties. There is only one person to blame for that.

On a separate note, Coconut Tree Divers has used a variety of close heel fins for just about all our rentals when diving off Potlicker and Wish You Were Here (our current boats). During that time, it is also the Mares closed heel fins which have lasted the test of time. Those do tend to tear at the heel though, but they have outlasted the competitors we have used.

They get the double oks from this reviewer. That's not to say I'm not going to try a different pair.

Until next time, happy bubbles.

Oceanic Pioneer Mask

This mask was given to me by a friend in a brand new condition. It belonged to his father whom couldn't get the thing to seal. His father purchased the mask for $125 in Canada. I found it online for $99 but it lists a MSRP of $149 at the following site. No matter how you look at, the thing is not cheap, but in the end it is a cheap mask. Seriously, this thing was brand new in it's carrier when given to me. Four months later, the thing started falling apart in several different areas. Rather than explain the whole thing, several pictures have been taken to hopefully save someone from spending a whole lot of money on something unworthy of it. For anyone who might be inclined to suggest better care of the mask is required, perhaps. I hope to use it everyday and rinse it in fresh water upon completion of diving and store it with the rest of the gear.

Still going strong however is the OMS mask reviewed earlier. That was under $25 on LeisurePro.com The gift itself was a tremendous gesture which really touched me. The excitement for the thing was nothing less than, "hey check out my new bad-ass mask." It fit quite comfortably, the soft silicone skirt simply molding to your face, with easy to adjust straps. In the end I believe the silicone being used is too flimsy. I've had several Oceanic Shadows and they have all torn right under the nose. Anyhow, you decide, but you've been warned.

Merry Christmas to those who read this.

Up next, a set of fins which are well worth the money.

Hollis Stainless Cam Band

I ordered two Hollis Stainless Cam Bands from LeisurePro 07/26/2011. They each cost $30.00. Jose, whom also works at Coconut Tree Divers, ordered the same ones a couple of weeks prior. The result, after a mere 4 months of use, they are falling apart at the velcro section. They've been sewn together with a simple one pass of the machine. That is what is seems like anyhow. A pity because otherwise I was happy with them, ready to recommend them with double oks and everything. 

Again, we are looking for things that simply work. Are we to remove them, send them back and wait for a month while a new pair is sent to Roatan, Honduras? No, instead, we will purchase a different brand and keep searching for the optimal set of gear. One could say it was a bad "one", but it happened to different dive professionals and they failed at roughly the same time. Perhaps someone could cough it up as a bad batch. Well, I would rather purchase the kind which undergo quality control and did not rely on my putting the warranty to a test. We dive everyday and can not be bothered with a month long hiatus of non-working while being replaced gear. What the gear gets a holiday and we do not. Besides, we are diving in calm, warm, clear water in optimal conditions. If the gear does not work here, where will it perform? 

When the bands were shipped, one included the rubber insert used to keep the tank from slipping or sliding and the other did not. It is big deal because I paid for it, but I would not give the product a bad review because it was lacking a non-essential piece. That could be the fault of the third party seller and not necessarily the manufacturer. In my case I had a spare from the DiveRite bands being using prior to switching to the Hollis pair. The reason for the switch to begin with, was the DiveRite bands were the thin 1". They would come undone all the time, one of them anyhow. That would leave the tank attached but dangling and just felt wrong. Enter Hollis Stainless Cam Bands. Overall rating, thumbs down. 

Hollis Mini Led

I just completed the TecDeep course with Monty. That was my first "vacation" in six years. It was an an excellent course with some pretty special dives. If you decide to take it, read the book and answer all the questions before starting the class. That will make your life way easier.

About two years ago, I switched to a back-plate and harness. With no pockets you end up having to clip everything to D-rings. That includes a dive knife and a dive light. The goal was to obtain a compact powerful light with batteries that can be purchased here in Roatan. Some flash lights require CR-series batteries. As of yet, they are not sold here. At times, you can't get AAAs. Another point is not wanting to carry around a canister light. Nothing against them, but why carry one when teaching Open Water?

There are numerous options for lights and I have worked my way through a couple in attempts to find the one. They include Intova, Mares, Underwater Kinetics and the latest, a Hollis Mini Led. Not sure this is the one yet, but so far it is an excellent choice. It uses three AA batteries which works well will with Energizer rechargeable kind. To use it, simply turn the handle and there goes your highly concentrated beam of white light. Keep turning and the light turns off and you will end up flooding it. It is compact, about two inches in diameter and just shy of six inches in length. You can purchase this light at LeisurePro for $99.00.

There is one issue I have been having with the light. At 100 feet, turning the light on has been impossible. At about 70 ft it is easier but there is resistance. It seems to be the air compressing. I plan on switching back to regular batteries just to rule that out.

OMS Mask

How about a mask that has proven itself to be excellent? There is, in Spanish, the three Bs: Bueno, Bonito y Barato. The: OMS I-CU Two Window With Black Skirt Mask found at LeisurePro.com for $21.95 has proven itself to be quite reliable and worthy of las 3 Bs. Three of us at the shop use this type of mask. That includes Rags, whose been working at Coconut Tree Divers for three years, Monty our resident commercial diver gone recreational and tec dive instructor and myself. I switched from an Oceanic Shadow as it kept tearing right under the nose. The silicone from the Oceanic is very thin. Perhaps that's why the three Shadows in my doesn't work anymore suitcase all have the same tear. I loved my shadow, but it was becoming quite pricey to keep replacing it every six months. I decided to go for an alternate brand. Based on Monty's feedback, I gave the OMS a shot. The price was right. The issue was, as usual, having to order online and wait for the item to arrive.

On several occasions new Open Water students can't seem to find a mask that fits their face. While I'm not claiming that this will fit everyone, it works for just about everyone I've let borrow. It's easily adjusted and quite comfortable. El Tipo, Tim, one of our seasonal instructors who comes down every year around Christmas time brings down some of these masks to use with his students. They've worked reliably.

I've had my OMS mask for over a year. 

Bottom Line: Double OKs for this mask.

M2 Hollis Mask

This mask was purchased from ScubaToys.com This is the confirmation I received from them:

Product ID: HollisM2Mask
Product Name: Hollis M2 Dive Mask
Product Price: $39.95
Quantity: 1


There was plenty of anticipation for using this mask as other Hollis products are being tested. A friend, Andy was planning on starting a dealership here in Roatan. He ended up with a ruptured lung over a fluke accident. He's out of the water for a bit and no dealership, for now. I was scheduled to be part of his original order. In any case, some of their products are being tested. (i.e. backplate, harness, wing, flashlight).

After purchasing the mask online it was delivered to Roatan by some friends who dive with us every year. Thanks for bringing it down Sean and Sue. The mask is a single frame with a relatively soft skirt around it making quite comfortable. The adjustable strap is very easy to operate. It fogged up in the beginning, as every mask I've had to date. A couple of SoftScrub applications took the manufactures protective coating off and I was in excellent shape.

After diving we bring our gear up to the shop where it is rinsed off with fresh water and left to dry on our deck. At the end of the day it is brought into the shop. There is a rack where staff keeps their gear. It's separated into two levels, instructors on top and divemaster trainees on the bottom. Most of us keep all our gear configured in a similar manner. That includes; a BCD hanger holding a BCD, regulator, flash-light, mask clipped to the chest strap, safety marker and reel, and any slates. I wouldn't say that the gear is exposed to extreme conditions.

After about 48 dives the black coating on the top frame of the mask starting peeling off. It looks as though bubbles have formed underneath the areas where it has not peeled. The mask still works, but I've replaced it with my old mask.

In the end, I don't recommend this mask.