Mares JAX Custom Mouthpiece

If you dive, chances that you are using a mouthpiece are at about 100%. If you have your own reg, and you use it regularly chances that you’ve replaced the mouthpiece are also pretty high. Initially divers tend to clench down on the mouthpiece. In time the tabs crack off.  Not to mention that the diver ends up with a sore jaw. Enter a custom mouthpiece. The Mares store down the road here in West End sells them for about $30. It’s quite a lot when you compare it to $5 the standard mouthpieces cost. You know what they say, once you go custom mouthpiece you don’t go back. 

How long do they last? The current one on my reg has lasted over two years. Having one on your reg for 15 years when it’s not being used is not an accurate comparison.  That’s just to cover the heckler who says he’s had one for over 200 years. You know the one who goes to work uphill and then goes home uphill again.

Tree, our equipment manager changes mouthpieces anywhere from 2 a week to about 10. The spike is in direct correlation, we believe, to new divers who chew them up. 

The custom mouthpiece is really comfortable. It gets a double OK. For someone with a small mouth, you might have to trim it. Feel free to comment on your experience with this mouthpiece or better yet, join the blog. 

Thanks for coming and happy bubbles.

Here is a description of the Mares JAX Mouthpiece found at DivingDirect

http://www.divingdirect.co.uk/diving-c46/accessories-c72/regulator-spares-c78/mares-jax-mouthpiece-p129

Dive Rite First Stage "bulletproof"

As a new diver you will eventually start buying your own gear. Walking into a store can present endless options ranging from more affordable options to not so affordable. We want, as always, to provide an honest guide to help your decision making when it comes to those purchases. The cost, in the end is not really the issue, it is the longevity and performance of the gear that is.

For the last seven years Coconut Tree Divers has been using the Dive Rite 1200 series first stage. In the words of Tree, the equipment manager, it is bulletproof. To date we have 27 in service on the rental rack. They are regularly maintained which includes; taking them apart, cleaning them, replacing O-rings, lubricating and putting them back together. It is all easy to do, although the recommendation is to let a qualified person take care of this for you. If you work in the industry and you do not have access to a "certified tech" they are simple to work on. You need to have the tools to take them apart
and the service kits.

The shop offers four dives a day. The morning boat leaves at 9:00 AM for a deep dive (30m/100 ft. or more) followed by a second dive at around 11:00 depending on the previous dive time. Usually they last anywhere from 45 minutes to 70 minutes. The morning boat gets back to the dock at around 12:30 pm with the next boat going out at 1:00 and 2:30 pm respectively. Afternoon dives are usually limited to 18m/ 60 ft. The point of all this is that the regulators get used constantly. At times, they go from the hands of one diver to the rinse tank and then another diver or student. Usually we add to that a couple of night dives. The Dive Rite first stage is a work horse. They are not very expensive and they are very reliable. When a particular piece of equipment works reliably, the staff ends up adopting it. Several of us have switched to Dive Rite first stages. Coconut Tree Divers has a total commitment to the safety of its divers. A quick read on TripAdvisor will show among several common themes, safety. With that in mind, we stand behind the Dive Rite first stage.

Monty our commercial diver and  Tec Instructor also uses these first stages for Tec dives and as rental gear for the Tec courses.

Bottom line, the Dive Rite first stage receives double OKs.

For a product description visit DiveGearExpress.com. 

Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS

Some divers love taking underwater pictures as do the staff at Coconut Tree Divers. The question arises time and time again as to which camera and housing to buy. We were looking for an entry level camera for the new underwater photographer. Also, for a solution to use as a rental camera that would not break the bank. With that mentioned, we also wanted a camera that took good quality pictures. Finally we wanted something that was easy to use.

Enter the 12.1 mega pixels Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS Digital Elph. As of this writing the Camera can be purchased via eBay for $150.00 or less. It is a small and compact point and shoot, likely the standard these days. The housing we selected for this camera is a Canon WP-DC36. It retails on Amazon for $190. There are several waterproof cameras but as of late they are limited to about 33 feet. There is plenty of life at that depth, but our morning dives are generally down to 100 feet. The afternoon dives max out at 60 feet. Until these depths increase we will continue purchasing housings for our cameras.

Originally we were thinking of purchasing the Canon PowerShot G12. That is an excellent choice, but quite more expensive. Jose, our in house photographer started searching and purchased an SD1300 for himself. It has worked superbly. It is extremely easy to use and provided you put a big enough SD card in it, video is also available. As part of our Divemaster program we have started to get DMts who are further along in the program to take pictures. We want them to experience taking the pictures and uploading them to social media sites. Also to be able to put together movie clips which may also be shared online or on a flat screen at the shop. Many of the shots on our Facebook page come from this little camera. We are not implying that the more expensive solutions do not work, simply that this one does. As someone trying to purchase all your gear, the dollars add up quickly.

It has an underwater setting. The flash can be turned on or off with ease, macro mode is available and the video mode is also accessible underwater. Some cameras don't let you switch. This camera gets a double OK.

Cressi AquaPro

As one can imagine a diveshop uses BCDs a good amount. At Coconut Tree Divers our business succeeds as a result of fun divers, new diver training, and continuing education. There's a whole lot more regarding why we are successful and that has to do mainly with our customer base, their satisfaction and the high volume of them who return. The point being that it doesn't come from high volume of gear sales. In any case, the gear we do purchase takes a beating as it goes straight to the rental rack. We get to find out what works, what doesn't, and what will we consider buying more of. When we first received our order of about 15 Cressi AquaPro BCDs a little over a year ago, there were doubts as to how they would perform and last. It did not seem as though they were made with longevity in mind.

Our BCDs get used about four times a day, seven days a week. The sizes we end up using the most are XS, SM, MD. We definitely use LG and XL but not as much as the others. It just so happens that we ordered five of each the more popular sizes. This week we ordered more of them. The current ones are not being replaced, they are simply taking over the racks. 

Among the features of Cressi AquaPro are the integrated weight fold out pockets.   Another popular BCD we have used is the Oceanic OceanPro. The pockets on the Oceanics get lost quite easily and they break just easy. Replacing them becomes an unnecessary expense when compared to the Cressi BCDs. This Cressi allows you to put your weights in the pocket, fold it up and clip it. In case of an emergency the clips are easily undone and the weights fall right out.


Another good thing from a rental perspective is that they display their size on the shoulder strap. They have big letters aiding whomever is outfitting customers for a boat dive or confined water quickly. The drawback is that once these letters fall, there is no back up letting you know what size it is. Oh, and the letters do fall off.

They have several dump valves. There is one at the end of the BCD hose, another on the right shoulder, and a third just above your right butt cheek. These all have lanyards that have been cleverly threaded through a loop in the material for easy dumping of excess air. Unfortunately, those long lanyards get caught and ripped right off. In the end they serve simply as dump valves for those who fill their BCDs to capacity. Someone who purchased one of these BCDs would likely care for it more than the usual rental gear user, thus they would likely last longer. That's for you to decide.

We were concerned about the inflators. They too have lasted the test of 100s of dives. They are a bit slow at inflating, but not a show stopper. They are not that complicated to take apart and clean either.

They also have a white lanyard used as trim for aesthetic purposes. Most of those are falling apart. It didn't happen to every BCD but to quite a few. We fixed that by cutting them with scissors. In the end they have have some minor glitches, (i.e. the sizes coming off and the aesthetic trim not lasting) but they are an excellent value for the cost.

If you are looking for a jacket style BCD that is not going to break the bank. The Cressi AquaPro may be just what you are looking for. Google has them listed for $230.

ScubaPro Seawing Nova Fins

These fins get tremendously positive reviews in lots of places. It is in part why DiveGearReview was created. Giving the reader honest feedback, not fluff or the result of someone buying ad space on a magazine.

The write up on these puppies goes like: "Seawing Nova combines classic SCUBAPRO fin technology with the latest innovations in hydrodynamic design and cutting edge materials. This fin has the power, acceleration and maneuverability of a paddle fin with the comfort, efficiency and effortless speed of split fins. The articulated joint allows the blade to pivot and the entire blade is able to generate thrust. Clean water blade geometry for optimum propulsion. Water is free to flow onto the working section of the blade, drag is reduced and thrust increased. Variable pivot control ribs insures that the most efficient angle of attack is maintained across all strengths of kick. Ergonomic foot pocket with extended heel plate insuring ultimate power transmission with less leg strain. Heavy duty marine grade bungee strap system for easy to wear comfort. Durable Monprene construction making Seawing virtually indestructible. Available in black and white."


All this talk of articulated, hydrodynamic, acceleration, maneuverability, comfort and ability to generate thrust is quite intriguing. Then you look at the price tag for them, on average $200 and one thinks, they must be amazing. Check out Divers-Supply.  They just might be what they advertise for the week-end warrior. Not so for those who plan to do more than say, 10 dives a year. 


A friend bought a pair for himself and his wife before coming down to work full time as instructors here at Coconut Tree Divers. This Canadian couple is all about excellence in dealing with customers and students. The attitude spills over to their gear. Hence, the choice of spending $400 on two sets of these Seawing Nova Fins. To be fair, they supposedly come with a lifetime warranty. Nice, if you have a ScubaPro shop who will replace them every 200 dives. Like clockwork, the two sets of fins tore in exactly the same spot on each of the four fins. Not bad for accelerated articulation... blah, blah, blah. They get two thumbs down, way down. Perhaps one could purchase three sets and have them on a return rotation schedule but I am a dive instructor. In Roatan, Honduras it would take ages for them to get replaced. In the meantime one would have to use the reliable shop rental fins. By the way, what is the difference between a dive instructor and a table? The table can support a family of four. Guess who will not be buying three sets for the rotation thought. 

If you already have a pair, good luck. If you are not planning on doing much diving, they will likely work out well. If you are thinking about purchasing them, here is the the deal, the value of these fins is not worth the price tag. You decide. 

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.