Buying a gift for a cold water diver is usually a bit easier, us cold water divers tend to be fairly heavily invested in the sport (you have to be, when it's snowing at the dive site)! And that means plenty of opportunity for new toys or shiny upgrades.
Here are some top selections for you:
The Ultima system is one of the easiest to install whilst still being very reliable. It comes in two different versions, the standard and the soft. The Standard version works on any drysuit that has latex wrist seals or the sitech ring system. The soft version is specifically designed for drysuit with the new slaggo ring system.
Once the gloves are installed, they're simple to take on and off and keep your hands toasty warm, even in the coldest conditions!
Heating systems have been improving over the years and have become practically game changing when it comes to cold water diving. Added into the drysuit undersuit system they can keep you warm even in the coldest water for much longer periods or can be used to keep you warm with less bulky undrsuits which means less weight and more freedom under the water.
The Thermalution system is neat because it incorporates the battery into the vest which can then be controlled by an external remote. this means you can use the vest in the best possible way which is to increase the heat as the dive progresses to minimise cold.
Fourth Element Cold Water Hood
A decent hood can make the world of difference. Many divers still use the basic hood that came with their drysuit which isn't always either that thick or the right size. Investing a properly fitting, 7mm hood will keep your head and neck much warmer and more comfortable.
Coldwater diving doesn't necessarily have to mean freezing, the UK in summer or the Med in winter are still chilly places to dive, however you don't need a drysuit to make the most of them. A good semi-dry like the Apeks Thermiq suit is an excellent present for cool and temperate water divers featuring 2 pockets and an in-built hood. On top of all that if the suit doesn't fit then we can happily exchange it with extended returns until the end of Jan!
This excellent piece of kit features the versatile Mk19 1st stage, a sealed diaphragm with a swivel turret and 5 lp ports along with the redesigned heavy duty G260 second stage which has always been a popular cold water second stage. Any diver will be very happy to discover one of these in their stocking on Christmas day!
Garmin MK2 Dive Computer Range
The Garmin Mk2 was released about a year ago and has been a huge success, the Mk2i version also features optional air integration but what really sets these computers apart is the ability to access all of the lifestyle and multisport functions that Garmin is famous for. Until the end of Dec each one comes with a free heart rate monitor too!
