We Bought An Intova Edge X And Surprisingly, We Weren't Embarrassed

But That's Not A GoPro!

If you wander into a camera shop, wave a few hundred pounds in the face of the guy behind the counter and say “I want to buy a camera that works underwater”, chances are he'll smile knowingly and sell you a GoPro. Just as the BMW is the must have car for estate agents, insurance salesman and Red Bull fuelled investment bankers, then in the world of the selfie-taking underwater geek the GoPro is the king, the benchmark by which not only are all other cameras to be judged but how you, as the owner, are judged. Own a BMW and you must have made it. Own a GoPro and you're a cool, radical thrill-seeker with a degree in media studies and no extraneous body hair. Walk into the same shop however, wave the same amount of cash and ask to see the new Intova, then chances are that counter guy will laugh in your face. In the minds of many, owning an Intova camera is akin to owning a washing machine made by Cadbury or buying a house because you want to live in it rather than as an investment or for that matter, naming your daughter Michelle rather than Apple Blossom Perky Boobs. It's just not the thing trend-setters do. It's just not cool. Of course the parents of Miss Perky Boobs are completely wrong just as the the guy in the camera shop is. Intova is, and has been for some time, a leading name in underwater cameras. So successful are they in fact that someone you know probably owns one, they just haven't told you.

 

Not that this road to the success hasn't hit some large bumps. The Intova IC 12 and 14 were pretty awful cameras with the nasty habit of turning themselves off and returning to factory settings at the most inconvenient moment. A problem that still exists with the IC 16. The video quality was also dreadful and the whole appearance of the camera was reminiscent of a cheap Chinese import.

The Intova Edge X is a little different. Being self contained in a rubber armoured housing the Edge X dispenses with the need for a separate housing. It also benefits from a small LCD screen with anti glare hood so you can actually see what you're shooting, something that the GoPro lacks. A professional photographer we know once told us that any camera is only as good as the lens. Well the Edge X has one of those, in fact it is a super wide-angle lens at 160 degrees and the camera has a video fisheye correction system, so that's alright then. It shoots up to 12mp photos and has 1080p@60fps HD video resolution. The whole thing is waterproof to 300 feet/100 metres and is capable of all the little tricks you'd expect from any camera. Manual white balance, burst mode, slave strobe function, wifi, 60x digital zoom, time lapse, motion detection etc, etc. The Edge X can also be fitted with various external lighting systems, mounts and accessories to create a complete film and photography system. There are some downsides however, the buttons all seem to have dual modes, which means that it can feel like you're trying to play a flute underwater rather than take a snap. The 12mp photo resolution is also little disappointing but is no different to other action cameras. 

 

What sets this camera aside is the LCD screen. Although small you can at least visualise what you're aiming at. The GoPro is designed to be bolted into one place and is usually used to show the owners face, feet or front tyre as they do something wild and trendy, the Edge X is designed to shoot what you are looking at. That, in our opinion, makes it worth braving the smirks of shop assistants and the disdain of men who wax their chests everywhere. So if you're not an estate agent, you don't want to burden your child with a silly name, are happy with your hairy chest and don't want all of your holiday videos to be of your face, dispense with flock mentality trends and buy an Intova. Yes Miss Perky Boobs and the GoPro crowd will still laugh at you, but they all have silly names and work in banks so what do they know!

Fourth Element Pro Dive Amphibious Shorts – Your Grandad Would Love Them

Fourth Element began their mission to create a range of casual and technical diving clothing in 1999. Since then this company with it’s pro-eco philosophy has taken the diving world by storm. Quite a few people even believe, with good reason, that Fourth Element may soon become the predominant player in the dive clothing market. Not bad for a company that was formed over a few beers in Sharm-El-Sheikh. We like Fourth Element. We’ve bought their t-shirts, hats, rash vests and more and all of these products have never failed to impress so we were rather looking forward to trying out their Pro Dive Amphibious Shorts on our recent trip to the Canary Islands. The company blurb states that the shorts were designed for use in and out of the water. The Amphibious Pro Dive Shorts are ultra quick drying with quick draining mesh lined pockets; cargo and back pockets with hook and loop closure (that means Velcro to the rest of us) as well as a crotch gusset for superior comfort. The shorts got a big plus in the looks department, at least from the men. The women, however, were not that convinced. “A bit wannabe SAS” and “too James Bondish” were just some of the comments. Still, since they weren’t designed for women we ignored the smirks and raised eyebrows from our female brethren and proceeded to put the shorts to the test.

The material is indeed as soft as a bunny rabbit’s tail and on land the pockets do what pockets are meant to do. Meaning you can carry keys, a wallet and whatever else you stuff in your pockets. In the water, the large cargo pocket comes in handy for carrying a spare camera lens or torch, as long as both are small. The material did indeed dry fairly quickly, but not as quick as we imagined. There are a number of other problems too. The shorts we tested were medium size (mainly because the guy who bought them swore blind that he was a medium) which equates to a 32-inch waist and yet, the fit was significantly tighter than was expected. So significant in fact that we had to check his other clothes just to make sure he wasn’t telling fibs about his girth. We checked his jeans; his other shorts and even his underwear (much to his protests) and all clearly indicated that he did indeed have a 32-inch waist. Odd then that the shorts were so tight at the waist. The problems didn’t stop there however. The waist may be tighter than a girdle, but the legs flared out at the bottom to an alarming degree. James Bondish they may look in the marketing pictures, but wearing them in reality, our man looked more like Lofty in It Ain’t Half Hot Mum. When snorkelling, this flaring also led to a significant amount of drag. So what do we have here? The shorts are only available in black, which is a touch unimaginative and you’ll pay around £50 a pair, which is a lot of money for shorts that don’t fit very well. Then there’s the flaring cut of the legs that not only looks rather silly on land but also becomes a significant irritation in the water. It was, our man informed us, like swimming with a sail flapping around your legs.

Of course our man may have fallen foul of the problem of Internet buying and should have gone to a shop to try them on – but who has the time? There is also nothing to suggest that buying a larger size would have meant a better fit. Then there is the issue of flaring, if the medium size makes you look like you’ve got a coat hanger in your pockets, the larger size would no doubt double the “billowing problem”. If you have a waist like a wasp and thighs like a Rhino then these shorts are a perfect buy. For the rest of us however, appearing as if we’re wearing our grandad’s shorts on the beach is not the look we want for £50. So we hope that Fourth Element get their fingers out and do something about it – better sizing, better cut and more choice of colours please chaps. 

I like the design Smithers, but they simply aren't baggy enough. Make 'em black and make 'em very baggy d'ya see

What’s The Flipping Issue With Fins? Annoying Brad By Wanting To Buy Stuff!

So you’ve decided to have a go at snorkelling. You’ve got your mask, you’ve navigated your way through the ordeal of buying a snorkel and now you just need to pick out a pair of fins for your feet and you’re ready for that first snorkelling trip. Here, however, is where the problems really begin - beads of sweat begin to bloom on your forehead at the thought - you’ll need to decide between adjustable heel and full foot. Then you’ll need to decide if you want paddle, split, channelled or classic, short or long, light or heavy and you’ll have to try them on to make sure they fit and this means - the beads of sweat are now forming torrents down your face - you’ll need to visit a diving shop and discuss the matter with the incumbent Brad: diving instructor, commando, helicopter gunship pilot and all round adventuring guru who just happens to be working in a dive store this week.

  

In normal circumstances popping into a shop and buying something you want is a simple and sometimes pleasurable experience (men excluded) but you know, face-to-face with a Brad, you might do something unforgivable, something heinous, something so shocking in the world of diving that even inviting your friend’s wife to an orgy in Brighton pales into moral insignificance. You might just inadvertently refer to fins as flippers! And you know that should you commit this most odious faux pas, the response will be swift and violent. Brad will go red in the face; the veins at his temples will throb, dribbles of saliva will froth at the sides of his mouth and in a sudden explosive outburst he will scream. ‘Flipper is a bloody dolphin – they’re called fins!” You will then be unceremoniously asked to leave and your interest in the sport of snorkelling will end in a single, ego-crushing, encounter. For members of the club, the act of turning a Brad red-faced with indignant anger has become a rasion d’etre in itself. In fact we often seek out a Brad and take bets on how quickly one of us can reduce them to a puce coloured, screaming ball of rage. Nevertheless we know that many newcomers to the sport are often intimidated by the snotty attitude of the Brad clique so here’s what you need to know before you buy those all important underwater foot propulsion accessories you need and how to handle the Brad that’s selling them to you.

Published in 1960

Let’s start with the name. Certain divers (those we call Brads) call them fins and there is a reason for this, they have no sense of humour! You see in the early days fins were in fact called flippers – even the demi-god of diving, Jacques Cousteau called them flippers. Way back in the 1950’s and 1960’s Hollywood films and TV shows which dealt with diving also referred to them as flippers and then in 1964 an aquatic Lassie called Flipper arrived on the scene. Brads the world over never seem to wonder why the dolphin was called Flipper. Nevertheless what they did wonder was why suddenly everyone kept pointing, as they donned their frogman outfits, and shouting “don’t forget your flippers” before falling about laughing and making squeaking noises. In short diving wasn’t being taking seriously and Brads were getting fed up with having their frogman’s foot paddles jokingly called flippers. Something had to be done and quicker than you can say “get a life Brad” divers were calling them fins. Fins, as far as Brad is concerned, aren’t funny and neither is diving and to reinforce that fact anyone who dared enter the world of Brad and called them flippers was subjected to a counter offensive of mirth and derision.This could of course just be supposition on our part but it’s as good a reason as any. For having searched the internet high and low, browsed through a small mountain of diving manuals and consulted a couple of men in a bar – who claim to know about these things – we couldn’t find any other legitimate reason why Brads insist on calling them fins. In nature, fins and flippers are pretty much the same thing it’s just a question of semantics really. So all you newcomers out there can be content in the knowledge that calling them flippers is as justifiable as calling them fins. And, should you be the victim of a Braddy rebuke, simply raise a disdainful eyebrow and with professorial condescension reply that if it is good enough for Jacques Cousteau it is good enough for you. That’s true by the way; Cousteau did call them flippers. 

Now that we’ve dealt with the fact that you can happily call them flippers or anything else you feel like, what type do you really need? Flippers come in many guises and are designed for varying purposes, many of which have no relevance to snorkelling, so let’s stick with the fundamentals.Flippers are either open heel pockets with adjustable straps or full foot pockets. Open heels are really designed to be used with neoprene boots in cooler environments so for warm weather snorkelling we recommend you go for a full foot design – they are much more comfortable and if needs be, can be used with thinner neoprene socks. Now we come to the blade and things get a lot more complicated.The type of snorkelling you are going to do will dictate the blade length. For the most basic snorkelling, in calm sheltered waters of a coral reef, the snorkeller will benefit from using a short blade to avoid damaging marine life and stirring up sediment. If however, you are looking to snorkel in deeper, more turbulent waters, a short fin will be useless and a longer blade will be necessary otherwise you’ll find yourself kicking like mad with little or no effect. Remember as well, that the longer the blade the more effort will be needed to move the blade through the water. So what about the blade design? Should you go for the more rigid paddle or split? Each has its pros and cons and much will rely on individual preference and the type of snorkelling activity you are intending to do.

Split blades are often claimed to be 40% more efficient than paddle designs. As the blade moves through the water, the two wing shaped surfaces create lift and forward propulsion like a propeller. Water travelling over the blade is forced into and out of the split allowing the snorkeller to use low amplitude “flutter kicks” thereby reducing exertion without any loss in performance. Split blades also benefit from the fact that the design itself almost adapts to the wearers kick, compensating for the more erratic style without loss of forward motion. Snorkellers who have knee, joint or back problems will benefit from the reduced effort the split design offers. 

As we have said a lot relies on individual preference and we know some people who flinch at the thought of split blades. They argue that although splits reduce effort they are no good for the real power needed in rough water and that nothing beats a traditional paddle blade. Paddle design makes use of a flat flexible blade that as the name suggests, acts like a paddle, pushing water down and behind thus propelling the snorkeller forward. The blades efficiency can be improved by channelling which creates a U shape that captures and contains more water as it is moved up and down. The power argument for paddle blades does of course suffer from a significant problem, it simply doesn’t add up. No blade will give you more power - that comes from you. Paddle blades simply provide more resistance to the water and therefore the harder you kick the more water is moved and the quicker you go…. And the quicker you become exhausted. More power means more effort and that means your muscles and particularly your ankles will have to do a lot more work. Feeling like you’ve just run a marathon after twenty minutes in the water is probably not what a lot of recreational snorkellers are after. So now you know you can call them flippers and the types of design that are out there but which one should you buy?

As we said the best starting point is to decide what type of snorkelling you are going to do, what will the conditions be like and what are your individual physical capabilities, Then make a decision on how much you want to spend. Cheap does not mean good, it simply means cheap. Don’t think the items on sale are a bargain often they’re just the stuff that doesn’t sell! And stay away from snorkel set packages. Buying a package is like ordering from the set menu in a restaurant, you never really get what you want. Equally don’t think that splurging the cash on a set of all singing, all dancing flippers is the answer. If you don’t go cave diving why buy a set of flippers designed for cave divers? And of course avoid anything that has “military grade specifications or materials” highlighted in the advertising – just like Brad you are not a commando, no matter what he says! Keep things simple, practical and cost effective and you can’t go far wrong. To put our money where our mouth is here are the flipping fins we use

 

Split design 

TUSA X-Pert Evolution

Most of the club use the TUSA X-pert evolution full foot pocket. Regardless of the conditions these flippers have performed superbly. The minimal effort needed to propel yourself through the water increases the amount of time you can spend in the big blue and at around £30 these are lightweight, stylish and hard to beat for price.

 Paddle design

Cressi Rondine Palua

Several of us use the Cressi Rondine Palua open heel. Cressi have been making diving and snorkelling equipment for a very long time and rarely get it wrong. The Palua has an elasticated heel strap made from soft elastomer (whatever that is) which makes it easy to put them on in or out of the water. The flexible blade provides excellent propulsion without all the strenuous effort needed with some other paddle designs. Lightweight, easy to pack and at around £20 these really are great travel fins – sorry flippers!

  

 

 And here’s one we got wrong

 

Why?

U.S Divers Trek fin: like a bad smell, no one in the club will admit to having anything to do with these awful things. Yet there they are, tucked away in their own little travel bag, a visible reminder that even we are occasionally victim to the sales pitch of Brad. They are designed for the backpacking snorkeller who might suddenly happen upon a deserted beach or lake and fishing around in their pack (avoiding all the soiled underwear) pull out a pair of very short, very rigid paddle flippers and dive in. The sales pitch was something about short and inflexible being nothing to worry about as they have been engineered to give you the power to get you through the water due to the wider than normal blade. Err… That might be true but they are also incredibly uncomfortable, incredibly ineffective and the straps break with worrying ease. At around £15 they are also cheap and we have noticed that they are often sold as a package – we should have known!

 

So that’s it. Call them flippers, don’t listen to Brads sales pitch and remember to make sure the flippers, fins, frogman’s shoes, diving paddles or underwater foot extensions you buy actually fit…… It really isn’t that hard is it?

Buy This Mask If You Like - We Did

There are a great many masks available for the snorkeller to buy and unsurprisingly, a great deal of advice about which one is best. This leaves the first time buyer with a problem – which one should they buy? Obviously there is no point putting too much stock in the advertising blurb that manufacturers put out – they’re always going to say that their masks are the best and are very unlikely to point out any flaws - at least not deliberately. There is also no point in reading all those “top ten” lists that you find in diving magazines and review websites. These lists seem to appear with such depressing regularity that it’s almost impossible for any mask not to have appeared in one or another – or all of them for that matter. How these lists are compiled is also a little bewildering. We saw one list that led with this description: The Sprite’s cool design cues — bright-white skirt and floral accents — will appeal to women who like to add a bit of flash to their kit

OK so it’s white with little flowers on it and some women might like that –some men might too – but why in, Neptune’s sodden backside, does that make it a “top ten” top tip? You could, alternatively, visit your local diving store and ask the Brad (see sport diving needs a hero) behind the counter what they suggest. However this is probably not a good idea as the conversation tends to go like this:

Buyer: “Hello I’d like to but a mask please, what do you recommend”?
Brad: “What are you going to do with it”?
Buyer: “Err…. I was going to put it on my face – at least that’s what you’re meant to do right”?
Brad: “I meant what type of diving are you going to do – what are the conditions, what depth and all that”?
Buyer: “Actually, I was just going to do a bit of snorkelling”?
Brad: “Snorkelling”?
Buyer: “Yes”.
Brad: “Snorkelling”?
Buyer: “Yes – snorkelling”
Brad with deep despairing sigh and a wave of the hand: “The cheap stuff is over there in the bin marked discount”.

Of course some diving stores have picked up on this sporting discrimination and realised that “selling stuff” sometimes means being nice to the people with the money, such as this store in Chiswick, London. So faced with all these obstacles to actually buying a decent Mask what can you do? Well the Dangerous Snorkelling Club has come up with an idea.

We’re not going to tell what to buy, what we are going to do is tell you what we bought and why. So let’s start with that mask. We use two masks the first is the Mares Liquid Skin. Here’s what the manufacturer says:

 

The most important innovation since the introduction of silicone masks. LiquidSkin, Mares Bi-silicone and exclusive technology, uses two different types of silicone: a firmer portion for support structure and a softer portion for contact with your face. It is 45% softer for unparalleled comfort and 270% more elastic for a perfect fit.

See what we mean about advertising “blurb”! Now we presume that by being 45% softer they mean it’s 45% softer than normal silicon and likewise it is 270% more elastic than normal silicon as well, either that or they are just plucking stuff out of the air. In our opinion the field of vision is excellent and it has a very soft seal, which makes it feel like you're wearing a fluffy bunny on your face. As for elasticity – it’s as flexible as an Olympic gymnast and will fit snugly into the smallest of spaces in your luggage and at less than 200 grams, it’s as damaging to your weight allowance as a pair of woolly socks. The biggest selling point though, as far as we are concerned, is the looks. The Liquid Skin has the head-turning looks of Aston Martin, Ray-Ban and a supermodels cleavage all rolled into one. Not bad for a mask that retails at around £35. Of course the Mares Liquid Skin is a mask more suited to SCUBA or freediving so if we are not going to dive below a few metres we use our second choice mask which is the Beuchat Super Compensator. Here’s the technical stuff:

 Update of the Beuchat Compensator mask, the first mask with an angled window and finger wells, invented in 1958. Inclined oval single lens to extend the vertical field of vision, Black rubber skirt and internal finger wells for equalisation. Black rubber double safety strap. Brass rim. Aluminium buckles.

Most diving experts will tell you that masks that use rubber don’t last as long as those that use silicon and that is very true. However with a little bit of care this mask can outlast any silicon competitor within its price range. The field of vision allowed by it’s single inclined lens is unsurpassed and the retro (sixties James Bond) looks hark back to a day when diving truly was the domain of pioneers. The Super Compensator has finger wells that allow for equalisation which means that you can use this mask for prolonged dives at depth or short breath-hold dives. However it is really best used for snorkelling where it’s field of vision comes into its own. The Beuchat weighs in at 256 grams which means it’s a lot heavier than most masks and its single lens design lacks the flexibility of virtually all other masks, but at around £20, it’s price, field of view and overall looks far outweigh any of its flaws. In fact we all love this mask more than the Mares and certainly more than anything else we seen on the market.

So there you have it, these are the masks we liked enough to buy and use. What else can we say other than to point out that regardless of what mask catches your attention, remember that everyone’s face is slightly different in size and shape so keep in mind the golden rules when buying a mask.
Make sure it fits, Make sure it fits and finally make sure it fits. Yes we know that we said that three times but it is so fundamental that we thought it was worth mentioning again and again and again.

 Coming soon in DSC equipment: What’s the flipping issue with fins – winding up Brad.