DEMA 2010

PATRIOT flew to Vegas to re-energize at DEMA 2010 in Las Vegas, NV. Vegas is just a fun place to begin with, and DEMA 2010 was the adventure we expected. First of all, it is a great place to re-connect with Dive Buddies, fellow professionals and make many more connections. This year was no exception. The vendors were out in all their glory and PADI and DAN showed their usual support.

Some new styles and new gear was of course the really cool thing about walking the floor at DEMA. The Floor seemed hugely long this year. You needed good walking shoes! So what floated PATRIOT’s boat this year? Let see…this year there was a pretty good list.

Regulators:

Regulator first stages are getting smaller and better laid out for Recreational Divers and Techies. Bullet-Proof second stages are becoming the norm in many brands. Zeagle, Sherwood and Cressi topped our list here. Way cool.

Wet Suits:

2011 will see Zeagle taking a great line, Pinnacle, to even greater heights. New suits with improved fit, quality and comfort. Look for Pinnacle by Zeagle Suits in March 2011. Awesome.

Xcel continues to make some of the best, Eco-friendly suits on the planet and will roll out some new styles in 2011. Look for improved wrist seals and their signature bamboo lining. PATRIOT will be bringing the Xcel Line onboard for 2011

You’ll probably never find a better fitted wet suit than those made by Body Glove. Exciting styles, quality designs for all watersports. We were very impressed by their design, allure and value and we’ll be bringing Body Glove suits onboard in 2011.

Fins:

Sherwood is bringing in two new lines of fins. New colors and performance improvements for sure. Their top new model will include Spring Straps standard.

Cameras:

The follow-on to Sea Life’s ever so popular entry level camera, the Reef Master Mini, will be out in March, 2011. (its about time!) The Reef Master Mini-II will boast improved resolution, its bullet-proof housing and extra features at a very affordable price. Their new Video/Lighting system is very versatile. With multiple settings it truly turns your DC 1200 into a video system. The cool thing is that it pairs nicely with the Pro-Flash.

Cool Stuff

SeaDoo Explorer X. Way cool solid addition to the SeaDoo line. Speed up to 3.3 mph, 2 hour run time, easy boot type charger, rated to 160ft and only 32 lbs. This was one of those “Gotta have it” items. So we “Got it” in the store now!

Much Much more. Great parties with Divers Alert network, and an outstanding Premier of the Drop Zone - Fiji Movie. The stars were there and Body Glove out did themselves with the event. Many times these type events are like watching paint dry…not this time. Fun and fabulous. Well Done PADI/Body Glove!

Let me know if you have any other questions…always a lot to take in at DEMA!

Jeff (jeff@patriotscuba.com)