Light Monkey

Corey and Joel at Light Monkey have been our longest supporters, fixing my continuously worn out equipment without a word of complaint, even when I show up Friday morning and need it by lunch. Their customer service is the best in the business bar none and their lights and gear take a beating. I've never had a Light Monkey light quit on me in the water or in dry cave and I treat them BADLY. (I've never even broken an HID bulb in the 10 years I have used the same light!)  We are currently diving Light Monkey 32W Focusable LED lights with 10Ah cannisters and backup lights, as well as Light Monkey reels, drysuit pockets, the new heated undergarment (!), 10Ah heater packs with integrated controllers, line arrows and storage buckets! You can check out all of their products on their website:  http://www.lightmonkey.us/

The 32 Watt adjustable head has a tight beam for easily signalling your dive buddies, and is much brighter than my Light Monkey 21 Watt HID. Since you can change the brightness with the switch, two steps down is equivalent to the 21 Watt HID, but on…

The 32 Watt adjustable head has a tight beam for easily signalling your dive buddies, and is much brighter than my Light Monkey 21 Watt HID. Since you can change the brightness with the switch, two steps down is equivalent to the 21 Watt HID, but only draws 7 watts, giving the 10 amp hour canister an almost 20 hour burn time!

I will be testing out this slick undergarment in the 37 degree (F) Canadian water this summer. It wears like a midweight capilene undergarment with integrated front and back heat panels!

I will be testing out this slick undergarment in the 37 degree (F) Canadian water this summer. It wears like a midweight capilene undergarment with integrated front and back heat panels!

An empty reel is the hallmark of successful exploration, and nothing makes that easier than light monkey reels. They don't jam, the line doesn't fall off between the frame and the spool, and you can actually feed the line through the gap in the wate…

An empty reel is the hallmark of successful exploration, and nothing makes that easier than light monkey reels. They don't jam, the line doesn't fall off between the frame and the spool, and you can actually feed the line through the gap in the water if you wrap the line up too far.

Cave Adventurers

Ever wonder where you should go for your next cave training course? Why not get trained by someone who is actually doing exploration, not just talking about how they used to do it. Edd Sorenson is my regular exploration partner on the Millpond in Jackson County, Florida, and has the end of the line in multiple caves in the panhandle, a position he has to constantly defend from myself and others. To do that, he is diving all the time. And I mean ALL THE TIME. Stacy and Edd run Cave Adventurers (facebook) (home page), a full service dive shop right on the millpond. Here you can buy all the little pieces you forgot, all the way up to a number of fully kitted out rebreathers. In addition you can rent their pontoon boats to access the many fantastic caves on the millpond.

Edd Sorenson teaching a KISS Sidewinder class at Jackson Blue Cave.

Edd Sorenson teaching a KISS Sidewinder class at Jackson Blue Cave.

Some of you have asked where to go to get the new KISS sidewinder that I am using- The answer is Edd at Cave Adventurers. He not only teaches a fantastic crossover and training course, but uses it for exploration, right there on the millpond.

Some of you have asked where to go to get the new KISS sidewinder that I am using- The answer is Edd at Cave Adventurers. He not only teaches a fantastic crossover and training course, but uses it for exploration, right there on the millpond.

Edd, seeing the sights in France, on his sidewinder. Photo: Michael Thomas via Facebook

Edd, seeing the sights in France, on his sidewinder. Photo: Michael Thomas via Facebook

KISS Rebreathers

Mike Young at KISS rebreathers is constantly looking to improve the functionality of the -simple- rebreather. Minimal complexity is key when taking rebreathers into inhospitable places and Mike has learned that the hard way and taken it to heart. The Sidewinder and Sidekick rebreathers are the sidemount answer to the classic KISS rebreather- simple to use, simple to maintain, and more likely to work after a sump than than a machine loaded up with bells and whistles. As Chrissy and I routinely break even the simplest gear while getting to and diving sumps, simplicity and reliability is key, and KISS rebreathers have what it takes. You can check out their website here: http://www.kissrebreathers.com/

Photo: Ben Martinez

Photo: Ben Martinez

Silent Submersion

My first real scooter (after my self-collapsing Tekna) was a Silent Submersion or "SS" scooter. I've never had one stop on me for any reason, and I've never looked back. I now have three (soon to be four) and instead of replacing them, I upgrade batteries and keep diving them. When the survey front is 15,000 feet from the entrance, you don't want to wonder if one of your scooters in going to fail and make you swim, or worse.  Silent Submersion scooters are easy peace of mind. You can check out their webpage here: http://www.silent-submersion.com/

Two Silent Submersion Vipers, ready to go to 9000 feet to survey and explore at Jasper Blue Spring.

Two Silent Submersion Vipers, ready to go to 9000 feet to survey and explore at Jasper Blue Spring.

Two Silent Submersion Vipers, back from 13,000 feet and the end of the line at Cow Crap Cave.

Two Silent Submersion Vipers, back from 13,000 feet and the end of the line at Cow Crap Cave.