PARTNER MAGAZINE n.17 DECEMBER 2012 T he wind and sea were the fiercest adversaries for Gianluca Genoni in his attempt to break a new freediving record. The date scheduled for the attempt was September 27, but unfortunately the rough seas, pushed by the Sirocco winds blowing hard across all of Liguria, prevented Genoni even from getting out of port. The next day however, a light north wind had calmed the water, so the organizational and dive support machine went into action. At 9:20 in the morning, the boats of the Rapallo Abyss team support divers set off from the docks in Rapallo’s port followed by numerous boats provided by the city’s Italian Naval League to carry the press RGBM Mares-Wienke Algorithm In 2004, Mares significantly increased diving safety margins by intro- ducing, the RGBM Mares-Wienke Algorithm. Dr Bruce Wienke, one of the leading authorities in the study of decompression theory, cooperated with Mares in the evolution of the RGBM (Reduced Gradi- ent Bubbles Model). This advanced algorithm compensated for the possible existence of microbubbles in order to reduce their formation . The cutting-edge RGBM Mares-Wienke algorithm was the most evolved on the market. It was the first to introduce Deep Stops (decompression stops) at greater depths, reducing the formation of microbubbles without compromising dive times. The RGBM Mares-Wienke algorithm was used for the first time on M1, Airlab and Nemo dive computers. Leafing through the pages of the Maga- zine, it is easy to see just how far Mares has come over the years. News from all over the world and the widest variety of initiatives carried out in the most diverse fields tell us of the extent to which our company has grown internationally. Credit for this success and a special thank you go to all our “Mares people”, both locally and across the globe. Thank you for your dedication, your knowledge and your passion. We wish you all a very happy, healthy Christmas and New Year. Happy reading! INSIDE · New World Record: Gianluca Genoni 1 · Did you know? 1 · All at -162 m 3 · Thanks Gianni 4 · EDU project 5 · Distributor Meeting 2012 6 · Subsidiary Meeting 2012 16 · Dema 2012 18 · Coastal clean up in the Philippines 19 · Manta Fest Photo Festival 20 · Athletic, adventurous mermaids! 22 · Eric Hutcheson 24 · Mares Tour 2012 26 · ‘Xmas Edition 27 · Red Dot Award 28 · Advertising & Promotional material 29 · Jodi Lot 30 · Christian Redl World Record 31 · Roberto Singia 32 · Susi Navarro 33 · Franco Banfi 34 · Scubadiving Magazine’s Scubalab 36 · Mares Lab 38 EDITORIAL DID YOU KNOW? 2004 GIANLUCA GENONI, NEW FREEDIVING WORLD RECORD -160 MT Rapallo, September 28, 2012
In 2004, Mares significantly increased diving safety margins by intro-ducing, the RGBM Mares-Wienke Algorithm.Dr Bruce Wienke, one of the leading authorities in the study of decompression theory, cooperated with Mares in the evolution of the RGBM (Reduced Gradi-ent Bubbles Model). This advanced algorithm compensated for the possible existence of microbubbles in order to reduce their formation . The cutting-edge RGBM Mares-Wienke algorithm was the most evolved on the market. It was the first to introduce Deep Stops (decompression stops) at greater depths, reducing the formation of microbubbles without compromising dive times.The RGBM Mares-Wienke algorithm was used for the first time on M1, Airlab and Nemo dive computers.
INSIDE· New World Record: Gianluca Genoni 1· Did you know? 1· All at -162 m 3· Thanks Gianni 4· EDU project 5· Distributor Meeting 2012 6· Subsidiary Meeting 2012 16· Dema 2012 18· Coastal clean up in the Philippines 19· Manta Fest Photo Festival 20· Athletic, adventurous mermaids! 22· Eric Hutcheson 24· Mares Tour 2012 26· ‘Xmas Edition 27· Red Dot Award 28· Advertising & Promotional material 29· Jodi Lot 30· Christian Redl World Record 31· Roberto Singia 32· Susi Navarro 33· Franco Banfi 34· Scubadiving Magazine’s Scubalab 36· Mares Lab 38
EDITORIAL
DID YOU KNOW?2004
GIANLUCA GENONI,NEW FREEDIVING WORLD RECORD -160 MTRapallo,September28,2012
“I’d like to thank everyone who has worked with me for years and followed my slightly crazy exploits. Without my sponsors and my support divers, this feat would never have been possible. I’m the athlete who performs the feat, but I couldn’t do it alone, so I’d like to thank again everyone who has been by my side and helped in this new record: it was one of the most beautiful and most thrilling dives of my career,”saidtheathle-te,abitwornoutbutveryhappy.
Whileweareverysorry toseehimgo,weunderstand Gianni’s desire to spend moretime with his family and dedicate himselftoamultitudeofpersonalinterests,amongwhichwearesure,divingwillbeinvolved.
WeallknowhowcreativeanactiveGiannican be, always looking for some “goodideas”.Itwouldbemostsurprisingtoseehimsittingwithidlehands.Infact,Gianniwillcontinuetoworkinafreelancecapac-ity,includinghiscooperationwithMaresonafewprojects.
Although the majority of you know Giannibynow;wewouldliketoaffectionatelyrunthroughGianni’snotablecareer,ashispro-fessionallifetrulyrepresentsanimportantpartofMares’history.
OverthecourseofhislongcareeratMares,Gianni has changed and helped to evolvetheworldofscubadivingwithhisinnovativeideasanddesigns.
With the support of the Mares Researchand Development department, Gianni hasdesigned hundreds of new dive products.Asaninventor,Gianni‘simpressivebodyofwork holds close to 70 patents, includingtheworld’sonly6windowmaskandthefirstfincomprisedofthermoplastic.Asaresult
ofhisinventions,divingequipmenthasbe-come safer and easier to use, opening theunderwaterworldtomillions.
Gianni Garofalo, now 70 years young, hasbeendivingforover50years.Oftheseyears,20wereasaninstructor.Hehasbeenoneofthefortunatetoturnhisdivinghobbyintohis life’s work. A resident of Rapallo Italy,home of Mares global headquarters, he ishappilymarriedwiththreesons,alldivers.Hebeganhiscareerasateacheroftechnol-ogy, mechanics, mathematics, and physicsinhishometownofTurinItaly.
AlwaysactiveinscubadivingandinconstantcontactwithMaresstaff,GianniwasofferedapositionasR&D Manager in 1973andhas
Our goal is to always improve and en-surethebestservicepossible.
In 2012 we created our EDU project (Eu-ropean Distribution Unit) specifically toachievetheseobjectives.ThisEDUteamisadedicatedcustomerservicedepartmentresponsible for working directly with ournewly implemented EDU countries suchas Belgium, Holland, Croatia, Slovenia,France,Spain,andtheUK.BeginningOc-tober1sttheysettlednexttoourdomesticcustomer service team for Italy, and theTradeExportteam...
Weareveryconfidentbyhavingthecom-petence of nearly all our European cus-tomer service teams consolidated in ouroffice; we will significantly optimize ourprocessesandserviceallaroundEurope.
AsheadofR&D,Giannidesigned thefirstopticalsystemformasks,patentedtheABS(Adjustable Buckle System), and inventedthechannelthrustfin.HewasinvolvedinthefirstindustrialapplicationofLiquidSili-coneTechnologyin1982,asitwasappliedto a Mares mask. In addition, he madedivinggearmoreuser-friendlyby improv-ingon theVortexAssistDesign in regula-tors,creatingthefirstflowcontrolsystemfor high pressure first stage regulators.Hedeveloped the“failsafe”1ststageseatmadefromarubygemstone.
Gianni also set an industry standardwhenheredesignedthenewlineoffirststageregulators–includingtheMR12,MR16,andMR22-andhead-ed the H.U.B. (Human UnderwaterBreathing) design team to createthe world’s first integrated divingsystem.Inadditionthenewhigh-lyinnovativeInstinctsecondstageis based on one of his patents.Among his published patentsit is also worth mentioning theAirtrim,aswellastheX-Streamfin,theCyranogun,andthelat-estLiquidskinTechnology.
The Mares R&D department,under Gianni’s direction,earned many awards andachievements including thecoveted Golden Compass Award for theirwork on the Lirica mask and the Red DotDesignAwardfortheX-StreamFinandIn-stinct12Sregulator.
GiannialsoreceivedtheSSI(ScubaSchoolsInternational) Platinum Pro 5000 award in1994, an honor bestowed upon the who’swho of the diving world -- the most re-nownedscientists,manufacturers, instruc-tors,retailersandresortoperators.
Gianni has devoted his life to scuba diving.HehasbeenthepresidentoftheAssociationofDivingOperators (ASSOSUB) for10years,andservedas the Italiandelegate forscuba
Sardinia is one of the most fascinating is-lands in Europe, celebrated worldwide foritswonderfulsea.ThemeetingwashostedatthecharmingElFarohotel,acharacteris-ticMediterraneanstructurethatstandsonapromontorysurroundedbytheseaandlushvegetation.It’stheperfectplacetocombineworkandpleasure.
In addition to the hotel’s superb services,ourgroupalsohadthechancetogetarealtasteof“lifeonboard”.Anchoredinfrontofthehotelwasabeautiful26mwoodencai-que owned by Capo Galera Diving Centre,whoprovided it tous for theentireperiod.This wonderful diving centre is one of thebest in the Mediterranean area and an of-
ficialnewMarespartner.
UsedasasortofMares“base” in thewa-ter, the caique contributed to the relaxedatmosphere of the meeting days, markedbywonderfulmealsonboardaswellasun-forgettabledivingsessions.DivestoNereo’scave as well as to the Ghost’s Cave wereenormously popular among our partnersandMaresstaff.AspecialthankyougoestoGaddo Rissoandhisteamfortheircontinu-oussupporttoourgroupandformakingthemeeting’sside-lineactivitiessocharming.
The program of this most recent Distribu-torMeetingfeaturedtwodaysofProduct&Marketing presentations, giving our part-nerstheopportunitytolearnaboutthelat-estproductinnovationsandgetupdatesontheCompany’sstrategiesandgoalsforthenewseason.
positivemomentumofthe52stageregu-lators (Carbon 52, Abyss 52) with theirdouble DFC concept, focusing on strongmarketing initiatives (ADV, promotionalandtechnicalvideos).
Worldwide success continues also for theInstinct 12S, the small, lightweight regu-latorthatrecentlywontheprestigiousRedDot Design Award. After the X-stream fin,for two years in a row this prestigious or-ganization chose a Mares product in itssearchamong1600companiesin57coun-tries(readmoreaboutitonpage28ofthismagazine).
AsfortheMR52,strat-egy is to consolidatethisreg’ssuccesswitha strong e-marketingcampaign.
Among Octopuses,the MV octopus hasbeen restyled, andnow features a newexhaust tube that al-lows for lower exhala-tion effort, and a new ex-haustvalveforbetterperformanceinstrongcurrents.
Hybrid Pure is a new back-mounted styleBC based on the Hybrid concept. Its com-pact size when stored and its light weightmakeitidealfortravelling.
Prime is a new standard BC, upgradeabletofull-featuredweightintegrationandMRSPlus ready. Streamlined, comfortable andstylish,thisBCistheperfectentrylevelvest.
Inaddition to themodelsdescribedabove,Mares is also launching Air Trim versionsboth of the Hybrid and the Prestige. ThispatentedMaressystemmakesitpossibletoinflateanddeflatetheBCDindependentofthediver’spositioninwater.BothBCsmain-taintheirErgoversionfeaturesbutimproveoncomfortandbuoyancycontrol.ThePres-tige ATcomeswithanappealingnewlook.Itissturdy,withanexcellentliftcapacitythatimprovesperformance.
INSTRUMENTS
In thecomputercategorywehaveabrandnew product (Puck Pro), an existing prod-uctwitharevampeddisplayandbrandnewelectronics(NemoWide),andfirmwareup-grades on our top-of-the-line Icon HD NetReadyandMatrix.
Puck Pro is a natural evolution of the im-menselysuccessfulPuck,withalargerdis-
play in a more compactcase.Thiswasachievedby moving the singlebutton from the top totheside,andcombinedwith the new Marescomputerdisplaylayoutorganized in three dis-tinctrows,itofferssupe-rior readability, especiallyinthisclassofcomputers.With its multigas capabilitythere isvery little thisgemofdivingelectronicscannotdo!
Nemo Widemaintainsallitswidelyacclaimedfeaturessuchasalargedisplayand4-buttonuser interface, but gets a new high-perfor-
mance core coupled with adisplay featuring the new
Maresthree-rowlayout.The result is a com-puter without anyrealcompetition.
Having soldnearly ten thou-sandMatrixdivewatch comput-ers, we have ac-cumulated suf-
ingcustomers,thefirstwarning(whichallows diving but reminds the user thatchargingthewatchmightnotbeabadidea)appears with 15% residual battery chargeinstead of 25%. And the second warning(which prevents the Matrix from function-ingasadivecomputer)kicksinat10%in-steadof15%.Theresultofthis is,asreallifeexperienceinSardiniashowed,that10hoursofdivingduringaperiodoftendaysare possible on a single charge. The 10%limitwhichpreventsMatrixfromfunction-ingasadivecomputerisdeterminedbythefollowinglogic:a1-hourdivestartedatthelimit (11%) will result in the diver exitingthewateratapprox6%charge.
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8 ·PARTNERMAGAZINE
Matrixatthispointwillnotallowanymorediving before being charged, and the 6%willallow it to functionasasurfacemoni-tor (keeping track of tissue desaturation)formorethan24hours,whichisenoughtodesaturatethetissuescompletely(inotherwords,thedesaturationandno-flytimewillcountdowntozerobeforethebatterydies,andthusthereisnoremaininginformationwhichmightbelostbyrunningoutofbatterycompletely).
For the Icon HD we have introduced firm-ware upgrade 3.06, which implements anumberofsmallimprovementstotheuserinterface.ThebignewsforIconHDhoweverisfirmware4.0,whichwillbringathirdlay-outofthedisplayalongthelinesofwhathasalreadybeendoneforPuckPro,NemoWideandMatrix.ThisisexpectedtobereleasedduringtheSummerof2013.
We also have some news for the world ofPC and Mac: Dive Organizer gets a newgraphical representation of tissue load-ing in the various compartments used inthe algorithm, which shows how close orfar from a decompression situation one isand, in case of a decompression dive, howcloseonemightbefromrequiringthenextlevelofdecostop.This tool is veryhelpfulinteachingandtraining,toshowtheeffectsofacertaindiveprofileontheperceptionofsafety thatadivermighthave. It isuniqueandexclusive,atleastforthetimebeing,toMaresandDiveOrganizer.
In the neoprene category, a new semi-drysuitexpandstheFlexasuitsfamily.The new Flexa Therm, Man and SheDives versions, immediately catch theeyethankstotheirattractivenewlook.In100%ultrastretchforgreatercom-fort,thesesuitsfeatureafew“good-ies”, such as a zip pocket with aninnerD-ringontheright leg,veryhandy, and a new MastersealT-Zip that’s dry, comfortableandflexible.
Wecan’tfailtomentionthenew concept behind the5-mmhood that featuresaspecial system with internalholes in the ear area to helpequalization and provide perfectairrelease.Thehoodisalsoprovid-
TheFlexaTherm,withits6.5mmthicknessand the new 6.5 mm boots really providesthe best thermal protection. This suit willreplacetheIsotherm.
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FINS AND MASKS
Productsinthiscategoryarethemostrep-resentative in diving. Particular attentionwas paid to completing both lines and en-richingthemwithawidercolourrange.Speakingoffins,productpresentationstart-edwitharestyleofafinwhichmadehistoryatMares:theAvantiQuattro.
The new version, named Avanti Quat-tro +, maintains the famous features ofitspredecessorwithsomeadditional in-novations.Firstofall,anewhi-flexma-terial which enhances responsivenessandperformance.Then,greatercomfortdelivered by the Mares patented bungeestraps,standardonthisnewversion.Thebungee’s extension makes it easier todonanddoffthefin.
There are new colour options for masksand snorkels too: white/blue, white/pink,andwhite/blackontheX-VuLiquidskin;allwhiteontheEssence LS;andthenewoptionofblackonexistingmaskstomeetmarketdemand(Pure Vision, Vento).
Additionally, Mares presented a specialmake-up dedicated to the Asian market.TheX-Vu LSandthe i3 Sunriseboastanewconcept and some special ergonomics onskirt and nose: a wider skirt, shorter dis-tance between lenses and face ring, and asmallernosepocketwithlessvolume.
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ACCESSORIES
The2013accessoriesproduct line isbrim-ming with news. Starting with bags, thewell-provenCruise linehashadacompleteoverhaul, introducing new models charac-terizedbyhighquality,PVC-freematerials,amodernlook,andlightweight.Theuntir-ingresearchintomaterialsandattentiontodetailresultedinalineofbagsthatfeaturesexceptional sturdiness, comfort, and func-tionality. Because theyareso lightweight(upto30%weightreduction)thesebagsareideal for air travel (Cruise Back Pack Pro, Cruise Roller, Cruise Back Pack Dry, Cruise X-Strap).Cruisebagscomewithdedicatedhangtagsthatexplainallthefeatures.
MaresCruiseline’scommonkeyfeaturesin-cludetheultralightbuckles,theblackstitch-ing,theMaresmicro-injectedzipperpullers,aswellasthehoneycombsoftsurfacemate-rialandthewidewheelplacement.With respect to the previous collection,
ThetorchcollectionisnowcompletewiththeintroductionofthenewEos5andEos2C.Bothcompactand lightweight, theycanbeusedforalldivingneeds.Made in anticorrosion anodized aluminiumandfeaturingadoublesealingO-ringtopre-ventleakage,theyareconceivedforintensiveuse.Therotatingrubberswitchmakesiteasytousethemevenwhenwearinggloves.Bothtorchesusealkalinebatteries.
Eos 5 in particular features a high powermono-LEDwithwide,highlightintensitytoilluminateawidespectrumduringthedive(14cmHotSpot–12,500Lux).Thistorchcanreachamaxoperatingdepthof120m/400fandhas14-16hoursofburntime.
On the other hand, despite its small size,Eos 2C features more than 17,000 Lux! Italsocanreachamaxdepthof120mandiseasytostore,eveninsmallpockets.
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The Mares Pure Instinct presentation cap-tured everybody’s attention with the intro-ductionoftherevolutionarynewCyrano Evoand Evo HF pneumatic spearguns. Thesetwogunsrepresentagreatimprovementinthecategory. Inparticular, thenewCyrano Evo HF offers the technical features everyspearfishermanhasalwaysdreamedof.Thetaperedsectionoftheouterbarrelismadewith hydroforming technology. The shapeoftheouterbarrelensuresbetterbuoyancyand tracking with excellent stability when
firing.Theraisedsightandthe11-mminternal barrel shifted upward off-axisguaranteeanaturalandinstinctiveaim.Itcomeswithanewpreformedhandlewhichfeaturesthelinereleasehighonthehandleon the right side and the power adjustingsystem on the left side. The distance be-tweenthetriggerandthehandlecanbead-justedtopersonalpreference.ThenewEVOpistonprovidesgreaterspeedandease inloadingthegun.Thetriggermechanismisalsonew,featuringanincreasedleverarm,adedicatedspringandtwolateralholesonthe inner barrel. Together, these featuresprovide much greater sensitivity andsofttouch.Theholeofthepowerad-justingsystemisenlargedto9-mm
Other innovations includethenewpreformedSquad-ra Tec suit, specially de-signedforspearfishingandfreediving professionals. Itemploys high quality neo-prenewithasmoothexte-
riorandanopen-cellinterior to guaran-
tee greater com-fort, extremeelasticity, greatthermal capac-ity, and resis-tance to com-pression. Achest pad andan outer lin-ing in the gunloading areamake the suitmore resistant
towear.
The green cam-ouflage line has
also been expand-ed, featuring newthicknesses in thejacketsandpants.
A special make-up for the USA wasalsopresented,witha blue option forthe Instinct Camo,rashguard, socks,and Amara gloves.The Blue Line alsoincludes the Tanamask, the Dualsnorkel,andtheRa-zorProfins.
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MARES SPEARFISHING
12 ·PARTNERMAGAZINE
Mares’attentiontothespecialrequirementsofdivingcentreshasledtoafurtherexten-sion of the BCD line, introducing the newRover Pro BC, made of durable Cordura1000.Thenewsidepanelconfigurational-lowstheBCDtoberapidlyupgradedtofull-featuredweightintegration.MRSplusready.It also features a full-size backpack withhandleandhighliftcapacity.
Moreover, a dedicated Mask & snorkel setis offered at a very competitive price. Thesetcomesin3colourcombinationsandin-cludesspareparts.
As far as fins are concerned, the AvantiTre full-foot finhasa revised footpockettoguaranteeadvancedcomfortevenafterintensive use. We would like to highlightthegoodperformanceandthelightweightof this fin, which turns out to be perfectforDCuse.
DIVING CENTER LINE
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ThesuccessoftheMaressnorkelingprod-uct line is thanks to its being a complete,first-class product line designed to meettheneedsofsurfacewaterusers,yetitalsooffersproductsthatareinmanycasesalsosuitableforscubadiving.
First,wehavetheintroductionofanewfull-footfin,theMares Manta,whichfeaturestwosidechannelstoincreasethechannelthrustand a shorter blade for compact packaging.Colouroptionsforthisfinareyellowandblue.
TheHelix snorkelisanewentryintheJu-nior category. It features a dry top and aneasyexhalevalve.
Thenew Hybrid system isperfect formasksand combos. It is a combination of box andcardboard,inwhichthemaskboxisreusable.Withrespecttothepreviousclamshellversion,costisreducedhereby40%.
Speakingofthemask box,wehavetohigh-light the fact that it has been overhauledwithanexclusivenewdesign.Thenewmov-ablehangerisveryusefulfordisplayingthemaskonaverticalexhibitor.Stackable.
Also worthy of mention is the new travel bagsoldwiththeVoloOneMareaandthePirate Allegra Sets. It not onlymakesanexcellentproductdis-play (it features its own slidingcard),but it canalsobeused tostore the equipment, keepingthemaskseparatefromtherest,thanks to a special compart-ment.
AqUAzONE LINE
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The 2012-2013 Mares ADV campaign willonceagainfocusonproducttechnology.Theproduct’s image is big, in the foreground.ManyinternationalmagazinesfollowedourconceptusingablackbackgroundfortheirADV.NowMares’aimistosetanewtrend,changingfromblacktowhite.ThenextADVcampaignwillfocuson:Instinct12S,Matrix,FlexaTherm,HybridPure,PuckPro,AvantiQuattroPlus,theTorchesline,WhitePack,X-VuLS,PrestigeAT,andtheBagsFamily.Like last year, all ADVs can be customizedwiththetextandfeaturesmostrelevant toyourownmarket.PagesareprovidedinA4formatandinEnglish.
Thesame featurescharacterize the Mares Pure Instinct ADV Campaign,withfocuson:ViperPro,CyranoEvoandEvoHF,andtheTorches.
Videos were a key part of the Marketingpresentation.Furthertothesuccessoflastyear, Mares is shooting more than 30 newsales videos. These are short productionswhere product features are described andexplained like they are on the sales floorlevel. Videos are accessible from the web-site, YouTube, YouTube Mares Channel,Facebook,andtheMediaDatabase.
As far as communication is con-cerned, Mares is investing moreandmoreinweb marketing.
The 36th edition of the DEMA show, atrade-onlyshowopentodiving industry
professionals only, was held at the SandsExpo and Convention Center in Las Vegas,NVfromNovember14thto17th.
More than 8,300 dive professionals fromaround the world attended the show and over 600 exhibitors showcased their prod-uctsandservicesatthisyear’sshow.
The Mares Booth was located on a mainislandnear theentrance to theconventionhall, and easily recognized by the MaresJustAddWaterlogoprominentlyseenabovethe booth. With a key location and Maresgreatproductstheboothwasnon-stopbusythroughoutall4daysoftheevent. Dealersboth current and new were excited to seethe Mares collection and place orders fortheupcomingseason.
The new version of theNemo Wide computer waswellreceived.
ThelegendaryrestyledAvanti Quattro +hadall of the dealers excited, along with thenewcolorcombinationsofX-VU Liquid Skinmasks, Ergo snorkels and Essence Liquid Skinmaskinwhite.
Special thanks go to the Mares InternationalTeam for their support of the Mares U.S.A.Teaminonceagain making theDEMAshowasuccess!
TheMantaFestisorganizedbytheManta Ray Bay ResortandYap Diversdivingcenter.Maresisproudtoannounce,bothrecentlyjoinedourMaresfamilyasanewpartner.
Bill Acker,MantaFestorganizer/pre-senterandhisteamsupportedthepartici-pantsthroughouttheevent.Inafriendlyandrelaxedatmosphere;Billpresentedawardsandprizestothetopphotogra-phersofthisyear’sevent.
YAP DIVERS AND MARESAT THE MANTA FEST PHOTO FESTIVAL
“It’s important people know it’s not just a blob of water pouring out to nothing … It’s several different regions with scientific significance… towards saving water for the future”saysEricinterviewedbyanationalnewspaperabouthisnewendeavorattheSilverGlenSpringsSystem,FL.
ERIC HUTCHESONCOMESFULLCIRCLEATSILVERGLENSPRINGS,FLORIDA
It’sMares Tour 2012,aseriesofon-the-roadeventswhich,beginninginJanuary2012,ledMaresaroundItalystoppinginagood14cities.TheinitiativewrappedupthispastOctober.
Internationallyacknowledgedandrenown,RedDotAwardisbasedontheconceptthat“…a brilliant idea, whether simple or com-plex, manifest with good design as a product that could one day be made available in the market , has real value...”(Prof.DrP.Zec,initiatoroftheRedDotDesignAward).
TheaimoftheRedDotistoawardexcel-lentproductsthatcombinegoodideaswithgooddesignsolutions.TheMaresInstinct12Sregulatorwinsthisprestigiousaward,inthecategoryOutdoor,LeisureandSport.Wereportthewinningproduct’sdescrip-tionaspublishedontheRedDotYearbookandExhibition:“...The development of the Instinct 12S regulator, designed to be “remarkably more comfortable”, focused particularly on the second stage, which the diver holds with his mouth. Volume distribution and the layout of the compo-nents are aligned to the facial contour, thus moving the centre of gravity significantly closer to the diver. The hose runs closer to the head and is, therefore, considerably shorter. The optimized centre of gravity and
reduced weight relieve the jaw muscles. The shorter hose significantly reduces the risk of entanglement when diving inside a wreck. Additionally, the ergonomics of the purge button have been improved”.
StatementbytheJury:“...By breaking with the traditional design of standard regula-tors, this product has significantly optimised its performance and safety...”
• The Red Dot Label.Thereddotlabelhasestablisheditselfasaglobalmarkofqual-ity.Onlywinnersoftheawardcanusethelabelforthewholelifecycleoftheaward-winningproduct(ADVcampaigns,maga-zines,stamps,websitesetc.).
• Red Dot Yearbook,agoodmarketingtool,whichcontainsdetailedinformationaboutthewinningproduct(pictures,character-istics,companydetails,etc).TheYearbooknotonlyoffersacomprehensiveoverviewofcurrentinnovationsandtrendsbutitisalsoaconcreteguidetocompanies,journalists,designersandpeopleallovertheworldintheirday-to-daywork.• Exhibition at the Red Dot Museum–Es-sen,Germany-ashowcaseofthebestincontemporaryproductdesign.• Online Exhibition.Oneofthemostim-portantdesignresearchwebsitesaround,theofficialreddotwebsiteensurescon-nectiontomillionsofdesigners,designstudios,companiesandcustomers.ThewinningconceptwillbepresentedtotheglobalaudienceontheRedDotwebsiteforatleastoneyear.We’dliketothankourMaresDesignaswellasR&DTeamsfortheirdedicationandeffortsincreatingsuchanextraordinaryproduct.ItisagreatopportunityforMarestostrenghthenitspositioninthedivingmarketasaleadingbrandnamefortechni-calinnovationanddesignquality.
ChristianRedltellsaboutit:“After a short, very cold night in the tent, close to lake No. 5 (right below 5.000 mt), we climbed up to lake No. 6 on Wednesday, October 17th. After 2 hours’climbing, we reached this wonderful lake at over 5.160 meters ! First, the required ceremony (the Gokyo lakes are sacred) at 11 am, then we started with our preparations for the world record attempt.
Thirty minutes later, the immersion tests began. The dives were medically monitored by Dr. Heiko Renner. And he was right in his estimation: after the second dive attempt, headaches and undercooling forced us to be careful. The longest dive lasted at least over 2 minutes. And this means: WORLD RECORD!!! In the past, scientists argued that this task would have been impossible…”.
Well,Christiandidit.Congratulations!
SPEARFISHING
CHRISTIAN REDL SETS A NEW WORLD RECORD AT 5160 MTGokyolakes,Himalaya,17October2012
tirer le portrait des requins bleus au large des Açores.
Une rencontre avec de gros poissons aussi
splendides que fascinants.N ager au milieu des re-quins et leur tirer leportrait. A l’heure oùles attaques de squa-les font de plus enplus parler d’elles, la démarche
de Franco Banfi détonne. Spécia-lisé en photographie sous-ma-
rine, le Suisse de 53 ans a faittrempette avec les requins bleus
au large des Açores, dans l’At-lantique. «Il y en a beaucoup
dans cette zone où la plongéecommence à se développer, ex-
plique le Tessinois. Contraire-ment à certains endroits en Asie,
où on verra de beaux poissonscolorés mais petits, là, on peut
voir de gros animaux, comme desraies et des requins.»Pour approcher ces bestioles à
la sale réputation – le film «Lesdents de la mer», qui vient de sor-
tir en édition Blu-ray trente-septans après sa première projection,
y est pour beaucoup –, le photo-graphe emmenait avec lui du
poisson dans une cage. «L’odeurattirait les requins, mais nous ne
leur donnions rien à manger, re-lève le plongeur. Nous ne voulions
pas les habituer à être nourris parl’homme. S’ils savaient que, dès
qu’ils nous voyaient arriver, ils al-laient manger, leur comporte-
ment aurait été modifié.» Il en al-lait aussi de la sécurité de Franco
Banfi et des deux autres photo-graphes qui l’accompagnaient.
«Si on commence à les nourrir,cela peut provoquer une frénésie
alimentaire et devenir risqué.»Jusqu’à 4 mètres de longPouvant atteindre jusqu’à 4 mè-
tres, le requin bleu a rarement at-taqué l’homme. Il n’est donc pas
considéré comme dangereux,contrairement aux cinq espèces
représentant le plus de danger >>
>> pour l’être humain et qui dé-fraient actuellement la chroni-
que (voir encadré). Soit le grandrequin blanc, le requin-tigre, le
requin océanique, le grand re-quin-marteau et le requin-bou-
ledogue. Pour le Tessinois, quis’est déjà frotté à certains de ces
animaux dans d’autres océans,un requin reste un re-quin et la prudence esttoujours de mise. «Cesont des prédateurs etdes animaux sauvages,souligne-t-il. Cepen-dant, je ne considèrepas qu’ils sont aussidangereux que ce qui est parfois
avancé. Il faut simplement êtreconscient que, si un requin,
comme un ours d’ailleurs, se re-trouve face à une situation hors
norme, il peut réagir de manièreinattendue et attaquer. Mais, à la
base, les requins ne sont pasfriands de la viande humaine.»
Le photographe a toujours faitbien attention à son comporte-
ment. «Je n’ai pas eu peur, expli-que-t-il. Je dois tout de même
avouer qu’il y a eu certains mo-ments forts. Comme lorsque vous
entrez dans l’eau et qu’il y a déjà denombreux requins. Le moment le
plus désagréable pour moi étaitlorsqu’il fallait retourner sur le ba-
teau. Vous êtes à la surface, vousenlevez votre équipement sans sa-
voir ce qui se passe au-dessous devous.» Pour le plongeur, c’est
quand on estau même ni-veau que cesanimaux qu’ily a le moinsde risques.«Surtoutquand on estplusieurs, carles requinsvont et vien-nent d’unplongeur àl’autre. Si onest seul, ilsvous tournent autour sans arrêt.Cela peut être assez impression-
nant.» Avec leur silhouette effilée,leur superbe couleur et leur nage
rapide, les requins bleus sont debeaux animaux, estime le Tessi-
nois. Et, si sa démarche n’est pasmilitante, il ne peut s’empêcher de
déplorer la pêche des requins pourleurs ailerons. «Ils sont massacrés
par millions simplement pourprendre des petites parties de leur
corps, déplore le photographe.C’est absurde. La placedu requin est très im-portante dans l’équili-bre des océans. Denombreuses espècessont menacées et, si el-les disparaissent, celaaura un impact sur toutl’écosystème.» Selon le WWF,
plus de 73 millions d’individus sonttués chaque année dans le monde.Des animaux à respecter
Pour l’homme qui côtoie les re-quins, le respect envers ces ani-
maux est très important. «Nousne les avons ni touchés ni cares-
sés, même si nous nous sommesparfois retrouvés tout près de l’un
d’eux. Cet animal mérite qu’on secomporte correctement avec lui.
C’était ma manière de lui diremerci de me laisser le prendre en
photo et nager dans son terri-toire.» Le seigneur des océans
He documented many species: in 2002 theCrocodylus porosus (salt water crocodile)in Papua New Guinea; in 2005 Somniosusmicrocephalus (Greenland sharks) in Arc-ticandHydrurgaleptonyx(leopardseals)inAntarctic; in 2006 the Sardine run and theGaleocerdo cuvier (tiger sharks) in SouthAfrica,justtonamesome.
As some other professional photographers,he believes that the formula of success inphotographyisn’tonlyduetotheclevernessin shooting unusual subjects or commonsubjectsfromadifferentpointofview.Alargepartofthesuccessresultspartfromscience,partfromexpeditionskillsandpartbyhumanrelationsskills.Withthehelpofhispartnerand model Sabrina, he recently succeededin illustrating relevant interactions betweenpeopleandunderwateranimals.
Franco is an award-winning photographer(WorldChampioninUnderwaterPhotogra-phy in Cuba, 1992) and he regularly takespartatinternationalphoto-competitionsasBBCShellWildlifePhotographeroftheYear,theTravelPhotographeroftheYear,Glanzli-chterProjectNatur&fotografie,etc.
He received top honours from the photo-competitions Wildlife Photographer of theYear, Nature’s Best, BBC Photo Competi-tion,tonamethemostfamous.In2007he
won the Gold Award at the Celebrate theseaphotocompetition.
Franco is also the co-author and photog-rapherofseveralbooksabout theseaandhis images have appeared in many books,advertisements, filmstrips, greeting cards,posters,calendarsandothervehicles.
He continues to pursue stories that bothwillincreaseawarenessabouttheseaandwill celebrate the majestic beauty of theunderwaterworld.
His works had been published in dozensof magazines around the world (Airone, Animan, Aqva, BBC Wildlife, Dive, Diver, Fo-
cus, GEO Italy, Il Subacqueo, l’Illustré, Mare, Marine Diver, Mondo Sommerso, National Geographic Italy, Nature Best Photography, Nautica, Ocean Realm, Ocean Geographic, Panorama Travel, Plongée, Schweizer Fami-lie, Skipper, Sport Diver, Tauchen, Terra, Terre Sauvage, Unterwasser).
His images have also been featured inmagazinessuchasBBCWildlife,GEO,Na-tionalGeographic,Stern,ScubaDiving,andincountlesspublicationsworldwide.
SPEARFISHING
ABOUT FRANCO BANFILet’slearnsomethingmoreaboutthisversatilephotographer.Here’sashortbiographytakenfromFranco’sofficialwebsite(www.banfi.ch)
WhenJon Brumm,ScubaLabdirector,duringaninterviewwasaskedthereasonwhyitissoimportantthatScubaLabtestsdivegear,hereplied“Because here at ScubaLab, being active divers ourselves, we happen to feel that good-breathing regs, and BCs that are stable at depth, and fins that will get you through a current without shredding your leg muscles, and dive computers that are easy to use and easy to understand, are all pretty darn impor-tant. .. Scuba diving’s a great sport, but when we giant-stride into that ocean out there, we’re entering an inherently hostile environ-ment. Our comfort, our safety, and the degree to which we enjoy ourselves while at depth is heavily dependent on the gear we’ve strapped to ourselves. Remember, we’re talking “life support equipment” here...”(www.scubalab.com)
Comingbacktothefinscategory(fullfoot)theMares Wave finearnedboththe“2012 Testers’ Choice”andthe“2012 Best Buy”awards!
Beforecomingupwiththewinningfin,theTestersTeamevaluated7newornever-before-reviewedfullfootfins,accordingthethefollowingcriteria:• EASE OF DONNING THE FIN isratedbothinandoutofthewater.• ADJUSTABILITY OF BUCkLES AND STRAPS isscoredbyevaluatingeffec-tiveness,accessibilityandeaseofuse.
• FIT AND COMFORT OF FOOT POCkETSare rated,asistheoverallfeelofthefinon thediver’sfoot. • SURFACE PROPULSION isscoredwhendiversarekick-ingonthesurfaceina face-downposition.• STABILITY ischeckedbynotingwobble,side-to-sideslicing,andwhetherthefinbladeshaveatendencytohiteachotherduringthediver’skickcycle.
• POWER VERSUS STRESSistherelationshipofthepowerproducedduringthekickcyclerelativetotheamountofeffortthat’srequiredtoproducethatpower.• EASE AND EFFICIENCY OF kICkING STYLESisscoredafterswimmingunder-waterusingtheflutterkick,frogkickanddolphinkick. • ACCELERATIONisscoredduringanun-derwaterswimandreflectshowthefinrespondstopowerkicking.• MANEUVERABILITYisratedbyevaluatingtheeaseofgettinginandoutoftightplaces-backingup,changingorreversingdirec-tions-usingsmallfinmovements.
TheMaresWavepaddlefinturneduptobethefavouriteoneandhere’sthereview:“...This kicker turned in some of the best overall in-water performance scores, earn-ing the highest scores for acceleration. Test divers liked the fin’s exceptional maneuver-ability and noted its ability to negotiate turns with minimal foot action .. the Wave deliv-ered the best overall performance …”
SCUBALAB’S GEAR OF THE YEAR 2012:IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT DIVING EqUIPMENT!
Scubad i v i n g
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page 42
U.S. $4.99
ScUbadiving.com novemBer/deCemBer 2012
diSplay UnTil 12/25/12
scubalab
gear year of the
sea Hero of tHe year: WHo Is tHe bIg WInner?page 17
Wreck diving the right Way in grand Cayman page 40 What it’s like to dive with Hungry Bears
page 24
20 top cold- Water dIves page 30
tHe top WetsuIts > bcs > regulators > fIns > computers of 2012 page 49
ThereviewstatesabouttheIcon: “In a class all its own, this impressive data cruncher hit the scene a couple of years ago, bowling ev-erybody over with its big, bright full-color LCD and smartphone-style menu. Improvements to this latest model include an upgraded system that adds options to dive modes and expanding functions to its already excellent compass. But the big news is the addition of hoseless air integra-tion...” andagain“...the color coding for bar-graphing tissue loading, deco time and ascent rate is unmatched. And the blinking red banner for too-fast ascents really gets your attention... Programmingwise, this DC is so intuitive that you can set all parameters simply by following the screen prompts...The Icon HD/AI, now with hoseless air integration, was the unanimous favorite wrist-mount DC with test divers, who didn’t hesitate a moment before picking it as the Testers’ Choice...”
In the Wristwatch-styleComputers category, the
Matrixstoletheshow:“With so many features packed
into such a compact unit, the matrix is a wonder. Offering well-
marked buttons and an intuitive menu, it ranked the easiest DC to program in this cat-egory. The model provides excellent screen readability with its reverse color band high-lighting no deco data, and it has a very usable tissue loading bar graph and a cool graphic dive-profile alternate screen.
It also comes with the bar-none best compass in its category. Another unique feature is the Ice (in case of emergency) function, which shows personal info - from contact numbers to insurance policies to allergies.The Matrix is powered by a rechargeable lithium battery, so you have to remember to plug it in once in a while. However, it does offer an “Off” mode to conserve battery power....The Matrix is a wristwatch dive computer on steroids. It’s easy to read and program, and full of advanced features. Test divers unanimously picked it as Testers’ Choice in this category…”
Notbad.Mares…justaddwater!
Readmoreon:www.scubadiving.com
38 ·PARTNERMAGAZINE
TECHNEWS
Dear Friends,
FINALLY, here we are together again!2012 is nearly over, and exciting new challenges await us in 2013.
• Can the Dive Organizer program run on Windows 8?DiveOrganizer2.12willrunwithoutproblemonWindows8.Beforethereleaseofthisversion,youcaneasilyresolveissuesconnectingtoyourcomputerbycheckingthearticlespublishedhere:software.mares.com
• According to most recent instructions, what is the total intermediate pressure reached in all first stages with the CWD kit assembled (dry & oil)?8.8–9.4bar128–136psi
• In the event that an MR52 first stage is converted from INT to DIN, using the special DIN connector #416809, is it necessary to keep the Yoke Spacer (ref. 37, drawing E 117 - chart 40)? Yes,itis!WiththeMR22firststagehowever,it’snotrequiredwhenconvertingfromINTtoDIN.
TECHNEWS
FAQREPLACEMENT PARTS CATALOG AND 2013 MARES LAB CATALOG
