Winter scuba vacationers want to maximize bottom time, and the safest way is with a dive computer. Strap one on and it�ll keep track of the duration and depth of your dive, telling you how long you can stay down and when you need to surface and decompress over some frosty blender drinks.
SPLURGE
Uwatec Aladin Air Z Nitrox
The Air Z trims your diving profile by replacing the high-pressure hose and gauge console with a wireless transmitter and wrist-mounted computer. The gain? There�s less stuff to snag underwater, it�s easier to find (people don�t often lose their own arms), and all your critical data is together in one place. Having tank pressure available to the computer lets it advise you, in minutes and psi, when you�re about to run dry.
$1,260, www.uwatec.com.
BEST BUY
Mares Surveyor
Even novice divers will find the Surveyor a breeze to learn. Just strap it to your wrist and plunge in. Unlike most other computers, the Mares has a large, easy-to-read display with a backlight, which becomes more important as you drop into darkness. Obvious features like a temperature gauge and easily changeable AAA battery � things other, pricier computers lack � put the Surveyor in the winner�s circle.
$479, www.mares.com.
OVERRATED
Delta P VR3 O&C Circuit Trimix/Nitrox
A Navy Seal with a rebreather (the ultimate dive toy for recycling air underwater) might enjoy the VR3, but most divers will find the unit difficult to read and program. Sure, you can change gases mid-dive (�Pass the nitrox; this plain old air isn�t cutting it�) or play the built-in Octopus game while hanging out at a decompression stop. Navy Seals really shouldn�t be doing decompression dives on vacation anyway.
$1,276, www.vr3.co.uk.
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�It�s The Abyss Meets Armageddon!�
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Exit Transmet
Manga for the Masses
The Box Scores
Where�s the Cube?
The Trash Talktionary
A Shooter�s Fantasy
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Some Healthy-Looking Numbers
Bucking the System
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Untethered Typing
Files at Your Fingertips
Desktop Dynamos
Down for the Count
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