Scuba Diver Australasia Magazine + ALERTDIVER Issue 1/2015 | Page 6

CONTENTS BUYER’S GUIDE FROM THE EDITOR I’ve often wondered what it is about diving that makes it so addictive. Is it the smell of the neoprene and silicone? The lifestyle? Or maybe we all get a bit hooked on the little hits of narcosis that most of us don’t even notice? But perhaps it’s simply the bliss of communing with our planet’s huge bodies of water. Does anything ever come close to that special silence that hits as you sink below the surface? That quiet and creeping sense of wonder as you immerse yourself in another world, with the chance of magical encounters with all sorts of denizens of the deep? Probably. Whatever it is, we are proud to be the pushers of this beautiful “drug” and so we happily present you with everything you need to get your diving fix in 2015. We think that Asia Pacific’s diving really is the best in the world, and we have given you just 20 of the hundreds (thousands?) of examples that back up this bold claim. We’ve also put together a comprehensive list of dive operators that can get you out there to see all of this undersea wonder for your self. And of course, we’ve scoured the world of gear and gadgets to bring you the newest and best (read: most covet-worthy) equipment for 2015. You might want to laminate this one and stick it on your reference shelf. I guarantee you that will be flicking through it, with cravings, for the rest of the year. Editor 08 MASKS 10 FINS 12 THERMAL PROTECTION 15 WATCHES 16 BCDS 18 REGULATORS 20 COMPUTERS 21 CAMERAS 26 STROBES 26 BAGS 27 VIDEO LIGHTS 27 TORCHES 28 KNIVES 28 GADGETS 28 BOOKS 29 BITS AND PIECES 30 Destinations Directory 20 REASONS WHY DIVING IN ASIA-PACIFIC IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD 50 + Probably the Best Shark Dive in the World! By Warren Baverstock 64 Find Alert Diver facing page , packed with essential information from the Divers Alert Network Asia-Pacific – the experts in dive safety, training and accident management