On January 1st, 2008, the Transportation Security Administration released new restrictions on traveling with lithium batteries. Dive Rite light batteries do not contain lithium, so our customers need not be concerned when traveling with Dive Rite NiMH (Nickle Metal Hydride) batteries.

However, lithium batteries are used in camera equipment. Photographers should take note of the new rules, which can be found here: Lithium Battery Travel Guidelines

Lamar

Light emitting diodes (LED) is the latest in lighting technology. As with any new technology it is growing at a rapid pace. The last time I saw technology growing like this was with computer processor chips. The fastest computer today is outdated in six months and we are seeing the same in the LED market. It makes sense because of the combination of electronics that are making the advances, including the LED, drivers and heat sinking combinations.

The first high output LED for Dive Rite was the 300 lumen flashlight that we released in the summer of 2007. Now we can power it to get 500 lumens … who knows where it will be later this year. Kind of like the 1 gig processor being replaced by the 1.6 and then the 2 gig processor all in about 12 months. We plan to keep up with the technology and give you the best we can within our design parameters. So now the LED 300 is a LED 500. Sorry if what you buy today is outdated in a few months, however we believe in progress and our customers expect us to deliver the best technology available. Don’t wait to purchase an LED now because the lumens will be higher in the future because I can’t tell when the next increase in output is going to occur. Our engineers send the latest to us as they get it developed.

Lamar

Two additional NiTek X Beta units were received right before the Christmas break; just what I needed, another excuse to go diving! I managed to get several dives in; one in an unnamed sink that runs 145 ft in depth and the others in Rock Bluff, a small sidemount cave off of the Suwannee River. The X performed as planned and the new 75/95 gradient compared very favorably with the NiTek He for total deco time. The finish of the case held up well to the loose rocks that tend to fill the entrance to this spring.

More Beta units should be arriving as the new fiber optic back light becomes available in the next couple of weeks.

Jerry Murphy

Product Manager