TEST: Freediving/spearfishing watch Immersion Chelenger

About a year ago I began a serious search for a computer for freediving and spearfishing.
Unfortunately it did not have unlimited funds so I could not afford the most popular freediving computer Suunto D4.
Walking from the shop to shop i've found a watch Immersion Challenger.
It drew my attention by their appearance... normal, elegant watch, maybe a little bit bigger than normal,
all stainless steel with polyurethane protective inserts. The price was "only" 350€ but after haggling
I managed to descend to 275€.


Parameters:

Immersion Chalenger is an Italian watch, with a Swiss made analog pointer mechanism,
Swiss depthmeter and the thermometer MS 5534, and an electronic watch on the background.
Both "watches" are working in separate modes, so when the battery runs out in our digital watch the analog pointer watch is still
working. Around the watch's face You can find a unidirectional rotating wheel (made of steel) that can show us
the diving time in case of battery discharge. Polyurethane strap is quite long (but could be longer) and thick/durable.
Using the watch with 7mm suit is quite unforcomtable if you have big wrist.
Shorter strap has a 9 cm from attachement to buckle and longer has 12 cm from attachement to the last hole.
A strap is equipped with a stopper that prevent easy detaching watch (it is qiute hard to take our watch of).
The dimensions of the watch is 5cm x 5cm x 2 cm and the whole is solid. Immersion Company has about twenty
experience in the manufacture of diving watches and military purposes watches so this watch should be good for us. :)

Setting the analog watch by the screw-tap is very simple. Unscrew the tap on the right side of the watch face and then bounce lightly and wind up the clock to the left.
When wi pull the tap away from the watch face, we stop watch time and we can set the hours and minutes.
After the entire procedure, press the tap and screw it back in the previous position. A screw-tap seal our watch.


Digital watch has following modes:
- Watch with two times and the possibility of a hour alarm (the temperature is displayed at each of the modes)
- 3 time alarms (alarm)
- Countdown timer in three modes
a) counting down and stop (CD-ST) count the time down from the back and then stops and gives a sound signal
b) counting down and stopwatch (CD-UP) count the time down from the back and after reaching 0 turns the alarm and start stopwatch
c) re-counting down (CD-RE) count the time down from the back, after reaching 0 once it starts counting again
- Stopwatch
- Diving logbook with following parameters of the 50 dives:
a) maximum depth
b) min. temperature
c) the dive time
d) Surface time
e) the number of dive
- Computer diving with scuba and free mode (turns on automatically when the 1.5 m depth is exceeded)
a) shows scuba mode parameters such as dive time, the current measured depth (measured in meters or feet), minimum temperature (measured in degrees C or F), depth max.,
an arrow showing descending or ascening, the surface time

b) freediving mode shows the parameters such as dive time, the current measured depth (measured in meters or feet), minimum temperature (measured in degrees C or F), depth max.,
an arrow showing descending or ascening, the surface time, ascent alarm (I have never hear it...)

The watch has a backlight starting by pressing the button and automatic backlight starting by shaking the wrist if we are below 1,5 m
(Can be turned off to save battery power).
The watch also has a battery saving mode by disabling the electronic watch (You have to hold the light button by 5 sec.).


Summary:

Pros +
- A nice and elegant
- Battery saving mode
- Stands high pressure (200 meters)
- Strap stopper
- Rugged strap
- Easy accessibility to functions with large metal buttons
- Rotating ring around the watch face
- Made of 316L Marine grade Stainless Steel)
- Separate times of digital and analog watch


Cons "-"
- Too short strap and no extensions
- Illegible dive mode
- Glass is tough but at the level of housing - easy to scratch it
- No dive alarms (useful when freediving)
- When i wear it a thermometer shows the body temperature (the body heat the watch and the termometer shows this temperature)

Test: Comparison of the three masks: Omer Alien, Omer Abbys, Mares Samurai

A quite big problem for freedivers and spearfishers beginers is to select the perfect mask for diving. General principles in the selection of the mask is the adjustment to the face, small volume and high visibility. After years of diving I realized that in addition to these features,  masks should also has a wide silicon around the mask, gives excellent fit to the face and softness of this silicone around the mask's frame.
When I was diving in Norway in February, in water which temperature was -1 degree Celsius, I noticed that it is better to have a mask with wide silicone around it's frame that it can be inserted under the hood of suit that we are wearing.

Therefore, I would like to present three "heroses" of my test:

Omer Alien - a mask, which I have since 2002. I bought it at store with spearfishing stuff, completing my equipment
for spearfishing. The current cost of the mask is about 25 - 30 €. Capacity, compared with the rest of
described masks is quite big, so freediving to great dephs in it isn't comfortable at all. I've tried it to 34 meters
and it takes to much air. An Alien maskhas the largest visibility and it is really big. The mask has the widest of all silicone
around the mask and it is the most flexible from all described masks. This is a mask designed for spearfishing and it works great
for me by few years. I would recommend this mask as an universal mask, which fit for anny face.


Omer Abbys - this is my reserve mask, it is smaller, but the silicone has the same elasticity as Alien. However, it is much,
much thiner than Alien had so if I'm not shaved wellor if I smile under the water it immediately leak. The volume of the mask is smaller than Alien
and the visibility is very low. Mask frame is solid ... even massive, and the upper part press my face between the eyebrows.
After a few hours after swimming it impress at our forehead. The cost of the mask is about 20 €. For me, this is a reserve mask mask,
and it will be only reserve mask which I can squeeze into every pocked in my trevel bag. This is a mask for people with small faces.


Mares Samurai - this mask I get for tests from Polish Spearfishing Association and I test it with the President of this association. This is a mask
with low volume, similar to the mask OMER Abbys. However, it is a little bit more comfortable mask than the previously described one
and it has a slightly larger glasses which gives a greater range of vision, but not as big as the Alien mask. It lose with all
Omer's masks in comparisos of elasticity of the silicone around the mask's frame. The width is very close to Abbys but Alien has it
much more wider. The cost of this mask is about 30 € so it is close to Alien mask. This is a mask for people with small faces. I probably will
change ma reserve mask for this one because it is good.

My personal rating of these three masks are:


1st OMER Alien (on the bacground)


2nd MARES Samurai (in the middle of the photo)


3rd OMER Abbys (the neares one)

When I have more mask, I describe them as soon as I can... and I think it will be in near future...

Test: Blades Carbon Leaderfins Waves

The time has come for serious shopping. I wanted to have a fiberglass fins to increase my results and safety
under the water. During one trip, my colleagues with whom I was going to order the fins, persuaded me to buy carbon fins. At first, I wasn't happy that I chose carbon, because when I spoke with professional freedivers thy said that the difference between strength and durability of fiberglass and carbon is insignificant but the price differences is quite big. In spite of everything I've ordered Leaderfins Waves Carbon blades. The order was realized very quickly and I had blades and after about 10 days. I began to assemble them into Picasso footpockets but it apears that the blades are designed for Omer footpocket and it doesn't fit to Picasso boots. I havn't been frightened, and after little changes which i made in my footpockets mounted blades so that it is kept stable and gave the opportunity to change them to the plastic one (I wanted to avoid a glueing blades bacause i want to train in pool with plastic ones... I don't want to damage fins, I dreamed about... :D). Before ordering I was wondering what stiffness I should choose.
I think it is a general problem when buying fins on the Internet. About how to choose one of the fins I will write in some posts in the future. I chose the medium stiffness and after testing I am happy with this choice, even that my first breath-hold dives from few years ago I made with extra hard fins Omer Millennium Competition. I don't feel those fins on my feet when I'm swiming in the pool.

Dimensions:

 - Total length of blades - 80 cm
 - The blade width - 20 cm
 - The length from the angle between the boots and blades - 68 cm
 - Mass of the pair of blades - 0.7 kg!
 - Avaliable stiffness - Soft, Medium (softer than picasso black team), Hard (softer than picasso black team), Extra hard

Workmanship:

Blades are made well, all edges are sanded smoothly, the fiber isn't shred and the surface of the blade is smooth. As in any handmade products as here there are some weaknesses and some of them can be improved. The edges need to be laminated once more to protect from the shreding (I will laminate edges and holes for screws using little brush and epoxy). The second thing that i've seen are the little poruses on the blades surface that can be seen when watching with strong light but I think, that it won't has nay influence to the quality of the material (I will see after fev months of diving).

In few days i will test them diving deep and I will add some description to this post. At the pool tranining, I noticed that they are working much easier than the Picasso Black Millennium fins, which I had the pleasure to swim so far and reflect the force as good as them. Blades doesn't reflect significant sun or light shines under the water. Side rails makes easier to kick with the paralel direction to the way of swimming
and they prevent water slipping from the sides. Fin movements when swimming does not emit any sound, but the torsional movements and dynamic movements that cause the constant wave in the fin emite clatter of the laminate.

I think it was worth to spend 90 € + shipping (20 €, which is in the multipersonal order imperceptible) on the blades of Leaderfins because they has a low price and the product is high quality.

Test: Picasso Black Team fins

When I damaged my old fins digging out the car from the snow in 2009, I realized that it is the time when
I should to think about changeing my freediving/spearfishing fins.
I read the forums about spearfishing and freediving to find good fins watching on their strength, quality of the materials, and speed of swimming and my chose should be: Carbon or Fiberglass fins. Unfortunately, they are quite expensive so I was forced to buy the fins with a plastic blade.

After the two of two months of searching my choice felt on Picasso Black Team. The footpocket is similar to an Omer but the manufactuer vouch that it is extremely soft and flexible but also holds the foot very good. Hardness of the blade was medium. I was curious, how is it to swim with fins that are softer than Omer Milenium Competition, which were like made from wood :).I ordered the fins and it cost me L128. As before, for the suit, as now I've been waiting "only" two months for the shipping (I love to buy on the Internet). When I've got them I went to the nearest pool to test the fins. I can still remember my satisfaction after the first meters. The fins flowed gently, the strike was powerful and my results has improved about 15-20%.



Dimensions of the fins are:
 - Overall Length (footpocket 46-48) - 88 cm.
 - Length of the blade from the angle between footpocket to the end of the blade - 61 cm.
 - Blade width - 21.5 cm.
 - The angle between the blade and footpocket - 15 degrees.



Blades has spacial reinforcements of the angle between the blade and footpocket, which make the blade stronger in the proximal part. Blades are removable very easy and they are held by a screw (which is indeed easy to get lost and it is quite hard to find exact at stores). I dive with this fins more than year at different conditions and I'm really satisfied. I can rocomand it for beginners and for those who don't want to spent all money to carbon fins.

Pros +

 - Changeable blade, easy to separate blades and boots
 - Reinforcements blades at the angle between the footpocket and blade
 - Soft, wide, rubber footpocket
 - Blades has proper hardness for spearfishing and they perfectly reflect the energy (I can easily dive below 25-30 meters with them)
 - Price
 - High quality of the materials
 - Notched heel on the outer surface of the footpockets to prevent slipping from the rocks when entering the water
 - Deformation of the blades which are result to improper storage, quickly disappear

Cons "-"

 - It's easy to lose screws keeping blades
 - Guides, reaching along the fin ends in the middle of the fins so the water slides out in the distal part of the blade
 - Too small angle between the footpocket and the blade

Test : Omer Milenium Competition fins

My My first fins - Omer Millennium Competition. I've been diving with them for 6 years so I can tell You a little bit about them

Omer Millennium Competition are fins with changeable blades, designed for deep dives. Blade is 80 cm long
and 21,5 cm wide and 64 cm long from the angle to the end of the blade. The angle between the footpocket and the blade is 10 degrees. Blade hardness - very hard. The blade
is made of thermoplastic with 10% fiber. I've been trying fins in different temperatures (-1 C to 30 C) and I've found that they were harder in colder water.

Immediately after the purchase of the fins I've tried them out at the pool. They were my first fins. After 20 minutes of swimming,i realised that they are too smal. Next day I've changed them to a size bigger. Now I had two size bigger than I should have but then they were comfortable enough.
The blade was very hard. After a few years of using, it became clear, that for me the blade was too hard even i have srtrong legs.

After 5-6 hours of diving my ankles was almoust twisted.
In the sea and lakes they were great until I broke the rubber footpocket by inserting fins on my foot (after one year of using).
I tried to bond them with different type of glue but it was worth nothing. After all I attached broken parts with a strong rope.

Repaired footpocket works good by four years of heavy use during pool training and swimming in open waters.
After these few years I had the opportunity to try a new version of fins and I've found that now Omer has extremely soft
and comfortable footpocket!!!

If you need hard fins to dive to great depths I can recommend precisely those fins!

They are performing well also when you need to dig the car out getting stuck in a snowdrift :)
(fins did not survive unscathed but i could drive home :D)

Hello

Spearfishing and freediving is all in my life. You can find there all about phisiology and technique in freediving and spearfishing and freediving equipment tests. Next part will be about my spearfishing and freediving trips. Enjoy