Mini B Sport

Mini-B . . . the tank buster

Compact and convenient, the Mini-B is the perfect solution for the occasional diver . . .

If we handed out awards for 'Marine Gadget of the Year' then the Mini-B would certainly be a strong contender. This ingenious piece of kit just makes you slap your forehead and wonder why you didn't think of inventing it yourself. Space is always at a premium on board and bulky, heavy kit rolling around on a rough sea always has the potential to damage both itself and your boat. By wrapping up a full scuba kit in one handy backpack, the Mini-B overcomes pretty much all the issues.

First though, let's get this all in perspective. The average dive enthusiast would no doubt want to use his own conventional kit for a proper dive session and he would be perfectly justified in doing so. But there is no doubting the fact that the Mini-B offers a quicker, more convenient and more comfortable alternative to setting up your full kit when you need to get in the water quickly and you don't plan to stay there too long. With the air tank, regulator, BCD and weights all integrated into a one-size-fitsall backpack, you can be ready to free a fouled prop, check an underwater fitting or repair collision damage in seconds. The only additional kit you need is a mask and fins and both can also be supplied by Mini-B.

The Mini-B (mini-breather) units come in a variety of models for various applications. They go from the easily stowable Mini-B Classic (five-litre tank capacity), which is suitable for shallow, short-duration submerged activities, to the Mini-B Sport MKII (ten-litre tank capacity) for leisure divers. There's even an 'Omicron II' first-aid response unit, so whatever kind of activity you enjoy on the water, you can pretty much guarantee there will be a product in the range to suit.

In addition to the fact that this gear involves far less kitting up time, the gauges and hoses are protected inside the backpack when not in use and the whole bundle is extremely easy to stow and transport. The makers also claim that the curvy design is more hydrodynamically efficient – meaning you burn less energy during your dive.

Verdict

The Mini-B is a disarmingly simple concept and yet, as an on board safety device for clearing your prop and as an impromptu dive kit for taking a look at a pretty patch of water from a different perspective, it makes fantastic sense. Stow a couple of these on board and your boating takes on a whole new dimension.

Warning: Using compressed breathing apparatus while submerged requires specialist training. Check out mini-b.com for further information.