It's not often someone asks you if you want to be a guinea pig, says Peter Nash. And in this case, it meant donning fins, a wetsuit, breathing apparatus and mask and going underwater for the first time in his life (intentionally, that is).
Seaside holidays as a kid had me snorkelling before I could even swim properly and I have been doing it at every opportunity since then. Because of this I think I am pretty experienced and have snorkelled in places ranging from the Great Barrier Reef and Hawaii to the Seychelles and the underwater caves of Mexico.
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.
There are numerous models available from Mini B, but the C-Pro is aimed at yachtsmen. The beauty of the kit is in its packaging. Conventional scuba gear is bulky, but the C-Pro rucksack contains the lot – air bottle, buoyancy control device, regulator, high and low pressure hoses and the connectors. It doesn't have a depth gauge, though – and you'd be foolish to dive more than a couple of metres without one.
Diving would make it so much easier to free a fouled propeller, scrub the hull, check the anchor set or the condition of a swinging mooring, or inspect for damage after grounding. And on idle summer days at anchor, you can explore the world below the waves.
A Microdive Micro-B is seen closed and ready for use. With its cover removed, the system beside it reveals the scuba unit's components.
The beauty of the C-Pro kit is in its packaging. Conventional scuba gear is both bulky and expensive, whereas the Microdive rucksack contains the lot - air bottle, buoyancy control device, regulator, high and low pressure hoses and the connectors. There are numerous models available from the Mini B, ranging from the Micro B with a 1.5lt tank to the Sport MKII that can take a 10lt tank.
Aimes at boat owners, the C-Pro model includes a 3 or 5ltr air cylinder, providing enough air for half an hour at depths up to 9m. The kit includes regulator, pressure gauge, pockets for weights and a buoyancy chamber, all in a backpack that's easy to stow and carry.
A training course has been launched that gives seafarers and marine workers the ability to access the underside of their vessel in an emergency. Shallow water scuba diving technology is now available as a solution that can permit emergency inspections and minor repairs to be performed by trained crew using Mini B scuba gear.
