California divers are especially hard on their dive bags. No divers cram their bags with more gear — heavy soggy wetsuits or dry suits, big BCs, sometimes even lead weights. The dive gear I wear out or break the fastest, second only to boots, are my dive bags.
But I have found a bag that is going to stick with me for a long time: the Mariner DB1 from H2Odyssey. This is one very tough big bag with all the needed features. First is size. This is a big bag.
At 25″ x 22″ x 15″, it easily handles a full set of my dive gear, including BC and a 7mm wetsuit with room to spare. The main compartment is huge. Outside fin pockets are extra-long able to handle even long-blade fins popular with free-divers. The outside lid pockets are both large and padded but not removable (which I actually prefer).
The main compartment is semi-rigid forming a nice box that is easy to pack and unpack. Internal tie-down straps keep gear in place. On the back of this “box” are plastic rails keep the bag stiff for easy wheeling and protect the back of the bag.
And what is all this storage worth unless there is a way to manage it? This is a wheeled bag. A tough locking handle is used for pulling but folds away an a zippered compartment when not in use. A favorite feature of mine is the wheels. H2Odyssey uses the same kind of tough wheels used on inline skating. They run very smooth and easy and are ultra-durable polyurethane. And when the bag is not moving, big feet allow it to stand up easily on its own.
Another feature that impressed me was the material on the bottom of the bag. The bag constructed throughout with thick, tough 840 denier nylon but on the bottom PVC is added for extra durability. The material resembles that used in inflatable boats. This bag is meant to last!
And it is meant to travel. Handles are placed at the top and bottom for baggage handling. And, if needed, padded backpack shoulder straps come out of hidden compartments.
Steel rivets hold together the major components of the bag and the wheels are set in solid blocks of plastic. Everything about this bag is meant for it to take a beating.
For more information on this bag, or any other items in H2Odyssey’s full line of quality dive gear, visit their web site at www.h2odyssey.com.
