Scuba

Skiers already utilize binding systems that let them simply click their boots in and out of their skis. Well, the folks at Cetatek thought that the same sort of technology should be applied to the blades of scuba fins. The result is the aquabionic aquatic binding system (abs).

​We've probably all seen footage of scuba divers hitching rides on the backs of manta rays. Well, the AquaJet H2 brings that to mind, although it's actually modelled after airplanes. It's a winged diver propulsion vehicle, and it's currently the subject of a crowdfunding campaign.

​We've already seen head-up display (HUD) tech applied to things like ski goggles, swimming goggles and cycling glasses. Now, with its Maoi system, French company Thalatoo is bringing HUD to third-party diving masks.

Scorkl is a lightweight breathing device for quick dives. It can be topped up using a hand pump, and lets the user swim for up to 10 minutes at a time. Having reached its funding goal within four hours, the Scorkl has just ticked over AUD$1 million of backing, and is set for delivery this October.

​If you're getting bored with your video-recording Snapchat Spectacles, you may soon be able to do something new with them – take them underwater! That's just what the SeaSeeker dive mask is designed to let you do. One catch, though: you'll have to be a guest on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

We've recently been seeing an upswing in the number of underwater propulsion devices hitting the market. One of the latest to catch our eye, the WhiteShark MIX, is claimed to be the world's smallest such device that incorporates dual propellers.

​Back in 2013, we first heard about the X2 Underwater Jet Pack, which allowed users to "fly" underwater like Aquaman. Well, German inventor Un-Yong Park has created something along the same lines, but that's considerably simpler – it's called the Scubalec.

Now that 2016's jetting toward a close, we've gone back through our coverage to bring you our very favorite water toys in a list that includes multifunctional jet drives, floating multi-person lounges, folding and inflatable watercraft, deep-diving personal submarines and more.

Scuba diving can also give some people a feeling of claustrophobia. This is because the flat lenses of most masks offer little or no peripheral vision, limiting divers to only seeing what's directly in front of them. That's why the panoramic AAK 180 was created.

Quite similar to the Bixpy Jet we covered last month, the Scubajet brings an electrified boost to canoeing, paddleboarding, scuba diving and more. A 3.1-kW water-cooled motor sucks water in through the 360-degree intake, delivering quick, reactive propulsion at the push of the remote control.

The Octospot is an actioncam that's optimized for scuba diving. Among other things, it's reportedly the first to offer pressure-controlled auto white balance, so that images don't look bluer the deeper you go.​

​When naval divers need to know how to proceed underwater, they can't just pull out an iPad or a sheet of written instructions. That's why US Navy engineers are developing what's known as the Divers Augmented Vision Display. It's a head-up display that's built into a diving helmet.​