I spent the last three months testing short snorkeling fins in three different oceans to find the best options for travel and beginners. After kicking through Caribbean reefs, Hawaiian tide pools, and a flooded Mexican cenote with eight different pairs strapped to my feet, I have a strong opinion on which compact fins actually deliver. […]

I spent 30 days diving with 12 different dive lights across three Florida springs and two Gulf wrecks to find the best dive lights for . My team logged 47 dives at depths ranging from 18 feet down to 95 feet, in water clarity from crystal-clear to pea-soup silty. We tested each light side-by-side using […]

I've spent the last three months testing eight of the best scuba regulators you can buy right now, logging more than 80 dives across the Florida Keys, the chilly Pacific Northwest, and a few warm Caribbean reefs. I wanted to find out which regulators actually deliver easy breathing under real conditions, not just on a […]

I have spent the better part of three years diving in water ranging from 42-degree quarries in Pennsylvania to 84-degree reef walls off Cozumel. Along the way, I learned the hard way that the wrong pair of dive gloves can turn an incredible dive into a miserable, numb-fingered slog. Whether you are grabbing lobsters off […]

When you lose up to 35% of your body heat through your head during a dive, finding the best dive hoods becomes more than just a comfort decision. It becomes a safety one. I have spent years testing diving hoods across water temperatures ranging from tropical 80-degree reefs to bone-chilling 45-degree quarries, and I can […]

After spending 90 days testing rigid boards on lakes, bays, and the Pacific, I can tell you the best hard paddle boards deliver something inflatables simply cannot match: that locked-in, connected-to-the-water feel the moment your paddle bites. We hauled 10 boards through saltwater spray, summer heat, and rocky launches to figure out which solid SUPs […]

I have spent the last three summers paddling everything from 9-foot inflatables to 12-foot fishing SUPs, and one truth hit me fast: the wrong cooler turns a four-hour paddle into a soggy, sliding mess. Our team hauled eight of the best sup coolers on the water, loaded each with ice and cans, then measured cold […]

I tested the best kayak seats for paddle boards over a 4-month stretch on flat lakes, choppy bays, and a windy coastal inlet, paddling 2 to 5 hours per session. I am someone who logs 80+ hours a season on a SUP and keeps a stack of foam stadium cushions in my garage because standing […]

Finding the best soft top surfboards shouldn't feel like decoding a chemistry textbook. I spent the last four months riding, dissecting, and yes, occasionally bashing foam boards against rocks to bring you this list. Our team tested 12 boards from $90 kids' foamies to hand-shaped performance soft tops approaching $600. We paddled them in mushy […]

Open water swimming has exploded in popularity, and with more swimmers sharing lakes, bays, and coastlines with boats, the need for a reliable safety buoy has never been greater. Whether you are training for a triathlon, doing a solo lake swim, or tackling your first ocean crossing, a tow float is the single most important […]