Virtually every piece of dive gear is designed for underwater sight and mobility, thermal protection, and life support. Dive computers have made diving safer, newer LED dive lights provide more light, and the latest wet and drysuits are better than ever, making diving easier and, in some cases, much more enjoyable.
But when is the last time you bought a piece of dive gear intended purely for having fun while underwater?
Two years ago at the annual DEMA dive show, I visited H2Odyssey‘s booth where they had a display and video of a new product of theirs called the “Torid Pulse”. As demonstrated by two divers in their video display, the handheld air gun shot a ring of air horizontally with the quick press of the trigger, projecting large circles of air through a kelp forest and blasting a jet of water high into the air at the surface. It was one of the more unique items at the show and definitely looked like fun.
Fast forward to this July. I visited the Scuba Camp program at Pinnacles Dive Center in Novato and they had a Torid Pulse unit, delighting the kids in the program (and some adults!). Remembering seeing it at the DEMA show (and being a big kid myself), I dropped Seth an email at H2Odyssey for more information and to find an H2Odyssey dealer, and a few weeks later I finally had one in my hands.
The quick-disconnect fitting allows you to easily attach/detach the unit from your low-pressure hose.
The Torid Pulse attaches to the low-pressure inflator hose with a quick-release adapter which is included with the unit. Using the unit underwater is just as easy as using a squirt gun – just quickly pull the metal trigger with your fingers and a large ring of air shoots out of the business end of the unit. The size and velocity of the ring is adjustable by turning a small lever located at the top of the unit.
When you fire the Torid Pulse, a ring of air is generated and shot out the front of the unit. While I didn’t monitor air use to specifically see an increase in air consumption, a lot of firing is going to use some air so you’ll want to check your air more frequently, or better yet, run the Torid Pulse off a pony bottle.
While the Torid Pulse may be primarily designed for fun, it does have practical use as well. At the surface, the unit can be placed just under the water and shot upwards, shooting a blast of air and water that can be seen by those on shore or on a boat. In reverse, divers on the surface, or even those in a boat, could use it to signal divers below by blowing air rings down on them.
The Torid Pulse is built strong, with a heavy duty low-pressure fitting and durable molded plastic body. It sells for $129 and is available at H2Odyssey retailers.