DirDirect Weblog

“What’s the best SMB?” is a question we often get asked in-store, where it’s easy to show and demonstrate the many types of SMBs together with the dozens of reels we hold in stock. But online, where we list so many of these, it’s not always easy to decide on the best SMB that will suit your needs. While we appreciate everyone has their own configuration and needs, this article aims to help you with your decision.

In this review of Santi Diving Heating Systems we're going into frequently asked questions we receive with a closer look at the Santi heated elements that come together to warm up your dives whether you're a recreational all-season diver or a technical diver.

We're being frequently asked if we can compare Ammonite Dive Lights and review the common points and differences. In this review we compare Ammonite System's three umbilical underwater primary torches to help you decide which suits you best: The Ammonite LED Nautilus, LED Solaris Nextgen and LED Speleo MKII compared.

Brace yourselves! Helium prices going up big time. It started in  December 2022 with Air Liquide increasing its Diving Grade Helium price with surcharges by 200% and now in May 2023, a further summer shortage is expected to hit the third quarter of this year, likely extending into 2024 and affecting global prices.

One after another manufacturers of diving products have started to implement new price lists with increased prices that are traditionally released around the new year and this isn't just about the state of the UK economy. Nor does it appear to be the end of the road, given the global inflationary pressure. So we're investing & stocking up!

The SANTI heating system drysuit connector is a cheaper alternative to the SANTI 303 Thermovalve and can be used with existing SiTech or Apeks drysuit inflator valves. As we get a lot of questions on the difference between the two and which one to get, here's a short comparison with images.

Diving in the UK during the winter months has become more popular but as the days get shorter and darker, even daylight diving requires a decent, if not expensive, dive torch. So, we’ve decided to list for you what we believe to be the top dive lights for under £150.

Over the past months, we've been working hand-in-hand with designers and developers at UK-based Kubix Media to create a better user experience for all of you. Transforming into an easier to navigate, easy to search and far more mobile-friendly uplifted site based on our combined years of experience.

We often get asked if there is a way to make a continuous loop harness adjustable without compromise: Meaning, without adding any breakpoints and keeping the integrity of the webbing.