The difference between snorkelling and SCUBA diving is like night and day. Snorkelling can be done by inexperienced tourists on an island hopping trip, by clumsy grandmas looking for adventure, and even by young kids. SCUBA diving on the other hand requires heavy equipment, some formal training, and some degree of physical ability. The STEPDive system hopes to provide its users a taste of real diving, with the ease of snorkelling. The system is simple: it’s a snorkel attached to a 5 meter long hose, whose open end stays on the surface thanks to a floating buoy. 5 meters is a decent depth to explore and opens a ton of possibilities not normally available to casual snorkelers, without subjecting them to the rigours of learning SCUBA. The issue? Well… it’s kind of expensive, costing an eye-watering €430 ($457USD) super early bird pricing, and going up to €613 ($678USD) Early Bird and €700 ($774USD) (!) regular retail price. And the campaign funding its production is far from having reached its goal. Despite that, we think it’s a great product and we’re kind of hoping some enthusiasts will jump in.
[ Project Page ]
