H2ogems Scuba -

Not every diver needs H2OGems technology, but for the following groups, it is a game-changer.

"I have been diving for 20 years. I thought the 'color correction' thing was a gimmick until I tried H2OGems Scuba in Bonaire. At the Salt Pier at 60 feet, I watched a parrotfish poop out white sand, and I saw the actual red of its beak. I cried in my mask. It wasn't blue. It was real." — Captain Dave R., Cozumel Dive Master h2ogems scuba

"As a rescue diver in the murky quarries of Ohio, visibility is usually 5 feet. H2OGems Scuba didn't make it clear, but it made the brown water turn amber, which allowed my team to see the yellow training lines on the bottom. It saved us 15 minutes on a search pattern." — Sarah T., Public Safety Diver Not every diver needs H2OGems technology, but for

The most important tool is a hydraulic dredge. This uses a surface-supplied air compressor or water pump to create suction at the nozzle. The diver fans the seafloor, sucking up gravel, sand, and hopefully gems into a "sluice box" that floats on the surface. Safety note: Dredging is banned in many ecological zones; H2OGems divers strictly operate in non-living, sandy bottoms. "I have been diving for 20 years

Rivers carry rough garnets, zircons, and sapphires into the sea. Ocean currents then sort them by density. The "heavy" gems sink into troughs and crevices on the continental shelf. Unlike land panning, underwater vortexes created by waves automatically concentrate gems into "pay streaks."