Bonnie Pelnar

"During a recent trip to Galapagos I realized a whole new appreciation for my Atomic Aquatics SplitFins and T1x Regulator. July is the season for whale shark sightings, but also promises cold water, washing-machine currents, and low visibility. Yet with two cameras strapped onto my BC I never hesitated to dive right in. With each encounter the opportunity to get any good photos would last only a few seconds. The whale sharks looked like they were barely moving but keeping up with them while loaded down with cameras was a challenging and exhausting task.

As the whale shark glided by me and I captured my last shot, I realized I was breathing like I had just run a marathon, yet my Atomic Aqautics regulator kept on delivering. Out of film and energy I surfaced and climbed aboard the panga, realizing that I wouldn't have been able to do this had it not been for the performance of my Atomic Aquatics regulator and split fins.

As my travels take me to exotic destinations around the world, I'll always consider my Atomic Aquatics T1x Regulator and SS1 Safe Second my most critical pieces of dive equipment. I won't leave home without them."

Bonnie Pelnar of Under Watercolours in Irvine, California is a photographer, producer and designer for the dive and travel industry. She has produced 15 CD ROMs, designed over 100 web sites and has thousands of her photos published across the internet and in books and magazines worldwide.