Amron International introduced their new DNB100 Diver Navigation Board. You may have heard of Amron as a prime vendor or tactical outfitter but their core has always been diving. In fact, they started out manufacturing dive gear and the DNB100 is an inhouse design.
The anti-shock stealth black navigation board features a new, wider console that gives divers additional space between the chronometer and the depth gauge. This design element ensures the diver has full access to the timer’s functionality.
“When the time came to design our own navigation board, we took a hard look at the existing models and how they could be improved,†said Joe Esparza, Product Manager, Amron International. “We noticed the watch and the depth gauge were right up against each other, and this could be a problem for divers wearing gloves in cold water. The wider console means combat swimmers won’t have to take extra steps to get the timer started or stopped.â€
In addition, improvements were made to the chemical light holder and Amron engineers used an injection-molded design with brass screw connections to create cleaner, more polished styling on the side boards.
The DNB100 utilizes a depth gauge that measures from 0-50 feet and a precision compass with luminescent numbers, headings and markers that glow in the dark. The board is compatible with either an Amron Compass or the Ritchie RU-90 Voyager Compass. The DNB100 Diver Navigation Board also comes with a convenient black carrying case.
Tags: Amron International, Diving
It’s the same as the RJE which has the same annoying narrow leading edge. By the time you have a Cochran or similar mounted on it there’s little space for other bits n bobs. Now, if they had designed it with a removable leading edge with different config options I’d consider it.
But $599 for a 15MSW depth gauge, a G-Shock and a TAC100 compass mounted on a plastic board…
I echo the same sentiments.
Fail on “we took a hard look at the existing models and how they could be improved, ”
Nothing is “Improved”, it’s just changed around.
And Fail again on price. $599…really?!?
Nothing new and innovative here, I hate to burst AMRONs bubble. Its a regular dive board with the shit moved around a bit, not designed from the ground up.
Why didnt they talk to Combat Dive Soldiers or SEALs,who,I am SURE, would have told them the deficiencies with current dive boards. UTE, you have the idea-you need to make dive boards,or patent & submit for Mfg. THAT’S
what we would like.
Amron appreciates any and all feedback from people interested in our equipment and is completely open to suggestions to help make our products better. In the case of the new DNB100, we did contact and receive feedback from military combat swimmers, which was a huge help in our design. Check out our blog post at http://www.amronintl.com/blog/dnb100-military-feedback for a more detailed story.
As far as pricing, we have different options available for the complete navigation board, a board with a compass, and a board only. We go into more details on this in our blog post, as well.
Thanks again for your comments. You never know, based your suggestions, we just might come out with a new and improved model for 2013!
Patriot3 Maritime.
Don’t feel bad, we have some of the very same issues with HAHO Navboards too, especially crazy pricing. Lack of good nav boards seems to be a plague for those who use them in or out of the water.
The big issue with nav boards of either variety is demand. Users want a high quality product but a company can’t make enough of them to drive the price down.
To a point that is true, the application for this type of equipment is limited. However, we did develop a new nav board last year (not a copy of something else on the market) and unless you’re using some very special materials the price is nowhere near that mentioned.
You either set your stall up to serve the user or empty their wallet.
With the admins permission, folks can see a low res graphic of our MNB here…http://tiny.cc/dskbr
Agreed, the pricing is simply unjustified on some of the boards out there. Granted it is a niche item but that doesn’t mean you need to stick it to the customer just because you can.
Tac Nav board by Patriot3 Maritime.