Unboxing Our First NEX Underwater Products Shipment

Our first inventory shipment from NEX Underwater Products landed at the FGSS warehouse this week, and we've been tearing into boxes ever since. Regulators, backplates in multiple colors, fully assembled harness systems, fins, masks - it's the widest slice of the NEX lineup we've had in hand at once, and getting to actually hold this gear instead of just looking at spec sheets is exactly why we do this job.

A few of the 13 photos from our first NEX Underwater Products shipment — regulators, backplates, and fins, straight out of the boxes.

What Came Off the Truck

This shipment covers three different first stages, multiple second stages and octos, a full run of Leatherback backplates, complete harness systems, masks and fins - enough to outfit a diver from the tank valve to their feet.

First Stages: Three Very Different Philosophies

The NEX Monterey First Stage Regulator is the one that took us the longest to unpack, because we kept stopping to look at it. It's a modular design — you choose Sealed or Unsealed, and you can order it as a standard first stage or step up to a Turret or 5th Port configuration down the line, so the regulator you buy today isn't the one you're stuck with in three years. It ships in DIN or Yoke, and in your choice of brilliant Chrome or a mirror-polished PVD finish in Blue or Purple that photographs better than we expected coming out of the foam.

The NEX Maya First Stage Regulator takes the opposite approach on purpose. It's a straightforward balanced piston design without the modular upgrade path — simpler mechanically, lighter on the wallet, and still available in Chrome, PVD Blue, or PVD Green. Balanced piston first stages are the standard for a reason: breathing resistance stays consistent whether you're at 20 feet with a full tank or working through your last few hundred PSI deep on a wreck.

Rounding things out, the NEX N1 Stealth First Stage is the one for divers who want their rig to look as sharp as it breathes — a balanced piston first stage available in DIN or Yoke and finished in Black, Blue, Purple, Green, or Rose Gold.

Leatherback: Backplates in Actual Colors

Backplate-and-wing setups have a reputation for being all business and zero personality — usually one shade of anodized black or steel. NEX's Leatherback BCD Backplate breaks from that on purpose, and seeing five of them lined up side by side in the warehouse made the case better than any product photo could: Black, Green, Blue, and a genuinely vivid Pink, each in Small or Large to match your torso length. If you'd rather order the whole system built out rather than piecing it together, the NEX Leatherback Original BCD Deluxe System pairs the plate with a Cordura or Knight Shield wing and ships assembled or unassembled, your call.

We also unpacked several harnesses already built up on their plates, webbing threaded and D-rings set, which is the fastest way to see how a DIR-style harness is actually supposed to sit before you ever get it wet.

Fins and the Small Stuff

The NEX Naval Blue Fins and their Black counterpart came in across the Large, XL, and XXL sizes we stock, and ABI Masks sized to fit — the kind of detail that matters a lot more once you're the diver who's spent a trip wrestling a fin that almost fits.

Why We're Genuinely Excited About This Brand

NEX builds gear with the assumption that a diver's setup should be able to grow and change without being replaced outright — the Monterey's upgrade path is the clearest example, but it shows up across the line in the color options, the modular harness components, and the fact that a backplate and a wing are sold as separate decisions instead of one locked-in package. That's a philosophy we can get behind, because it's the same one we apply to fit: gear should adapt to the diver, not the other way around.

Because NEX regulators, collections, and bundles can involve several customizable components, we'll personally reach out after you order to confirm your exact configuration before we fulfill it. It's an extra step, but it means you get the regulator you actually pictured, and it gives us a chance to say thanks for choosing FGSS in person — not just in an automated email.

Shop the Full NEX Lineup

This post only covers what came off this particular truck. The complete NEX Underwater Products collection includes the full run of first stages, second stages, regulator bundles, backplates, wings, and side-mount components we carry. Have questions about which configuration is right for your diving before you order? Reach out and we'll help you build it out properly the first time.