Scuba Diving Equipment

Scuba Diving Equipment Can Make All The Difference

Put quite simply, without scuba diving equipment there is no such thing as scuba diving. Scuba diving is not like camping, where you can survive without a tent. In the case of scuba diving, if you try to do it without a scuba set, you are going to be in for a very short dive.

Types of Scuba Set

There are two types of scuba sets, the open-circuit and the closed-circuit. The open-circuit is based on the aqua-lung design of Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan. In the case of a open-circuit set, the diver breathes in from the scuba tanks and breaths out to waste. This equipment is very simple to use, cheap to buy and generally more reliable than the other type of scuba set. Obviously, the draw back with it is that when your tank runs out of air, the dive is over, so you have to constantly check you air levels when diving.
The closed-circuit scuba set allows the diver to breath in from the tank, and back out into the tank where it is processed so that the diver can breath it in again. These are not used as often as open-circuit sets, are generally more expensive and not as easy to operate.
Both types of scuba sets use high pressure diving cylinders.

Skin Protection

When diving, most scuba divers will use a wet or a dry suit to protect themselves from the ocean water. In the case of cold water, a dry suit is recommended to keep the diver warm. These use double-walled rubber to create a space for air to keep the body insulated from the cold water. In the case of warm water, a wet suit can be used. Wet suits allow a small layer of water to exist between the skin and the suit. The skin will warm the water, which in turn stays warm and keeps the body warm while underwater.
Diving gloves are also used underwater, with diving boots that fit into fins.
Skin protection is not always required, especially in tropical climates. However, it can provide protection from microbes in the water and anything else that may cause irritation to the skin of a diver.

Aids in Movement and Stabilization

A buoyancy compensator will be used to provide buoyancy to a scuba diver. These will often be a rubber pouch that can be inflated or deflated by the diver’s mouth (courtesy of a tube), or a regulator, to raise or lower the diver’s depth in the water. To counteract the buoyancy of a diving suit, a diving weighting system can be used by the diver.
Fins are used on the feet of divers more often than not, giving more efficient propulsion for the diver.

Navigation

When underwater, navigation is a key component. Without it, a diver can get lost, disoriented, or carried by a current to somewhere far away from the boat. In this case, divers will often carry compasses and distance lines to navigate back to the start point. To measure time and depth, divers will also bring depth gauges, decompression tables, a dive computer and a watch for added safety.
Vision Aids
A mask is a very important component of any diver’s equipment. It gives the ability to see clearly underwater and it will also protect the eyes of the diver. These will come in that just cover the eyes and the nose, as well as full-face masks. In terms of night diving, or the exploration of caves and shipwrecks, torch/flashlights will be carried.

Other Tools

If you are going under the water, you will want to capture the images of the sea on a camera, making camera housing for your camera very important. Divers will also carry a dry box to hold objects they want to keep dry at a certain depth, these can include their wallet, keys or cell phones.
A knife is a good tool to have in case you need to cut lines, or for protection against underwater predators.

Before using any of the equipment needed for underwater diving, it is important to get training so that you will know how to use it effectively. Scuba diving equipment is the most important part of scuba diving and being well-versed in it could save yours, or someone else’s, life one day.