Scuba diving equipment allows you to visit the underwater world by making it possible to breathe, see and move comfortably while below the surface. This gear helps you change from being a land-dweller to something of an aquatic being – if only for a little while. A mask lets you see clearly below the surface. A scuba regulator and tank provide the air you need. Fins help you to swim efficiently and a wetsuit helps you stay warm.
Here’s a bit more info on the equipment that you’ll use
Our eyes are designed to focus in air not water; this is why things are difficult to see when you swim underwater.
To overcome this we use a mask when we dive which creates airspace between our eyes and the surrounding aqueous environment.
Snorkels are used to help you breathe air when you are at rest on the surface of the water. By keeping your
head down and by breathing through a snorkel you can conserve energy.
Fins are used to help propel you forwards on the surface and when underwater, they effectively increase the surface area of your feet allowing them to push against the water to greater effect.
A buoyancy control device (BCD) is a bladder which allows you to establish neutral buoyancy underwater and positive buoyancy on the surface, when needed. The buoyancy is controlled by adjusting the volume of air in the bladder.
Lead weight is used to offset the positive buoyancy factor of our own bodies and the equipment which we attach to it. It is normally worn on a waist belt, which can be ditched via a quick release buckle if necessary.
The scuba regulator is a great invention that delivers the air from your scuba tank to you just the way you need it to breathe.
Your SPG displays how much air remains in your tank so that you can end your dive well before you get too low.
You can track your dives using dive tables, a depth gauge and dive watch, but most scuba divers use a dive computer – it’s easier.
In the 1970s and 1980s, divers wore dive watches because it was the standard way to track bottom time while scuba diving.
A dive knife is a general tool that scuba divers occasionally use to cut entangling fishing line or rap on their tanks to get a buddy’s attention.
It’s obvious that a dive light is necessary to scuba dive at night to help you navigate, see your gauges, and observe interesting aquatic life.
It’s called exposure protection because while scuba diving you’re not only exposed to water’s cooling ability but also to things that can scrape, cut or sting.