Scuba Diving Equipment

Scuba diving equipment is important to have before taking up this sport. The basics for beginners are weight belt, snorkel, mask and fins. As you get more advanced you can invest in more gear later. Here is how you use them:

The mask is your most basic piece of scuba diving equipment. Through the glass plate in front you are able to see underwater. Your mask should fit over your face snugly and form a seal. It should have a rubber or silicone “skirt” which will create a seal with your face. You should be able to breathe out into the mask to prevent “squeeze” due to air pressure when descending.

Scuba Diving Equipment - Masks

Several types of mask are available for scuba diving. Here are 3 examples:

• Full face-that will allow you to talk underwater
• Diving helmets
• Prescription masks-used for those who wear glasses

Fins for scuba diving equipment are used for added speed and freedom in the water. They should fit your feet snugly, not too loose and not too tight. Your snorkel should be no less than 30cm in length and let you breathe without raising your head from the water.  To maintain your buoyancy a weight belt is recommended. Wet suits and dry suits are good if you are swimming in extreme temperatures and are used to keep you warm when swimming in very cold water.

Scuba sets are used for deeper diving.  You can use either a closed circuit or open circuit set. The commonly used one is the open circuit. This is known as Aqualung. The gas cylinder is worn on the back you will breathe out to waste and in from the set. For open circuit sets there are 2-3 cylinders available. Standard air (21% oxygen, 79% Nitrogen) is most popular as it is considerably cheaper than mixtures like trimix.

Another type of Scuba diving equipment is called closed circuit set or rebreathers. This system reprocesses exhaled air to make it ready for you to rebreathe. The closed circuit set is used for longer times underwater. There are 3 types of rebreather sets:

1. Oxygen
2. Semi closed circuit
3. Fully closed circuit

Some accessories that would be a useful part of your scuba diving equipment would be:

• Regulator and Buoyancy Compensator (BC)
• Dive watch-time and depth
• Underwater light
• A surface marker-buoy (SMB)
• A knife
• A compass

When you have the right scuba diving equipment you will be able to enjoy this fascinating sport. It will open up a wondrous world that will surprise and delight you.