What You Need to Know About Scuba Gear

Lots of people scuba dive every year. It is a popular pastime for people all over the country, but especially on the coasts, where people have access to the water all the time. Places like Florida attract many tourists just because of their reefs and diving spots. If you want to know what scuba diving feels like, there are dive sites all over the world that offer introductory classes.

If you are interested in going scuba diving, especially if you want to go regularly, you need to know about what warm water scuba gear you will be using. If you know a little about it before you take any lessons, it will be less confusing during the lessons. You will be able to absorb more about how to use the equipment since you will already know what it is and what it does.

Some aspects of scuba gear are very simple and easy to get and use, while others are more complicated, and you really need to know what you’re doing before you get them.

The simplest parts include the bodysuit, mask, and fins. Some people dive without bodysuits, but this is only in very warm waters. Most people prefer to wear at least a suit that covers the thighs and shoulders, and many people wear a full-body scuba suit. This helps to keep you warm, and also protects you from floating debris and animals.

The scuba mask is what allows you to see underwater. It also serves to keep water out of your nose. Many divers wear masks with snorkels attached so they can use those while preparing to dive.

Fins are crucial pieces of scuba gear as well. Even though you are underwater, you are still propelling a lot of weight, and this can be practically impossible without fins. There are many styles, and they are often used for different purposes, so you will have to figure out which kind is going to be best for you.

One piece of diving equipment that is more complicated is the scuba BCD. This is your buoyancy control device, and it helps keep you at the depth that you want to be. They come in the form of a vest that has lots of pockets on it. The pockets allow you to put all your other gear in the vest, giving you ready access to it.

Another piece of scuba gear is the regulator. This is what adjusts the air coming out of the tank. It takes the pressure from an extremely high PSI too low PSI that you can easily breathe it in. Also, as you go deeper, it adjusts the pressure of the air to work with the pressure of the surrounding water. We recommend you read our scuba regulator buying guide to learn more.

Of course, you will need an air tank when you dive. Air tanks are commonly made of steel or aluminum. If you rent an air tank from a scuba shop, you will probably get one that is aluminum. These are lighter and less expensive, but they are likely to get dented. Steel is heavier, and its major drawback is that it may rust if not cared for properly.

There are other kinds of scuba gear you need, such as weights, and in all reality, scuba diving is a rather expensive hobby to get into. The nice thing is that once you have your scuba gear, you don’t generally have to buy it again. You will just have to take care of maintaining your scuba gear and getting the occasional upgrade. But if you are going to spend the money, you want to get equipment that is exactly what you need and will last you a long time.

The best way to learn about what scuba gear you need is to ask your scuba diving friends or the scuba instructor for their honest opinion on types of equipment. There are varying levels of sophistication in scuba equipment, and while some things you want to buy the best you can possibly afford, the basic models of other things will do just fine for starters.

A Primer on Diving Gear

If you want to go scuba diving, you’re going to need a full set of diving gear. Diving isn’t one of those sports where you can pick up pieces as you go along, slowly adding to your collection as you work your way into the sport. Sure, there are some things that don’t need to be on hand for every dive, and you won’t need all the tools a technical diver uses for recreational diving, but the fact is that most of the equipment a diver takes with them, they need every time out.

Take your tanks, for instance; there’s a piece of diving gear no scuba diver will be insane enough to leave the surface without. Diving without air – well it’s not scuba diving, is it? The irony of that statement is that almost all divers dive with something other than air in their tanks. Oh sure, they use compressed gasses, but they’re not air. Air is defined as the heterogeneous mixture of gasses that occur in the atmosphere. The mix contains impurities, pollutants, areas where certain gasses are more prevalent, the whole concept of air is one big, uncontrolled mix.

That doesn’t work for a diver; they need a scientifically precise mixture of gasses with documented effects on the human body. Why the need for precision? Pressure, in a word, is the reason. Divers operate under high pressures. Because of the way the human lung works, this means that their air has to be supplied at high pressures. This necessarily high pressure amplifies the effects of gasses. A slight irritant at atmospheric pressure becomes a deadly toxin in high concentration. And that’s exactly what high pressure does; it concentrates gasses.

It can get so bad that even the oxygen we breath starts having adverse effects on our bodies. The atmospheric concentration of oxygen is around 21%. Some diving mixes shave that down to 16%; just so that our body can handle high-pressure doses of it. Nitrogen, the other major component of our atmosphere, is also toxic at high concentrations. Deep sea diving mixes often cut it out of the air mix entirely, electing to replace it with helium and hydrogen. This requires specialized diving gear to switch between air tanks for use as you descend to different depths and to switch back when you are on your way up.

And that’s only one piece of diving gear! Admittedly, along with your mouthpiece and air delivery system, your tanks are the most important thing you bring with you when you go down. But there is the rest of your body to worry about as well. You can’t move efficiently without flippers for your feet. You won’t be able to see, and you could actually seriously damage your eyes if you go deep enough without a diving mask. And of course, there’s the suit. Whether you choose a wetsuit or a dry suit, you’ll want something to cover your body when you go down, the water temperature at the surface may seem balmy, but the temperature can quickly turn frigid as you descend to the darker depths of the sea.

Diving Compressors – What They Are And Why You Need Them

A diving compressor is an air compressor that provides breathing-quality air to a diver. This can be done by filling diving cylinders (tanks) or by providing constant air at the surface. Compression condenses the breathing gas, removing the water and allowing a certain volume of gas to be contained or stored.

Diving compressors are large three or four stage reciprocating air compressors. They can use oil or some have ceramic lined cylinders with O-rings so that no lubrication is needed. Those that use oil must only be lubricated with the oil specified by the manufacturer. Filters are installed to remove water and oil residue. Be aware that just because an air compressor is oil-free it does not mean the gas output will be of breathable quality.

A diving compressor will meet certain criteria- including air quality. They operate at much higher volumes than the standard garage’s air compressor. Compressors used to fill cylinders must provide high pressure and low volume whereas compressors used at the surface will provide low pressure but high volumes of breathing gas because they are normally supplying more than one diver with air.

Those looking to purchase a diving compressor should be trained and certified in inspecting scuba equipment. Being a Professional Scuba Inspector (PSI) means the diver will know how to safely fill and inspect a diving cylinder. Incorrect procedures can mean life or death in the waters.

A certified inspector will first make sure the cylinder is in compliance (meaning it has been recently tested.) They will then remove or bleed out air until the tank is at five or ten pounds PSI- a tank should never be fully emptied. With the tank mostly empty the inspector will shake the tank, checking for loose objects or water.

The inspector will then examine the valve- looking for rust or damage. Then he will begin to fill the tank. The cylinder will be placed in a cool bath and filled slowly (at less than one bar per minute.) This is to prevent the cylinder from becoming heated, which can cause an unsafe reduction of pressure in the tank when cooled.

Some diving compressors come with a bank. Compressors used to fill dive cylinders may have a bank that will fill storage tanks when it is at idle. Surface supplied compressors will have a bank filled with back up breathing gas in case of mechanical failure.

As stated above, compressors remove water from the gas, which is good for the dive cylinder because it prevents the formation of rust. It will also prevent the regulator from freezing. This, however, does make the air very dry, leaving divers at greater risk for dehydration. It’s crucial to make sure the divers are adequately hydrated before and after the dive to prevent decompression sickness.

Decompression sickness occurs when a diver ascends too rapidly, and the body becomes overly saturated with nitrogen. Decompression sickness can be fatal if severe. Along with making sure they are hydrated divers should make sure to complete several decompression stops on their way back up from a dive.

Diving compressors are an important part of the safety of scuba diving. Therefore, it’s very important to make sure cylinders are properly filled and inspected by certified divers. Those looking to own a diving compressor themselves should be aware that the equipment is an investment and know how to properly care for and use the compressor. A diving compressor will be the most expensive piece of equipment a diver can own, so it is often only purchased by those looking to open their own dive shops or scuba tours.

Once you’ve properly filled your tank with air, you will need a scuba regulator to convert all of that high-pressure air into breathable levels. If you are interested in learning more about how scuba regulators reduce high pressure air down to ambient pressure, then read this article.

Why You Need Diving Weights

Diving weights are used to ensure that a diver has zero buoyancy. This is a critical aspect of diving, because if a diver does not have a zero, or neutral buoyancy, they will need to expend effort just to remain in place. This will cause a diver to tire more quickly and need to leave the water sooner than would otherwise be necessary.

Contrary to the perfectly normal fear of drowning, a human being does not sink in water. We are naturally lighter than water, and as long as we don’t fill our lungs with it, we will float in the water. Loading ourselves up with gear might seem to counteract that and cause us to sink, until you stop to remember than we have a tank full of air strapped to our backs. This causes us to be buoyant, which is where diving weights come in. Buoyancy is calculated by the weight versus the amount of water displaced. If you weigh less than the water you would move out of the way, you float. If you weigh less, you sink.

The diving weights are usually small lead weights that can be placed within a diving belt to add a little more weight to a diver. This is usually done little by little, until neutral buoyancy is achieved. Until that happens, a diver must constantly be swimming down in order to avoid floating back to the surface. Thankfully it doesn’t take a deep immersion to figure out whether or not a diver is at a neutral buoyancy, if they can sit a few feet below the surface without moving, and not rise or sink, then they are good to go.

On the other hand, sometimes divers go overboard on their dive weights and overweight themselves. This is incredibly risky because it will make surfacing difficult and can lead to overexertion. Most modern dive weight belts have a quick-release switch so that divers can unload all of their lead weights in an emergency. Alternatively, you can just learn how to properly weight yourself in the first place.

Being overweighted can also cause you to descend too quickly, which has many issues of its own. For starters, you may find yourself struggling to equalize. If you’re still descending uncontrollably, this can easily lead to a ruptured eardrum or painful mask squeeze. You also don’t want to dive so fast that you leave your dive buddy behind. Dive weights are a necessity for diving, but in the wrong hands, they can actually be a double-edged sword.

Be very careful when weighting yourself for scuba diving. If you have new gear or are diving in a new body of water with different salt content, then you should redo your dive weights. Make sure you do not add so much dive weights that your BCD’s capacity is insufficient in keeping you positively buoyant.

If you find yourself in a situation where you cannot ascend due to your dive weights, do not hesitate to release them. You can always buy new ones, but you cannot buy back another life.