Scuba (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) diving and its various equipment have gone a long way. It began in 360 B.C. when divers first used the air underneath a crude diving bell as their source of air when submerged in the water. Guglielmo de Lorena then developed this “technology” into a real diving bell that was fastened by slings on top of the shoulders. In the past, it took hundreds of years to develop the equipment that enabled man to explore the wonders of the underwater world.

In purchasing equipment, the most important advice to remember is to ask experts on what to buy and why. Diving gears can be expensive, so, a few tips from other licensed divers and instructors would make the task of choosing less of a burden. But, on the other hand, the risks of the sport are often fatal and would depend on the quality of one’s equipment. Take the breathing regulator for example. The machine is attached to the scuba tank. It decreases the pressure of the oxygen stored in the tank, making safe for the divers to breathe in the air. Another example is the wet suit. The durability and the strength of material ensure the body’s protection from intense temperatures, specifically the coldness under the depths of the ocean.

Posted on June 17th, 2008 by Thomson
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Scuba (‘Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus’) diving is becoming more and more popular as a holiday activity, with the number of holiday-makers giving it a go increasing year on year. There are many specialist diving holiday companies offering deals to both novice and confident divers, and even amateur divers can book specific scuba diving holidays, usually in order to gain qualifications.

It is now commonplace for a holiday resort to offer some sort of scuba training course, sometimes in the hotel pool, to give guests a taster of scuba diving, and it’s more than likely that destinations suitable for scuba will have local companies that offer the chance to sample it. If you do decide to give it a go, make sure the company is reputable and that they are authorised to take you diving, with all the correct safety equipment and expertise, and not just a local person who may not be qualified and could prove unsafe to trust your dive with. It is not worth risking your safety, and indeed any insurance cover you have, no matter how cheap a local (and probably unqualified) guide is.

Posted on May 17th, 2008 by Alex Smith
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Thailand is sandwiched between The Gulf of Thailand on its eastern coastline and the vast expanse of the Andaman Sea on its western coast. It is in these body of waters that scuba divers can explore the marine life of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean without having to cross continents.

Thailand’s Andaman Sea stretches 870km (541 miles) from Tarutao National Park on the border of Malaysia to the Surin Islands on the border of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). It is part of the Indian Ocean and is separated from the Bay of Bengal by the Andaman-Nicobar Ridge. Quaint formations of granite outcrops can be senn in the Surin and Similan Islands.

Posted on March 1st, 2008 by Philip Richard
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If you are planning to venture into the world of scuba diving, one thing you should definitely not do is be unprepared. Contrary to popular belief, scuba diving is not just about diving deep underwater in order to see the wonders of the sea. Scuba diving is something that requires much knowledge before it is put into action. Therefore, it would be best if you endow yourself with the proper tips and guidelines in diving before venturing into the deep. As with the proper tips and guidelines in scuba diving, you should equip yourself with the basic knowledge of scuba equipment. Scuba equipment is very important in scuba diving, inasmuch as breathing is vital to your existence - a diver cannot survive without it.

What could be worse than knowing that you are lost underwater? This can be a painful situation for you, which is exactly why you better include the important tools in water navigation in your scuba equipment. Such includes the underwater compass. Definitely, it is harder to have a sense of direction underwater than in land, so you better be sure that you have an underwater compass in your scuba equipment, lest you be lost underwater. Also a must in your scuba equipment is a depth gauge, which will tell you exactly how deep from the surface level you are.

Posted on January 15th, 2008 by Samuel Lucas
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Your diving equipment is not going to be a small financial investment. For beginners, a trip to the local scuba dive shop can be an informative place to start with regard to learning about what equipment you need.

Masks can run anywhere from $20 to $150. You’ll have to consider construction, size and lens. Low-volume masks provide divers with less distortion, as well as more light transmission and peripheral vision.

A double-flanged face seal is a nice variation that ensures your mask remains watertight. Other options for this diving equipment include: anti-fogging, purge valves (to keep water out), nose pockets and adjustable straps.

Fins can be as little as $30 or as much as $200. Length, material and design will all need to be taken into consideration.

Different design variations include split fins, force fins, self-adjusting pivotal blades and vents. This piece of diving equipment is crucial because choosing the proper scuba fins can save energy, air and unnecessary hassle.

Regulators are among the most expensive diving equipment, running from $150 to $500. The main reason we buy this piece of diving equipment is to ensure proper air flow in any condition with the least amount of effort on our part.

As you descend deeper, remember that the air will get heavier and more difficult to move from the tank to you, so a good regulator will deal with this physics problem effectively.

Experienced divers recommend regulators with swivels and adjustable airflow stages, such as the Aqualung Legend LX or Oceanic Delta 3. Warranties are important, so consider brands with lifetime warranties.

Divers in warm coastal waters may choose thin, clingy wet suits that allow water to seep next to the body and keep divers warm. They can choose between short, long or overall styles. Cold water divers (in waters 60 degrees or less) will want more heavy duty dry suits.

Looser dry suits can be made out of several different kinds of material: neoprene, membrane or a hybrid of the two. A proper body suit is one of the most important pieces of diving equipment, because the comfort of your trip depends upon a good style and fit.

Buoyancy Compensators can also run $150 to $500. The most important factor here is the fit. You can choose back-mounted, flow-through or wrap-around diving equipment.

Female divers will be happy to know that the Oceanic Isla, Seaquest Diva and Scubapro Ladyhawk are all BCs made exclusively for women, with shorter waists and more comfortable chest straps. Most divers won’t need to worry about purchasing extra lift capacity, unless they’re diving in rough waters.

Hefty tanks will set you back $100 to $400. Aluminum tanks are widely used for their light weight; however, some people still prefer steel. Neutrally buoyant tanks are widely recommended by professionals.

Lighting systems range from $30 for the most basic incandescent hand light to $800 for a professional HID torch system. Cave and wreck divers or night divers will especially need to look into this piece of diving equipment.

Safety recommendations require that every cave diver have three separate light sources present — one main and two backups. A wide-beamed primary light will illuminate a large area and is ideal for overcoming total darkness, while a brighter, smaller secondary light will reveal coral crevices and nooks.

Each year, you should take your diving equipment to the dive shop for its annual tune up. This is especially important for BCs and gauges. Rinse all scuba gear with fresh water, dry in the sun and store them in a cool dry place.

It’s not unusual to have scuba equipment for thirty or forty years. While you may feel comfortable renting, you might be more inclined to participate in more outings if you’ve purchased the gear yourself.

Posted on November 22nd, 2007 by Simon
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