A Look at Different Scuba Diving Equipment and How They Are Used

Scuba diving offers individuals an opportunity to connect with nature. One can swim amongst sea creatures and explore the ocean’s great depths. However, since the human body cannot naturally stay in such depths and pressure, one needs to be knowledgeable about the equipment that helps divers achieve these feats.

The pressurized air container is the first and arguably most important equipment for a scuba diver. Divers use pressurized air because the pressure of the inhaled breath and the ambient/surrounding pressure must be balanced to allow the lungs to inflate. The deeper one dives, the more intense the pressure, thus inducing more difficulty breathing even if breathing through a tube connected to the surface.

The regulator is the second most important equipment one needs as a scuba diver. It is the apparatus the diver breathes through while underwater. It provides the right amount of breathable gas regardless of pressure and helps the diver breathe without excessive effort.

Third, the mask is also quite a significant piece of equipment. It helps keep an air space in front of the diver’s eyes to aid visibility underwater. It also encloses the diver’s nose, which allows the diver to equalize the pressure in the mask, so the suction does not affect the face. Snorkels are used with some masks and are usually associated with rookie divers. It usually helps save air in the tank, and it also comes in handy when one is swimming face down.

Furthermore, the buoyancy control device is a vest that helps keep buoyancy levels optimal. Air can be added to its internal bladder if the diver wants to rise, and air can be released to help the diver sink deeper. Weights, on the other hand, counteract the diver’s buoyancy. Due to the natural gases in the body, the pressurized air container, and the wetsuit, a diver becomes more buoyant when diving deeper into the ocean, and weights are needed to keep the diver underwater. They are made from lead, a high-density material that can be transformed into a compact and easy-to-carry form, usually worn around the waist.

Additionally, wetsuits also contribute to a safe dive. Wetsuits help to keep the diver’s body warm during a dive. Since the human body loses heat twenty times faster than in air, the wetsuit helps to slow and prevent that process. Wetsuits are made of neoprene, which locks a layer of water to keep the diver warm. Some divers prefer drysuits, however. Drysuits are loose fitting and work as incubators to keep the diver completely dry and warm.

Scuba divers also need fins and dive computers for safe dives. They help the diver move more seamlessly through the water. Scuba fins are divided into two- open-heel and full-foot fins. Open-heel fins are the more commonly known type of fins, which are open at the heel and often used in cold water. On the other hand, dive computers are little watches that monitor the duration and depth of the dive and how much longer a diver can spend at that depth. Some computers can also tell how much air remains in the air container.

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