Equipment

PADI quote that “a mask doesn’t see for you, but allows you to see underwater. A dive regulator doesn’t breathe for you, but allows you to breathe underwater. A wetsuit doesn’t make heat, but allows a body to more effectively retain its own heat”. In short, your scuba diving equipment helps you adapt to the underwater world and make you part of it. Your scuba gear makes it possible for you to do your diving!

It is essential that the gear you use depends on where you scuba dive. The gear you use will not only vary somewhat depending upon your diving environment, but also on your preferences.

• Mask
  Allows your eyes to see clearly underwater

• Snorkel
  Allows you to breathe at the surface without wasting air from your scuba tank

• Fins
  Allow you to swim, balance and propel you through the water

• Exposure suit
  Protects from cuts and scrapes and retains heat so you stay comfortable underwater

• Scuba unit
  Allows you to breathe underwater, ascend and descend, hover or float. It consists of a regulator, tank, and buoyancy control device

• Buoyancy Control Device (BCD)
  Allows you to harness your tank, hold necessary diving equipment, and control your buoyancy

• Tank
  Allows the storage of your gas supply

• Regulator
  Allows you to breathe underwater using the mouth piece. Your ‘Octopus’ is your secondary (backup) mouth piece

• Weight system
  Allows you to counteract the likelihood to floating allowing divers to descend gently underwater when they need to

• Dive watch (Computer)
  Allows you to measure dive times, depth, ascend and descent rates and helps keep you with established limits

• Dive light (Torch)
  Allows divers to look into cracks and crevices, especially when they are diving at night

• Dive knife
  A handy tool as well as an important safety device

• Signalling devices
  Whistles and signal tubes

• Scuba gear bag
  Allows divers to carry dive equipment to the dive site