Scuba equipment enables you to explore the underwater world and discover the incredible diversity of our planet's ocean life. Before beginning an open water diver certification course, you'll want to familiarize yourself with basic pieces of scuba equipment and their functions. The more you know about your equipment, the more comfortable you will feel using it.
Scuba Equipment History
Though diving has existed in some form for centuries, self-contained diving equipment only began to appear in the late 19th century. Marinebio.org credits Benoit Rouquayrol and Auguste Denayrouse with developing the first diving tank in 1865. This tank was not entirely self-contained, however; it remained connected to surface air by a hose. Divers were not freed from surface hoses until 1933, when Yves Le Prieur developed a demand valve for a high-pressure tank. Finally, in 1942, Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Emile Gagnan invented modern scuba diving. They created a self-contained regulator that could supply air to the diver only when he inhaled.
Gear Basics
If you plan to dive infrequently, you can rent most of your equipment before each dive. Most divers never purchase their own tanks because of the difficulty of traveling with them. You should, however, invest in your own dive mask, snorkel and fins. These essential items should fit well, and the best way to ensure reliable fits is to own your own gear.
Tanks
Modern dive tanks, made out of aluminum or steel, can hold as much as 3000 PSI (pounds per square inch) of air or breathing gas. The tank's valve has a turning knob that allows you to open or close the flow of air out of the tank. The valve's burst disk allows air to escape from the tank if it reaches too high a pressure. You can fill tanks with several different kinds of gas, including compressed air, enriched air Nitrox or Trimix. You need advanced certifications to dive with Nitrox or Trimix.
Regulators
The regulator connects to the tank's valve and converts the high-pressure air to a breathable pressure. The "first stage," or the part of the regulator that attaches to the tank's valve, reduces the tank's air pressure from 3,000 PSI to about 140 PSI, according to "Aquaviews" online magazine. This part of the regulator also contains a piston device that controls airflow by opening when you inhale and closing when you exhale.
The regulator's "second stage" is the mouthpiece through which you breathe. This part of the regulator reduces the air pressure even further to a comfortable breathing pressure. The mouthpiece then expels your exhaled air through an exhaust valve.
The regulator contains three additional hoses. One leads to a backup mouthpiece or safety second, one connects to the buoyancy compensator and one connects to a pressure valve that tracks the amount of air left in the tank.
Buoyancy Control Gear
The buoyancy compensator device, commonly referred to as a BCD or BC vest, helps divers maintain neutral buoyancy. The regulator connects to the vest, allowing you to inflate the vest slightly with air from your tank. You can inflate your vest to remain comfortably afloat at the water's surface, and then deflate it to descend and begin your dive.
The combination of your body's natural buoyancy and a highly buoyant wetsuit make it very difficult for you to descend below the water's surface without additional weight. Divers compensate for this positive buoyancy by wearing weights, either on a weight belt or in the pockets of their BC vest.
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