Scuba diving equipment allows swimmers to stay underwater for long periods of time for leisure, commercial or industrial purposes. The term scuba, standing for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus, originates from the equipment used by World War Two navy divers. Scuba diving, or simply diving, allows divers to explore coral reefs and ship wrecks and view sea creatures or work underwater, for example on deep-sea oil pipelines. There are a number of pieces of equipment commonly used in diving.
Regulator and Cylinder
The most essential pieces of a scuba diving kit are the gas cylinder and breathing regulator. The cylinder is made of metal and contains pressurized breathing gas -- predominately oxygen and nitrogen. The exact mixture of gases in a cylinder depends on the depth to which you are diving. Very deep dives require higher levels of oxygen because water pressure effects how your lungs are able to use the inhaled oxygen. The flow of gas is controlled by the demand valve regulator, often referred to simply as a regulator, which is clamped between your teeth and allows you to inhale oxygen rich gas and exhale carbon dioxide rich gas. A gas pressure gauge indicates how much air is left to breathe so that you can safely judge when you should return to the surface.
Wetsuits and Drysuits
Diving in cold water is uncomfortable and can be very dangerous. To keep warm, divers use wetsuits or drysuits. Wetsuits are made of a rubber type material called neoprene and are designed to trap a thin layer of water between your skin and the suit. This layer of water warms up and, along with the material of the wetsuit, provides insulation against the cold. A drysuit keeps water away from your skin so that you can wear warm clothing without having to worry about getting wet. Dry suits use rubber cuffs at the wrists, neck and ankles and have special water-proof zips to stop any water getting in. If you dive in warm waters, for example parts of the Indian Ocean, you may choose to wear a short wetsuit that exposes your arms and legs or just a regular bathing costume.
Regulating Buoyancy
Human bodies have a natural tendency to float in water. This is compounded by wetsuits and drysuits. Divers wear weight belts so that they are better able to stay below the surface of the water. The amount of weight on your weight belt will depend on your natural buoyancy, the amount of salt in the water and the water temperature. A buoyancy compensator is used to adjust your buoyancy. Used in conjunction with diving weights, this equipment inflates or deflates a sort of life jacket or, in some cases a dry suit, to control the depth at which you float. A buoyancy compensator allows you to finely manage your buoyancy so that you can maintain your depth easily and efficiently.
Seeing and Moving
Divers wear masks so that they can see underwater. Mask lenses are made of toughened glass or, more commonly, different plastics. A waterproof seal ensures their is a water-free space in front of your eyes so that you can see. Some diving mask lenses are corrective so that people who normally wear glasses can see clearly underwater. Divers wear long swim fins on their feet to maximize the power of their leg kicks while minimizing the amount of effort, and therefore oxygen, required to move through the water. Some divers may use personal propulsion vehicles which are enclosed propellers that pull you though the water and all but eliminate the need to kick your legs.
Guages, Watches and Knives
Divers wear depth gauges so that they know how far down they are. This is important information as the greater the depth the less time that your oxygen supply will last. Water depth can also affect your ears, sinuses and lungs and diving too deep can be fatal. A diving watch is essential to time the length of a dive. Diving watches are built to withstand high pressures that would damage a regular watch. Diving watches have one-way bezels so you can time your dive accurately. Many divers carry knives, either strapped to their thighs or calves. The knife is a tool as opposed to a weapon and may be used for cutting lines, as a pry bar or for sawing.
References
- "The Certified Diver's Handbook: The Complete Guide to Your Own Underwater Adventures"; Clay Coleman; 2004
- "The Scuba Diving Handbook: The Complete Guide to Safe and Exciting Scuba Diving"; John Bantin; 2007
- "Scuba Diving & Snorkeling for Dummies"; John Newman and Michael Newman; 1999
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