Equipment Needed for Scuba Diving

Scuba diving requires specialized equipment. But once you receive your certification, scuba diving extends your reach to the underwater realm and becomes another source for inspiration and enjoyment. The basic equipment needed for scuba diving is to enable you to safely descend and swim at depths.

  1. Personal Gear

    • Personal gear includes mask and fins as the basics, and might require a hood, gloves and booties depending on the water conditions. A well-fitting mask has an enclosed nose to minimize inhalation of water and to facilitate purging excess water. Diving fins are sturdier and longer than fins used for snorkeling or swimming to facilitate movement in midwater. Hoods, gloves and booties provide additional exposure protection.

    BCD and Weights

    • The BCD is a buoyancy compensator device, a type of inflatable vest to control position on the water surface and underwater. Weights are needed to compensate for the innate buoyancy of the body, exposure suit and air tank to descend. Weights can be worn on a separate weight belt or secured in integrated pockets within the BCD.

    Regulator

    • The regulator setup contains the apparatus for breathing, and connecting to the tank and BCD. Divers carry two regulators as part of their setup: primary, which the diver keeps in her mouth, and an alternate air source (also known as an octo) for her buddy in case of out-of-air or low-on-air emergencies. Regulator setups include hoses to connect to the low-inflation hose for your BCD, dive computer and other apparatus such as a dry suit.

    Tank

    • Compressed air tanks define scuba diving. Compressed air tanks typically contain "regular" air consisting of approximately 21 percent oxygen. Special mixes of air are available for divers with specialized training such as enriched air (with higher levels of oxygen) and trimix (containing helium, nitrogen and oxygen). The regulator setup connects to the tank valve at the first stage, which steps down the high pressure for breathing via the regulator.

    Exposure Suit

    • Exposure suits are usually wetsuits made of neoprene material and vary in thickness according to the water conditions. The movement of water in and out of the suit reduces the diver's core body temperature. Dry suits can also be worn to provide water-tight protection. Exposure suits keep the diver warm and also serve as a barrier for the marine environment such as sharp rocks or fire coral.