Scuba Diving is an
ever-growing hobby all over the world, with divers of all ages donning their
masks and suits and getting into the water. According to the Sports and Fitness
Industry Association there are as many as six million active scuba divers
worldwide, and six million people can’t be wrong.
But like most
hobbies, there is some must know information before you start, so you know your
BCD from you SMB and your computer from your regulator, so let’s take a look at
a few.
1. Cylinder/Tank:
This
is a pretty easy one, but mustn’t be forgotten. The cylinder (also known as a
tank) is used in diving to hold the air you breath while underwater. The tank
is used in conjecture with a regulator, which is responsible for circulating
the air and controlling the amount of gas you receive. Without the tank there
would be no SCUBA diving.
2. Buoyancy
Control Device:
A
bit more of a specialist term, you will hear other divers refer to this as
their ‘BCD’. A Buoyancy Control Device helps you to control your position and
depth in the water. Using a mix of air a weights, BCD’s allow you to control
your descent and ascent safely to prevent decompression sickness.
3. Diving
Computers:
Dive
computers are the unsung heroes of your diving set up. Your dive computer is
usually worn on your wrist and allows you to track key information on your
dive. They work in partnership with your tank to show you your pressure levels
and also allow you to track the time, length, and depth of your dive.
Although these are
some of the essentials, there are a number of other key pieces of equipment
needed while diving. Regulators, suits, fins, and masks are to name but a few.
Scuba diving is a complicated hobby that takes more than one session to master,
but is highly rewarding once done. Make sure to fully research every part of
diving and as always, make sure to train with a registered dive school.
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