The Equipment a Prospective SCUBA Diver Needs

Folks, John Flanders, my friend, my team mate, my partner in crime, has written a beautiful article for the new prospective diver.  You can find the best SCUBA instruction in all of Arizona at www.academyofscuba.com  Tell em, Tevis sent cha!

Here it is:

Scuba diving is an equipment intensive sport. Breathing and exploring is not normal for us land-walking

mammals.  Scuba diving requires the training, familiarization and use of all types of equipment. As a diver

matures, the use of different equipment for different types of diving only adds to the complexity of

equipment selection. Equipment selection should not be a cavalier or impulsive purchase. It is life support

equipment. Proper training, fit, comfort and practice makes this equipment feel like a second skin. Proper

maintenance is essential to the proper performance of all Scuba gear. Buy right, buy once.  This is the

mantra of advanced divers!

 

Selecting Personal Scuba Equipment

Personal Scuba Diving Equipment includes: (1) Mask (2) Snorkel (3) Fins (4) Timing Device (watch, bottom

timer or computer).  Generally, most dive shops or charter operators do not rent personal dive equipment.  (that's most dive shops but that is stupidity.  At K2 it is about taking care of you. So of course, we will rent you mask/snorkel/fins so that you can decide whether this sport is for you. ..before you make a huge capital investment).

There are many sizing options and “fit” issues.  With this in mind it is not economically or logistically viable

when, for a few hundred dollars, most divers can be outfit with some great choices in personal dive gear. 

Being that this is personal dive gear, fit is essential!  You have to try it on. When buying fins, you have to try

the boots on with the fins (if open heel).  Masks are very individual and fit directly on the face and create a

seal.  I am not saying you can’t buy through a catalog or Internet, but you have to try it on first. Treat

personal gear as such.  A nice mesh bag to keep it all in is a very nice add-on.

 

Buying versus Renting

Familiarity of gear is an essential component to advancing your diving skills.  Call it muscle memory. 

That’

s why most golfers don’t rent clubs. When you rent, there is an adjustment period for familiarizing yourself

with the gear you have rented.  Additionally, when renting gear, you do not know its history or maintenance

cycles.  How can you rely on gear to save your life when you don’t know its history or if it has been

maintenance appropriately? Additionally, rental gear tends to be the lowest cost, most basic setups 

available in the market.  How far would you want to take basic dive equipment?  Lastly, the pure economist

in me just hates putting money into other people’s pocket.  Most dive rental gear is paid for over and over

again.  If you buy right; that equity is yours to keep.  Of course, the reward is far greater than economical. 

Divers who own their own equipment have a safer, longer, more enjoyable experience exploring the

underwater kingdom.

The Pitfalls of Used Gear

Full Disclosure:  I don’t support purchasing used gear! Most used gear is poorly maintained, misused,

broken, out-dated, and lacks the necessary qualities for an advanced diver to progress with his/her skills. 

Now, I am not going to say I have never bought used gear. But, I have done so with the knowledge of who

owned it before and how they stored and used it.  Additionally, I usually insist that it undergo maintenance

before buying it. I at least know it is in working condition and safe to use.  When buying used gear, you do

so under the auspice of Caveat Emptor (let the buyer beware).

 

Computers Helping Divers Stay Safe

Dive computers are an essential piece of gear for advanced divers.  Dive computers are another tool that a

Scuba diver can employ to not only increase bottom times, but also increase safety.  Dive computers

monitor (conservatively) decompression profiles, have time, depth, and ascent alarms (both visual and

audible).  Some dive computers also monitor air consumption and tank pressure.  These air integrated

computers generally have a lower margin of error than analog gauges (at lower pressures).  Recreational

Advanced and Technical Divers can benefit from dive computers.  Dive computers require about as much

training as dive tables.  Don’t make the same mistake many divers make by purchasing a computer and

relying on trial by error as your training guide.

As you progress through your diving education, your experience, your local dive shop and your mentors will

help guide you through equipment choices. Don’t underestimate trying new gear configurations or be

afraid to purchase more gear.  Many of us, once we buy our first set, think we have finished.  However,

trying new gear and further using that new fear can be rewarding and exciting.

Articles for assisting you in selecting Dive Gear brought to you by Academy of Scuba!

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