Hoods
Without a hood, as much as 75% of a diver's total heat loss take place
through the head. This is why a hoods provide important thermal protection
in water below 21oC. They also provide abrasive protection for
the head and neck area.
Hoods come in a variety of thicknesses and colours so that you can select
the right hood for the type of diving you do most often.
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Masks
The
mask creates an air space in front of your eyes that allows them to focus
under water. The nose pocket allows you to equalize the air pressure in
your mask as you go deeper. If you really want to upset your instructor,
refer to them as goggles!!
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Gloves
Because the hands aren't very well insulated by nature and have numerous
blood vessels running close to the skin, they are highly susceptible to
heat loss. Divers with cold hands may have difficulties performing
important safety related tasks underwater, for these reasons wearing
gloves is very important. As with the hoods, the gloves come in a variety
of thicknesses and colours so that you can select the right type of gloves
for you. You may wish to invest in two sets, one for warmer weather and
thicker ones for colder weather.
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Snorkels
As
a diver, you primarily use a snorkel to conserve air in your tank when on
the water's surface.
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Dry Suits
Dry
suits are an all in one suit that have rubber seals around the wrists and
neck which prevent water from getting in. You stay warm in a dry suit by
allowing air in through a hose which runs from your cylinder to the front
of the suit, much in same way the low inflater hose on a BCD works. Most
divers that wear dry suits control their buoyancy with their drysuits and
only use their BCD's at the surface. With a dry suit it's possible to dive
without getting wet, providing your neck and wrists seals are not too
loose! Dry suits will keep you much warmer in colder waters so many divers
in the UK will prefer to dive in drysuits, especially for all year round
diving.
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Under Suits
An
undersuit is a bit like a tailored sleeping bag and is worn underneath a
dry suit. They come in various thicknesses to provide extra warmth. Many
retailers will sell a drysuit and undersuit as a package.
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Wet Suits
A
wetsuit keeps you warm in two ways:
By keeping Water Out. Any water that gets inside the suit is going to leak
out again. When the water is inside, it absorbs some of your body heat.
When it leaves, it takes that heat with it. So the first thing a wetsuit
has to do is keep the cold ocean from flushing through it. A good fit, one
that feels equally snug everywhere, is critical, so the space the ocean
wants to use to flow along your skin is as small as possible.
And by providing Insulation Against Heat Loss. A little science here:
Solids and liquids conduct heat well; gases do not. Air, for example, is
about 20 times less conductive than water. As a practical matter, good
insulation—above or below water—is all about trapping air. That's why
neoprene foam works so well. Gas bubbles are permanently trapped inside
the "closed cells" of the wetsuit material.
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Regulators
Converts the
high-pressure air in your tank to ambient pressure so you can breathe it.
A regulator must also deliver air to other places, such as your BC
inflator and alternate second stage.
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BCD's (Bouyancy Control Device)
The BCD holds
all your gear in place, lets you to carry a tank with minimal effort and
allows you to achieve neutral buoyancy at any depth. On the surface it
helps you float so that you can rest and keeps your head above water.
Some BCD's come with integrated weights. This means the weights are held
within the BCD rather than on a separate weight belt.
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Weights
There
are various types of weights, you'll need to find what's the most
comfortable for you. Which BCD you buy is a considering factor, will you
choose integrated weights or a separate weight belt. Essentially, the
weights will help you descend to your desired depth, you can then control
your ascent\descent with your BCD or Dry Suit and your breathing.
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Boots
Boots are
similar to gloves in that they help reduce heat loss and protect your feet
against minor cuts and scrapes. If you wear a drysuit the boots are
already built into the suit. It's important to get the correct size as
boots that are too large may trap air and lead to a feet first ascent. If
you wear a wet suit, the boots are separate but you will still want to
make sure you get the correct size for comfort and to get the most out of
your fins. If you're boots are too big you may find it difficult to fin
properly because you won't have very good control.
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Fins
You don't
see fish wearing trainers do you!
Fins
translate power from the large leg muscles into efficient movement through
water, which is 800 times denser than air. Without fins you'd find it
pretty hard to get around under water.
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Computers
So,
you've spent hours learning how to use your recreational dive planner and
the first bit of equipment we suggest you buy is a computer! Why, well
dive computers are an even better tool for safe recreational diving, in
the same way a calculator is better than trying to do the math in your
head. By constantly monitoring depth and bottom time, dive computers
automatically recalculate your no-decompression status, giving you longer
dive times while still keeping you within a safe envelope of
no-decompression time. Computers can also monitor your ascent rate and
tank pressure, tell you when it's safe to fly, log your dives and much
more. That's why dive computers are almost as common as depth gauges these
days.
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Knives
Contrary to popular believe, divers don't carry knives to fend off sharks
or to get rid of a diver that's annoying you! Dive knives are used mainly
to help you, if you get snagged on a line that can't be untangled, or
perhaps to cut a net which may be accidentally trapping marine life.
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Accessories
There
are various accessories that you will find very useful to have in your
dive kit. Spare parts are a must, extra o-rings, fin straps and mask
straps are the most obvious. You may also want to invest in a compass if
your console doesn't have one, a Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) for drift
dives, a dive bag to transport all your equipment easily...the list is
endless. Certainly enough to keep your Christmas and birthday lists full
for a few years. |
