Get to know your diving equipment
A good diving equipment is essential to dive safely and comfortably. The equipment will help you breathe underwater, protect your skin, regulate buoyancy and make swimming easier.
Every diver must have at least the following equipment:
- Diving tank: It will provide you with the air (or the appropriate mix according to your type of diving) to breathe as well as to manage your buoyancy devices.
- BCD: It is one of the most important elements since it will ensure us a good buoyancy.
- Regulator: It is your source of air, it carries the air from your bottle to your respiratory system. Diving regulators are designed fail-safe, which means that in the unlikely event that they have a problem, they will provide you with more air than normal, but in any case, always air.
- Neoprene suit: It’s important that the size is correct to be comfortable, and the appropriate thickness depending on the water temperature. Do not forget that water transmits the temperature 20 times faster than air, so it is very normal to get cold even if the water is warm.
- Mask: We must ensure that the mask adapts well to our face to prevent water from entering and that we don’t need to be constantly adjusting it.
- Fins: There are several types of fins depending on the objective and your experience. You can consult a professional to choose the ones that best suit your purpose.
- Weights: It’s very important to have the right amount of weight in order to maintain a proper buoyancy.
- Dive computer: It is the main element that provides security. They monitor the dive time and guide you so that you never cross the limits.
- Protective elements: You can include hoods or gloves to protect you from the cold. The head is a very significant source of temperature loss. Keep your head and extremities covered to be comfortable and keep the body temperature well managed.
- Marker buoy: Warns the surface of your presence below before making the final ascent. Ideal for direct boat pick-up.
- Diving knife: It will help you to free yourself or your companion after being entangled in an element such as a net, a set of algae or plants.
It is very important to know your equipment well in order to react correctly to any risky situation. Familiarize yourself with the different elements, ask an instructor any questions you have, and practice, practice and practice different skills to find any item or equipment quickly, which will help you to always react correctly.
And if you can afford do buy only some parts, I recommend two elements clearly. The mask, because it gives you visibility, and it is very important that the mask fits well and we feel comfortable (and sometimes it is difficult to find a mask that seems designed for us). And the dive computer, because it is the element that directly watches over your safety!
