While the shows on Discovery Channel may have you thinking that scuba divers desire to look like some sort of alien life form, there really is a rhyme and reason behind all that gear they wear (humorous, though it may be). Let’s break it down piece by piece so when you decide that diving just might be something you’d like to try, you aren’t packing the costume you wore to the Star Trek convention.
The Basics
The skin-tight, curve hugging ensemble that every diver wears is a wetsuit. The suits are made of a neoprene rubber and have a fleece lining for extra insulation. The wetsuit is what protects divers from cold water temperatures, holds in the body’s natural heat, and protects the diver from scrapes, stings, and other injuries.
To allow them to properly focus underwater, divers wear a watertight mask that also has a nose pocket that equalizes pressure as they descend deeper. The mask is one of the most vital pieces of equipment because if you can’t see and you have water going up your nose, suffice to say that you are not going to be a happy diver.
To help them breeze through the water like a fish, no diver is prepared without their fins. The fins exert the power from the diver’s leg muscles into smooth movements that create a sort of gliding motion through the water. While they do tend to make you walk like a penguin, kicking through water without them will only leave you exhausted and not having progressed too far distance wise.
Lifesaving Equipment
Aside from the oxygen tank, which is self explanatory, there are two pieces of equipment that a diver’s life truly depends on.
First is the buoyancy compensator, or BC. This piece of equipment keeps gear in its place, carries the tank, and of course adjusts your buoyancy for whether you are just floating close to the surface or diving deeper.
Second is the regulator which converts the air in your tank from high pressure to a level that is breathable. Along with regulating the air in your tank, it’s also what inflates your BC.
So Now You Know
Though it may not be the most attractive ensemble, every piece of a diver’s equipment is vital to keeping them safe. Each part has a job to perform and a diver’s life depends on his or her equipment performing at 100%.
If you decide to look into getting your own gear, make sure you do some research. Diving gear can be expensive, but by purchasing gear that is durable and making sure to have it serviced regularly, it should only be a onetime investment. Remember that when you are underwater, thinking that you look like E.T.; it’s that gear that is keeping you alive. Take your time, invest wisely, and enjoy your dive.
