Diving equipment: Difference between revisions

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The fundamental item of diving equipment used by divers is the SCUBA equipment, such as the Aqualung or Rebreather. There are other important pieces of equipment that make diving safer, more convenient or more efficient.

Personal Diving Equipment

Scuba life support

Scuba set consisting of diving cylinder(s) and diving regulator(s)
Rebreather an alternative to a scuba set

Alternative life support

Liquid breathing system - In the real world this is at the early experiment stage. It may allow very deep diving when it is developed.
Snorkel allows breathing at the surface with the face submerged
Standard diving dress - mostly for work diving. Merely of historical interest now.
Surface supplied diving - mostly for work diving

Thermal, sting and abrasion protection

In cold water, a Diving Suit such as a dry suit or a

wet suit

In very warm water, many types of tough, long, everyday clothing provide protection
Diving gloves
Diving boots

In-water stabilisation and movement

Buoyancy compensator, Buoyancy Control Device, BCD or BC
Diving weighting system counteracts the buoyancy of the diving suit
Fins
Diver Propulsion Vehicle - to increase the range of the diver undwerwater
Decompression trapeze consists of one or more horizontal bars, suspended at the depth of intended decompression stops by buoys

Measurement and navigation

Dive Computer to avoid decompression sickness
Compass for underwater navigation
Depth gauge is used with watch for decompression monitoring on decompression tables
Watch is used with depth gauge for decompression monitoring on decompression tables
Decompression tables to avoid decompression sickness
Distance line is used to navigate back to the start point in poor vizibility
Diving shot consisting of a weight, line and buoy used to mark the location of a dive site, allowing divers to navigate to and from the surface and to do decompression stops at a safe location. Typically the weight is 20 kg.

Vision and communication

Mask allows the diver to see clearly underwater and protects the eyes.
Full face mask allows talking if no mouthpiece inside. Difficult or impossible to go to snorkel on running out of air.
Diving helmetused with surface supplied diving, it protects the head well.
Surface Marker Buoy or Decompression buoy (Delayed SMBs)
Underwater writing slate and pencil to transport pre-dive plans underwater, to record facts whilst underwater and to aid communication with other divers
Torch/flashlight is essential in low visibility, during night diving or for communication

Tools

Knife to cut ropes and nets
Diving reel is used to transport a distance line or line for a surface marker buoy
Lifting bag - a robust airtight bag used to lift heavy object underwater
Dry box to keep objects in that the diver needs to keep dry at depth
Airlift - a gas "powered" tube that sucks small objects, sand and mud from the sea bed that is used in nautical archaeology
Camera and housing - for underwater photography or video shooting

Surface detection aids

The purposes of this class of equipment are to:

allow the boat cover to monitor and find divers on the surface during or after a dive
prevent the diver being run over by boat traffic on the ascent
mark the diver's position when drift diving or while at the decompression stop
help rescue boats and helicopters to locate the diver

Surface detection aids (with cheapest and most effective towards the top) include:

Red or yellow collapsible flag - high visibility, robust, bungeed to cylinder
Whistle - cheap, will only be heard by people far from engine noise
Torch/flashlight - if at sea after night fall
Strobe - needs long lasting batteries
High pressure whistle - expensive but they are effective
Orange water dye - increases diver's visibility from search helicopters
Mirror - to reflect sunlight or searchlights (A used Compact Disc is a good substitute)
Red pyrotechnic flares - for helicopters and lifeboats
EPIRB (Electronic Position Indicating Radio Beacon)

Surface equipment

Diving air compressor - a gas compressor, which can fill diving cylinders with high pressure air.
Boats such as the rigid-hulled inflatable boat
Echo sounder - a SONAR depth measuring and profiling device used for dive site location
GPS receiver - for locating dive sites
Proton magnetometer - for locating ferrous wrecks
Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle - for locating dive sites
VHF radio - for communicating with rescue services and other boats

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 ==Personal Diving Equipment==
-===Life Support===
+===Scuba life support===
 * [[Scuba sets|Scuba set]] consisting of [[diving cylinder]](s) and [[diving regulator]](s)
 * [[Rebreather]] an alternative to a [[Scuba sets|scuba set]]
-* [[Diving mask|Mask]] allows the diver to see clearly underwater and protects the eyes.
-* [[Snorkel]] allows breatging at the surface with the face submerged
-===Personal Protection===
+===Alternative life support===
+* [[Liquid breathing]] system - In the real world this is at the early experiment stage. It may allow very deep diving when it is developed.
-* [[Diving Suit|Suit]] such as a dry suit or a wet suit
+* [[Snorkel]] allows breathing at the surface with the face submerged
+* [[Standard diving dress]] - mostly for work diving. Merely of historical interest now.
+* [[Surface supplied diving]] - mostly for work diving
+===Thermal, sting and abrasion protection===
+* In cold water, a [[Diving Suit]] such as a dry suit or a
+wet suit
+* In very warm water, many types of tough, long, everyday clothing provide protection
 * Diving gloves
 * Diving boots
-===In-Water Stabilisation and Movement===
+===In-water stabilisation and movement===
 * [[Buoyancy compensator]], Buoyancy Control Device, BCD or BC
 * [[Diving weighting system]] counteracts the buoyancy of the [[diving suit]]
@@ Line 23: / Line 29: @@
 * [[Decompression trapeze]] consists of one or more horizontal bars, suspended at the depth of intended [[decompression stops]] by [[buoy]]s
-===Measurement and Navigation===
+===Measurement and navigation===
 * [[Dive_computer|Dive Computer]] to avoid [[decompression sickness]]
 * [[Compass]] for underwater navigation
@@ Line 32: / Line 38: @@
 * [[Diving shot]] consisting of a weight, line and [[buoy]] used to mark the location of a dive site, allowing divers to navigate to and from the surface and to do [[decompression stops]] at a safe location. Typically the weight is 20 kg.
-===Visibility and Communication===
+===Vision and communication===
 * [[Diving mask|Mask]] allows the diver to see clearly underwater and protects the eyes.
+* [[Full face mask]] allows talking if no mouthpiece inside. Difficult or impossible to go to snorkel on running out of air.
-* [[Diving helmet]] is worn by divers who need to speak and hear underwater
+* [[Diving helmet]]used with surface supplied diving, it protects the head well.
 * [[Surface Marker Buoy]] or [[Decompression buoy]] (Delayed SMBs)
 * Underwater writing [[slate (writing)|slate]] and [[pencil]] to transport pre-dive plans underwater, to record facts whilst underwater and to aid communication with other divers
@@ Line 45: / Line 52: @@
 * [[Dry box]] to keep objects in that the diver needs to keep dry at depth
 * [[Airlift]] - a [[gas]] "powered" tube that sucks small objects, [[sand]] and [[mud]] from the [[sea bed]] that is used in [[nautical archaeology]]
-* Camera and [[Underwater camera housing|housing]] - for [[underwater photography]] or video shooting
+* [[Camera]] and [[Underwater camera housing|housing]] - for [[underwater photography]] or video shooting
-===Surface Detection Aids===
+===Surface detection aids===
 The purposes of this class of equipment are to:
 * allow the [[boat]] cover to monitor and find divers on the surface during or after a dive
@@ Line 66: / Line 73: @@
-==Surface Equipment==
+==Surface equipment==
 * [[Diving air compressor]] - a gas compressor, which can fill diving cylinders with high pressure air.
 * [[Boat]]s such as the [[rigid-hulled inflatable boat]]