Diving equipment
The fundamental piece of SCUBA diving equipment used by divers is the breathing equipment.
There are two types of 'Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus':
- the Aqua-Lung - a system consisting of a tank or diving cylinder of compressed gas and diving requlator that supplies the diver with breathing gas at ambient pressure. This type of SCUBA equipment is known as 'open circuit' because exhaled gas is lost to the environment.
- the Rebreather - supplies the diver with breathing gas from a diving cylinder and a diving requlator but recycles the exhaled gas to economise on gas consumption. This type of SCUBA equipment is known as 'closed circuit'.
Other Equipment worn by SCUBA divers
- Mask
- non purge
- purge valve
- single lens
- split lens
- full face - the diver in the first photo is wearing an AGA full face mask
- other category
- hard hat
- Fins
- modern fins come in many shapes and colors
- open heel type
- Snorkel
- used by divers when swimming at the surface, worn on the left side of the mask.
- some modern snorkels have drain valves to aid in the removal of water from the snorkel tube
- Weight Belt
- A nylon web 2" wide that holds the weights (some belts can be filled with lead pellets as weights.) and features a quick release buckle. Belts come in many color with yellow or black being the most popular.
- Weights - used to offset positive buoyancy.
- Lead is the most common material used
- 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 pound blocks with holes to thread the weight belt through
- Many modern BCD's have weight pockets with quick release buckles
A diver in a pool wearing a full face mask from AGA and a twin 6 liter 300 bar tank rig.
- Buoyancy Compensator, Buoyancy Control Device, BCD or BC
- Regulator
- Attaches to the SCUBA tank, reduces the tank pressure to ambient pressure.
- All modern regulators consists of two stages. The first stage attaches to the tank and reduces the tank pressure to aprox. 1 MPa obove ambient pressure. This intermediate pressure gas is lead through a hose to the second stage witch in turn reduces the gas pressure to ambient pressure.
- Double hose style
- Earlier models of regulators had the two stages combined into one. Air was supplied to the diver via a large corrugated hose to the divers mouth piece. Exhaled gas returned via a second hose back to the regulator where it was released into the water.
- Underwater Compass
- Works just as the "dry" versions. Often worn on the forearm, just as a clock.
- Under Water Time Piece
- Waterproof Watch to keep track of time
- Air pressure gauge
- Used to monitor the tank pressure
- Connects to the first stage of the regulator.
- Depth Gauge
- Used to monitor depth
- Console
- a plastic or rubber box that holds the air pressure gauge and the depth gauge, typically worn on the left hand side of the diver
- Dive Computer
- Watertight computer with LCD display showing the amount of time the diver can remain underwater while staying inside decompression sickness safety limits
- Most fit into the console or into a wrist mount
- File:Dive computer1.JPG
