After having purchased the all-essential wetsuit, semi-dry suit or drysuit it is important to get hold of other necessary scuba diving equipment such as gloves, hood, buoyancy compensator, watch, depth gauge and compass. The latter items are essential and may be purchased from a diving store or scuba diving training centre.
Scuba Diving Equipment - Diving Watch
A scuba diving watch obviously needs to be completely waterproof but must also be able to function in depths of around 330 feet. In The Scuba Diving Handbook, Bantin (2007) identifies that in order for a scuba diving watch to be efficient it must have a rotating bezel ring which is used so the diver can accurately mark off periods of time. The primary reason why wearing a special diving watch is so crucial for safety is that otherwise the scuba diver may end up staying underwater too long which can have serious health consequences as a result.
Another key aspect of diving watches is that the watch face itself is clear and easy to read even when one is diving in water where clarity is poor. Also it is vital to purchase a waterproof watch rather than one which is merely water resistant for diving and other water-sports purposes.
Depth Gauges for Scuba Diving
While watches are an everyday essential in modern life it is far less likely that one would have come into contact with a depth gauge especially in the case of those who are completely new to the sport of scuba diving. A depth gauge is simply a piece of equipment that divers use to know how deep they are underwater. It is essential that divers are always aware of their depth because when breathing air underwater the body tissues absorb nitrogen and this level increases with depth. The depth gauge is also a handy navigational piece of kit as it informs divers which direction they are travelling through the water column.
In The Scuba Diving Handbook, Bantin (2007) recommends that before purchasing a depth gauge it is always best to make sure that the model includes a way of being able to record the maximum depth one has achieved during a dive. In many cases a depth gauge is included with a compass as part of an instrument console.
Scuba Diving Compasses
Another essential piece of scuba diving equipment is a compass which many UK students will no doubt remember using as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Basically, a diving compass is used underwater in the same manner in which it is used when on dry land. The key difference of course is that whilst on dry land (unless one is doing a handstand!) there is no need to work out which way to hold it. In order to make using a compass easier there are plenty of more modern electronic devices currently available.
A compass is particularly useful for those who enjoy wreck diving or deep sea diving where it is much easier to become disorientated as a result. The key is that the compass one is using whilst scuba diving is easy to read and very clear even when in murky waters.
As highlighted above, scuba diving equipment includes a wetsuit, gloves, hood, buoyancy compensator, diving watch, compass and depth gauge. These items may all be obtained from specialist water-sport stores or from scuba diving training centres.
Source:
Bantin, J. (2007) The Scuba Diving Handbook London: Adlard Coles Nautical
Kate Le Page - Kate Henning-Le Page writes about eating disorders, body image and recovery issues. She specializes in anorexia recovery.
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