Scuba Diving Equipment

When you want to start scuba diving training you will need diving equipment, most of this can be hired. However I would advise a least buying a good quality diving mask and snorkel, even if you decide that scuba diving is not for you, these items will come in useful at the beach or on holiday. You might also want to invest in some fins as well, all three of these items need to fit you perfectly and if you rely on hiring them you might not get the correct size.

These three items are the only pieces of equipment that many divers own. Often divers prefer to rent or hire other items and save on the cost of buying and transporting all the other equipment needed to scuba dive. The downside of this is you will keep having to pay to hire equipment and you may get ill fitting equipment from the hire shops, also you will not know how well the kit has been looked after.

The best place to buy equipment is from a dive show or specialist shop, these places will have a whole range of kit to suit any wallet. You can buy second-hand kit but you will have to be careful to inspect it for signs of wear and corrosion. When choosing your equipment it is best to take along an experienced diver, so that they can look at the kit for you and advise you. If you do buy second-hand equipment make sure it is serviced before you use it, to ensure that it is working properly.

Diving masks come in various styles and you will need to make sure it fits before you buy one. The main types are the Classic round old-fashioned looking mask, which still offers good visibility. The extended vision mask gives the diver a better view due to having multi-lenses. These can also have corrective vision lenses for divers who usually wear spectacles. The matt finish with black silicone skirt mask avoids reflections and is useful to photographers, but the downside is that it reduces peripheral vision. The side view type of mask has panels at the side of the main lens making it good for peripheral vision but be careful that the additional lenses do not distort the view. Full Face masks are mainly used in commercial diving and are good in very cold or polluted water. This type of mask has an intercom so you can communicate with other divers.

Choosing your snorkel is very easy as all the snorkel does is stops the need to raise your head out of the water on the surface to breathe. These are mainly used pre-diving and after the dive when swimming back to the boat or shore. A good snorkel should allow the wearer to breathe easily, and should not be too long (no more than about 17 inches).

Fins come in two main designs; the shoe design where the whole of the foot fits into it like a shoe or the type which leaves the heel exposed and is held on with a strap. This type is designed to be used with neoprene bootees. There is a wide variety of fin shapes but it is down to you what type and shape of fin you want. It will depend on the type of diving you intend to do, but I am sure you will be able to get advice on the best fin from the dive shop or school you go to.

These items cover the main core pieces of kit you will require to go Scuba diving. You will need a lot more kit, but buying that should be left to a later date, once you see if you intend to carry on scuba diving. These 3 items will not cost the earth but the rest of the equipment you will need can be expensive. Using rented equipment at first and then gradually buying your own equipment over time is the best policy.