Scuba Diving Book

So you want to learn how to Scuba dive! Congratulations, you’ve taken the first step to a fun and exciting adventure, and a new hobby to enjoy for years to come.

First off, you’ll want to find a knowledgeable instructor to earn your diving certification from. Asking around at local dive shops is usually a great place to start. There are several systems such as PADI, SSI and NAUI you can learn to dive under. PADI is the largest, but they are all good programs, and it is most important to find a good instructor who you get along with and can learn from easily. If you’re not clicking with an instructor, feel free to walk out and find another one.

SCUBA stands for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus, and applies to any system that contains a high pressure air supply and allows you to stay underwater for extended periods of time.
There is a lot of equipment involved in scuba diving, such as:

• Scuba Mask – A mask will cover both your eyes and nose.
• Fins – These give your kicks more power, allowing you to move through the water with much greater ease.
• Booties – Many divers put these between their feet and fins to avoid rubbing blisters onto their feet.
• Wet suit – or a “dry suit” when it’s warmer out.
• Diving tanks – inflated with high pressure air, allowing you to breathe while submerged.
• Regulator – This part opens the flow of air from the tanks when needed, and regulates the speed and flow of gas.
• Mouthpiece – This part connects from the hose to your mouth, allowing you to inhale and exhale as required, and directing the gas from the tank in the right direction.
• Weights – These are secured inside a weight belt, and keep you from floating to the surface.
• Buoyancy Control Device – This device is inflatable and adjustable, controlling how buoyant you are at any given time.
• Diver Computer (or Scuba Computer) – this is a computer to calculate your nitrogen intake.
• Dive Compass – You wouldn’t want to get lost, would you?
• Dive Gauge – This is a must.
• Any spare parts or tools you might need while underwater.
• A first aid kit is a must while underwater.

Of course, you will also always want to have your dive certification card on you wile scuba diving. We’ll talk about some of this equipment in greater detail.

Your scuba air tank, also known as a diving cylinder, can range in sizes from small to gigantic, and hold a high compression (generally from 3,000 PSI to 4,500 PSI) mixture of nitrogen and oxygen. Many times a technical diver will use a helium based gas while engaged in a high depth dive, containing less than 21% oxygen. Travel gas, which is use by divers when descending or ascending, can contain between 21% and 40% oxygen. High oxygen gas (between 80% to 100% oxygen) may be used for decompression.
A diving regulator (sometimes called a demand valve), is used to supply the scuba diver with air from his or her tank(s). A regulator works by aligning a number of valves in a series configuration, controlling the way in which gas is released by the cylinder.

Your buoyancy control device, or buoyancy compensator, is a handy device that, in a way, allows a diver to act as a submarine. When deflated, your weights are allowed to take over, and you can dive lower into the water. When inflated, the control device works as a life jacket of sorts, floating you towards the surface. The buoyancy control device allows you to walk or swim with ease, compensating for the weight of your tanks, weights, and equipment on demand. It may have to be adjusted between different depths since the pressure will increase and decrease.

Your weight belt, obviously, does the opposite of the buoyancy control device, it allows you to sink. Weights are much cruder by design, consisting of a simple belt with pockets that hold lead weights. Lead is an ideal material for weights because it is resistant to corrosion, very heavy, and is an inexpensive material, both to buy and to work with. These weights are custom fitted to you since people’s body weight will vary. Weights must be securely held in place at all times, or you risk being sent into an uncontrolled rapid ascent, which can cause many problems, especially decompression issues. Beyond that, your simple speed of ascent can cause issues if you collide with another diver or boat. In an emergency, however, a diver may intentionally drop his weights. More often, a diver may remove individual weights for a more controlled ascent. Sometimes ankle weights are used in addition to the weight belt system.

The mouthpiece connects to the hose at one end (the other end is connected to the regulator / tanks), and secures inside your mouth around your teeth. Usually a mouthpiece will have a larger piece of rubber or plastic that fits between the lips and the teeth / gums, so that the diver doesn’t have to apply consistent pressure to keep the mouthpiece in place. When using a mouthpiece, you won’t be able to produce clear speech, so communication will be limited to hand signals.

In situations where verbal speech is required, a full face mask will have to be used instead of a separate swim mask and mouthpiece combination.
A wetsuit is generally made from neoprene, a synthetic material that is related to rubber. In the production process, neoprene material traps small bubbles of nitrogen, which further act as an insulator. Wetsuits, by design, allow a small amount of water to be trapped between the diver and the suit. Human body heat is able to heat that water, and it actually acts as a further layer of insulation between the diver and the outside water. Wetsuits are required in any water temperature that might allow a diver to experience hypothermia. Water is such a good conductor of heat away from the body, that even in warm situations it is possible for hypothermia to take course. Many wetsuits are built with spandex in addition to neoprene, allowing the suit to flex and stretch to a greater degree. Spandex also helps prevent the suit from shrinking over time.
Now you’ve got a good idea of what kind of equipment goes into scuba diving, and have some guidelines on choosing an instructor, so what’s stopping you? Get out there and dive!