A Beginner's Guide to Scuba Diving Equipment
Monday, 04 January 2010 16:02 |
| Equipment |
You've decided to explore all the wonders of the ocean deep and are all set to swim among the coral reefs, sea turtles, and schools of fish. Yet before taking the plunge into the blue, you need to make sure you have all the necessary scuba gear and diving equipment! While the most obvious aspects that may come to mind are the scuba diving masks and flippers, there is a bit more comprising that essential list. To make sure that you are fully outfitted with all the scuba gear you will need, be sure to read on!
With any scuba gear and diving equipment that you buy, you need to ensure that it all fits you snugly and comfortably. The wrong mask or a scuba wetsuit that is too small is a sure way to make your dive less than ideal. So when picking out your scuba diving mask, make sure that it can stay in place and that you can see well behind it. The snorkel should fit well with your scuba diving mask on, and it is to be worn on the left side.
Next up for your scuba gear are the fins, and be aware that some of them should be worn with booties. You will now want to find either a wetsuit or a drysuit. You will want to feel free to move about, but it should be snug against your body. These are all a few of the staples in scuba diving equipment, and now we come to the more complex scuba gear. You will need a buoyancy control device (BCD) with your scuba diving equipment and this not only helps to keep you supported while under water, but also the regulator, weight system, and air cylinder too. It is the regulator that then makes it possible for you to breath while you are scuba diving.
You will want to find a high quality brand when selecting your scuba gear, as this is an imperative aspect of the experience, and each regulator in turn should come complete with a second oxygen source, or an octopus. Next is the scuba cylinder, and you will want to buy this last.
Lastly, you will do well to consider adding a diving flag and float to the list of your scuba diving equipment, as it is required in some areas. With all of your scuba gear properly fit and selected, you can now head off to find your adventures under the sea, and swim among sunken ship or possibly even sharks!
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| Equipment |
Humans are not made to naturally swim underwater safely unlike marine animals. That is why, we need to use specialty scuba diving equipment.
Dive learners or even an experienced diver uses proper equipment necessary to stay underwater for any appreciable length of time.
Equipment such as:
Diving mask:
Human eye is not designed to see through water. Diving masks are designed to create a pocket of air so the diver may be able to have an underwater view.
A noted good diving mask is like a very large pair of goggles with a silicone seal/picket needed to avoid inadvertent breathing through the nose and sucking in water. Diving masks are designed to withstand great pressure underwater which makes it a vital piece of scuba diving equipment.
The Fins:
Swimming is a physical exercise that would require a lot of energy and oxygen. Divers need to conserve energy in the best possible way. Fins are used in this manner by providing a diver means to swim more effortlessly underwater.
Fins providing maximum propulsion through the water are large flexible blades that are fitted to the feet.
Two types of fins:
Strap fins have a foot pocket with a strap that fits around the heel and are worn with boots. Shoe fin fits onto the bare foot like a slipper.
Protective clothing necessary:
A skin suit is used in warmest water. It protects the body from cuts either from equipment or from brushing against corals and rocks.
Wet suit provides thermal protection allowing the body to warm against cooler water temperatures. They come in long or short arms and legs and are available in a range of thicknesses.
Wet suits are made of neoprene. This material allows water to flush through it, holding it against the body.
The semi-dry suit is designed to ingress trapped water and is warmed by the body. It is similar to a wet suit except it has seals around the neck, wrists and ankles and gives greater protection.
Lastly is the dry suit which is designed for cold water diving conditions. This suit does not allow any water to enter thus the body inside remains dry. It has built-in boots and is sealed around the wrists and neck.
Dry suit, either made from neoprene or from a trilaminate membrane, is the usually used by more experienced divers. Neoprene gloves and hoods are added for extra warmth.
Additional scuba diving equipment:
You will also need:
- Buoyancy Compression Device (BCD)
- Lead Weights
- Cylinders
- Regulators
Some divers use computer equipment
To outfit with well maintained and proper scuba diving equipment, is ensuring a safe, comfortable and enjoyable dive.
Getting Started
Monday, 04 January 2010 00:49 |
| Scuba Diving |
Have you ever thought you might be interested in scuba diving? Scuba is a recreational sport that many people admire and plan to explore, but too few actually take action and become certified. Many people are afraid the process will be too difficult, or too expensive. In reality, however, scuba diving is something that people of nearly all ages and physique can enjoy, and starting out is not really much more expensive than any other sport.
Getting Started
To begin enjoying your life as a scuba diver, everyone has to start by taking the basic open water diving course. In this course, you will learn all the basics and get a little bit of supervised diving experience before going out alone. A certified instructor will teach you safety signals, practices, and assorted precautions that all divers need to understand. You will also learn about common mistakes and potential injuries involved in scuba diving, and how to prevent injury to yourself and your dive buddies.
Courses are taught and certified through one of several certification authorities. The major ones are PADI, NAUI, and SSI, but there are many others. You will encounter many people with all sorts of opinions on what agency is better and why, but realistically, you get the same information from whichever you choose.
Typically, one particular scuba shop will only teach material from a single certification authority. Rather than focus on learning under one authorities curriculum, you should find a scuba shop in your area that you like, with friendly people, and then go with what they teach. You can find local shops in almost any town online or in the yellow pages.
Limitless Possibilities!
Scuba diving is something people of nearly any physical build and age can engage in, and you can enjoy it in just about any state in the US. Obviously, ocean diving is the most popular, but lakes, natural springs, and quarry's offer some great diving experiences nationwide, and even around the world!
If you cover the basics, and find that diving is something that really interests you, there are certainly many more areas to explore. For example, you can expand your education to include cave diving, wreck diving, which is diving through wrecked ships, and even advanced techniques like rescue or forensic diving. With all of the possible angles, scuba diving is an activity that can be enjoyed for many years as a hobby, or pursued as a robust career.
Hoods and Hair - Tips For Females in Scuba
Monday, 04 January 2010 13:47 |
| Info |
Dive Diva's everywhere have questioned how to tame their wild tresses. While we know that we aren't going to look like the Sports Illustrated models after a dive, we certainly shouldn't surrender to a shaved head either. Saltwater wreaks havoc on our hair leaving a salt residue that depletes the hair of it's natural moisture. Add blowing wind into the equation and the result is split ends and brittle hair that feels like straw.
Hair care for Girl Divers is three fold. You must treat your hair before you subject it to the elements, manage your hair during the dives, and restore your hair after the dives. Chlorine and saltwater can discolor and dry out the hairs cuticle. Before diving, wet down hair with cool tap water, which will seal the cuticle. Hair is like a sponge; it can only absorb so much water. If it's wet to begin with, it won't absorb as much damaging chlorine and saltwater.
Swear by leave-in conditioner and never leave for the dive without it. Protecting skin with sunscreen is good sense, and the same goes for hair. If you can find a conditioner with a sunscreen in it, all the better, as the UV rays will turn your hair a brassy shade. Also, using some hair creme or pomade as a conditioning barrier will reduce the amount of salt that can adhere to the hair follicles.
During the dive, if you have long hair, you'll want to secure it before pulling and tugging on your neoprene hood. Putting hair into a braid or a series of pony holders keeps hair from becoming caught in the hood. Using the conditioner before braiding, will help to hold the braid in place. You may want to wear a lycra "doo rag" over your hair before putting on your hood. Alternatively, a "shark skin" or "titanium" lining in the hood will also ease with removal of the hood off at the end of your dive.
If you're diving a tropical destination, you may consider a beanie for night dives (as this will not only tame your tresses but avoid getting blood worms tangling in your locks). For day use, a "slap strap", available at most dive stores will keep the mask strap from catching on your hair.
We are told to rinse our gear thoroughly after a dive, but any good Girl Diver knows, that beauty comes before gear rinsing. As soon as possible, rinse out your hair with fresh water. You may find a fresh water shower on the boat or at the dive site. There are also a myriad of shampoos made to remove harsh elements from your hair at your local salon.
Put a wide-toothed comb in your Save-A-Dive kit, so that you can get through those tangles on your way to the pizza place. Again, if you've got some spray in conditioner with you, now would be a great time to add another round to the hair, as it's just been through the dehydration routine. Keep your hair trimmed of split ends and use a clarifying shampoo weekly to keep your hair looking great.
Even the divas of diving have to treat their locks. "I'm not very good with my hair and don't think about it much," Tanya Streeter said from her home in Austin, Texas. "When I know I'm going to be in the water, I just coat it with a ton of conditioner, braid it, and wear it down my wet suit."
Cindy Ross is the owner/instructor of http://www.GirlDiver.com. Dedicated to a gentler form of scuba for everyone. She teaches PADI co-ed, women's only and teen scuba classes in the Pacific Northwest. With her small scuba classes in the Seattle area, Cindy finds more time to dedicate to each student. She is also a staff writer for XRay Magazine and Dive Coordinator for Highline Community College. For more articles on learning to scuba dive, visit http://www.girldiver.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Ross
Dunmanus Bay, Co. Cork
Sunday, 03 January 2010 23:51 |
| Ireland |
Dunmanus Bay lies between Mizen Head to the South and Bantry Bay to the North. It is out of the main tidal flow and has no significant river flowing into it. Hence it has above average visibility and little silt. The isolation of Dunmanus Bay should be taken into account when planning dives as there is little other traffic in the bay to help you if you run into problems. The small village of Durrus lies at the head of the bay on the R591. The North side of the bay is more populated with a couple of villages and gentle shoreline.
Turn off in Durrus on a smaller road to reach Kilcrohane after 16km. The South side is very isolated with towering cliffs and a dramatic coastline. follow the R591 towards Goleen about 16km beyond Durrus until reaching a junction to the right signposted "Goleen via Coast Road" which brings you to Dunmanus Harbour after a further 1.5km.
Kilcrohane Pier
Turn left at the Western end of Kilcrohane village by the children's playground and follow the road along to the small pier and slipway. Boats can be launched here above half tide to access dive sites further West along the coast. The area around the pier is suitable for shore diving for the less experienced and also night diving with depths of 5-15m.
Dooneen North
Head West out of kilcrohane for 3km until you spot a solitary bar on the left side of the road. After a further 200m take a turn to the left by a large red barn. Follow the narrow road down to a substantial pier. There is no possibility of launching boats here but they can easily be brought from Kilcrohane Pier only 1km away. With a boat you can explore the area around the headland where intermediate dives with depths of 20-30m can be reached.
The area in the vacinity. of the pier is well protected from the prevailing Westerly winds and can be dived when other sites are too rough. If shore diving the area out and to the right of the pier are the most interesting with rocky outcrops and ridges. Depths of 20m can be obtained after a reasonable fin before the bottom runs into sand. Watch out for subsurface mariculture frames and ropes. About 25m to the left of the pier there is a narrow cleft which runs back 50m into the cliff.
The cave is never narrower than a metre wide and has an air space above it at all times. At high water the cave is 10m deep and there is extensive vertical walls which are carpeted with jewel anenomes, particularly near the entrance.
3. Ballybroom Pier
About 5km West of Kilcrohane there is a small museum by a junction where the road splits, straight on heads towards Sheep's Head, and right continues along the "Goat's Path" back towards Bantry. A small road leads down to the left here and runs to a surprisingly large pier and slipway after about 1km. This is the last access point on the Northern side of Dunmanus Bay, high cliffs run on from here to Sheep's Head 7km away.
As the little bay faces South-West it offers little shelter and is only useful in calm weather, when shore dives and short distance boat dives are rewarding without being too demanding. Diving under the high cliffs close to the headland is not as exciting as you would expect and hardly worth the effort involved in getting to this very remote place.
4. Dunmanus Harbour
The substantial pier is used by local fishermen and has just enough water off the head for a boat at low tide, but at low springs it may be necessary to paddle a short distance before lowering the engine. Boats may be launched across a hard gravel shore via a short track about 100m East of the pier. There are no steep gradients and boat trailers can be easily manhandled into the water. However for the larger boats launching would need at least half tide. The harbour is sheltered except for strong North-West and it should be safe to moor a boat if several days in the bay are planned.
The harbour itself is suitable for snorkelling or training, but for diving it is best to head West out of the harbour. There is good intermediate diving close to the headland there is deep water close in where advanced divers can easily find depths of up to 40m. It is wise to drop a shotline to assess the depth before diving as the deep water comes very close to the shore in places!
It is possible to shore dive this general area on a calm day by driving 1km West along the coast road where there access points down to the shore across the fields for the nimble footed diver.
The Carbery Island, about 2km out in the middle of the bay may look promising but in fact have nothing special to offer the diver.
5. Canty's Cove
Head West along the Coast road from Dunmanus Harbour for about 5km until the small hamlet of Dunkelly is reached. The road takes a sharp turn to the left after the 4th house on the left which has a direct lean-to. Turn down to the right 20m before the sharp bend onto a charming cove with pier and slipway. The steepness of the access road demands a vehicle that can pull the boat easily. If you did run into problems, the boat could be recovered at Dunmanus Harbour 4km away.
The bottom of the cove is coarse sand and the water is usually crystal clear with loads of life on the rocky sides of the cove. Access into the water is very easy and it is the ideal spot for trainees, snorkellers and night dives. On the left of the cove there are three fissures in the rock that lead to a open space with a hidden waterfall. One entrance is 2m wide and open to the sky, another is narrower, closed overhead but with ample air space. The third is quite a wriggle but is dry at the highest spot at low water and it makes for interesting exploration.
Canty's Cove is the most Westerly launching point for boats for those heading for the spectacular dives along the cliffs running West to 3 Castle Head 10km away. It is also possible to collect divers from piers further West for those groups with more divers than boat space. There are interesting intermediate dives from a boat close to the shore, particularly around to the left leaving the cove, where depths down to 30m can be selected.
6. Dooneen South
Head West from Dunmaus Harbour as for Canty's Cove but at the sharp bend do not take the gravel road, but take a tarred road to the right 20m further on. After 1.5km turn down right again at a group of farm houses and head for a large solitary white house by the shore about 1.5km away. A small pier and slip is reached just before the house. Parking is tight here and the track is often used by local farmers, so do be considerate. the slipway is very rough and only suitable for the smallest inflatables. Larger boats can easily be brought from Canty's Cove only 2km away. however the pier is very handy for shore diving as the little cove faces NE and is quite sheltered.
The bottom is very interesting with depths of 5-15m to the right of the pier or across towards the point opposite and is ideal for intermediate divers. For those with even the smallest of boats, there is excellent diving around the headland to the left.
7. Dooneen Wall
Just 50m off the cliff that forms the outside of the promontory that protects Dooneen Pier is a spectacular wall that plunges from 25m to 43m. For those coming by boat direct from Canty's Cove, the white house at Dooneen is clearly visible as you approach. there is an archway through the headland which can be used by boats when it is very calm, however, to find the wall ignore the archway and carry on around the headland to it's NW point.
Drop divers about 25m due North of this point to land in about 20m of water. Swimming due North will bring you rapidly to the edge of the wall after a distance of about 50m and at a depth of around 26m. The rim of the wall is quite abrupt and actually overhangs in places. Since it is 17m straight down and below 40m at the bottom, going "over the edge" is a dive for the experienced only. For those using computers it is possible to swim back up the wall and return gradually to shallow water, finishing up with an ascent from only 10m without incurring any decompression requirement, thus making for a satisfying and safe, deep dive.
Continuing around the headland a little more, close to the exit of the archway, there is very good intermediate diving close to the rocks if there is no Westerly swell.
8. The "Iberian"
The 2,000 ton cargo ship, the "Iberian", was en route from Boston to Liverpool when she sank on November 20, 1885 after getting lost in fog and striking a reef South of Bird Island. She was carrying cattle and general cargo along with 54 passengers and crew. No lives were lost in the accident and the ship slipped back into deeper water after two days, where she lies today in 30-38m. Due to the depth the wreck has not been totally flattened by a century of storms and some sections still stand several metres clear of the rocky bottom. The underwater scenery is also very good at this site, making this an ideal spot for a group of divers with varying aspirations! As this wreck is now over 100 years old a permit is required to dive it.
9. Toor Pier
This site has been described under "Mizen Head" as far as shore diving is concerned, but it is a handy place to collect divers if diving the towering cliffs that run West towards Castle Head, rather than make the long journey from Canty's Cove with an overloaded boat. Having a boat at Toor Pier also allows you to dive on the outside of the island without having to worry about a long swim back to the pier.
The coast just to the west of the island is not exceptional, but if the weather is calm a trip of 3km brings you to the very end of the bay and some spectacular diving.
10. Three Castle Head
The Southern end of Dunmanus Bay is reached at 3 Castle Head where the 50m depth contour almost touches the shore and in fact the drop off is so fast that it is hard to find water shallow enough to drop anchor! The last 100m of the bay offers the best of diving with massive cliffs above and below water.
Below the surface extensive rock faces are covered in every kind of life and large shoals of fish abound. The best of the scenery is in the 25-35m range, with rocks tumbling down a further 25m below this again. A strong tidal current flows across the point so be careful not to venture into it if the tide is running. This site is exposed and isolated and requires calm weather, experienced divers and reliable boats to be dived safely. However, the rewards well justify the extra effort.
11. South Bullig Reef
This very tricky site is actually an underwater extension of the cliffs of 3 Castle Head. A narrow reef runs south West about 1km from the headland before finally giving way to the deep waters off-shore. The last rock rises to within 6m of the surface with rock faces cascading down on three sides to 50m and beyond. As this is a very high energy site the marine life and scenery are spectacular, but can only be dived in calm seas. It is also critical to dive only at slack water, as with the steep drop-offs the consequence of drifting off the rock on the descent means an aborted dive as you will never see the bottom before you reach your depth limit!
By lining up Bird Island and the cliffs at 3 Castle Head so that they just touch, you will have the line of the reef, and for those without an echo sounder the end of the reef can be found by dragging an anchor. Do not guess and be sure to use a shotline when divers go down. the nearest access point for picking up divers is Dunlough Pier which is about 1 km South East of the headland.