Diving equipment

The fundamental item of diving equipment used by divers is the SCUBA equipment, such as the Aqualung or Rebreather. There are other important pieces of equipment that make diving safer, more convenient or more efficient.

Personal Diving Equipment

Scuba life support

Open-circuit Scuba consisting of diving cylinder(s) and diving regulator(s)
Rebreather, closed-circuit Scuba

Alternative life support

Liquid breathing system - In the real world this is at the early experiment stage. It may allow very deep diving when it is developed.
Snorkel allows breathing at the surface with the face submerged.
Standard diving dress - mostly used in professional diving. Merely of historical interest now.
Surface supplied diving - mostly used in professional diving.

Thermal, sting and abrasion protection

In cold water, a diving suit such as a dry suit or a wet suit
In very warm water, many types of tough, long, everyday clothing provide protection
Diving gloves, neoprene is often used for thermal insulation
Diving boots, often made of neoprene and rubber

In-water stabilisation and movement

Backplate - a structural device linking the buoyancy of the wing with the weight of the diving cylinders and harnessed around the diver's body
Buoyancy compensator, Buoyancy Control Device, BCD or BC - a buoyancy adjusting and life-saving buoyancy device
Diver Propulsion Vehicle - to increase the range of the diver undwerwater
Diving weighting system - to counteracts the buoyancy of the diving suit
Fins

Measurement and navigation

Compass for underwater navigation
Decompression tables to avoid decompression sickness
Depth gauge is used with watch for decompression monitoring on decompression tables
Distance line is used to navigate back to the start point in poor vizibility
Dive Computer to avoid decompression sickness
Watch is used with depth gauge for decompression monitoring on decompression tables

Vision and communication

Mask allows the diver to see clearly underwater and protects the eyes.
Full face mask allows talking if no mouthpiece inside. Difficult or impossible to use a snorkel if your air has ran out.
Diving helmet used with surface supplied diving, it protects the head well.
Surface Marker Buoy or Decompression buoy (Delayed SMBs)
Underwater writing slate and pencil to transport pre-dive plans underwater, to record facts whilst underwater and to aid communication with other divers
Torch/flashlight is essential in low visibility, during night diving or for communication

Tools

Airlift - a gas "powered" tube that is used in nautical archaeology, which sucks small objects, sand and mud from the sea bed to move them elsewhere
Camera and housing - for underwater photography or video shooting
Decompression trapeze consists of one or more horizontal bars, suspended at the depth of intended decompression stops by buoys
Diving reel is used to transport a distance line or line for a surface marker buoy
Diving shot consisting of a weight, line and buoy used to mark the location of a dive site, allowing divers to navigate to and from the surface and to do decompression stops at a safe location. Typically the weight is 20 kg.
Dry box to keep objects in that the diver needs to keep dry at depth
Knife to cut ropes and nets
Lifting bag - a robust airtight bag used to lift heavy object underwater

Surface detection aids

The purposes of this class of equipment are to:

allow the boat cover to monitor and find divers on the surface during or after a dive
prevent the diver being run over by boat traffic on the ascent
mark the diver's position when drift diving or while at the decompression stop
help the rescue services in lifeboats and helicopters to locate the diver

Surface detection aids (with cheapest and most effective towards the top) include:

Red or yellow collapsible flag - high visibility, robust, bungeed to cylinder
Whistle - cheap, will only be heard by people far from engine noise
Torch/flashlight - if at sea after night fall
Strobe light - needs long-lasting batteries
High pressure whistle - expensive but effective
Orange water dye - increases diver's visibility from search helicopters
Mirror such as a used Compact Disc - to reflect sunlight or searchlights
Red pyrotechnic flares - for helicopters and lifeboats
Emergency position-indicating rescue beacon

Surface equipment

A diving flag is flown warning others that divers are underwater
Diving air compressor - a gas compressor, which can fill diving cylinders with high pressure air.
Boats such as the rigid-hulled inflatable boat
Echo sounder - a SONAR depth measuring and profiling device used for dive site location
GPS receiver - for locating dive sites
Proton magnetometer - for locating ferrous wrecks
Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle - for locating dive sites
Marine VHF radio - for communicating with rescue services and other boats

Illustration

This picture shows some of the basic diving equipment and controls:

1) the diving mask
2) the demand valve of the diving regulator
3) the buoyancy compensator inflation and vent valves
4) an alternate buoyancy compensator vent valve
5) shoulder straps of the BCD, which can released by another diver in case of emergency
6) a depth gauge - showing 23 metres
7) the contents gauge displaying remaining pressure in the diving cylinder - showing 150 bar

External links

The Equipment of Diving Forum on the Scuba Board THE place by divers and for divers to share your experiences with Scuba Gear. Part of the World's largest, Media, Web Site, Portal and Forum dedicated to Scuba Diving.
Scuba Gear Reviews at the Scuba Guide. An independent resource for the cautious consumer. Read and submit reviews of scuba gear.
Scuba Portal - Scuba Diving Equipment Portal.