| Mask | | | | is exposed. These are suitable for very cold waters, |
| A mask is worn by a diver to give clear visibility | | | | especially with the addition of undergarments for |
| underwater. The human eye does not function | | | | extra warmth. |
| correctly when water is touching it, it needs to be in | | | | There is also the semi-dry, which is a half way house. |
| air to see clearly. But goggles are not an acceptable | | | | The seams are almost as good as a dry suit, but |
| piece of diving equipment as the diver needs to be | | | | water can get in, allowing only a little movement of |
| able to exhale through the nose into the mask, either | | | | water. |
| to equalise the pressure or to clear water from the | | | | Air Cylinder |
| mask. | | | | Air and special mixtures of air, but not oxygen! Well |
| Snorkel | | | | almost, some decompressions are done oxygen at |
| It might seem strange wearing a snorkel when you | | | | shallow depths, but for most divers it is just straight |
| are 30m deep, but it is a useful piece of gear when | | | | air, that has been dried, cleaned and compressed. |
| you are on the surface. In choppy water you can | | | | These steel or aluminium cylinders can be quite |
| use this to save the air on your back! | | | | weighty, but are our way of carrying our own air |
| Fins (not Flippers, please!) | | | | supply. |
| Another simple, but useful device. In short by | | | | Regulator & Gauges |
| increasing the surface area of your feet they allow | | | | Attached to the cylinder, the regulator takes the air |
| you to push yourself through the water more | | | | from the cylinder and provides it to the diver's |
| efficiently. But be aware that buying fins that are too | | | | mouth. At the same time it also reduces the pressure |
| big can cause leg cramps. | | | | from the high pressure inside the cylinder to the |
| Wet Suit / Dry Suit | | | | same pressure as the surrounding water, to make it |
| A lot of diving takes place in water that is | | | | comfortable to breath. |
| uncomfortable to swim in for too long, so we divers | | | | The gauges that are attached show the diver how |
| wear exposure suits to keep us warm. By staying | | | | much air is left and also the current depth of the |
| warmer, our divers are more comfortable and they | | | | dive. |
| last longer. Wearing exposure suits also protects us | | | | Weights |
| from abrasions if you brush against coral, wreck | | | | It might seem strange to add weights to yourself |
| surfaces and so on. | | | | before jumping into the water, but these reduce |
| There are 2 main kinds of exposure suit. The wet | | | | your buoyancy to enable you to adjust it throughout |
| suit is used in warmer waters and allows water into | | | | the dive. You want to be slightly negatively buoyant |
| the suit, but slows down the movement of water | | | | in the water when your buoyancy aid is empty. |
| around the body - it is only getting in and out through | | | | Buoyancy Aid |
| the edges. This gives the water chance to warm up | | | | This is not a life jacket, but an aid to allow divers to |
| and keep near to your body, rather than rushing off | | | | remain neutrally buoyant throughout the dive. By |
| into the sea. | | | | adding air as you descend, you maintain neutral |
| In a dry suit all of the suit is sealed so that | | | | buoyancy. This means that you hover in the water, |
| (hopefully) no water enters the suit - only your face | | | | rather than trying to fight to swim up or down. |