Dive equipment guide

Enshadi

All the equipment involved in diving can seem a little intimidating to a newcomer. You are likely to be wondering what on earth a Regulator is, what BCD stands for, what a split fin might be & how many millimetres your wetsuit needs to be.

There's no need to feel intimidated though. Our beginner's guide to dive equipment will take you through the basics and help you feel a little more at home with some of the terminology.

scuba dive equipment from fins to wetsuits

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BCD's, tanks & regulators

BCD
BCD stands for Buoyancy Control Device. It is essentially an inflatable jacket. Add air to your BCD and you will be more buoyant in the water. take air out and you will be less buoyant. You will hear some BCD's referred to as integrated BCDs. This simply means that they have pockets where you can put your dive weights, instead of attaching them around your waist like a belt.

Regulator
A regulator is the most technical piece of your dive equipment. It attaches to your scuba tank, releasing air from the tank when you breath in and converting it to a pressure that is suitable for you to breath. The central part of a regulator is known as the first stage and attaches to your scuba tank. There are also four hoses: one that provides air for you, known as your second stage; a spare second stage for emergencies, often known as an Octopus; a hose that attaches to your BCD allowing you to add air to the jacket and a guage that tells you how much air is left in your scuba tank.

Scuba Tank
A scuba tank holds pressurised air that you will use during your dive. Normally, this air is pressurised to 200 bar (the air we breath at sea-level is 1 bar). Some places will measure the air pressure in PSI (pounds per square inch) rather than bar. This pressurised air is converted into air we can breath by the regulator. Scuba tanks are normally made of either steel or aluminium. They come in various sizes, but the most commonly used tank is 12 litres.

Other dive equipment

Mikaku

Wetsuit
The temperature of the sea can vary greatly, but no matter how warm it is, you will still get cold without a wetsuit as the body loses heat more quickly in water. Wetsuits are made of neoprene & work by trapping a layer of water next to your skin, which warms and acts as insultation.

There are various thicknesses of wetsuit, depending on how cold the water is where you are diving. 3mm wetsuits are often sufficient for tropical diving. There are also 5mm & 7mm wetsuits available for slightly colder water. If the water is really cold a drysuit is necessary, which does not allow any water to touch your skin. In addition to the thickness of the suit, there are also long suits & shorties. Long suits cover the entire body, with the exception of the head, while shorties have short arms & legs and are only suited to warmer water.

Mask
A mask may look a little silly, but without one it would be impossible to see underwater. Our eyes need air in order to focus and a mask creates the airpocket required in order to see underwater. There are many styles & shapes of mask available today to fit all kinds of different face shapes. It is important to choose one that fits you and will not let in water. To test a mask, hold it against your face without using the strap and breath in. If it stays on your face while you are breathing in, then it is a good fit. If it falls off, choose another one. Masks are often sold with snorkels, which allow you to breath on the surface of the water without having to use your regulator.

Fins
Your fins provide the propulsion you need to swim underwater. Without fins, it is almost impossible to move due to the weight of the scuba equipment. Fins have two types of fitting for your foot - closed heel and open heel. Closed heel fins can be worn without diving boots and are generally cheaper. Open heeled fins have a clip at the back and require the use of dive boots. Most regular divers prefer open heeled fins for their comfort and strength. Some fins are also 'split'. This means that there is a split down the middle of the fin, which helps to provide bettter flexibility and control. On the downside, split fins do not give you the same amount of power as standard fins.

Safety Sausage
A safety sausage (also known as a surface marker), is a brightly coloured inflatable tube that alerts boats, jet-skiers and anybody else in the water to your presence. They are normally inflated at the end of a dive before surfacing, but in some situations they are used through-out the dive. They should be taken on every dive as a safety precaution.

Lombok & Gili Islands

In north-west Lombok, the Indonesian island to the east of Bali, are three idyllic islands known collectively as the Gili Islands.

These small islands, as well as being beautiful above water, also offer a visual feast below the waves, with plenty of turtles & other great marine animals.

The islands, which have no cars and a very relaxed way of life, have become the most popular spot in Indonesia to learn to dive.

Read more about Lombok & Gili Islands

Tunku Abdul Rahman

Colourful scuba diving close to Kota Kinabalu

Just off the coast from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah's regional capital - the five islands that make up Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park are often overlooked by divers heading straight to Sipadan in the south.

The national park, which is named after a former Malaysian president, has some very good diving though, with pretty fringing reefs sloping gently down from white-sand beaches, plus some rare & unusual species.

Read more about Tunku Abdul Rahman

Koh Tao

Koh Tao (sometimes spelt Ko Tao) is Thailand's original island diving destination and now the most popular place in the country to learn to dive.

The diving on Koh Tao is known for its colourful reefs that are ideal for beginners, plus some deeper pinnacles with the chance of big fish encounters for more advanced divers.

There is a wide choice of dive centres to enjoy and plenty of accommodation options to choose from.

Read more about Koh Tao

Southern Andaman

Thailand's southern Andaman sea boasts numerous beautiful islands & beaches, plus some great diving opportunities.

The southern Andaman region of Thailand is less developed than further north, offering a refreshingly relaxing alternative to the hustle & bustle of Phuket & even Ko Phi Phi.

Read more about Southern Andaman

Scuba Diving Terms - A Dummies Guide

Scuba means Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus

Frans Daniels

Scuba-diving, like many activities seems to have a language all of its own, with confusing concepts, technical terminology and an ocean of jargon to decipher.

To help newcomers break through this barrier we've developed a dummies guide to scuba diving, so that you can get to grips with what divers are talking about. Find out what SCUBA stands for, what PADI is, what it is to be narked, and so much more.

Read more about Scuba Diving Terms - A Dummies Guide

Boracay

Just off the northern tip of Panay Island, south of Mindoro is the small island of Boracay.

Famed for its white, powder sand beaches - reputed to be some of the world’s best - Boracay is one of the Philippines’ most famous tourist spots and is now open to visitors once again.

The island is also one of the most popular places to learn to dive in the Philippines, with a wide range of dive sites to suit all levels.

Read more about Boracay