Scuba Diving Gear Reviews and Advice For Beginners

It can be an exciting or terrifying experience - buying your first scubadiving gear. When you first walk into the Aladdin's cave just groaning with the latest dive technology, your question is likely to be "Where do I possibly start?" The answer is quite simple. Choose your dive centre very carefully - then, if you enjoyed your scubadiving course, trust them to outfit you with the best dive gear for your type of diving.

 

When you select your dive centre start by establishing the credentials of it. Generally, the more status the dive centre has, the more it has been audited for quality and customer service. If possible, choose a PADI 5 Star Career Development Centre. Failing that, try a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centre and so on down the retail status list. Other training agencies have similar ratings. Word of mouth is another very strong indicator as most people tell others about a bad experience.

After you have completed your course, unless you are totally focused and do it beforehand, you will want to buy your our scubadiving gear. There are literally thousands of different dive items on the market and each scuba retailer offers a selective few brands. Normally these equipment lines are complementary so that the dive centre should be able to satisfy novice or experienced recreational divers through to highly experienced technical divers. If you are about to buy your own scuba gear take time to read our advice.

Probably the most critical dive equipment is the regulator and buoyancy control device BCD) combination. The regulator should be selected on performance and reliability, that is ease of breathing at the depths you intend to dive to. Do a careful price

comparison if your budget is critical. Your scuba dive centre retailer will guide you here.

A BCD must be comfortable but most importantly it must be able to lift your face clear of the water at the surface. The inflator mechanism must be easy and fast to operate. Check the lift of a BCD before you start loading the integrated weight system up with lead weight. While it may lift you wearing a wetsuit, it may be overloaded once you take it off to pass it (with any integrated weight & cylinder) into the boat. Recreational BCDs are not designed for technical diving and should not be used for

that purpose.

You will need to consider your instruments as well. Whatever your financial position you will need a submersible pressure gauge (SPG) and compass. It may be cheaper to purchase a dive computer rather than a depth gauge and timer / underwater watch. Dive computers show dive and surface interval details as well as guiding your ascent speed.

Some give integrated information on nitrogen absorption and gas consumption. With a computer it is easy to retrieve dive information so you can log your dive.There are also Nitrox computers for sport divers and multiple gas computers for tech divers. Get your dive instruments in a console for easy reference.

For regulators BCDs and instruments, check the warrantee. If you intend to travel, it should be worldwide. Some offer lifetime warrantees for parts. Beware buying product over the Internet, as there may be no warrantee. In many countries, scuba dealers will not honour internet warrantees, as the product was not bought through a licenced dealer and ownership is hard to authenticate.

You will want to stay warm and may only need a shorty wetsuit in the tropics. As you move further away from the equator, you might need a full length 5mm or 7mm wetsuit or even a drysuit. Try to buy the best you can afford as you will not enjoy even the most spectacular dive if you are trying to stay warm. Night diving is fantastic - only if you are warm. Comfort and fit are critical.

When you select your dive mask try every one on display. Ssniff in hard and listen for air leaks to ensure an exact fit. Additionally, press the mask in over your nose and brow to ensure there is no contact. Some mask lenses can be changed for prescription lenses. If you wear glasses ask your scuba dealer which ones will take prescription lenses. Identify the dive masks that fit then try those few again. When you get to the

best two, choose the cheaper one. If your mask does not fit well, you will not enjoy your scuba diving. Resist the temptation to buy a cheap snorkel. You need a good one so you can breathe on the surface face down. Accept the dive centre retailer's advice.

Fins are your propellers. Get fins that fit your feet properly, without placing pressure on your toes or the bridge of your foot. Always wear your own dive booties when trying on fins. Split fin technology is state-of-the-art now and worth every cent.

Try for a soft or medium flex fin. If you want to be a technical diver, select firmer split fins. Get spring straps if your retailer has them.

You will need weight unless you are negatively buoyant at the surface. When you purchase your BCD, consider one that allows you to carry weight in the BCD weight pockets rather than around your waist. Many women do get minor bruising on the hips through wearing heavy weight belts. With a drysuit you will generally need more weight than you would with a wetsuit. Contoured weights are preferable to slab weights.

You are now set to have fantastic scubadiving adventures. Enjoy the freedom of gliding in the ocean current along coral encrusted walls, through underwater canyons, exploring

timeless shipwrecks or absorbing the stillness and tranquillity of a freshwater lake. Wherever you are, you will enjoy your scuba diving if you are confidant that you have chosen your scubadiving gear wisely.

Tony Howell is the owner/manager of New Zealand Sea Adventures, Wellington's only PADI Career Development Centre. Tony's qualifications include: PADI Course Director, PADI Specialty Instructor Trainer in over 25 specialtys, TDI Instructor Trainer (IT), First Aid & CPR IT, Coastguard Tutor/Examiner and Service Technician IT. Tony has helped hundreds of people to choose the best scuba diving gear to give them the most enjoyable and safe diving experience. http://www.scubadiving.co.nz

Scuba Diving Requires Technomarine Watches

The needs of the military paved the way for diving watches. They are used also by professional divers. Technomarine watches find uses in these scenarios. Water resistance is the key feature of these watches. Many go up to one hundred meters or more than three hundred feet. Many can survive deeper depths like nine hundred feet or more than two hundred meters. There is a standard for diving watches. They pass test standards and are named diving watches, which are different from other watches for water use. If the watch does not say diving watch, it is not safe for diving.

People who dive for a living need a stronger watch that won't break under water pressure. The ultra water resistant watch was invented in the sixties. Modern era watches are used as back up for electronic dive equipment. There is great pressure deep in the sea and special precaution should be taken.

The International Organization for Standardization creates tests for dive watches. Diving watches are rated in this manner. If they don't have the rating, they may break under water pressure. The diving watch case must be strong. They are made of hard metal like stainless steel and titanium and plastic. The watch has to be resistant against magnets and hard bumps. Ceramic is also used as a diving watch case.

Dress watches are not good for this purpose because dress watches cannot stand up to salty sea water. The pressure of deep sea diving is hard work and the watch has to be made to withstand it. Plastic, resins and ceramics are also used for watch casings.

Divers use their watches to know how long to stay underwater. It is for this reason the bezel rotates on diving watches. The watches also have thicker crystals and are sometimes domed. Acrylic and hardened glass and synthetic gemstone are used for the crystals on diving watches.

Some dive watches have oil inside them so that they do not break. Some watches are filled with gasses instead. The ones filled with gasses are bigger so that they won't break under water pressure. If a watch were to break under the intense water pressure of the sea, it could cause problems for the diver. A person's life may depend on the diver's equipment working well.

Diving watches have to be checked professionally. A professional has to look at it. The seals may have to be replaced. Put it in fresh water after a dive in salty water to help it keep working. Salt water is corrosive and may interfere with the crown and other sensitive parts of the watch.

The man's watch has to pass inspection to be used or it may break underwater. Keep the under water scuba diving watch away from harsh chemicals and do not bang it around. Technomarine watches are a part of a diver's equipment and should be treated as such. All equipment should be inspected before and after use. Equipment used professionally should especially be checked for damage by a professional.

The Power Of Scuba Diving Influence

Scuba diving is not only a very challenging sport, it is also very dangerous and in that aspect the power of the scuba diving influence is seen in the classrooms as well as in vacation hot spots. In fact, there are many vacation getaways that are specifically designed and maintained by the scuba diving influence and aim mainly at the scuba diving crowd. These areas offer diving lessons from beginner to deep sea scuba diving and have been largely influenced by the popularity and demand for scuba diving hot spots as well as scuba diving training. Let's effectively take a look at some locations that have been geared and reared by the scuba diving influence.

Scuba Diving Influence in Florida

Florida is one of the destinations in North America that is quite well known for the scuba diving influence that has been reverberated throughout the bays of Florida. They offer many different reefs to scuba dive as well as many ship wrecks and in fact, is one of the leading destinations in the world known for the scuba diving influence that this particular state offers to scuba divers from around the world. Many people flock to Florida each year specifically to scuba dive around the shores of this marvelous water wonderland that lies just beyond the beautiful beaches.

With that said however, the scuba diving influence is not only obvious in North America, there are many areas of the world that are completely dedicated to offering the most amazing scuba diving adventure that is possible for man. Florida is but one minuscule location that has felt the scuba diving influence more intense than a lot of other places due to the location and the fact that it is in a sub tropical climate and scuba diving can be achieved and offered all year around and isn't season dependent like many other locations.

In fact, if you are a scuba diver, you have also been part of the scuba diving influence that is seen in tropical vacation hot spots such as Bermuda and Australia. These two countries also offer the most astonishing scuba diving experience in the scuba diving community today. Feel the scuba diving waves and start today and be part of the scuba diving influence and experience today that drives the demand and popularity of scuba diving. The power of the scuba diving influence can be felt all around the world in all of the oceans so if you are interested in becoming part of this fabulous sport, it is encouraged that you research the different areas and understanding of scuba diving before deciding on your specific course of action.

To get more in depth information about Scuba Diving please visit www.scubadivingmadeeasy.com/

The Prosperous Perils Of A Deep Sea Diver

Deep sea diving can be one of the best paid jobs in the world if you can get it, it is also said to be one of the most dangerous jobs. It's a little known fact that suicide rates are among the highest throughout the world in deep sea divers.

So why do they do it? The excitement? The adventure? Some spend 4 weeks in a tiny pressure chamber just waiting to get out. Every baby diver dreams of this work though, mainly due to the pay involved at first. Rates in excess of $1500 per day are not uncommon in the North Sea and Gulf of Mexico.

This kind of diving is for those who would never go back to the 9-5 desk job. After spending years in front of a computer screen the idea of bursting ones ear drums during an uncontrolled descent or inducing decompression sickness due to uncontrolled ascent doesn't even seem that bad. The truth is that compared to most other jobs, there are a great deal of things that can go wrong - often things that are out of anyone's control.

On the other hand, you will never find a more conscientious worker than a diver left the responsibility of tending to his co-worker as they leave the underwater diving bell and feed out their lifeline. Diver's don't put themselves in these situations for money. Maybe it's for bravado, maybe it's for bragging rights - who knows, but the dangerous jobs are still important jobs and they all need to be done.

So spare a thought for that poor commercial diver down in the cold, deep, darkness. It may look like he's having fun but somebody's got to do it!

Have you a diving story to tell? Have you experienced the depths?

Ben Dixon is an HSE registered Commercial Diver and the owner and operator of Commercial Diving Magazine - an online community for scuba diving and commercial diving enthusiasts. If you want to talk about anything from scuba diving classes to commercial diving interests come along and join CDiving.com. Users are invited to contribute their own diving articles and stories to feature in Commercial Diving Magazine.

Top Kenyan Indian Ocean Sea Trips and Activities

Kenya's coastal waters are gentle and warm fanned with mild monsoon winds, conditions that attract many varieties of fish, including Big Game Fish. The seas around Mombasa, Kenya's major port, are considered one of the prime fishing grounds in the world, where fishermen of all classes, beginners to lifelong experts, can catch marlin, sailfish and shark, as well as Wahoo, dorado, barracuda, kingfish and other game fish. The proximity to the open sea means they are closer to the fishing grounds, so mid season (August to December) they fish near the reef for a minimum of five hours.

When the northeast monsoon wind is blowing from December to April, the boats go further out and fish longer hours to pursue the great billfish. August to November provides really good sport for the big Yellow fin Tuna and the many smaller game fish. In among the Yellow fin Tuna are often found big Blue Marlin and a number of Striped and Black Marlin as well as Sailfish. The Yellow fin Tuna is one of the strongest fish that swim. During this season multiple hook ups are normal when the ocean can come alive with huge schools of Tuna in pursuit of smaller fish. During the bill fish season, which is from November to March, Striped Marlin are the most prolific, sometimes showing in packs of up to ten. Large Blue and Black Marlin are also quite common during this period.

Deep sea diving

Kenya boasts three beautiful marine parks with crystal waters, ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving. Most African Kenya coastal hotels have equipment for hire and offer reef trips in glass bottomed boats. Visibility is best in dry seasons - January to March and June to October and most the diving is drift diving. You need to be trained in order to dive, and you may be required to take a test. Take along your certificate. There are several companies offering recognized coursing and diving equipment for hire.

Top Kenyan water safari include -

African Swahili dhow trips

Kenya deep sea boat trips

Marine park trips

Coral gardens tours

African Kenya wreck dive

Island vacation trips

Wind surfing beach safaris

Big game fishing trips

Kayaking in the ocean

African sea Kite surfing

Banana boat tours

Beach parachuting

Night African fishing trips

Joe Maina is a Tour consultant based in Nairobi Kenya with http://landmarksafaris.com We are able to organise every aspect of planning your Kenya safari, Kenya business travel, complete with hotel bookings, car rentals, air/rail bookings, activities transfers plus provide you with an itinerary that suits your personal requirements. landmarksafaris.com takes the hassles out of planning and booking your Kenya vacation. For More info Contact landmark safaris http://landmarksafaris.com or email info@landmarksafaris.com

Wreck Scuba Diving Training

Scuba diving is an underwater sport that has its own thrills and adventure. However, it is not advisable to undertake a diving expedition alone and unsupervised, least of all without the appropriate training. There are many locations in the world where experienced and professional guides conduct deep-sea diving tours.

These guides are well acquainted with the underwater terrain and know all the dangers, such as predator fish and underwater currents, that might be lurking in the diving area and how to combat them. Most of all, these supervisors are highly trained in life-saving exercises and mainly shark attacks. Some locations are famous for wreck scuba diving training as well and attract scuba divers from far and wide.

Importance of Wreck Scuba Diving Training

Wreck scuba diving is a dangerous activity, and ample training must be imparted to the scuba divers before allowing them to undertake an exploration of an underwater wreck. A wreck is a ship that may have sunk off the coast or out at sea. The older the wreck grows, the more dangerous it is to swim among the sunken vessel. The parts deteriorate and may collapse at any time and trap the diver.

There may be weeds growing in the passageways of the wreck, which can trap a swimmer, and no one will be able to locate him or her in time. Wreck scuba diving training imparts all the knowledge one must have to survive in troubled times underwater. This includes the SOS signals one must use in order to attract attention and how to use the safety equipment, such as underwater flares and safety equipment.

Know Your Depth

Many wrecks are mapped. This means that the divers are taught where to swim and dive and where to not venture. Some wrecks have safety signs and identifiers. If a diver gets stuck or trapped, he can signal his location to another diver and have rescuers on the way before long. Many wrecks are located at vast depths of the sea and oceans.

Divers must have the relevant knowledge of how deep they are allowed to dive and how long they can stay there. Deep sea diving has its hazards. Prolonged diving can produce symptoms of the "bends," a very painful situation where the diver suffers from excessive nitrogen dissolving in the blood because of the pressure of the sea. It is a life-threatening situation, and divers must know the early symptoms of the bends and return to the surface well in time.

The sights of wrecks and the experience of wreck diving can captivate a diver who may lose track of the time spent underwater. Wreck scuba diving training makes divers aware of the dangers of the deep and imparts the necessary training they need to counter the dangers as well.

Click here to check out places for scuba diving trips. It works out cheaper when you take a scuba diving package. Also find places that offer scuba diving lessons here.