Everything you should know about diving equipment

A good diving equipment is essential to dive safely. It helps to breathe under water, protects the skin, regulates buoyancy and makes swimming as easy as possible.

You can dive almost anywhere where there is water. The equipment that you use will vary a little depending on your environment diving, as well as your preferences.

Take a look at this article so you do not miss anything on your next diving trip and so that you can freely admire the splendors of the aquatic landscape.

• Wet suit: Choose the right size so you can move comfortably. Its thickness must be adapted to the temperature of the waters in which you’ll dive. The colder the water, the thicker should be your wet suit. The same happens with the hood, gloves and boots.
• Diving goggles: Make sure your goggles or diving mask adjust perfectly to your face, so you don’t have to be adjusting them constantly due to water or that they do not fit properly.
• Diving fins: They vary depending the use and your physical form. When you start diving, you should start using the regular ones. They are comfortable and easy to wear. You can also try the soft shovel, they allow you to kick almost effortless. In terms of size, there is a trick to choose the right ones: the flap should not exceed the measurement between your ankle and your knee. As for the material, the lighter ones are those with the foot pocket part made from neoprene and the rest made with plastic.
• Buoyancy compensator: it is one of the most important parts of the equipment in order to have a safe dive. It allows the diver to achieve neutral buoyancy underwater, and provides assistance in the ascents and descents.
• Lead or diving belt: it helps to reduce buoyancy to the diving equipment, so you have to choose them according to the buoyancy of the team and your own. Some buoyancy compensators have integrated weight systems. Before diving, make sure weights are secure and that diving belt releases do not get stuck.
• Diving bottles: Choosing the diving tank or bottles will be determined by the type of immersion that you are going to perform. For short, not-too-deep dives, and in warm and calm waters, it is advisable a single tank with 80 cubic feet of air and aluminium, lighter than steel. More advanced dives may require two tanks.
• Valve: It allows air to escape from the tank in a controlled way. Where the regulator fails, the air output will increase. You can breathe, but try to safely ascend to the surface as soon and possible.
• Diving Watch: either analog or digital, they allow to monitor the time during the dive, essential to prevent sudden pressure changes when we change depth to ascend or descend. The analog clocks have a bezel that you can rotate to align with the timer and thus to the time spent directly on the bezel. The digital watch has a stopwatch function.
• Dive computer: due to increased pressure, it is important to maintain the nitrogen dissolved in the body within acceptable limits to avoid the syndrome of decompression. To achieve this, the dive computer displays time and depth that you need to stay within those limits of nitrogen.
• Diving flashlight: they are useful to illuminate during night dives or for better visibility in underwater Caverns or obstacles such as wrecks, vegetation or rocks.
• Diving knife: remember to get it sharp and properly adjusted. It will help you free yourself or your partner in case you get stuck into a network, algae or plants.

If you want to buy something you might need on your next dive, go to our store where you will find the equipment you need to guarantee a safe diving experience with Squalo Divers.