If you’re a scuba diver, you’ll already know the huge amount of benefits that comes with being involved with this sport; not only is it great for fitness and stress levels, it can also help to lower blood pressure, increase your strength and flexibility and give you a great social life. It does come with a lot of specialized equipment, though, and if you’re just starting out it can be tricky to decide what you need to buy. If you’re trying to navigate the world of diving essentials, then read on – we’ve got tips for three of the most important pieces of gear you’ll need to buy.
A Good Diving Mask
The first thing you’ll need to get hold of is a good quality diving mask; humans need these simply because our eyes don’t adjust to being underwater very well, so a good mask will mean you get to take in all the underwater marine life properly. Start by deciding whether you want a single, twin or multiple lens mask – a single lens option might seem better for vision, but you can’t buy lens replacements for these as you can with a twin lens. A multiple lens has open sides, which makes the experience much brighter – it’s worth noting though, that these tend to be pricier and don’t actually allow you to see anything extra. Before you commit to your purchase, try the mask on and make sure it fits comfortably over the bridge of your nose – you should also make sure the skirt is made of the highest quality silicone, as this will prevent any leakages.
A Specialized Diving Watch
A watch is an essential piece of equipment, because it’s vital that when diving you monitor how long you’ve been underwater for, as your oxygen levels will become depleted – you also need to ensure you ascend with regular stopping intervals to allow dangerous gases to dissolve . Rolex dive watches are the perfect example; not only are they self winding, so you never need to worry about losing time, some models are also waterproof up to a depth of 610m, which makes for a great dive. When choosing your watch, you should also make sure that the minute markings are clearly visible at great depths, and it has a decent level of shock resistance – just in case!
A High Quality Wetsuit
While a wetsuit isn’t essential if you’re scuba diving, it’s a pretty important piece of kit if you’re going to greater depths. It’s absolutely vital that the suit should fit like a second skin; any loose areas can create drag, making it almost impossible to swim in open water – the wrists should fit tightly to prevent water pushing up the arms, and similarly the neck should be as tight as you can stand without it feeling uncomfortable. Make sure the legs are tapered, so you can get into and out of the suit as easily as possible – this will also help to propel you through the water when you kick. Lastly, look at the material it’s made of – the best wetsuits have the highest rubber content, and are much lighter and tend to absorb much less water.