SCUBA DIVING EQUIPMENTS AND ITS FUNCTIONS

Scuba diving is undoubtedly a popular ocean activity, especially for those who love to explore the hidden
beauty of the ocean. However, it requires quite a bit of preparation. Before you can attempt a safe and
enjoyable foray into the ocean’s depths, you will need to acquire the physical skill, knowledge, and
technical training necessary to complete a successful dive. But most importantly, you will need to equip
yourself with the right scuba diving equipment.

Scuba Diving Equipment Checklist:

• Diving Mask – provides an air space in front of the diver’s eyes, allowing them to see clearly
underwater. Human eyes were not designed to work well under water particularly saltwater. Therefore,
one of the most important things you will need is a diving mask. Therefore, one of the most important
things you will need is a diving mask. After all, what’s the point of going scuba diving if you can’t even see
the breathtaking surroundings?

• Drysuit or Wetsuit – provides thermal insulation to protect divers from cold water temperatures.
Wetsuits allow a thin layer of water to enter, which is warmed by the body, while drysuits keep the diver
completely dry by sealing out water. Though traveling with a drysuit or wetsuit is a bit of a pain due to its
weight, it’s absolutely essential for protecting your skin and keeping you warm. It is usually made of
neoprene rubber, which acts as padding by locking in a thin layer of water alongside the skin.

• Fins – fins are another important component of your diving gear. They give you control over your
movement and allow you to propel yourself through the water with speed and agility. There are basically
two types of scuba fins available on the market: open heel and full foot fins. Within those two categories,
you’ll find two more variants to choose from, which would be blade or split. Efficiency and comfort are vital
when looking for scuba diving fins, so make sure to do your research before picking out a pair.
• Scuba Gloves – Scuba or diving gloves are made out of strong, durable materials that help prevent
punctures or skin abrasion when exploring underwater caves and other tricky diving environments. They
work just like a wetsuit by trapping a thin layer of water between skin and material to slow the loss of heat.
Aside from protecting your fingers and palms, these gloves help keep your hands warm underwater.

• Scuba Tank – A scuba tank or diving cylinder is obviously another piece of equipment that you’re going
to need when you go diving. It is a component of your breathing apparatus and serves the purpose of
allowing you to store and transport large volumes of simple compressed air or specialized gas mixtures
such as Nitrox. Most tanks have a maximum pressure rating of around 2000 to 3500 psi. They’re
commonly either steel or aluminum.

• Regulator – The regulator makes it possible for you to breathe the air from your tank by converting the
high pressure air into ambient pressure. It has something called a first stage, which connects to the tank
or diving cylinder you wear on your back, and a second stage the part of the regulator that you put in your
mouth. It also has a backup second stage and gauges. When choosing a diving regulator, make sure to
pick one that gives you the highest level of comfort and performance for your own needs.

• Depth Gauge, Submersible Pressure Gauge, & Compass – A depth gauge records the current and
maximum depth reached during a dive. Meanwhile, a submersible pressure gauge (SPG) displays the
amount of gas remaining in your scuba tank or cylinder, which can help you in monitoring your gas supply
during your dive.

A compass is also crucial for proper dive navigation. Knowing where you are is essential during a dive,
especially when there is low visibility. It prevents you getting lost, plus it helps prevent panicking and
using more air than needed. Depending on your preference, these devices come in both analog and
digital forms. You can also choose to purchase a 3-gauge console, which combines all three in one
device.
• Dive Computer – The purpose of this gear is to measure how long you’ve been under the water, how
deep you currently are, and how long you can stay at the depth you are in. A dive computer can be used
along with the three previously mentioned items to ensure a safe and smooth dive. Renting a dive
computer can cost you more money, so it’s often better to just purchase one.

• Buoyancy Compensator – The buoyancy compensator or buoyancy control device helps keep you
from floating up to the surface or sinking to the bottom of the sea. It’s basically a vest or jacket that you
wear during your dive to help manage your buoyancy. You can add air to the BC’s internal bladder if you
want to rise, or release a certain amount of if you want to sink deeper. Aside from allowing you to control
your buoyancy, certain buoyancy compensators may also have pockets and straps that allow you to
secure all of your essential scuba diving equipment (if that’s something you’re interested in).

• Snorkel – Divers know to carry a snorkel during a dive, but for more experienced divers, it’s usually a
matter of preference. Whether or not you deem a snorkel necessary for your own dive, it can be an
important piece of safety gear for newer or less experienced divers, and can be useful during instances
when you don’t want to use up precious air from your tank.
• Underwater Camera – obviously an optional piece of equipment that isn’t necessarily essential to the
success of your dive. But if you want to capture those incredible sights and experiences, it’s definitely a
must-have. There are plenty of great underwater cameras that allow you to take clear photos and videos.
Nowadays, most divers use GoPro cameras along with waterproof housings and cases to allow them to
go even deeper.

Other Accessories

- Other things you may need for scuba diving include tank bangers, a defogger, dive knives, writing
slates, underwater lights, a dive logbook, and of course, a first aid kit.

• Tank Bangers – are hard materials on elastic bands that can be wrapped around your cylinder. They’re
used to make noise (by snapping the hard material against your tank) in order to get your dive buddy’s
attention quickly, such as when you need to warn them of an underwater creature’s presence or of some
other emergency.

• Defogger – Having a fogged-up mask can prevent you from having a fun and safe dive. It’s important to
treat it with a defogger before every dive. There are many defogging products that are specifically made
for scuba masks.

• Dive Knives – Made out of either stainless steel or titanium, dive knives have either a sharp cutting
edge or a serrated (sawing) edge, though some have both.
• Writing Slates – are pieces of white plastic with special underwater pencils attached to them. They’re
used primarily for communication or for writing down specific details about a picture you just took.

• Underwater Lights – Also known as dive lights, underwater lights are carried by divers to illuminate
dark underwater environments. Aside from being used during night dives and cave dives, they also
provide critical light when exploring cracks and crevices or for observing color during day dives.

• First Aid Kit – When you’re always indulging in adventurous activities, you learn pretty quickly that a
first aid kit is always a smart thing to have with you in case of medical emergencies. A good medical kit
should have medications for pain and allergies, wound care items, and survival items like an emergency
reflective blanket.

• Dive Logbook – Divers often use a logbook to record the details of their previous dives, either for safety
or personal purposes. It has various sections such as the header, which contains basic dive information
such as the date, time, and location; the dive log profile, which allows you to record your bottom time,
maximum depth reached, and more; and other sections that allow you to list the equipment you used, the
conditions during the dive, wildlife encounters, and other aspects of the dive.

17 SCUBA HAND SIGNALS

Clear and proper communication is absolutely crucial when diving with other people. Of course, this isn’t
as easy as you would think given the fact that you can’t really speak to one another when you’re
underwater. Due to that obstacle, it then becomes essential to figure out other ways to communicate—
such as with underwater writing devices or through scuba hand signals.

1. OK - The “OK” hand signal is usually the first one that divers learn. As a “demand-response”
signal, you use it to ask if other divers are okay, and they must also use it as a response to your
inquiry—unless there is something wrong, in which case you’ll have to use the “Not OK” sign.
2. Not OK/Problem - Divers can let others know that there’s a problem by doing the “Not OK” signal
and then pointing to the source of the problem with their index finger. It’s a common way for
divers to tell their dive buddies that they’re experiencing ear equalization problems.

3. OK and “Problem/Help” (Surface) - The bigger movements used for saying “OK” and “Help” or
“Problem” above the surface of the water are mainly for easy communication with captains and
support staff on dive boats from a distance. Remember not to make the mistake of waving your
arm to say hello to someone if you don’t need any assistance.

4. Up/End the Dive - When used underwater, this widely used hand signal actually means it’s time
to ascend and end the dive. Any diver is allowed (and even encouraged) to use the “Up” signal
whenever they feel uncomfortable about continuing the dive. This is also a demand-response
signal, which means the other diver is supposed to return the same signal to mean that the
message was understood.
5. Down/Descend - The opposite of the “Up” hand signal, the “Down/Descend” utilizes the thumbs-
down sign and allows you to let your dive buddies know that you are good to go deeper. You
should definitely remember not to confuse the “Down” signal with the “Not OK/Problem” signal,
considering they have very different meanings!

6. Come Here - This is yet another familiar hand signal that means the same underwater as it does
on land. It is used to motion others to come much closer to you, followed by other signals to tell
them to look somewhere or do something.

7. Slow Down - Divers commonly use the “Slow Down” hand signal to tell others to swim slower so
others can keep up, decompress and catch their breath, or observe the beautiful marine life
around them.
8. Stop/Hold - The first signal is commonly used by recreational divers to communicate “Stop” while
the second signal is preferred by technical divers to communicate “Hold” or “Wait.” “Hold” is also
a demand-response signal, so receiving divers are expected to respond with the same signal in
agreement with the request to hold their position until told otherwise.

9. Watch/Look - The “Look” signal is used by a lot of diving instructors when demonstrating an
underwater skill or when instructing another diver to look in a specific direction. They would point
at their eyes and then either point at themselves to say “look at me,” or they can point elsewhere
to say “look over there.”

10. Go in this Direction - This hand signal is used to suggest or indicate a dive direction.
11. Buddy Up/Stay Together - Scuba instructors usually use this hand signal to remind students to
stay close to their diving buddies. It may also be used to reassign teams in the middle of dives or
to pair up with another diver when performing specific activities like going deeper (“let’s buddy up
& go down”); moving in a certain direction (“buddy up & go in this direction”); and ascending to
end the dive (“we’ll stay together & ascend”).

12. Level Off - The “Level Off” signal is used for telling other divers to maintain or remain at a
particular depth. During this time, divers have reached either the planned maximum depth or the
designated depth for making a decompression or safety stop.

13. Safety Stop - This is used to inform the dive team that you have reached the pre-designated
safety stop depth and that everybody should level off for at least three minutes. Safety stops are
recommended during each final ascent, especially after diving deeper than 100 feet or when
approaching a no-decompression limit.

14. Decompression - Decompression stops are important, life-saving underwater techniques where
divers spend a few minutes at certain depths during the final ascent to avoid decompression
sickness. This is usually done by trained technical divers, but recreational divers are also
encouraged to learn the signal in case they accidentally exceed their no-decompression limit and
have to inform fellow divers of the need to make a “deco” stop.
15. Leak/Bubbles - The “Leak” or “Bubbles” signal should be used as soon as the diver notices small
bubbles coming out from their or another diver’s gear, as this can mean the beginning of a
serious problem. After making the signal, divers should start resurfacing at a slow and controlled
pace.

16. Low on Air - the “Low on Air” signal is an important one as it helps you inform other divers that
you have started using up your tank pressure reserve. After which, it’s time for you and your dive
buddy to end the dive and slowly start ascending.

17. Out of Air - Every diver learns this emergency scuba signal so that they know how to inform
other divers when their gas has been cut off. After doing the “Out of Air” signal, your diving buddy
should respond and immediately assist you in ascending by allowing you to take breaths from
their alternate regulator until you reach the surface.