Learning how to dive

Scuba Diving Guide

for Beginners

Sa m ra
Husrem1 ović
Introduction.......................................................................3
Chapter 1 ..........................................................................4
Diving Equipment
Chapter 2......................................................................... 52
Diving Physics and Chemistry
Chapter 3..........................................................................75
Diving Medicine
Diving Associations..........................................................1 05
Chapter 4.........................................................................1 07
Basic Diving Skills and Exercises
My diving certification and diploma..................................1 35
Chapter 5.........................................................................1 36
My Mljet Diving Adventure
References.......................................................................1 54

2
 HI! My name is Nemo
and I will give you
useful tips through
this guide!

In t r o d u c t io n
Scuba diving is an amazing sport because it enables you to explore the fascinating and
mysterious underwater world. SCUBA refers to self­contained underwater breathing apparatus.
The development of modern scuba diving began in the 1943. It was incited by Jacques Cousteau
and Emile Gagnan. In its beginnings scuba diving was used in the navy and commercial
operations like pearl diving. As a recreational sport it developed over the last 20­30 years. Even
though it is a recreational sport, scuba diving is not all fun and games. It is a serious and high­risk
sport because our body is exposed to unnatural environment. However, you should not be
discouraged by that fact. If you are familiar with, and follow all the procedures, you should not
have any problems during your dives. In order to understand and apply basic scuba diving
principles you must learn about basic physics, chemistry and medicine concerned with diving,
diving equipment and some simple diving exercises. When you learn this and pass the theoretical
and practical test by some diving association you become a licensed diver. Divers are divided
into categories according to their level of knowledge and experience. I learned scuba diving
basics, took the test by CMAS (World Underwater Federation) and got the CMAS certificate, level
P1. Divers with this level are allowed to go up to 20 meters deep with a giving group. Diving on
Mljet, a beautiful island in Croatia, was my dream for many years, so as soon as I became a
licensed diver I went to Mljet on scuba diving with my scuba diving club "Bosna". In this guide I
will share the knowledge I have acquired through the process of learning, and the final reaching of
my goal­ diving on Mljet.

Now you are porobably thinking:

Why would I read about physics
and medicine? Boring! Believe it or
not, it is quite interesting! Believe
me :)

3
 Chapter 1

Diving Equipment

4
 S cu b a m a s k

A scuba mask is a part of diving

equipment which makes your dives
comfortable by creating an air space
in front of the eyes. Without a
scuba diving mask our diopter in the
water is +32. However, because of
the reflection of light through the
mask glass, objects are still
unrealistic and seem 33% bigger
and 25% closer.

S cu b a M a sk Typ e s

Snorkeling Mask

This is a mask mostly used in

recreational diving

Purge Mask

It mostly used by underwater

photographers and commercial divers
because the water is eliminated by
simply blowing air out of the nose. This
means your hands are free and you
can hold a camera or some tools

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Full Face Mask

This type of a diving mask protects the entire

diver's face from the water and contains a
mouthpiece and a demand valve which enable
the diver to breath. It is the best type of masks
for protection from infections. It is usually not
used in recreational diving.

Mask with prescription lenses

If you are farsighted or nearsighted, then you

need a mask with prescription lenses in order to
see properly underwater

Wh a t ca n I d o to d e fog m y m a sk?
It is a very common problem that a mask fogs from the inside causing sight
problems during a dive. You can solve that problem in several ways:

Com m e rci a l l y P re p a re d S ol u ti on .
You can buy a commercial mask defogger solution at a very low price. It is
long lasting and effective.
S a l i va
Sounds disgusting, but it really does work! Spit in the mask, rub on the glass
and rinse.
Tooth p a ste
Clean your mask with a toothpaste (non-gel). Works like a charm! However,
do not forget to spit into your mask before every dive!
S e a we e d
Rub the greasiest and the most disgusting seaweed you can find in the sea
and rinse the mask out. This should keep it from fogging!
6
 Con stru cti on of a D i vi n g (S n orke l i n g ) M a sk

S ki rt is made of silicon and can be in a variety of colors. It has to fit the

diver's face and have a nose pocket to enable the equalizing of pressure in
the ears and sinuses (see page 88)
Th e g l as s has to be tempered so in case of breaking it falls apart into small,
regular pieces. The glass can be made from one or two parts. The shape of
the frame must secure a wide sight field
Th e s trap is usually made of the same material as the skirt and is placed
above the ear line on the top of the head. It is attached to the frame of the
mask by adjustment buckles.
B u ckl es are a part of the frame and are constructed so that adjusting the
strap size is easily done even underwater

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 P u tti n g o n a d i v i n g m a s k

Place the mask on your face. Pull the strap on the occiput
There should be no hair
between the mask skirt and
your face
H ow wi l l I kn ow th at a d i vi n g m as k fi ts m y face?

Place the mask on your face without

using a head strap. There should be no
hair between the mask skirt and your
face. Inhale with your nose and hold.
The mask should pull back towards your
face. If the mask fits you, there will
be no air leakage and the mask will
stay in the same position as long as you
suck in with your nose.

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 S cu b a S n orke l s

A scuba snorkel is used for breathing on the

surface without lifting your head. This allows you
to observe the marine life beneath you. It is
desirable to always have a snorkel or a regulator in
your mouth on the surface because an unexpected
waive can hit you. You don't want to spend air on
the surface, but have as much as possible
available when you go on a dive. This is why
snorkels are used in scuba diving.

- A snorkel is basically a curved tube with a

mouthpiece.
- It is usually made form plastic or rubber
which follows the anatomic shape of the
head.
- The mouthpiece is usually made from
silicon rubber because it is comfortable for
holding in the mouth. Many kinds of
mouthpieces are made in combination with
valves for easier exhaling. If the snorkel gets
filled with water blowing will clear it up.

9
 Fi n s
Diving fins enable propulsion through the water.

B a si c styl e s of scu b a fi n s a re :
- Full foot fins
- Open heel adjustable fins
- Long Blade fins
- Force fins and
- Monofins

All of them have pretty much the same construction: flexible blade for
propulsion and a foot pocket. The blade is made of rubber, plastic, carbon
materials or the combination of all of these.

Foot
pocket

Felxible blade

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 Fu l l Foot Fi n s

Full foot fins are light and compact. Their use is

wide spread among divers. They are worn on
bare feet, but if you want to wear neoprene
socks (see page 27) you need bigger sized fins
than on bare feet. How much bigger depends on
the thickness of your neoprene socks. These fins
are usually used in warmer waters.

H ow to p u t on fu l l foot fi n s?

1 ) Place your foot in the foot pocket and roll the heel, so it's inside out

2) Flipp the heel up and that

is basically it!
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 Full foot fins need to be
comfortable so you should
not pick the cheapest ones
because they have foot
pockets made of hard
materials and easily cause
blisters.

O p e n H e e l Ad j u sta b l e F i n s

These fins are the most used for scuba diving. They have enough power to
propel you and your gear. You need to wear boots ( see page 27) when
wearing these fins. They have adjustable straps and buckles which are
attached to the fin in a similar way like in a diving mask.

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 P u tti n g o n O p e n H e e l F i n s

Place the strap under the foot pocket

Put the bootie in the foot pocket

Pull the strap over the bootie in the lower part of Achilles
tendon and tighten the strap
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 Lon g B l a d e F re e D i vi n g F i n s

Long blade free diving fins are much longer than standard open heel fins.
The long blade provides bigger propulsion, speed and power. Free divers
prefer these fins on water hunts and competitions.

F orce fi n s

Force fins have an innovative design.

They differentiate from other fins by their
propulsion principles. Force fins are
similar to a fishes' tail. They are very
efficient and give the diver great speed.

14
 M on ofi n s
This kind of fins are mostly used on competitions. Their shape resembles
the fins of marine mammals like dolphins and whales. The blade is wide
and in one piece. The foot pocket is made from rubber or silicon for both
feet of the swimmer. The blade is made of layers of fiberglass or carbon
which gives it firmness.

Putting on mono fins

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 We t su i ts
A wet suit is an essential
piece of equipment. It's used
for keeping a diver warm.
When entering water a diver's
body temperature gradually
starts to drop because water
conducts heat 25 times faster
than the air. Wet suits also
protect divers from cuts,
abrasions, and stings which
occasionally happen during
dives.

Wetsuits are made from foam neoprene, a synthetic rubber that contains
small bubbles of nitrogen gas. Nitrogen gas has a very low thermal
conductivity and prevents losing body heat. Because of the bubbles it
contains, a wet suit is buoyant and when a diver wears a wetsuit he/she
floats on the water surface (see pages 57, 58 and 59). This buoyancy is
canceled by adding weight belts (see page 46). Wetsuits trap a layer of
water between the suit and the body. This water gets warmed by body heat
and represents an insulator. A diver without a wet suit can easily get
hypothermia (see page 61 ).

If it takes a longer period of time to get to a diving location we should not put
on the suit on the beginning of the trip because our body can get
excessively heated up and that is called hyperthermia. If we jump in the
water heated up we can get hydrocution. That is sudden narrowing of
tissues and blood vessels because of jump into a cold environment. That
leads to sudden forcing of the blood into the bloodstream from the legs to
the central part of the body where heart is located. This sudden burden
overloads the heart and can cause a heart attack.

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 C h o o s i n g a we t s u i t
The colder the environment you dive in the more insulation you will need.
The body mass and construction of a diver also affect how much insulation
is needed. A larger diver needs less insulation than a smaller diver. A
muscular diver needs less insulation than a larger or obese diver. The more
active you are underwater the more heat your body generates, and you
need less insulation. You should think about all these factors when choosing
a diving suit.

Typ e s of we t su i ts

S H O RTI E S

They are used in warm waters where

insulation is not necessary. They
provide protection from small injuries
such as scratches and stings. They are
sometimes worn under or over a full
lenght wet suit for additional insulation
in colder waters.

In the Adriatic sea I do

not recommend you to
get jut a shortie! You
will freeze!

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 F U L L - L E N G T H WE T S U I T S

Full-length wetsuit is mostly used in scuba

diving. It covers the entire body except the
face, fists and feet. This kind of wet suits
come in thicknesses usually ranging from
2-9 mm. You choose the thickness by the
temperature of the locations you plan to
dive in. These suits provide protection from
scratches and scars which often occur
during dives.

S E M I -D RY S U I TS
Semi-dry suits are designed for colder
waters, but they are used in warmer
waters as well. They are the same as
normal neoprene wet suits, but they have
better seals at the wrists, ankles and neck.
This means that the water which gets
trapped under the suit does not come out.

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 S CU B A D RYS U I TS
Scuba dry suits do not let any water into the
suit. Instead of water, trapped air is an
insulator. They provide the best thermal
protection, but of course they are the most
expensive ones. Dry suits have changeable
internal volume which is regulated by a valve
on the chest. Using this kind of suits requires
special education.

Dry suits are the best for

extremely cold and extremely warm
waters!

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 You need to find a wetsuit that
fits you!

H o w to c h o o s e a we ts u i t?

Custom made suits are made by your body measures and are a diver's best
fit. Of course these cost more than a regular wetsuits. If your body shape is
different than average and you have a hard time finding clothes you should
consider this option.
Do not order suits online if you have never tried that model because it might
not fit you body shape.
Try on suits in the store. Take your time. You will probably spend hours
finding your size. The wetsuit should not not too tight, so that you can not
breath or move, but it should not be loose either. A loose suit lets water flow
through the suit and you would feel like you do not have a suit at all. Do not
rush, and do not compromise. Find the model which fits you just right, or do
not buy one at all.

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 P u tti n g on a We tsu i t

If you are putting a full length wetsuit

(long legs) it is easier to begin sitting
down.

1 ) Put each leg (one at a time) through the

ankles and work the suit up to you knees. If you
suit has skin seals, carefully stretch the
openings. Be careful that you do not damage
the seals with your nails.

21
 2) If your suit has knee pads,
work them into the right position
before proceeding to the next
step.

3) Stand up and pull

the suit over your hips.
Make sure that the
crotch is in the right
position.

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4) Dress the arms just like you did with the legs (one
at a time). Work the suit up to the elbow before
putting in on the rest of the upper body.

Once you put on the whole suit zipp it up and done!

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 Ta ki n g off a We tsu i t

To take off your wetsuit, peel it off inside out. Open the Zipper and work
your shoulders free and then peel each arm out (turning the suit inside out
as you go) one at a time. Roll the suit down doing the same for each leg.
The trick is to peel the suit off, turning it inside out as you go.

Th i s i s h ow i t l ooks i n p ra cti ce :

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25
 M a i n ta i n i n g You r We tsu i t

Rinse it out in fresh, clean water after each dive. This will remove salt and
filth, which can cause it to rot.

Let your suit dry in the open air, out of the direct sun light because it
damages the neoprene.

When your suit dries put it on a wide wooden hanger in a cool dry place.

Wash your suit once in a while with a special wetsuit shampoo.

Occasionally lubricate zippers to prevent degradation of metal or plastic.

If you maintain your suit

properly it can last for years!

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 S cu b a G l ove s a n d F ootwa re
It is recommended to wear gloves and footwear along with a
suit because limbs are very sensitive to cold

Neoprene gloves provide a good

protection from cold, scratches and
stings. Gloves come in different
thickness. Even though the thicker
gloves provide better insulation it is hard
to move your fingers in them, and you
might have a problem with manipulating
your equipment.

Footwear depends on the fins you use.

If you use full foot fins you should use
neoprene socks which provide
protection from the cold. Remember to
buy bigger fin size if you plan on
wearing neoprene socks.

If you have open heel fins you should

wear booties, which look like shoes,
have a plastic sole and are made of
neoprene. They protect you from injuries
on a boat and scratches. They are not
easily torn unlike the neoprene socks
because they have a rigid sole.

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 M a i n ta i n i n g you r scu b a g l ove s a n d footwa re

Rinse - Rinse your scuba gloves and footware in fresh water after each dive

Soak - Soak your gloves and footwear for about 1 5 minutes when you come
home from diving. Use a special wet suit shampoo or baby shampoo.
Inspect for Damage - Check for any rips or tears. They are much easier to
fix when they are small

Do not store or dry your scuba gloves and footware in direct sunlight or in
the dryer!

If you want your scuba gloves and

footware to last for a long time
follow these tips!

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 S cu b a Cyl i n d e rs

A diving cylinder is a container which enables the diver to

carry breathable gas underwater.

Tank valve
Neck
The cylinder is made from a steel or
aluminium bottle and a mechanism which
regulates the gas-flow. The bottle is a
cylindrical container.

It has one closed end, and one which has

a neck with a threaded hole on it. The
hole enables a tank valve to be placed for
regulating the gas-flow. The tank valve
can be made for one or two regulators
(see page 32).

Closed end

Valve group predicted Valve group predicted for two

for one regulator regulators
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 O ring

Tank valve with O- ring which is used to

assemble the yoke fitting to the tank valve (see
page 34)

Tank valve

Information about the bottle like: its volume, weight, number, maximum
pressure, test pressure, date of manufacture, name of the manufacturer,
when was it last tested, serial number, for which medium (air, oxygen, other
gasses or gas mixtures) is it made for and the material it is made from, are
marked on the top of the tank.

30
Tanks need to be tested. The test consists of checking inside and outside for
corrosion and pressure resistance test using pressure of 50% higher than in
normal use. Usually the first test is carried out 4 years after the date of
construction and then after every two years.

We need to maintain our diving

cylinders in order to avoid accidents
with unpredicted consequences. When
the tanks are transported they need to
be stabilized so they would not move.
We should put a protective net over the
tank in order to prevent mechanical
damages of the surface. Unless on flat
ground, we should always place the
tanks in a lying position on the ground
to prevent any kind of tank damaging.
After diving the cylinder must be
washed and stored in a dry place.

Cylinder with a protective net

The tanks are filled with gas compressors. If the compressor is not working
properly and there is a presence of oil fumes or higher amounts of CO or
CO2 it can contaminate the breathing mixture and lead to a tragical outcome.
Cylinders are filled by licensed people!

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 Re g u l a tors

A scuba regulator is one of the most important parts of the equipment. It

enables us to breath underwater. Without it, scuba diving as we know it
would not be possible. Breathing on a certain depth is possible only if the air
we breath is at the same pressure as the surroundings. If the pressure is not
the same, the lungs will not be able to inflate properly. The task of the
regulator is to provide air at the same pressure as is the pressure of the
surroundings, and pressure around the divers lungs, regardless of the depth.
In conclusion, the regulator reduces the high pressure from the diving
cylinder onto the surrounding pressure.

A scuba regulator is made of two different parts: the first stage, which is
connected to the top of the diving cylinder and the second stage, which is
connected to the first stage by a rubber hose. In the past regulators had only
one stage, but now days such regulators are extremely rare.

Second
stage

First stage

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 A re g u l a tor con e cte d to th e cyl i n d e r u se d b y a d i ve r
F i rst sta g e of a
re g u l a tor
S e c o n d s ta g e o f C yl i n d e r ( i s n ' t we l l
a re g u l a tor s e e n i n th i s
p i ctu re )

It is probably hard for you to

understand what is a regulator,
how it looks like and how it is
used. Well, here is a diver in
action. She has a cylinder on her
back and a regulator assembled
with it. As you can see, The 2nd
stage is in the diver's mouth!

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 1 s t s ta g e

The first stage attaches to the scuba tank, either with a knob/screw type
mechanism called a yoke fitting or a fitting with a thread called DIN fitting.
DIN fitting screws directly into the tank valve, and Yoke fitting screws onto
an O ring. Both DIN and Yoke have an O ring, but on different places. DIN O
ring is located on the 1st stage, and Yoke O ring is located on the tank valve.

yoke fitting Tank valve with

O-ring

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 DIN fitting Tank Valve

The first stage reduces the high pressured air from the tank to a lower
pressure of around 8-1 0 bars above the ambient pressure. A valve opens in
the 1 st stage and allows some of the low-pressure air to flow into the hose
which connects the 1 st stage and the 2nd stage, and then it closes again.
When the diver inhales that air, the 1 st stage detects a decrease in the
pressure of the hose. Then it allows more air to flow into the hose to replace
the air that was inhaled by the diver. 1 st stage can be balanced or
unbalanced. A balanced first stage delivers pressure at a constant rate in the
whole dive. It is not affected by the amount of pressure in the tank (it
decreases as the air is used). We also classify the first stage as sealed or
unsealed, meaning can water enter the first stage. If you dive only in warm
waters an unsealed should be just fine, but if you plan on doing any cold
water diving you should buy a sealed one so the first stage does not freeze.

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 2 n d s ta g e
The second stage goes in your mouth and delivers air on demand. It reduces
the pressure in the hose, which coms from the first stage, to the pressure of
the surrounding water making it possible to breathe. The second stage
consists of the mouthpiece, an exhaust valve and an emergency purge
valve/button. The exhaust valve lets the air escape into the water when you
exhale. It does not let water in. When the emergency purge button is pushed,
air is continuousy released into the chamber of the 2nd stage.

Mouthpiece Emergency purge valve

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 S c u b a R e g u l a to r M a i n te n a n c e

1 ) Regular service is very important.

2 ) You can keep your scuba regulator in great shape by simply cleaning it
after use. Secure the dust cap and rinse the rest in clean fresh water. After
diving in salt water you should soak your regulator in warm tap water
3 ) Wipe hoses down with a light spray of silicone to keep them supple
4 ) Don’t store the regulator with sharp objects, and if possible let the hoses
hang down from the first stage, or coil everything loosely
5) If you’re not diving for a while, store your regulator in a closed bag to
prevent degrading of the synthetic parts

A regulator with a dust cap on

37
 Re g u l a tor Con n e cti on s (Acce ssori e s)

Regulator accessories are connected either to low pressure or high pressure

hoses. Low pressure hoses are on the same pressure as the breathing gas
and the high pressure hoses are on the pressure which is in the diving tank.
The hoses are marked with LP (low pressure) and HP (high pressure).
Besides that they do not differentiate in looks.

Regulator with some connections

38
 O c to p u s

It is advisable to have an alternative

source of air for safety. It is a safety
measure in case the regulator stops
working or if somebody in the diving
group runs out of air. It is connected
to a low pressure hose and it is
usually yellow

P re ssu re G a u g e

The pressure gauge is linked through a

hose to the high pressure of the first
stage and shows the pressure in the
cylinder, so a diver can tell how much air
he has left in the tank.

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 D e p th G a u g e

Depth gauge measures the depth during a

dive. It has a pointer that shows the
maximum depth reached during the dive
and the current depth on the dive.

B u oya n cy Com p e n sa tor a n d D ry S u i t I n fl a ti on

H oses

They are connected to the low pressure port of the first stage

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Every diver needs to have a manometer, depth gauge, and a diver watch (a
water proof watch which can hold the pressure of dives you plan on doing) in
order to plan and monitor a dive. As already said there are instruments which
have multiple functions like a console. The most advanced and now days
widely used instrument is a diving computer.

D i ve Com p u te rs
All gasses disolve in liquids under pressure. Since nitrogen is not used in
metabolic process it acummulates in the blood under pressure, and if enough
time is not given for the accumulated nitrogen to return to gas in the lungs,
then it can cause Decompresion sickness (see page 1 00). Safety stops are
made during ascent to reduce the amounts of nitrogen in our body. Safety
stops are time which a diver must spend at a constant depth to breath out
the excess nitrogen . Calculating these safety stops has always been one of
the main problems in diving. In the past it was done with deco tables but now
days it is mostly done by diving computers. There are diving computers
which have options even to connect to your tank and calculate the amount of
air left, but all dive computers tell the basic info:
1 . Am ou n t of ti m e u n d e rwa te r
2 . Cu rre n t d e p th
3 . S a fe ti m e re m a i n i n g a t th a t d e p th
4 . N o d e com p re ssi on ti m e l i m i ts b y d e p th for you r n e xt d i ve
5 . Al a rm or si g n a l - M ost com p u te rs wi l l a l e rt you i f you a re a sce n d i n g too
fa st or n e e d a d e com p re ssi on stop .
Many basic computers will also tell you
6 . S u rfa ce i n te rva l ti m e
7 . Ti m e to fl y - h ow l on g you n e e d to wa i t b e fore fl yi n g
8 . Wa te r te m p e ra tu re
9 . M a xi m u m d e p th

41
The great thing about dive computers is that you can keep a record of you
dives, because the information about them stays in the computer. The info
erases after certain amount of dives (all depends on the model of the dive
computer), but you can transfer the data to your computer and have a full
overview of your dives. Dive computers are still developing and gaining new
features which make our dives easier, but we should not rely just on our
computer. I will not talk about the features of dive computes or how they
work because each model is unique and differentiates from the others. Do
not be scared, using dive computers is not hard and you do not need any
special training. You just need to carefully read the instruction manual from
the manufacturer and get used to your new diving instrument.

We need to keep in mind that it just a machine and

that it can brake or shut down because it has no
more power. We need to plan the dive the old
fashion way before the dive using deco tables in
order to be safe and have a well planned and safe
dive.By the way deco tables are simply tables which
calculate stops using the information how long and
deep is a dive!

Deco table
42
 B u o y a n c y C o m p e n s a to r D e v i c e

A buoyancy compensator device or a BCD is a very important piece of

equipment which allows the diver to have neutral buoyancy (see pages 57
and 58) during the whole dive. When a diver descends he is being exposed
to bigger and bigger surrounding pressure. At a higher pressure gasses
compress to smaller volumes. Thus, when a diver descends he is pulled to
the bottom, that is he has negative buoyancy. It is vice versa when he is
ascends. A diver wishes to archive neutral buoyancy so he would not be
pulled up or down. That state is similar to a complete weightless state of
astronauts. Achieving neutral buoyancy with a BCD is done by regulating
the amount of air in it. Generally we should inflate it when descending and
blow the air out of it when ascending. The BCD is inflated directly from a
low pressure hose in the first stage. Therefore, we use the air from the tank
for inflating of the BCD, except in emergency cases when the BCD can be
inflated with the air from our lungs over the manual inflator (or oral inflator).

43
 The BCD consists of:
1 ) Chambers of air
2) A system of belts and straps for fixing it to the tank
3) Inflator hose with a valve which regulates the amount of air in the BCD
4) Deflator which does the opposite of inflator
5) Pockets on the side.
Most BCDs also have rings on the front for attaching additional gear and
backplate for comfort. There are also other additions depending on the price
of the BCD

RINGS
Inflator
hose
inflation
button
Pockets deflation
button

Belts, straps
44
 B u o y a n c y C o m p e n s a to r M a i n te n a n c e

1 . Wash your BCD in fresh water after every dive

2 . Rinse the inside of your BCD by filling it with fresh water through the
manual inflator
3 . Empty the jacket by tuning it upside down and draining the water through
deflator on the bottom side of the BCD
4 . Inflate the jacket slightly to see if any water remains
5 . Store the jacket in a cool dry place on a hanger. The jacket should be
slightly inflated.
6 . If the jacket has not been used for more than 6 months, have it serviced at
a dive shop.

The BCD should fit you like a

jacket and you should feel
comfortable in it!

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 We i g h t b e l ts
Weights are essential for achieving neutral buoyancy (see page 58)

Weight are made of lead and they are fixed to the weight belt which has a
release buckle. You can also buy belts which have pockets to hold weights.
Some BCDs have pockets for putting weights, but the bad side is that
weights can fall out of the pockets if they are not sealed. Now days belts with
pockets in which lead shots are put are used a lot. They are much more
comfortable, but more expensive as well. The amount of weights which
should be carried depends on the thickness of the suit (the suit is made out
of gas bubbles and thus has positive buoyancy), equipment, type of water
and the type of dive.

Traditional weight belt Belt with pockets for lead shots

There is a test you can do in order to see how much weights do you need to
cancel the buoyancy of a wet suit. Put the wet suit on the water and place
weights on it. When it starts to sink its buoyancy is canceled.

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 Si g n al E q u i pm en t
Communication in diving can be visual (sign language and surface markers),
light and sound communication.

For sound communication we use shakers, diving horn, whistle and we can
also bang metal objects against the diving tank and produce sound. Long
sound signals on the surface always mean calling for help or warning!

Shakers are basically metal

tubes with two metal beads in
it. They produce sound when
shaken.

Diving horns usually connect

between the low pressure
hose and the BCD. They use
the air from the diving
cylinder to make noise.

A regular plastic whistle usually

comes with the BCD. It is useful
on the surface when we
signalize our position to a
passing boat.

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Light signals are made with flashlights. A flashlight is necessary in
night dives, and it is usually used in daily dives when you are going
through tunnels, looking under ledges, diving on a wreck etc.

Read the instructions from the manufacturer very carefully and remember the
maximum pressure your lamp can be exposed to and how long do its
batteries last.

A dive light can be easily lost while diving. Most lights come with a wrist strap,
but it is safer to attach your light to your BC with a flexible leash.

In order for your lamp to last long, rinse it in fresh water after every dive. For
ensuring your light will work when you go on a dive, check the seals and the
batteries before you get in the water.

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 D i vi n g kn i fe

A diving knife is not used for killing

fish or attacking sharks as many
people think after they first hear
about this piece of equipment. It is
used for releasing a diver when
caught in a fishing net and for hitting
the blade on the tank as a signal
sound. A diving knife must be strong,
have a comfortable handle and be
well sharpened. Knifes are mainly
worn on the inside of the calf, or on
the upper arm. After use should be
rinsed with fresh water, dried and
then coated with oil.

D i vi n g B a g

Bags are used for storing your

equipment. There are different types of
bags on the market. You should
choose the one that best fits you. In
choosing your bag you should
consider: how much equipment do you
want to carry in it, how big is that
equipment, do you travel and how
strong does your bag need to be.
Remember a bag can never be too big!

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 S u rfa ce m a rke r b u oy

A floating buoy is a piece of safety equipment that marks the place where
diving is taking place. In some countries dive law requires flags. On the top
of the buoy is a blue and white flag known as an “A” FLAG. This flag has an
international definition of ”I HAVE DIVERS DOWN, KEEP WELL CLEAR AT
SLOW SPEED”. Instead of this flag you might see a red flag and a white
diagonal stripe on it. During night dives the buoy has to have a flash light on
it, so it would be visible.

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 When you decide to
buy diving equipment talk to
experienced divers and trainers
COMMUNICATE
and COLLA BORATE
in order to find the best solution
for you! Buying equipment is
very important for your
safety and comfort!

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