Scuba Equipment & How to Care for Your Dive Gear

Gear Bags
Buoyancy Compensator Device, Scuba BCD
Diving Boots
Scuba Computers
Snorkels

1. Booties How they Work
   1. Snug fitting material surrounds foot. As diver enters water, water fills the booty and is warmed by the foot. A good booty will not allow water to flow out of the booty, keeping the feet warmer.
   2. A Sole provides abrasion protection when walking with heavy scuba gear and insulation from hot beach sand some have thick soles like the Bare and Pinnacle Orca.
2. Why do I need booties?
   1. Protect Against Abrasion, calluses
   2. Provide Traction when entering and exiting the water
   3. Provide Warmth
3. Types of Booties
   1. Aqua-sock type, surf sock - not suitable for diving
   2. Low-top
   3. Mid-height top
   4. Full-height top
   5. Full-height with heavy duty sole
4. Materials
   1. Lycra - not suitable for scuba diving
   2. Neoprene - most common material, come in anywhere from 1mm to 8mm thickness, possibly thicker
   3. Codura - use as an outer skin only
   4. Merino Wool - used as a liner for warmth
5. Care and Maintenance
   1. After Diving: Wash with fresh water and McNett Wetsuit Wash, Pool water has chlorine, if your gear has been in the pool, try to rinse immediately afterwards, since chlorine is bleach, it will shorten the life of your gear quickly.
   2. Heavily Soiled: Use a soft brush to remove debris from sole and zippers. Remove any debris from velcro.
   3. If Stinky! : use Mirazyme (sink the stink). Lake water has bacteria and possibly more hazardous dissolved solids than salt water, so use extra caution at the lake and clean thoroughly.
   4. After rinsing, dry completely and store in a cool dry place. Be careful not to crease the neoprene, it will loose its effectiveness. If zippers become sticky, use Zip Ease to lubricate and clean your zippers.
6. Choosing Your Booties
   1. Where are you diving? Consider:
      1. Temperature
      2. Environment
      3. Shore Type
   2. Surf socks, and Aqua-Socks are not suitable for diving because there is not sole, nor are they thick enough to provide protection. They'd only be good for one or two dives.
   3. Mid-height with a tough sole are good for caribbean use and boat diving in the tropics. For most diving purposes the full height 5 or 6 is the best overall booty. I always hear "What if they're too hot" YOUR IN WATER! As you swim, water is going to move through them to some degree. You won't notice if they're too hot. Its not going to happen and if it is, you're imagining it. We are in Texas and we haven't had a case of it.

Bare Booties are required for all open heel fins. Scubamax, Bare Booties can range from a basic sock style with a simple foot pad on bottom and no zipper, to an air soled 6mm thick boot with zippers and a Velcro zipper tab protector. The type of diving you are doing, including water temperature and shore/beach conditions should dictate what kind of booties you will need. A student who is learning to dive in 85 degree water with white sandy beaches does not require a thick soled 6mm boot lined with Merino wool for warmth. In reverse, a student who is training in 50 degree water in a 10 mm wetsuit with a sharp rocky coast may not want to choose a 2 or 3 mm short water shoe style boot because they will be too cold and the boot will not provide the cushioning needed for those shores.

A Bare; Scubamax bootie should fit snugly like a sock, but not be too restrictive. If a boot is too loose, it will allow water to slosh around at your toes and will not insulate your feet properly. If a boot is too tight, it could cause blood flow restrictions to the feet.

• How they work
  • Basically an air bladder which attaches somewhere on the diver. Usually the air is added to the bladder either orally or using a power inflator and air from a compressed gas cylinder. Simple enough?
  • Modern BC's are form fitting, some specifically for men or women. Some are jacket style, some are back inflation style.
  • Weight Integration - most have ditch-able weight pockets that can hold evenly dispersed lead
  • D-Rings - provide attachment points for gear helping the diver streamline and protect the reef
  • Tank Strap - holds your tank!
• Types
  • Back Inflation - These typically, when your trim weights are properly balanced, provide the best balance & stability underwater and the most freedom of movement
  • Jacket Style - BC's like the Mares Vector, Kaila, Aeris Coral, Aeris Sport,etc are all jacket style. Which means the air cell wraps around your body. They typically give better balance on the surface, underwater it depends greatly on the shape of the bladder and your body. Some jacket style BC's perform great underwater and some don't.
  • Stability Jacket - Scubapro Classic Plus and Classic Air are only modern day examples of this style and they provide superior balance under and above water. The air cell entirely wraps your body so wherever you move the air had free movement, which means that you control your pitch and yaw, not the air bubble moving back and forth.
  • Back plate & Harness - Back plate made of stainless steel, ABS or aluminum attached to a harness much like what backpackers wear
  • Bladder vs. Bladderless -
    • Bladderless - Most modern BC's like, Aeris and Scubapro are bladderless, which means that the shell and the bladder are one piece and made of a heavy duty material. These bladderless BC's like Aeris Atmos XT are more streamlined underwater due to the material & easy to see holes or tears, however they are difficult to repair and once they are rotted or torn significant, the BC is pretty much useless.
    • Bladder systems will have an inner bladder and outer shell. The in bladder can be patched without unsightly patches on the outside of your BC, but it can be replaced. Bladder BC's have a lower cost of repair and you can't see the patch if there is one. However the shell may not dry as quickly or slip through the water as easily as a bladderless bc.
  • Harness vs. Jacket
    • Harness Systems will hold the tank tighter to your body and are typically used for doubles or singles like the Holls Advanced Travel System . Harnesses have a wider range of fit due to their design.
    • Jacket Systems like Mares Vector Epic and Aeris Coral have many sizes, reason why Dive Rite has only a few sizes in their line, but Mares, Scubapro and Aeris will have up to 7 difference sizes.
• Materials
  • Codura Nylon, Alutex, ABS, Stainless Steel, Nylon Webbing
• Basic Repairs
  • Rips, Tears can be repaired at your dive shop or if trained, using a patch kit. They are usually manufacturer's specific due to special glues and materials
  • Zippers, Velcro, Buckles
  • Valves
  • Power Inflator
• Care and Maintenance
  • Cleaning the bladder inside and out using McNett's BC Life
  • Exterior Cleaning - Use soft bristled brush and McNett's BC Life or Wetsuit Wash for exterior cleaning.
  • Valves - fresh water rinse
  • Power Inflator - fresh water rinse - check function and listed for leaks
  • Velcro, Zippers - use soft brush to remove debris, lubricate zippers with McNett's Zip Care
  • Zip Care and Soft-Bristled Brush
  • When storing, store it INSIDE between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, not in your garage, especially in Texas! The chemicals stored in garages can soften and deteriorate the butyl rubbers in your scuba gear, as well as the heat can dry it out and cause dry rot.
  • Hang it UP using a good hanger like UK's BC Hanger with the bladder about half full of DRY air. This will prevent any mildew growth and prevent the bladder from sticking together if stored for a long time. (The catch is that its almost impossible to get these things perfectly dry after draining, the DRY air will help dry it out further, use your tank air it has no moisture)
• Choosing Your BC
• Transportation of your BC
  • Choose a bag that protects well, does not say "Scuba Gear In Here" on the outside. The less people know how much you're carrying, the better. DO NOT use mesh bags, your gear will not survive. A sturdy, non-de script bag is your best choice.

• Modes of Operation

  • Surface Mode
    • When you are on the surface!
    • Access to:
      • Log Book,
      • Time-to-Fly / De saturation
      • Surface Interval timer
      • Dive Plan
      • Dive Simulation Mode
      • Nitrox Program
      • Upload / Download Menus
      • Time / Clock / Alarm / Stopwatch / Date
• Dive Mode
  • Normal Dive
    • Bottom Time
      • Time from divers enter the water until they surface, including safety stop time.
    • Temperature
    • Safety Stop Timer
      • Automatic Timer that starts when diver ascends to 20 feet and starts a 3-5 minute timer so you know when your safety stop is over. Remember to stay between 10-20 feet!
    • CNS Clock
      • (How Much oxygen you've absorbed in 24 hours)
    • Nitrogen Clock
      • (How much nitrogen you've absorbed in 24 hours)
  • Decompression Dive
    • Diving BEYOND the recreational limit, this requires special training, because some computers have the ability to do this type of diving and will show you what do to. This type of diving is technical in nature and requires multiple sets of redundant gear as well as proper planning.
    • These Computers will Show you:
      • Next Stop Depth
      • Next Stop Time
      • Total Time to complete stops
      • Good ones with show you seconds so that you can prepare to move to each stop
    • Scubapro Aladdin Tec, Smart Tec & Smart Z
  • No-Decompression Diving - What we should be doing! Diving Above the recreational limit, above 130 feet of salt water.
    • ANY Computer we carry will do this.
• Types of Dive Computers
  • Nitrox vs. Air
    • Diving Nitrox requires special training because the cylinders require special treatment before, during and after filling as well as analyzing for the gas. No self respecting diver or dive shop will let a non-nitrox diver dive with enriched air nitrox. The increased oxygen means divers can have increased risk of oxygen toxicity at depths SHALLOWER than the recreational limit.
    • Aeris XR-1 is a perfect example of a Non-Nitrox, NON-Air integrated computer
    • Nitrox Dive Computers keep track of CNS clock (amount of Oxygen you are allowed in a 24 hour period)
    • Nitrox Computers like Atmos Elite automatically program a Maximum Depth Alarm for your Maximum Operating Depth dependent on the percentage of oxygen entered.
  • Air Integrated
    • Air Integrated computers like the Aeris Atmos AI know how much air you are breathing because they have a digital pressure gauge built in. These allow them to give the scuba diver a more accurate Maximum Bottom Time based on how much air you are breathing.
    • Nemo Air Wide can actually be programmed with the size of your cylinder in cubic feet, considering a low pressure steel only has 2400 psi in to begin with and other most aluminum cylinders are 3000 psi.
  • Wrist / Console Mounted
    • This a matter of preference Scuba Diving Computers like Mares M2 are wrist mount computers which double for daily wrist watches like St. Moritz Momentum M1 Series.
    • Console Scuba Diving Computers like Aeris XR-2 Console can be wrist mounted with a kit.
    • Scuba Diving Computers like Aeris Atmos Elite have a wireless transmitter that transmits your tank data to a wrist mounted unit. So it has the data of a console scuba diving computer on a wrist.
• Basic Repairs
  • Battery Replacement
  • O-Ring Check
  • Grease O-ring
  • Re-seal
• Transportation , i.e. Airplane Travel, Mountain Travel
  • Some Computers Auto Altitude Adjust, if they are, DO NOT turn them on while flying. The scuba diving computer will re-adjust for a high altitude and when you descend, the computer will think you're on a dive until you fly again... days later... So most will lock themselves out.
• Computer Choice
  • Consider what features you might want:
    • Air, Nitrox or Trimix
      • All Scuba Computers will do straight air mixes, it depends on if you might do nitrox in the future or trimix.
    • Wrist Mounted or Console
      • Most Scuba Computers like Aeris Atmos 2, Mares MC2 come in wrist and console form.
      • Console Mounted Scuba Computers come with a pressure gauge, which you still need if you get just a wrist unit, and allow you to add a compass
      • Wrist mounted units typically do no come with pressure gauges unless they have Wireless Air Integration and they cannot mount compasses, except the Aeris Elite Scuba Computer with its Retractor Mount can add a scuba diving compass, but it cannot be worn on the wrist, it is clip mounted.
    • Air Integrated or Non-Air Integrated
      • Air Integrated Consoles like Aeris Atmos Elite will give you a more accurate time remaining based on the rate you breath air versus based on your no-decompression limit.
  • Ultimately it boils down to the type of diving you are doing and How much do you want to invest to make your diving safer and more enjoyable. Each added feature and bell and whistle means one less thing to worry about.
  • Warranties and manufacturer support is very important, last thing you want to worry about when you are investing this much in yourself and in dive computer.
    

• What is it?
• How it works
• Types of Materials of Shell
  • Tri-laminate
  • Compressed Neoprene vs. Crushed Neoprene
  • Twin Shell Systems
• Types of Seals
  • Latex
  • Neoprene
• Types of Suits
  • Technical / Cave
  • Self-Donning
  • Rear-Entry
• Valves
  • Shoulder or Wrist?
  • LP Valve
  • Ankle
  • Catheter Valve
• Additional Features
  • Additional Valves
  • Catheter valve / Convenience Zipper
  • Pockets
  • Bootie Options
• Basic Repairs
  • Wrist and Ankle Seals
  • Entry Zipper
  • Holes in shell
  • Valves
• Choosing your Dry suit
• Caring for your Dry suit
• Storage
• Cleaning

Scuba Gear Bags

• Why have specific scuba equipment bags?:
  • Traveling with your scuba equipment can be a challenging task, fortunately there are some really good bags to carry your dive equipment. A proper gear bag must be durable, have plenty of space and have a decent set of wheels, straps or both. If it is not easy to carry or wheel, it can make traveling difficult when trying to get from the terminal to the gate to the parking lot to the hotel or to the boat.
• Materials:
  • Nylon Mesh
    • Found on Stahlsac Bonaire, Pinnacle Mesh Backpack
  • Butyl Rubber Coated Mesh
    • method used to strengthen lower quality nylon mesh found on Pinnacle Mesh Bag
  • Codura Denier Nylon, 1200 & 1600 Count
    • Higher the thread count, the tougher the material. These nylons fall in the ballistic class of denier nylon, they're tough and will last years like Stahlsac Catalina Cargo or Cozumel Cruiser bags.
  • Butyl Rubber Coatings - use to reinforce high wear areas like the bottoms and sides of bags
• Types:
  • Mesh Bags
    • Mesh bags like Stahlsac's Panama are fairly necessary to carry your scuba gear to the boat or beach, because they let the water drain and lets the gear breathe, helping prevent the smell, which can only be described as a ‘funk’, which can appear if the gear is placed wet into a bag without ventilation.
    • Getting on a boat requires both hands, and, if you plan on lots of boat diving, consider a backpack style mesh bag because it leaves your hands free. The Stahlsac Cortez Convertible Duffel bags are great for beach and lake diving, or when carrying your scuba equipment far isn’t a problem. They also offer a large zippered opening, which on a boat this is an opportunity for gear to spill out. Some mesh bags offer durable rubberized bottoms, which help prevent tearing and even dry pouches in them to keep your personal stuff dry.
  • Cargo Style or Wheeled Duffels
    • Largest class of travel bags, these will pack the most and suited for air, plane or bus travel. Many manufacturers make them, most have wheels, a collapsible handle for pulling, fin pockets, interior dividers, backpack straps (preferably padded) and several handles to grab it and handle it by.
    • Bags like Stahlsac's Cozumel Cruiser, Catalina Cargo and Galapagos are among the largest and toughest bags in this category
• Choosing Your Bag:
  • Decide what type of scuba diving you are doing, scuba divers always need at least a mesh bag, if you are going to travel by car or plane, consider a large cargo style. Look for one that is tough, has a variety of ways to carry it. Not all airports are wheel friendly, so plan on one that has backpack straps built in.
  • No Logos - Look for one that has no logo on it or screams "Scuba Gear Inside! Steal me!" The more ordinary the bag the better. The Stahlsac Galapagos bag is huge and has many pockets and fin pockets, but its great feature is that it has only one outside zipper. All other zippers are accessed from the inside, so there's only one zipper to lock and much less for the bag handlers to snag.
  • When choosing a bag decide on how much gear you typically carry, and make sure that your Aeris Coral BCD and fins fit. Aeris Scuba Diving Fins are typically the longest of your gear, and the Mares Kaila BCD, especially those with a back pad, can be a bulky item. If you want to lighten your load consider a, which has no hard back pad.

Hoods or Bennies are a great addition to your scuba wetsuit. Most of your body heat is lost through your head depending on how much hair you have. Beanies are great for warm tropical waters. They're good for controlling hair, mask strap protection and they protect the ears. A good Beanie will have small water vents on top to let air vent out as you dive instead of having a large bubble "burp" out of the beanie. Also it will have a chin strap to secure it on your head, so if you have to remove your mask, the beanie stays on your head.

Cold water diving requires a hood. Good hoods will have an option to trim the face of the hood for a custom fit, yet the neck will be snug. You want your hood to be fairly snug or you can have your regulator exhaust vent into your hood, which is just plain awkward. Yet you don't it too tight or you could experience jaw fatigue or a squeeze. Good hoods will have a long bib to tuck into your wetsuit or dry suit (if equipped with collar), some like Pinnacle's have reflective patches on the back so boaters or divers can see you easier from behind.

Hood / Beanie Care

• Rinse with fresh water (not lake water or pool water, FRESH)
• Wash with Wetsuit Wash
• If "funky" deodorize with Mirazyme or Sink the Stink
• Hang Dry
• Store in a cool dry place, preferably hanging

Purpose

• A scuba mask is there to provide an air space so that a diver can see under water an prevents water from entering the nose. Otherwise we can't see and we get water in our nose. However in scuba there will be a time that you have to breath underwater with your mask off during training.
• Types:
  • Low Volume: Less air space, usually very slim and form-fitting. Less air space means less water in the mask. Usually the closer a mask fits to the face, the wider field of view a diver can achieve. Its like the difference between pressing your face against a skyscraper window or standing back from it. Masks like Mares X-Vision, Mares X-Stream and Aeris Europa 2 are in this category.
  • High Volume: More Air Space, large masks good for those with larger faces or large facial features (nose). These usually have large windows, or multiple windows. Examples are the Sea Vision 2600, Mares ESA and Scubamax Shaimu Masks.

  

Features

• Lenses: When scuba diving or even snorkeling; you need a mask with good lenses. Tempered Glass do cost more, but in the event that it does break, while you are wearing it, tempered glass will shatter into little bits, which is much better than plastic lenses which are sold at discount stores, which break into shards and can cause ocular puncture wounds (poke your eye out).. These days a low end mask with glass lenses is about $40, high end, $120.

• Purges: A purge is a added features which is valve, usually bottom of the nose piece. This is usually a personal preference.
  • Pros: Makes it easy to clear water out of your mask simply by exhaling through your nose
  • Cons: Valve can be come dirty with sand and debris unless rinsed after every dive and its function checked. They are difficult to repair and sometimes the parts are model specific. Diver will learn how to clear their mask of water without the purge anyway. Divers who have to wear thick gloves find it difficult to pinch your nose when equalizing.
• Straps: The standard is silicone whether the mask is black or clear, however some masks like the Caintu and Shaimu come with a handy center adjusting strap which allows the diver easily pull from the back of your head to adjust both sides at the same time instead of from both sides and features a one pinch release for both sides.
• Neoprene Straps: Adjust-a-Straps and Strap-Wrappers are a good addition. If you have long or uncontrollable hair, (remember how hair just goes everywhere underwater?) you might want to consider a neoprene mask strap. These mask straps are softer and will not pull your hair. Otherwise, removing a mask with a traditional silicone strap underwater is very similar to pulling a rubber band out of wet hair, trust me its hard.

Sizes

• Scuba mask really don’t come in sizes, but certain styles of mask fit certain facial features better. Because mask are 100 % silicone these days, they fit and conform to many different faces.

Fitting a mask

• The best way to fit a mask is to find one that you like, and gently place it on your face, without sucking in. If, when you gently breathe in, the mask does not stick (with great suction) to your face, then you don’t have a good seal. If it really sticks to your face, requiring a significant amount of force to remove it, then you have a good fit. Remember to block off the back of your throat when doing this otherwise, you’re just letting air in through you nose.
• Note: The mask should fit without the strap! The strap is only there to hold the mask in place! When tightening the strap, where it is placed on the head has lots to do with fit. If you feel it pinching your upper lip, lower the strap on your head. If it is causing pressure on your forehead, raise the strap. Do Not Over Tighten! This will cause a leaky mask, ring around the face, mask squeeze, and many uncomfortable problems.
• Also if you are using this mask for scuba diving or snorkeling (what else, right?), the regulator and mask mouthpieces are large. When they are in the mouth, they can cause the ‘laugh lines’ or dimples on your faces to become more prominent, which can cause your mask to leak.

Caring, Cleaning and Transportation

• Travel with your mask in a hard case, preferably the one it comes in. It provides decent amount of protection. Soft cases are good for small masks and provide good abrasion protection and allow the mask to dry completely, but not good crushing protection.
• New Masks: Clean with McNett Sea Buff, which is designed for use on silicone and on Sea Vision masks, do not use toothpaste with pumice, it is too abrasive and whiteners can damage silicone. Why? because during the manufacturing process there are oils and residue that may prevent defog from working correctly. Apply a liberal amount to a dry mask and rub with your fingers and work the paste into.
• Diving: Use defog like McNett Sea Gold. Remember to clean it first or the defog won't work as well. Apply defog just before diving so that it leaves a thin coating on the lenses and then very quickly rinse with water to wash off excess. You should be left with a very transparent film, one that does not give distortion or blurry vision, otherwise rinse quickly again.
• Post Dive: Rinse with clean water, not the rinse water from 1000 dive gear washings at stations near rental returns, but with fresh tap water and allow to dry in the shade. If necessary use Sea Buff or similar mask cleaner to remove residue and debris.
• Storing: Store in a cool dry place, too much ozone, direct sunlight and heat will damage silicone. It will cause it to dry-rot, yellow and become too brittle to seal properly or even hold the lenses in.

• Purpose
• Reduces tank pressure to intermediate pressure @ 135 – 150 psi
• Provides air at intermediate pressure to 2nd stage regulators, Alternate Air Source, LP Inflators, Dry suit Inflator
• High Pressure Ports for Gauges & Computers
• Types
  • Unbalanced Piston – Scubapro MK2, Aeris A1 , Mares MR12
    • Provides reliable performance typically unbalanced pistons are the workhorses of rental fleets, they can withstand punishment due to nature of their design, which manufacturer does it right is the question.
  • Unbalanced Diaphragm
    • Not Common - only found in a few brands
  • Balanced Diaphragm – Scubapro MK16, Mares, V32,
    • Probably the most common regulator design. The balanced diaphragm provides excellent performance, but has certain design limitations, some models do not provide the flow of a Balanced Piston
  • Balanced Piston – Scubapro MK25, Atomic B1,T1,X1, Dynamo
    • Balanced Piston regulators are typically the most expensive due to the piston inside and technology behind it.
    • High Performance - Balanced Pistons like the Scubapro MK25 and Dynamo offer unparallel performance and a unique ability in that they actually breath better as the tank depletes and as the diver goes deeper, insuring that you get the flow you need at 200 feet (disclaimer: only for technically trained divers)!
• Materials
  • Chrome Plated Brass
    • Standard material for all 1st stage regulators. It's heavy, but it stands up in all types of diving environments and gas mixes. Its the best all round material.
    • Two Cons that we've found: Its soft, it will damage easily just like the valves on tanks, so don't let it bounce around in your tool box. Take care of your brass regulators. They are also plated, meaning that in heavy salt environments, with poor cleaning habits, the chrome can be stripped off.
  • Aluminum Alloy
    • A recent metal to use, the Scubapro MK25-A is the only on the market. A great material because it works with nitrox, but it reacts with chrome plated brass, so you need to put the supplied barriers between your brass fittings and the first stage.
  • Titanium -
    • High end ones will have Monel or Stainless Steel pistons. Titanium regulators, while lightweight and nifty have one problem, they are not recommended for nitrox. Titanium is a common element in FIREWORKS. Can you see why elevated levels of oxygen at high pressures in contact with titanium might be a bad idea? Even though some manufacturers will claim that up to 40% is okay, but I wouldn't try it with a high pressure steel tank!
  • Monel Alloy
    • Best and coolest metal yet. Its nitrox compatible, its hard, durable and doesn't corrode. Best of all, its not plated, so the material under the surface is the same! If the scratch it, its monel! However it isn't light as titanium, but seems overall a better metal for use.
    • Strong, Durable, Nitrox Compatible but its expensive like titanium.

• Types:
  • Downstream Valve vs. Upstream
    • This means what type of basic valve design is the regulator and which way does it allow flow when disabled.
    • Downstream - almost all recreational scuba diving regulators are designed to free flow if the valve does not function properly, this is a basic fail-safe design so that the diver always gets air, it will just free-flow.
    • Upstream - only a couple are made in the recreational world, one made by Poseidon. This means that if the valve breaks, all air is shut-off. This is only valuable to cave and wreck divers who don't want a free-flow to happen in order to save air and stop potential debris from breaking free or even a ceiling collapse caused by bubbles. Also to save air because most will be using a regulator like this on a set of doubles, independent doubles, H-valves. or some sort of redundant back-up.
  • Balanced vs. Unbalanced
    • Balancing is a way to increase performance by allowing the intermediate pressure to supply some of the spring pressure, so that as IP drops, so does tension on the springs, making it easier to breath. Most 2nd stage regulators from the mid-price range to top-of-the-line.
    • Unbalanced 2nd stages are your most basic, these are usually your Octopus's, Alternate Air Sources and lower end regulators
• Materials
  • Polycarbonate - standard tough plastic material, takes abuse well
  • Technopolymer - high tech plastic, lightweight, durable
  • Acetel - newcomer in materials, only some internal parts are made from this tougher than steel plastic
  • Brass - only the Mares regulator line has brass 2nd stage regulators, they are beneficial in cold waters for for divers who want a moist breath, due to condensation on the inside of the body when you exhale.
  • Titanium - levers and smaller parts are made from this internally, for corrosion resistance
• Design Features
  • Adjustable Cracking Effort
    • Usually a knob on the side of the regulator opposite of the low pressure hose, this knob adjust how hard it is to take your initial breath.
    • Useful in currents to reduce the amount of flow to reduce wasting air
  • Adjustable VIVA or Venturi Assist
    • This is acutely a flow vane inside of the mouthpiece that diverts air away from the diver's mouth. When these settings are on maximum, this will cause the greatest amount of flow and possible free-flow, to reduce the effect turn the knob or dial to minimum.
  • Exhaust Ports
    • Consider position, small exhaust ports cause the bubbles to obstruct the diver's view
    • Consider size of the exhaust ports, the larger the better, which means easier to clear water and easier to exhale.
  • Diaphragms, Large vs. Small
    • People want smaller regulators because they're small and cute and lead to believe the they will greatly reduce neck strain, whatever, you're under water.
    • Larger regulators typically breath better than smaller ones, its a matter of physics, more surface area on the diaphragm the better, also the more leverage that is put on the valve makes it easier to breath. Only a large regulator can accomplish this, this is why Dive Rite and Scubapro regulators (the best the the business) aren't the smallest and cutest, they they'll breath easier and better, deeper.
  • Air 2 / Air Link
    • Aeris' Air Link and Scubapro Air 2 regulators are unique because they are a combination of Alternate Air Source (Octopus) and Power Inflator
    • Allow diver to streamline their gear by combining two air powered units into on
• Care and Maintenance
  • Cleaning / Washing
    • Rinse IMMEDIATELY after diving even after diving in fresh water. Most lakes have more dissolved solids than salt, especially man-made lakes.
    • TIP: Carry a bottle of water with you and a zip-lock bag. Pour some bottled water in the bag and swish your 2nd stage regulators, and all hose-ends in the bag, use rest of the water on your 2nd stage and for yourself! Stay Hydrated!
    • Why? You're rinsing off the salts and solids while they are still in solution before they dry on your regulator. This will increase the life of your brass regulator and make your technician happy.
    • Remember: If your eye brows are crusty from the salt and the sun, then your gear is far worse off! Rinse it NOW!
  • Remove Debris
    • Alternate Air Sources (Octopuses) are often dragged along the ocean of lake floor and the exhaust ports and mouthpiece might have debris in them, rinse well. Resist temptation to stick an object, screwdriver or otherwise in the exhaust or mouthpiece, you could damage the valves and diaphragm in the regulator
  • Check Exhaust
    • Breath through it to make sure there is no obstruction
  • Check Free-Flow
    • Purge it and make sure than on all maximum settings it does free-flow, otherwise at depth you won't get enough air,
    • On minimum venturi or VIVA, it should not free-flow

They’ve actually come along way since the simple ‘J’ style snorkel, thanks to new plastics and engineering. Engineering for a snorkel? Yes! Look at the new Nexus snorkel by Scubapro. Dry snorkels like Aeris Cuda Dry Snorkel are great, but some are too big and don’t have an adequate bore diameter (how big around the snorkel is). However, if you are worried about clearing too much water, they’re great. Almost all scuba quality snorkels have a flexible tube, secure removable mask clip, and purge at the bottom. Ocean Master Dry snorkels will also have a valve on top to keep water out while underwater. Newer snorkels are also 100% silicone in the mouthpiece and flexible tube, which will last much longer than rubber ones, as well as have a more comfortable mouthpiece.

Here’s a recommendation that all beginning divers, especially those looking for a bargain, should heed--STAY AWAY FROM “J STYLE” snorkels. Yes they are cheaper than those with a flexible tube, but you cannot dive with one. They will get in the way of your regulator and head movement, and cause frustration and anxiety for a diver. Even if they swing away or swivel, the mouthpiece then flaps in the current, pulling on your mask, and causing a potential leakage. Pay the $5-$10 dollars more for one with a flexible tube, and it will save you lots of frustration and your instructor will thank you.

Snorkel Care

• First of course wash with fresh water after use especially in chlorine pools and you don't want the salt water to dry on your snorkel, it will decrease valve performance and give a salty taste.
• Inspect purge on your Aeris Filefish Snorkel before diving or snorkeling, a leaky one can be a serious problem
• Check for good seal, Put in mouth, place hand over top and suck, you should not get air in from the purge or around the flex tube.
• Inspect Snorkel clip or snorkel keeper for tears, breaks or wear
• Store in a cool dry place
• NEVER spray silicone on valves or on the snorkel itself, it makes the valves stick and the snorkel sticky, more likely to pick up sand and debris

• Sizes and Materials
  • Aluminum
  • Steel
  • Fiber wrapped / Hoop Wrapped
• VIP
  • What this means.
  • Dents, Dings, Scrapes, Scratches etc.
  • Corrosion, Rust, Oil!
  • What is done
  • Eddy Current / Visual Plus Computer
  • Sample Test
• Oxygen Compatible
  • All Hydrocarbons are removed
  • Nitrox Tanks
  • Custom Mix
• Tumbling
• Valves
• Basic Repairs
• Repainting
• Covering / Stickers / Boots
• Transportation
• Choosing a Tank
• Caring & Long Term Storage

New cool stuff! Finally someone has created an waterproof iPod © case that will operated all functions of the iPod. H2O Audio has also designed special headphones designed to be used in the water. The SV series housings for the Apple products are great for boaters, swimmers, motor bikers, mountain bikers or anyone wanting to take their iPod © more places that just their home or car, after all its its factory case isn't durable enough for exercise or outdoor activity. The best place we can think of for scuba divers is on dive boats, waiting in between surface intervals listening to your favorite music instead of the drone of diesel engines. These cases have actual mechanical buttons to operate the iPod instead of a membrane like cheap cases. They seal using an O-ring seal and a double locking latch. The headphone plug is removable so you can use your own headphones or use the waterproof ones supplied. Now available is a set of RCA cables with 6ft of cable so you can use it on your boat, RV or outdoor music system. There are now cases for every iPod Model from 3rd 4th Generation iPod's, iMini, Nano, iVideo, and Shuffle.

• Weight Integration
  • Most BC's (buoyancy compensators) are equipped with built in weight pockets they must do at least these two things:
  • 1. Weight must be easily ditch-able
  • 2. Weight must be allowed to have even placement (same amount of weight on each side)
• Weight Belts
  • Standard Webbing belts are 2" of nylon webbing on which you loop your diving weights
  • Padded or Neoprene Weight belts are padded and often allow you to use all types of weights including shot lead pouches and allow the diver to remove the weights without removing the belt
  • Harness Belts allow even distribution of weights, harnesses like DUI's weight harness feature ditch-able weight pocket
• Types of Materials
  • Codura Ballistic Nylon
  • 2” Webbing, Stainless Steel Parts
• Transportation
  • Weight Integrated - Remove weights from pockets, this will prevent tearing of the pockets and the BC
  • Weight Bags are handy to carry lead weights in
• Care and Maintenance
  • Check weight belts and buckles for tearing or damage
  • Check weight pockets and quick release system for damage and obstruction
  • Use soft brush to remove debris from Velcro if Velcro is the fastener used

Types of Wetsuits

• Lycra™ Skin
  • Usually very thin and skin tight. These are designed as an undergarment or for very mild environmental protection
  • Divers sometimes use these to wear under a 3mm or 5mm to made it easier to slide on.
  • Lycra Skins are prone to snagging and tearing. Usually when one starts to come undone, its done for.
• Neoprene
• basically made from air injected rubber. Higher quality neoprene are extruded instead of injected. The actual product is made by DuPont who makes the highest grade N2S, which is very stretchy, but expensive. Suits like the Scubapro EverFlex are made from this.
• Most common suit material
• Neoprene is actually "shaven" to thickness and what the diver actually feels is a nylon, merino wool, glide skin or other product which is glued sand which style to the neoprene. So basically a suit has at least 3 layers in it.
• Each manufacturer has their own way of stitching or sealing a suit. Some glue, some stitch, some do both. Apparently the double blind glued and stitched method by Pinnacle seems to be the best sealing even though some manufactures claim that stitching creates holes in the neoprene for water penetration, but we don't see any evidence of it from experience.
• Polartec
  • Hugely popular in the late '90's, its a synthetic wool product made from nylon. Its good at warmth, but dries slow, can smell and doesn't keep out the cold very well Water tends to permeate very well through it and it doesn't seal against the skin.
• Hyperstretch / Hydrostretch vs. Neoprene
  • Hyperstretch / Hydrostretch isn't real neoprene, its a blend which is very stretchy, but doesn't have the warmth rating of traditional neoprene.
• Sorties
  • Looks like what it says, it is a sleeveless, leg-less wetsuit. They're easy to get on, but don't offer much for environmental protection, but adds to core body warmth and gives flexibility and comfort when wearing a wetsuit.
• Full suit
  • Preferred for diving because it covers the lower arms and legs which protects against abrasion and protection form aquatic life better than shorties. These will also seal better when used with tall style booties like Pinnacle Apex.
• Two Piece
  • Very popular for general water sports use because it offers the diver, or skier a variety of options. Usually the bottom piece is a 'farmer john' style, women's is called a 'farmer jane' which covers the torso and legs. The 2nd piece is a jacket style which adds 2nd layer to the torso and arms. Also allows the diver to mix different sized of tops and bottoms together for a more custom fit.
• Hooded Full suit
  • Full suit with built in hood. If you like a hood, then this is a great option because it reduces the amount of material folding when you use a suit with a separate hood. So you actually gain more freedom of movement around your neck. Also it seals much better so your head is and neck is much warmer. Preferred for cold water diving.

Care and Maintenance

• Cleaning
• Washing Rising Wetsuit Wash, De-Odorizing Mirazyme
• Storage
• Repairs
• Tears
• Seams / Unthreading
• Patches
• Aquaseal w/Cotol

Choosing Your Wetsuit

Take these things into consideration:

• Blunt vs. Pointed Tipped Scuba Diving Knives
  • Blunt knives like UK Blue Tang Titanium is preferred because you can't jab your self or your BC while cutting fishing line and can be used for
  • Sharp Tipped knives like UK Blue Tang Hydralloy is good for areas where divers hunt; spear fishing, gathering shellfish etc.
• Titanium vs Stainless Steel Scuba Diving Knives
  • Titanium is the latest and greatest for knives because of the corrosion factor. Many divers know that stainless steel knives will rust in days in a tropical environment especially when locked in their sheath. Underwater Kinetics Titanium knives retain their blade very well, but they are expensive.
  • Stainless Steel is very strong, and somewhat bendable and need to be sharpened and cleaned often. Hydralloy Remora BC Knife by UK is a great knife, but remember to wash it.
• Purpose of Knives
  • Cut away entanglements
  • Cut lines for spear fishing, nets
  • Use as tool to examine under rocks, other items
  • Cutting lunch meat
• Alternatives:
  • EMT Shears
    • EMT Shears are the perfect diver's multi tool because they can be used one-handed, try cutting fishing line with one hand and a knife in water,
    • Blunt tipped, won't jab or cut yourself
    • Strong enough to cut a penny, wire, cable
  • Z-Knife
    • Perfect knife to keep close, small enough to put anywhere, wrist, bc, wherever and its design is perfect for cutting nets or line in the water because it 'grabs' the line as the pull it and cuts with a razor sharp blade. provides a Z-Knife and two styles, cold water with a larger handle for thick gloves and standard.
• Cleaning and caring for knives
  • Must be fresh water rinsed and dried after a dive. Titanium is more resistant to corrosion but should be washed to maintain sheath operation, remove salt and to keep the blade sharp
• Slates
  • Great tool for communicating with divers.
  • Come in handy wrist form like Wrist Slate
  • Consider one with an all-carbon pencil like Aqua pak, its hard and time-consuming to sharpen a broken pencil underwater
  • Consider one with multiple pages like Executive Slates or Innovative's Aqua pak
• Cleaning a slate properly
  • When Dry, use McNett's Sea Buff Slate and Mask cleaner.
  • Put a dime size drop on your slate and rub with your fingers, add more as needed and wipe with a dry clean cloth or paper towel.