PADI Divemasters and PADI Diving Instructors are in great demand to work on superyachts with many superyacht owners requiring their deckhands and stewards to have at least a basic PADI diving certification so they can buddy-up with them on fun dives.
Crew can gain their certification at hundreds of PADI Dive Centres throughout the Mediterranean, opening up a world of opportunities to enjoy a luxurious lifestyle, travel the world, seek adventure and scuba dive at some of the best dive sites the Med has to offer – all whilst earning a great salary.
PADI® is the world’s is the world’s largest and most popular diver organisation and, in this edition, we dive in with them to discover some of the scuba diving gear you’ll use in your diver certification journey.
Do You Really Know Your Scuba Diving Equipment?
We all use scuba diving equipment each time we dive, but do we really know the names of each part of our gear? Maybe you only know the acronym (BCD) or slang (occy) names for certain parts of your gear? Besides, we all know that diving is full of acronyms and shortened terms! Whether you’re looking to purchase your first set of gear, want to learn more about your equipment or if you just don’t want to mispronounce anything, here is a basic guide of scuba diving equipment for beginners.
Wetsuit, Wetty, Steamer, Springy
Being divers, the majority of us have come across or regularly wear a wetsuit. But have you ever heard other divers refer to their wetsuit with a different term? Some refer to their wetsuit as a ‘wetty’ (slang for wetsuit), ‘steamer’ (long wetsuit) and ‘shorty’ or ‘spring suit’ (short wetsuit). Despite what you call yours, wetsuits are essential for protecting your skin and keeping you warm while you are diving down into the deep blue.
Buoyancy Control Device, BCD, BC
Most divers refer to their Buoyancy Control Device as their BCD or BC for short. Much like the name, this piece of equipment is crucial to any diver’s buoyancy and essential to have when diving. With practice, your BCD will help keep you neutrally buoyant (well, that’s the goal) as you either inflate or deflate air into your BCD. You can also use your BCD to clip on your compass, dive light or cutting tool. Some divers even use an integrated weight system that has pockets to hold their weights (this will minimise or eliminate you having to wear a weight belt).
Regulators: First Stage, Primary Second Stage and Alternate Second Stage
While most divers have only heard the term regulator during their diving course or in conjunction with ‘don’t forget your dust cap’, this piece of equipment is essential to any dive. Your first stage is actually used to attach your primary second stage to the cylinder valve and reduce high-pressure gas to breathable pressure. Your primary second stage is the regulator that you put in your mouth which then allows you to breathe underwater.
Haven’t heard the team ‘alternate second stage’? This is actually an alternate air source for your buddy, also known as octopus, occy or buddy regulator. Your alternate second stage is a backup regulator in case you need to share your air with another diver in out-of-air emergencies. Your octopus is generally always a bright colour such as neon yellow, so that it can be easily seen by all divers underwater. Without these pieces of equipment, you wouldn’t be able to breathe underwater.
Instruments: Pressure Gauge and Dive Computer
A diver must always carry a pressure gauge along with a dive computer during each dive. Your pressure gauge allows you to view how much air you have remaining in your cylinder. Your dive computer will measure your depth, dive time and while also helping to calculate how long you can stay at particular depths underwater. Furthermore, depending on what type of dive computer you have, you might also have the ability to calculate your safety stops and no-fly time.
Weights: Integrated Weights and Weight Belts
Who has jumped into the water and either sunk straight to the bottom or floated on top of the water even after deflating? You might need to rethink how many weights you are using during your dive. Some divers either wear a weight belt while diving or use an integrated weight system that holds their weights in the weight pockets. While all divers generally need extra weight to get to the bottom, it is entirely up to the diver and their equipment whether they would like to wear a weight belt or carry their weights in their BCD.
Mask, Snorkel and Fins
All divers should be diving with a mask, snorkel and fins. As we all know, human eyes are not designed to be used to see underwater. So a diving mask is a perfect solution! After all, who wants to go diving and miss out on all the beautiful marine life underwater? Diving masks come in all different shapes, sizes and colours so make sure you get one that fits properly. Otherwise, you will need to quickly learn how to master the ‘clear water from your mask’ skill from your Open Water Diver course!
Many divers ask why they need to wear a snorkel while diving. The answer is simple – so that you can not only preserve precious air before your dive but after your dive, despite if you have air left in your tank or not, you can easily swim (and breathe) to safety.
Fins not flippers! Your fins are essential to any dive to help you not only control your movement in the water, but to also help increase your speed and agility. Not to mention, they are also the perfect piece of equipment to help identify your dive buddies underwater!
Did you know the names of most of these pieces of diving equipment? Learn more about your equipment, how to manage basic scuba diving equipment repairs and make adjustments by taking the PADI Equipment Specialist Specialty Course.
Looking to buy your own scuba diving gear? Check out our blogs on the pros and cons of buying your own scuba gear, guides to buying your first dry suit, BCD and mask.
About PADI
PADI® (Professional Association of Diving Instructors®) is the world’s largest and most popular diver organisation with a global network of 6,600 dive centres and resorts and more than 128,000 professional members worldwide. Issuing more than 29 million certifications to date, PADI enables people around the world to seek adventure and save the ocean through underwater education, life-changing experiences and travel. For over 50 years, PADI is undeniably The Way the World Learns to Dive®, maintaining its high standards for dive training, safety and customer service, monitored for worldwide consistency and quality. With a longstanding commitment to environmental conservation, PADI is leading the way for millions of people to actively explore, steward and protect the ocean through its course offerings and partnerships with like-minded, mission-driven organisations. PADI embodies a global commitment to ocean health with its mission to create a billion torchbearers to explore and protect the ocean. Seek Adventure. Save the Ocean.
For more details visit www.padi.com
All diving equipment available through www.mares.com