Other Necessary EquipmentMask, Snorkel, Fins, Boots and MittsWhat's Next?Other Necessary Equipment - Once you have purchased your personal scuba diving equipment, including your mask, snorkel, fins, booties and gloves, you are ready to start your lessons and enter the fascinating undersea world. The rest of the other necessary equipment that you will need, including the wetsuit, BCD (buoyancy control device), regulator, octopus, tank, and dive computer and gauges, will generally be included in your course fee or rented for an additional amount. In British Columbia, the standard Open Water Scuba Diver Certification Course fee includes the use of a wetsuit. A wetsuit will work ok in our cool water, and there are people that dive here year round wearing one. But I recommend using a dry suit. to keep you warmer, dryer, and more comfortable both during your dives and your surface time. There is a little more training required to be able to use a drysuit, and since they cost more there is usually a slight surcharge to rent one. Ask your Dive Shop Retailer about adding this option to your introductory dive package. The extra fee and training may help you to complete one of your PADI Specialty Dive Courses at the same time. Once you try your first dive, you will be hooked. The exhilaration, the tranquility, and the amazing sights and sounds of the undersea world will have you eagerly awaiting your next opportunity to dive. I recommend that you complete your Open Water Diving Course and maybe even your Advanced Diver course before buying any other necessary equipment. Once you know you will be diving for years, buy your other equipment. Begin with your regulator (once again, whose mouth has the rental mouthpiece been in?) and go from there. As I respond to more questions from my readers, and as I add more content to this web site, I will provide more information and links to other necessary scuba diving equipment. If you are a new diver, always speak to the experts at your local certified PADI or NAUI scuba dive shop when choosing your equipment. Other Tips For Your Necessary EquipmentHere are some other helpful tips to remember to help protect your necessary scuba equipment:• Pay the extra money up front and get good equipment. Not only will it last longer, it may save your life one day • Over time, the cost of your equipment can add up. Check with your insurer to ensure your new scuba diving equipment is covered for accidental loss or theft • Record the serial numbers of expensive items like scuba dive computers and regulators, and keep a detailed list and take pictures of your other scuba equipment • Mark your equipment with a paint marker with your name and check it often to ensure it hasn’t washed or faded away • Buy a heavy duty dive bag to keep your equipment together and organized. Also have a smaller mesh bag to keep your personal items together when on a boat • Make a waterproof list of your equipment in the order that you place the items in your dive bag. Order it so the first on items are the last items to be packed, and the last on dive items are the first items to be packed. • Wrap your dive mask strap around your scuba dive fins and ensure the glass faceplate is facing up when not in use on a boat to avoid losing or scratching your dive mask • Mark the name and contact number of the dive charter/operator, the date, the boat and captain name, dive location, etc. into your log book so you can contact them after if necessary • Buy colorful equipment. Nothing ruins a dive more than losing a piece of critical equipment right before a dive. • Always remove your gear and properly rinse and dry them, including your scuba dive bag, prior to properly repacking them in readiness for your next dive • Always have your equipment properly inspected and serviced annually by a trained, certified PADI or NAUI dive center • Always do your own visual inspection of each piece of equipment prior to leaving for your trip and prior to each dive • Don’t leave your equipment exposed to the sun for prolonged periods or to dry – the ultraviolet rays work quickly to dry out or disintegrate the various materials • Always have a ‘Save-a-Dive’ kit with you, which at a minimum should include an extra mask strap, snorkel keeper, fin strap, wax stick for your dry suit zipper, silicone spray or talcum powder for your dry suit seals, various o-rings, various connecting clips, and of course, some duct tape! • Don’t forget your Certification Card – without it your equipment is useless as you will not be able to dive! |