Scuba Tanks, Fins, and Accessories

Welcome to scubasites.net, we hope you enjoy your time here. This site is dedicated to providing information on scuba diving and the scuba equipment that is needed to dive safely and successfully.

The earliest form of scuba diving comes from Greek history.  It is said that during the naval campaign of King Xerxes I of Persia against the Greeks, a Greek warrior named Scyllis was taken captive. During his captivity he was taken onboard Xerxes’ ship and learned of an impending surprise attack on the Greek navy. Upon learning this, Scyllis seized a knife and jumped overboard. The Persians could not find him in the water, and they presumed that he had drowned. Scyllis actually used a hollowed reed as a breathing tube. During the night he returned to the anchored Persia fleet and used his knife to cut the ships loose from their moorings, thus preventing the Persian attack.

True or not, this story illustrates the first example in history of underwater breathing. Since the dawn of man we have been fascinated by the idea of being able to survive under the water.  Whatever our motives- exploration, conquest, research, food, or just fun, almost everyone has entertained a daydream of living underwater. The historic search for the means to do so has been full of false starts and dead ends, but perseverance has paid off, and modern techniques allow divers to work for hours, sometimes longer at great depths.

A modern scuba set consists of a pressurized tank of gasses (not air!), a delivery system with a mouthpiece and atmospheric pressure sensor, a wetsuit or dry suit, scuba fins or flippers, and of course a face mask. The scuba tank is filled with different mixtures of gasses depending on the depth of the bottom of a planned dive. Recreational diving mix is suitable to depths of about 130 feet, and is similar to the air we breathe. It is about 79% nitrogen and 21% oxygen.

The pressure sensor on your air delivery system adjusts the pressure of the air fed to your mouthpiece so that it matches the pressure the water is exerting on your body. Without this adjustment it would become difficult to breathe just a few feet under the surface, and by 20 feet down, it would be impossible. Your wetsuit keeps your body warm in moderate water temperatures, for extended exposure to colder temperatures a dry suit is needed.

Your scuba mask allows you to see underwater. Water refracts light at a much higher rate than air does. If you open your eyes underwater without a mask you will notice wild distortions in any movement. This is because the body of water acts like a gigantic extended cornea, bending the light waves before they enter your actual eye. The scuba mask minimizes this distortion.

Scuba fins and accessories complete your setup. The fins allow you to maneuver underwater with more power and precision. Accessories help you do whatever it is you want to do underwater. Waterproof cameras allow for photographs or movies to be shot from depth, scientific equipment allows researchers to monitor ocean life and conduct experiments.

There are fantastic scuba travel destinations, whether it’s the Florida Keys, the tropical reefs of the Caribbean, the Hawaiian Islands, the Great Barrier Reef, or even aquatic caves; there is a destination fit for your budget and tastes.

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