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Scuba Diving Equipment

A person in scuba diving equipment may look like a strange aquatic monstrosity to you, but every piece of that equipment is important to their survival underwater. From the tanks to the goggles, from the breath piece to the fins, the scuba suit is designed to help a human explore the underwater environments of our lakes and oceans.

If you think of scuba diving equipment the first thing you probably think of is the air tanks strapped to the back of a diver. These tanks contain compressed oxygen which is delivered to a diver via a supply line attached to a breathing piece. The simplistic looking system actually accounts for a complex difficulty inherent in trying to breathe underwater. As you descent, the outside pressure on your body increases, making it more difficult to breath. To offset this pressure, an air delivery system must supply you with air at the same pressure as the external forces acting on you.

In addition to the tank and mouthpiece, most scuba diving equipment sets include a wetsuit or dry suit, and fins for the feet. Wetsuits trap a layer of water next to your skin. Your body heat warms this water, which forms an insulating barrier against colder water you may dive into. A dry suit on the other hand forms a watertight barrier on the outside of the body. It keeps the entire covered area- usually everything but the head and hands dry. This allows excursions into much colder water than would otherwise be feasible.

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