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We started diving a long time ago. The word diving is related to swimming underwater, and the word scuba is an abbreviation for "self-contained underwater breathing apparatus" and it has become acceptable to refer to scuba diving equipment as "equipment", “rig”, or "apparatus". So, we understand the word Scuba Diving as swimming underwater with special equipment.

When selecting a scuba mask it is essential that it fits your face well to ensure that it is both comfortable and leak free. Without a good seal against the face you may spend much of your time clearing the mask of water, while an uncomfortable mask detracts from your diving experience ? both lead to enjoying your dives less but because they distract you from your environment they are also potentially unsafe.

When it comes to choosing  scuba wetsuits, the thickness of the neoprene material, which is measured in millimeters, makes a difference in getting too hot or too cold, in addition to durability. Short wetsuits that cover the torso have short sleeves and leggings and are more comfortable in warmer and shallower water.

Other terms to appreciate are that "steamer" wetsuits are full suits that cover all but your head, feet and hands, while a "farmer John" suit has no sleeves and often is worn with a jacket. Dry suits have attached booties and watertight seals round the wrists and neck so you can wear thermal underclothes with them for heat. Most scuba diving regulators are sufficient for no less than 40% nitrox without any alteration. If you want a higher o2 content then you need to go for a nitrox diving regulator – these are traditionally green to distinguish them and have been properly cleaned. One other consideration is that you can’t use Nitrox with titanium diving regulators. So, the gas divers use from the tank is compressed normal air. Air is formed of 78.084% of nitrogen, 20.946% of oxygen and 1% of other gases that have just about no effect when respiring compressed air.

Nitrogen under high pressure can temporally effect our nervous system and meddle with signal transmissions, causing at bigger depths ( 30 to 40 meters / a hundred to 133 feet or more ) the condition known as nitrogen narcosis, which has similar effects as being under the influence of alcohol ( loss of decision making capacity, loss of focus, reduced judgment, multi tasking and coordination ). The simplest way to avoid nitrogen narcosis is for a diver to control the depth of dives.

If narcosis does occur, the effects disappear almost right away on rising to a more shallow depth. Under stress nitrogen softens into body tissues and starts to amass. To by-pass the bends divers must minimize the water pressure slowly on the body at the end of the each dive. This will allow the gases besieged in the bloodstream to steadily break solution and leave the body. This is done by rising slowly and making safety stops or decompression stops using dive Computers or decompression tables for guidance. As you can see while scuba diving, divers are limited in time and depth thanks to the nitrogen in the air.

For those divers that transcend 40 meters / 133 feet and for divers who require to spend lots of time under water, a different mixture of gases, training and equipment are required. The depth limit for recreational diving is between 30 to 40 meters / one hundred to 133 feet, but it also depends on the training and the gases used while underwater. Nuno Gomes ( S. A.

) now holds the world record for the deepest dive using scuba diving equipment. The dive of 318 meters / 1044 feet beat the previous record set by the late John Bennet of 308 meters / 1016 feet ( confirmed ). The above records were set using ‘recreational’ SCUBA. What’s important to remember that being underwater has limits and perils that pro divers are prepared to take. Dives between 5 to twenty meters / sixteen to 66 feet can show you the wonderful world that was once explored by Cousteau. These depths have the advantage of that provides divers with better light, colours and sea life. Also in shallow dives you may breathe less air from the tank, making your dive longer and safer.

Dive Safe out there, will you?