Welcome New Scuba Diver! We are Here to help Pick the Right Scuba Diving Equipment!

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A handsome young girl visited us yesterday to start her journey in scuba diving.

We debated the various apparatus, and she tried on a bunch of superpremium Xcel & Pinnacle Scuba Wetsuits, as well as some economical Henderson wetsuits also.

After a couple hours she seemed more nonplussed at the mountain of equipment she had to ultimately purchase, which spurred the writing of this article.

Know that each scuba diving shop or dive centre will offer you a confusing array of varied apparatus, from scuba mask and fins to snorkels, wetsuits, BCDs and other helpful things.

Often you can even be a little confused what to pick. It is sort of accepted a large quantity of provided diving hardware makes the decision relatively difficult despite of this you want to select scuba diving equipment that may be excellent for you.

 

Initially you wish to consider the environmental conditions. In fact, the dimensions of your scuba diving equipment fiscal plan, and the proven fact that you can spend a bucketload of money doesn’t signify if you choose the inaccurate apparatus for your local environmental conditions.

You need also to take into account the temperature of the water and in the case it is cold enough then you’ll have to get a scuba dry suit. It should be also added that it is important to choose whether you would like an environmentally sealed first stage in your scuba regulator to prevent freezing.

 

The point is that it is simple to trim expenses by providing low quality items that may not stand up to any degree of ordinary use and a saving here will be at the price of equipment life or safety.

 

It is strongly recommended to ask if the store has ex-display models or stock from the prior season. You need to also know that you’ve got the chance to save money on gear like dive bags by substituting other products if you buy cheap plastic storage crates in shops and other stores.

You may be sure that you’re going to get it for a tenth of the price of a dive bag and besides it will do the job just fine.

 

Comfort is the other principal point to be considered.

To conclude, you may understand that selecting scuba diving equipment can be easy as long as you apply a little bit of forethought. Without regard for the enormous amount of funds available for your scuba diving package, you should be ready to choose many products and then take it gently and select scuba diving gear which will be glorious for you.

Thanks for reading!

Proper Fit & Care of your Scuba Diving Wetsuit

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Selecting the best scuba diving wetsuits is tantamount to giving yourself that full-geared up confidence to take part in a worthwhile scuba diving experience. Wetsuits offer assorted degrees of thermal protection for the body while underwater with its man-made neoprene material that might be fitted out with spandex fibers to provide further flexibleness. Here are some beneficial subjects to help in your search and purchase for this scuba gear : Finding your Wetsuit Style.

Xcel Wetsuits

Are available in full-body, 3 quarters, and two-piece styles. The 3 quarters or ‘shorty’ wetsuit is practical to be employed in warm waters while the two-piece wetsuit will fit cold water dives. If you are an occasional, recreational diver, shorties will be a good selection. But if you’d like to make an occupation or job out of diving, getting a full body wetsuit will give you the power to don it in both cold water and warm water dives. Wetsuit Fit : When picking a wetsuit its fit and tailoring for your body shape is critical.
So fit is actually imperative. At K2 Scuba, you can forecast a call and custom fitting you to the suit that it your bag, instead of just taking an order for some stock size and shipping it to you.
When you try a wetsuit on do some stretches and squats to see how it follows the contour of your body. SUITS IN THE 21ST CENTURY are now not UNCOMFORTABLE.
Do not accept the hype a wetsuit is only cushy in the water! If you notice major room especially on your lumbar area, in that arch between the apex of your bum and your shoulder, then you do not have a good fit. Simply, if your wetsuit does not stick closely to your body shape then water will flush in and you will not stay warm.
You have spent a grip of money for a sick fitting suit. There are a number of neck entry systems that different wetsuit brands will offer, the regular back zip and velcro close over or the front zip offered by Xcel Diving Wetsuits or Pinnacle Wetsuits. The public must try on some wetsuits to get one that fits them utterly.

Naturally, there are outlets offering custom-made wetsuits for those with deeper pockets. When cut to your size, the wetsuit guarantees utmost comfort, better insulation and pliability. Evaluate your Diving Wants .
Neoprene is the standard material for wetsuits and are available in thicknesses of 2mm to about 9mm. In most examples, wetsuits carrying a thickness beyond 5mm can get real enormous underwater to put a dent on overall adaptability.

Keeping up the proper Condition of Your Wetsuit. As much as possible, dip your wetsuit in a tub stuffed with an enzyme-based cleaner and hand wash it scrupulously ; particularly duck messing up the backstitching of a wetsuit. Don’t forget to mist it while drying outside but watch out not to bare it to direct daylight. The stench of a wetsuit are the bacteria from your skin hiding in the nooks and crannies of the neoprene. Wash your suit! Similarly , hang the wetsuit in a cool, dry place and away from direct sunlight when storing them..

Thanks for reading, leave your comments below. . . yes, now!

SCUBA Basics for the New Scuba Diver: Wetsuits

Even in the tropics, divers have to guard against thermal loss, but for divers who blow bubbles in chilly, temperate conditions–water ranging from the low 50s to the low 70s–staying warm is imperative. When the water’s this cold, it doesn’t take much to get uncomfortably chilled and stay that way. Good news: Today’s 7mm wetsuits offer better fit, features, comfort and thermal protection than ever before. Let’s review how a wetsuit really works.

Wetsuit Basics

Wetsuits are made with neoprene rubber, a closed-cell foam that traps millions of tiny gas bubbles. These bubbles in the neoprene act as insulation, and this, combined with a snug, sealed fit that minimizes the amount of cold water that enters the suit, is what keeps your body heat from escaping. In order for a wetsuit to keep you warm, it should: 1) be thick enough for the temperature of the water you’re diving in, 2) have seams, seals and zippers that minimize water intrusion, and most important, 3) fit like a second skin.

Materials

Stretch vs. Warmth A layer of material, usually nylon, lines each side of a wetsuit’s neoprene rubber. The purpose of the outer layer is to provide some protection for the neoprene, while the inner layer, or lining, is more for comfort. Some suits use no inner lining, and instead have a smooth-skin interior. This offers more warmth because the whole suit seals against your skin, minimizing or even eliminating water flow, a key feature of an effective wetsuit. The downside: wetsuits with smooth-skin interiors, with some notable exceptions, are more difficult to put on and take off, and the inside of the suit is more prone to damage. The trend in recent years, especially in 7mm suits, is toward more stretchy neoprene to increase comfort and flexibility. An Xcel 3mm stretchier suit is easier to put on, is super comfortable and is able to maintain a snug fit by conforming to your body. The downside: stretchier neoprene compresses more at depth than denser, stiffer, standard-stretch neoprene, reducing its insulation capabilities. Because of this, some wetsuit manufacturers use more traditional compression-resistant neoprene, which is then cut into anatomically shaped panels and sewn together to add flexibility.

 

Seams

Keep Them Watertight Nearly all seams on 7mm wetsuits are glued and blind-stitched. First, the suit’s neoprene panels are glued with two or three coats of neoprene cement. Next, the seams are sewn together to prevent them from pulling apart. This is done with a blind-stitch, where a needle penetrates only the top layer of the material on either side of the seam, without punching all the way through the neoprene. There are slightly different methods used in creating a durable waterproof seam. One is running a bead of liquid silicone-based urethane over the glued seam on the opposite side of a blind-stitched seam, making one side of the seam look like it’s been "welded" together. This process is more waterproof, since you’re not poking holes in the neoprene on one side, and more durable because the liquid weld bonds to the seam virtually everywhere contact has been made, rather than just at the stitch points. Glued-and-taped is another method, where flexible bonding tape is applied with heat and pressure over the glued seam on both sides, eliminating the need for any stitches at all.

 

Seals

The More the Better Some water always seeps into a wetsuit, but the goal is to keep it to a minimum. The most common water entry points, in order of importance, are the neck, wrists and ankles. Some manufacturers put sealing systems on these entry points. Starting with the most effective, they are: A note on neck seals: 7mm suits are designed for temperate to cold water, environments that require not only a thick suit but a hood. Most wetsuit hoods tuck inside the collar, but this generally breaks whatever neck seal the wetsuit has. If you wear a standard wetsuit hood, don’t worry about what kind of neck seal the wetsuit has; instead, tuck in the hood and then adjust the collar as snug as possible to minimize water flow. If the wetsuit has a first-rate neck seal and you don’t want to lose it, consider wearing a dry suit hood. These overlap the collar rather than tuck inside, maintaining the integrity of the seal. Another option: some manufacturers offer wetsuit hoods that have a band of smooth-skin sewn around the neck. Tuck the hood into the collar of the suit so that the smooth-skin band makes contact with the smooth-skin neck seal. They bond together, preserving the seal and keeping you dry, warm and comfortable.

 

Zippers

Often Overlooked Choosing a 7mm suit with a vertical back zipper or one with a horizontal front zipper is a matter of preference. Front-zipper suits tend to be easier to put on, but the zipper track can affect flexibility in the chest and shoulder areas. Back zippers lay in line with the spine and tend to be more comfortable, but you may need help when zipping up. Whether back or front, the zipper creates the greatest potential for water entry. To combat this, most suits have a zipper underflap that lies between a diver’s bare back and a heavy-duty zipper track, which helps block water flow (and adds cushioned comfort). Some suits use two sections of smooth-skin neoprene, one on each edge of the zipper track . When the zipper is zipped up, the two sections of smooth-skin seal against each other. Finally, a couple of suits use zippers with overlapping teeth that reduce water seepage, and here and there, you’ll find a 7mm suit with a dry suit-type zipper with its teeth sandwiched between layers of rubber that create a truly watertight seal.

Fit

The Ultimate Challenge Of course, none of the above–the seals, the seams, the zippers–matters if the wetsuit doesn’t fit. Gaps in your armpits and spaces between your legs, behind your knees or along your spine fill up and pump water inside your suit, sucking the heat out of you. A properly fitting suit fits your body like a second skin, with no gaps or spaces. Finding a good fit can be difficult: Everyone has a unique shape, and even standard sizes like small, medium and large differ by manufacturer. Some suits tend to be designed for muscular divers, others fit lean divers better. Some manufacturers offer a dizzying array of sizes, others offer only the basics. Bottom line: To get a snug-fitting suit, try on as many as you can. If you can’t find a stock suit that fits, find a manufacturer that offers custom-made suits. The Xcel Thermstretch Bamboo above to the right retails for $429. We one of the few master Xcel dealers that has the spank brand new 2009 Thermostretch Bamboo line of completely green wetsuit fullsuits. Please give us and call and come in to see this amazing technology in wetsuit wear. Xcel hasn’t yet decided to advertise their dive wetsuits on the internet so email us at custsvc@k2scuba.com and we will email you the pics and specs of this new product!

The 2009 Xcel Bamboo Ultrastretch series has gone GREEN and is made from recycled materials.

Ultrastretch Bamboo

New to the 2009 Xcel Dive line is the Bamboo Ultrastretch series made from recycled materials. Bamboo has insulating features that add comfort and warmth to a wetsuit. Using recycled yarns reduces the amount of materials going into landfills.

Read more here. . .

• The UltraStretch is a cold-water scuba diving 7/6mm wetsuit fullsuit retails for $429.97. The 5/4mm wetsuit is for more temperate water climes and retails for $359.97.
• Classic back zipper design is easier for women to put on or take off than suits with a cross-chest front zipper.
• Back Zipper with Adjustable wrap collar for comfort
• Xcel’s Bamboo-infused water-resistant Dual Level ThermoBarrier lining made from recycled materials; upper body in high pile for core warmth, with lower body and sleeves in lower pile for stretch performance
• Easy on & off ankle zipper system with inner ankle dams
• Quadruple glued and blind stitched seams with reinforced stress points means this suit is super premium and will last, and last, and last!
• Xcel will guarantee all the seams for the life of the suit, if a seam splits, return it 5-7-10 years from now and Xcel will fix it or give you a new suit.
• 5mm body, 4mm sleeves, 3mm outer lower legs and inner spine puts the warmth where you need it, and flexibility to keep you moving comfortably.

  

• These super premium suits come with the super premium K2 Customer Service, and we guarantee to make sure that your suit is a perfect and custom fit. Expect a call after your purchase and have your measurements handy!
• We have all sizes in currently in stock and are one of the few master dealers in the country to stock all regular and most specialty sizes:

Men:

S, M, MT, ML, LS L, LT XLS, XL, LXT, 2XLS, XXL, 3XL

Specialty Sizes:

XS, MLS, 3XLS, 4XL, 5XL

Women:

4, 6, 8S, 8T, 10S, 10T, 12S, 12, 14

Specialty Sizes:

6T, 14S, 16

Please see Xcel Sizing Chart here. . .

• Deliverability when it comes to your needs and desires is our highest priority. Leaving for vacation two days? Your (professionally fit) suit will be there next day!

• Customer support and technical support are here for you before and AFTER the transaction. At any time of the day or night, call toll free 866 523 4836.

• We guarantee you will love this suit, or we will buy it back from you. Dive it, play in the bath tub or pool for 30 days, if it isn’t the warmest, stretchiest, most comfortable suit that you have ever worn or purchased, WE WILL BUY IT BACK from you. . exchange it or give you your money back!

• You have ZERO risk on this most amazing Xcel Bamboo Thermoflex UltraStretch!

• Xcel warranties each and every glued seam for the life of the suit. That means even after you pass it down to Uncle Elmer, or sell it, the warranty follows. If a seam fails, send it back and Xcel will either repair it, or give you a brand new suit!
• If we haven’t shown you the love enough yet, please read our global policies here. We endeavor to treat you like a friend first, and a customer last.

Join the revolution!