Scuba diving is a fantastic way to learn about the underwater world. You can spend a lot of time exploring, searching for interesting and diverse fish and plants, and learning more about the marine life that surrounds you.
While there are many costs associated with scuba diving, the cost is really not related to one specific piece of gear. It is your gear, your pool set up, and your seamen as they teach you. The more advanced you get, the more complicated things get.
Some pieces of scuba gear can be expensive, depending on where you buy them. The most common pieces of equipment people purchase together is a tank and a regulator. They are usually for sale together because it is so hard to determine how much water someone needs while underwater.
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Regulator
Most people start off with a relatively small amount of scuba gear and purchase more as they progress. This is a good way to start, as you can use what you have for self-defense!
Start off with your SLR camera, then move onto your BCD, DIV, and other self-defense underwater gear. Once you add more scuba gear, the cost will go up.
Some cost-effective ways to buy scuba gear are by auction site or through sites like Amazon.com or eBay. Most major diving shop websites have a fee structure that you can look up prior to purchase.
Be careful though; some sites that look legitimate may have cheaper materials but may not be better quality materials.
Yoke
The Yoke is a simple yet clever piece of diving gear. It is a handle that you place over your mouth and nose to filter water and granule food into your body fluid.
When submerged, the Yoke works like a vacuum removing particulate matter from your body water. This helps maintain a healthy immune system, digestion, and overall health.
In addition to filtering water, the Yoke also helps hold up your mask during decompression stops which is important when travelling or being out late.
Compressor
The word compressor comes from the process of changing the air pressure in your diving supplies. Youuben calls this a “regulator” on his gear list.
Most scuba gear companies offer some type of digital pressure regulator, but they differ in size and shape. Some have more features than others to help you determine the correct level of pressure in your oxygen and water supplies.
To use a compression band, you must have it connected to a source of air pressure. Some models have an included hose or canister that does the work for you.
Pressure regulators are not perfect solutions for all diver situations, so having a different one for non-rescue diver situations is fine.
Accessory pack
Most people do not have enough scuba gear to fill a full bag. As mentioned before, there are various sizes of scuba tanks so you can have more than the standard one size does not matter. With multiple sizes of wetsuits, boots, and masks it is easy to have additional gear!
The next piece of scuba gear you need is a regulator. A regulator is what controls the water that passes through your lungs when you breathe under water. There are two types: borosilicate or glass and leather-covered vinyl. Both have their benefits and neither is required.
Then there are the weights or regulators, which determine how much air you require to breathe while underwater. There are two types of weight regulators: floatation devices and fixed-bottom devices.
Mask
Most Cost of Scuba Gear bullet points
Using a mask is the most cost of gear? Finding the right one for you is what this article is for!
When it comes to scuba gear, there are two main types: full-face masks and fins. Full-face masks have a nose and/or chin portion that meets the fins when zipped onto the torso.
The nose portion of a full-face mask can be helpful in preventing air from getting into your mouth while under water! Ratio-wide or Snell® masks have a wide nose portion and ratio-wide fins that meet when attached to the torso.
Titanium nitrideMask has titanium nitride coating on it that bounces light away from you, making it look like you are under water for longer! These masks are expensive, but not out of reach for most people.
Snorkel
A snorkel is something you wear that protects your nose and mouth from the water. A regular snorkel can be exchanged for a bigger mouthpiece to make it deeper.
A wetsuit is also necessary when going scuba. A wetsuit is a garment that allows water to flow through it when submerged. These are typically white, semi-transparent material that feels comfortable against the skin as it moves in and out of the water.
When diving, you need a dive computer to tell you when your time has come to leave the surface and go down. You can also purchase an instructor book so that you can learn how to send your diver down safely.
Finally, there are some scuba gear brands that do not require you to go scuba but instead train you how to use the equipment properly.
Booties
A trench coat or a pair of woolen socks is the easiest way to protect your legs from water and dirt. A heavy duty pair of water resistant boots is the first piece of gear you should buy.
As the name suggests, a water resistant property means that the boot does not dry fully when exposed to water. This is why you must purchase a waterproof wallet or phone case as well as the boots.
The other properties of the boot are heat resistance, weather-resistance, and durability. Each of these qualities can make a different difference in how much you spending on your boot.
For instance, heat resistance makes a difference in how much you must spend on your belt and belt hardware. The more resistant your boots are, the more expensive they are!
Overall, cost-wise, wet-weather boots are around $20-$25USD depending on where you buy them.
Wetsuit
A wetsuit is typically made from synthetic material such as lycra or foam rubber. A wetsuit can be worn under a diving suit or open-suited.
The cost of a wetsuit can range from $100 to $300! This can be a little difficult to determine, as some are more expensive than others. A better way to determine the cost of a wetsuit is to buy one brand lower cost wet suit and see if you like it. If so, you will have spent money on quality wet suit ownership and maintenance.
It is important to always check the size needed on your body. An amateur diver that does not know their size may find that they are not enough water for their body and that the wetsuit is too hot or too tight. Buying a slightly big wet suit will help this out!
There are many ways to maintain your wetsuit.