Basic Gear for Scuba Diving

Series Summary

Scuba diving will be one of the most exhilarating experiences of your life. You will actually be swimming with sea creatures in their own habitat. Sure, snorkeling is fun, but scuba diving is the real deal: total immersion in an alien environment. “Scuba” is actually an acronym for “Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.” Scuba equipment usually consists of a tank of breathable air, a tube leading to the mouth piece, fins worn on the feet to propel the diver, a diving suit, and sometimes a DPV (diver propulsion vehicle) or “scooter” used to move the diver around quickly. The term “scuba” was first used during World War II and referred to combat frogmen’s oxygen rebreathers (both semi-closed circuit and closed circuit).

In these free scuba lesson videos, you will learn about the equipment you need to go scuba diving, such as the regulator and bcd. Our expert Cole Abbot then demonstrates how to use this equipment and covers basic diving skills such as clearing your mask and equalizing your ears. Worried about nitrogen narcosis? Cole tells you how to avoid it. Do you need diving insurance? Should you keep a dive log? Watch this excellent series and you will know all about beginning scuba diving.

Video Transcript

"Cole Abbott, with Expert Village. I'm going to be talking about scuba diving today. With every basic setup, you need to have a primary and an alternate second stage regulator. You need to have depth submersible pressure gauge, as well as an air gauge. You also want to have a buoyancy compensator device. Either in a back-inflate style like this, or a jacket-style will work just fine. You need a weight system. Either integrated or weight belt. Exposure suit. Wet suit. Dry suit. Doesn't matter. Pretty much need it. A mask. Our eyes can't focus under water, so we need these, too. As far as fins, we need them to move around. Our feet aren't big enough. And, some fins require boots."