Anyone who is going to take up diving as a hobby will need to purchase the right gear for the job. When taking lessons, it is possible to use the schools equipment but not in all cases. Once certified then every diver will need their own equipment that is a personalised to ensure the best fit. Any local PADI dive shop can help with this.
The basic equipment for exploring the underwater world is
- Snorkel
- Mask
- Fins
For open water diving the equipment needed includes
- Regulator
- Dive computer and/or planner
- Buoyancy control device
- SCUBA tank
- Wetsuit and/or Drysuit
- Weight System
The equipment used also depends on the conditions of the dive site, this can vary between
- Cold water SCUBA diving equipment
- Tropical SCUBA gear
- Temperate SCUBA gear
- Technical Diving SCUBA equipment
It is important for divers to use their own equipment as soon as possible as it is fitted especially for them, therefore it is more comfortable to use. Comfort also helps with confidence. If a diver is more confident when diving, they are less likely to panic and get into trouble if something should not go according to plan.