Scuba Equipment Selection

The transaction takes place at a distance. You have no way to come into direct contact with the item before the sale.

There is not a lot of profit in SCUBA, particularly in the northeast where there aren't as many divers as in the southern states. Every dollar that goes to an Internet dealer is one dollar less that goes to support the local diving infrastructure. If the local shop closes who will fill your tanks?

Looking at it another way: Lets say you just purchased a new reg at an unbelievable price on the Internet. Does someone in your area repair it? If you have to drive 200 miles to get it maintained it won't be long before the great deal doesn't seem so great. You bought a BC and it is too small? Ship it back and get another. The additional shipping charges will probably eat up any savings over the LDS price. Before running to the Internet, I urge you to consider your LDS.

Any discussion of SCUBA and the Internet must include Leisure Pro (LP). Leisure Pro is a very large LDS in NYC. They often advertise what are by far the lowest prices on the Internet. Most Internet sites won't even try to compete with them. How do they do it? There are a lot of stories, gray market, Leisure Pro warranties rather than manufacturer warranties... If you want to hear a lot about LP, pro and con, go to the SCUBA boards. Many have threads dedicated to LP. I believe in the old adage, “you get what you pay for.”

Ebay is another story all together. Some items may be fine, others junk. Often there is no warranty. Old dive equipment is often discarded via Ebay. Regulators and BCs are life support equipment, do you really want to buy someones trash and trust your life to it? Do you know enough to properly evaluate the item? There are a lot of used Dacor regulators on Ebay. Why, because the company was bought out and there are no more parts available to rebuild them.

What to buy first?

Ok, you have decided to take the plunge. Checkbook in hand you stride into your chosen LDS. What should you buy? If you have enough money you can get a seizable discount by buying a complete outfit. If you have to be more conservative in your spending what should you get first?

Many people will tell you the first thing to get in a regulator. Often divers will consider it from a hygiene perspective, who wants to put something that has been in a lot of other peoples mouths in theirs? Many divers bring a small bottle of Listerine with them and spray the mouthpiece of their rental reg before use. This kills the germs and demotes the hygiene issue. Your LDS may consider the regulator as a first sale from a profit standpoint. Regulators require maintenance and often dealers have monopolies for specific brands in their area. A regulator sale assures future maintenance business and shop visits during which you may make another purchase. The dealer isn't trying to pull a fast one, but they need to make money to stay in business.

My recommendation for the first piece of gear to buy is a wet suit. To dive is to enter another world. There will be plenty there to grab your attention, especially for a neophyte diver. You will not want the added distraction of an ill-fitting, cold, rental wet suit. Spend your first dollars on a good fitting super stretch (see below) wet suit. In the northeast, get a 7mm thick one for maximum protection.

After a wet suit I would recommend a Nitrox computer (see below). There are a few reasons for this: With a computer you can easily keep track of your dives. In most cases you will be able to have more bottom time per dive than with tables. Some shops don't rent computers and if they do, they all operate a little differently. If you own your own computer you will become very comfortable with it's use.

Once you have a wet suit and a computer it is time to consider a BC and reg. If buying just one at a time, get the BC first as it is a comport/fit issue. Realize that if you separate the BC and regulator purchase you may have to swap the BC inflater hose into the rental regulator each time you rent (see below).

Concurrent with equipment purchases, you should be acquiring items for your save-a-dive kit. When you got your mask and fins, did you get extra straps? When you got that wet suit did you get some wet suit glue? See a list of recommended items for a save-a-dive kit below.

While on the subject of purchase, did you know that basic black is no longer the only color available to the diver? Color isn't just a fashion statement. You will be diving with others and a little color helps in identification. Bright colors also show up from a lot further underwater than dark/black. A word of warning, if you are outfitting your family, be careful that the other family members don't grab all the nice colors, or like me all you will be left with is black.

Some Information About Dive Equipment

Save-a-dive Kit. Starting out by talking of a save-a-dive kit may strike some as odd, but if you get into the habit of collecting spares of the various bits that tend to go wrong there will be fewer situations where equipment malfunction will cause you to miss a dive. You will have the necessary parts to repair your equipment. As your equipment list grows so will the save-a-dive kit. From the beginning consider: spare straps for mask and fins, wet suit glue, needle and thread, sea sickness medication, Pseudophed, spare o-rings, an o-ring pick (do learn how to use it correctly so as not to damage equipment), spare batteries for lights and computer, DAN Pocket Guide to First Aid for SCUBA Diving, computer instructions, copies of your C-cards, sharpie, extra clips, snorkel/octo keeper, wrenches to fit your hoses and such. Your list will grow fast.

Personal Gear is generally regarded as snorkeling equipment. It consists of the small items that need careful fitting for comfort.

Mask – Silicon rubber has made newer masks much better fitting than the old rubber ones. Even so, no one size fits all. Go to the LDS and try on several masks. If you don't know the proper way to test a mask, hold it to your face and inhale slightly. Let go. The mask should adhere to your face without leaking air. While there consider getting a spare mask and a second strap.

Single Lens vs. Two lens - This is a personal preference. Many of the two lens masks have a smaller air volume making purging easier. Also many two lens masks can accept prescription lenses. Single lens masks are generally more expensive to get with prescription lenses.

Prescriptions - If you require prescription lenses in your mask and have a fairly simple prescription, a two lens mask from a manufactures that offers pop-in lenses is the least expensive way to go. If your prescription is complex, you may require a single lens design so that prescription lenses can be adhered to the surface in the correct position. If you have minor astigmatism, you may find that going one lens stronger than your prescription is all you need. For strong astigmatism, consider a custom prescription.

Presbyopia – Presbyopia s a condition where the eye looses some of it's ability to adjust focus. As things appear nearer underwater this can cause problems reading gages and such. An inexpensive solution are stick-on reading lenses like Optx.

Fins – There are many different kinds of fins on the market and a lot of hype. Fins need to match a divers finning style. If possible try a few different fins before making a purchase.

Full Vs. Open - Unless you are in very warm water you will want open fins so you can dive with booties.

Split vs. Solid – There is a lot of hype over fin shape. Basically split fins are supposed to make it easier to swim faster. This isn't always the case. Split fins require stiff sides to keep them from folding, or may have a webbed or perforated center. The longer the fin, usually the more power is required for each stroke. This may lead to tiring or cramping in some.

Stiff vs. Flexible - Now a days, most people choose flexible fins. Stiff fins such as the Force or Rocket/Jet are generally reserved for special situations, like where finning technique is modified to avoid kicking up silt. Large stiff fins can cramp your legs if you are not used to them .

Spare strap – buy one, complete with clips Put it in your save a dive kit.

Fit. - fins should not pinch and the foot should slide well into the pocket. As different booties have different shapes, select your booty before your fin.

Snorkel The basic snorkel is a “J” shaped tube with a mouthpiece. Thiner ones are used by skin divers to reduce purge volume. SCUBA divers often use larger bore snorkels. It can be difficult to find a plan snorkel due to manufacturers adding all kinds of doodads of dubious value to the diver. (I am sure that a lot of people will disagree with this, but when you have had a snorkel fail due to a grain of sand trapped in the purge valve you may come around to my way of thinking. And on a dive in Sept 08, the purge valve fell out of a new snorkle I was trying...)

Options - There are a bewildering variety of doodads manufacturers have grafted on to the basic snorkel. My experience is that by and large they don't offer the SCUBA diver much. If you learn to use a snorkel correctly then you won't need all the doodads and a doodad you don't have is a doodad that can't break.

Purge valves are drain valves that make it easier to expel water when surfacing. In my experience they can get stuck resulting in wet breathing or rendering the snorkel useless.

Top Valves are supposed to prevent water from entering the snorkel. For casual snorkelers that are just finning around on the surface they may have some value, but you are going under water for a period of time. Valve or no valve your snorkel is going to flood.

Flexible bottom sections are supposed to allow a snorkel to hang free and not get in the way of the regulator. I find the corrugated hose feels like, and is in the same position as, my BC inflater hose, making it easy to grab the wrong one.

Keepers - Keepers come in two basic types, a plastic clip and a figure eight shaped piece of rubber. I find the figure eight to be the best, but be sure to get one the same bore size as your snorkel. The figure eight keepers can also be used to hold octopus regulators. A third alternative is to use no keeper, but tuck the snorkel under your mask strap. This may require a little practice to get the angle correct but it does away with some of the clutter around your head. Most divers that tuck the snorkel under their mask strap only put on their snorkel at the end of a dive, keeping the snorkel in another location (pocket or backplate) during the dive.

Folding Snorkels - Folding snorkels are designed to be kept in a BC pocket and withdrawn when needed on the surface. Some are so flexible that they may not function well under a mask strap.

Exposure Suits are clothing worn by the diver to protect them from the environment. In the northeast people generally think cold when they think exposure. But there are other things that a diver may also want protection from, for example, stings and pollution. Diving into polluted water is not a recreational pastime for most people so we won't cover it here, but police, fire departments, military and commercial divers do a lot of this kind of diving.

Dive Skin - A dive skin/sting suit is a thin garment made of Lycra or similar material. Its purpose to shield a diver from gear chafing, abrasions, sun, and minor stings. It provides very limited warmth and is used primarily in warm waters. Some divers like to use a sting suit under their wet suit as it makes getting into and out of a wet suit easier.

Wet Suits - Wet suits are made of closed cell neoprene foam. They come in single and two piece styles. Fit is very important as a suit that is too tight will be a pain to doff and don, while a loose one will allow a lot of water changes and a loss of warmth. Because wet suits are made of foam they will degrade over time as the individual cells rupture.

Thickness - Wet suits come in a variety of thicknesses from 2mm to 7mm, warmer being thicker. Often the abdomen will be of thicker material than the arms and legs. This allows maximum insulation over the core while affording additional mobility to the arms and legs. In the northeast, where the water is cold, if you can only afford one suit consider a 7mm unless you are a very warm individual or you plan on never diving cold water. Remember your first thermocline?

One piece vs. two piece - Theoretically a two piece with it's doubled coverage over the abdomen should be warmer, but in my experience a well fitting one piece is just as good. This may be due to more water leaking into the two piece.

Titanium coating - Supposed to reflect heat back to the body. Does it work??? The advertisers seem to think so but I know of no impartial tests that show a real world benefit.

Super stretch - is a special fabric that allows the suit to stretch easily. This makes it much easier to get a good fit and to doff and don the suit. Well worth the additional price. On the subject of price, much of the neoprene used in wet suit manufacture comes from just a few sources. Everyone uses the same material. I have found the Tilos brand super stretch to be of good quality and less expensive than that of other manufacturers.

Vests - Vests are often used in cold water. They may or may not have attached hoods.

Semi Dry wet suits - Contrary to popular belief, the thin film of water against your body does not keep you warm, the foam insulation does. Some wet suits are designed with fairly tight seals This slows down the amount of water flowing through the suit. A fine, smooth interior surface also retards water flow. With less water flow, there is less cold water to heat and you stay warmer.

Repair – Repair of wet suits is fairly simple, sew and glue the tear. Use Aquaseal or a similar wet suit glue. Aquaseal takes a while to cure so it is well worth getting the curing accelerant

Hoods – Hoods come in long and short neck lengths. If buying a single hood, a long neck is probably best. Tuck it into the wet suit if you are cold or leave it out if you are too warm. Some folks like the beanie, a small, light weight skullcap of a hood. Sometimes people have problems equalizing with a hood. If this happens to you try pulling the hood away from your ears to let a little water in.

Booties – Booties are generally made with a hard rubber sole. Find a pair that fits well before getting your fins.

Gloves - Gloves are available with fingers, as mittens and as mittens with a split between two fingers. Thick gloves provide less feel, thin ones are colder. The mitten styles are often warmer than gloves.

Dry Suits – Dry Suits are basically bags that the diver wears over clothing. The clothing, can vary from a swim suit in warm water, so several layers of thermal underwear in cold conditions. Special seals are used at the neck and wrists to keep water out. The suit is attached to a source of gas for inflation. Dry suits are expensive and require special training. While generally considered beyond beginning divers, after you get 20 or so dives in and feel fairly confident in the water you might want to check out a DUI Demo Day, where for a small fee you can spend a day trying out dry suits under the eye of an instructor. DUI Demo Days are a lot of fun, inexpensive and they serve good food.

Gages/Timer/Computer - At a minimum you will require some means of telling how deep you are, how long you have been down, and how much air you have left in your tank. Gages provide this information. Gages are often clustered in a console or may be mounted individually.

Depth Gage - A Depth gage is required if you don't have a computer. It is used to determine depth and in conjunction with charts and bottom time to determine nitrogen loading. Depth gages may be marked in feet and/or meters. They often have a thermometer built in (in my experience these inbuilt thermometers are slow to react and too small to provide an accurate reading.)

Pressure Gage - A Submerged Pressure Gage (SPG) is used to monitor the air pressure in your tank. Unlike your other hoses, the SPG hose caries high pressure air. SPG hoses can not be replaced with the low pressure hoses used by your other devices as the low pressure hose will rupture. Most regulators will use different size fittings for low and high pressure hoses to avoid mix ups, but the trouble with standards is that there are many of them so check before attaching any hose. When buying a SPG, get one with large clear markings. SPGs are often attached using a retractor. An SPG is attached to the hose with a special fitting that allows the gage to swivel. The fitting contains a part called a thimble. The thimble is a thin tube with two small o-rings on it. It is not uncommon for the o-rings to wear and air bubbles to escape. There are at least three different styles of thimble. When you get your SPG, consider getting a spare thimble for your save-a-dive kit.

Compass - A compass, although not mandatory, is a definite advantage. It requires some practice in order to use properly, but will save you from having to come to the surface to find your bearings. Compasses can be mounted on a retractor, on your wrist, or in a console with the SPG and depth gage. Note that all dive compasses are filled with oil. There should be no bubbles visible. Even small bubbles can be a problem as they can get trapped under the card and make the compass provide errant readings that may be hard to detect. Sometimes, a compass that gets overheated will form a bubble so try to keep your compass out of the sun.

Timers - Timers are required to determine how long a dive has lasted. For most purposes an inexpensive waterproof watch (120 foot depth rating is fine as you shouldn't be going anywhere near that deep as a new diver) with analog hands and a rotating bezel is sufficient. I find that it is becoming more difficult to find cheep watches with functional bezels. If you can't find one, a digital could be used, but it might be easy to accidentally push the timer buttons and in dim water it will be necessary to illuminate the watch to read it. Also, many of these cheap “waterproof” watches are not that waterproof if you push their buttons while underwater. In any event, get a watch with a long band as most divers place them on the wrist and you may be wearing a thick wet suit and thick gloves under your watch strap. An alternative is to hang a watch off a clip. More advanced bottom timers and specialized watches are available, but are probably overkill for a new diver.

Dive Computers - Dive computers consist of a timer and depth gage along with a computer and program to monitor the time and depth and compute the divers nitrogen loading. This has great benefits for the diver, particularly in bottom time. You will remember from your dive table instruction that you must use the deepest point in your dive for calculating bottom time with dive tables. This is done for safety reasons because it is impossible to calculate all the possible dive profiles in a table. As dive computers are constantly tracking depth and time, they can factor changes in depth and provide a real time indication of nitrogen uptake. This has the effect of increasing bottom time for most real world dives. In addition to these basic functions, computers often incorporate a number of additional options. By and large the industry is moving from gages to computers. This is not to say you can forget how to use gages as many rental shops only provide gages or may charge significantly for computer rental. There are a few types of dive computer:

Air Only - Air Only computer. This is the most basic of computer. It is only capable of computing nitrogen loading for dives where the diver is breathing air. As an introductory diver, you will only be breathing air so this would seem not to be a problem. But you might progress to Nitrox or other breathing mixtures and Air Only computers often lack other options. From a manufacturers standpoint the difference between an Air only and Nitrox capable computer is chiefly a software change. So Air only computers are becoming less common.

Nitrox - Nitrox Computer. In addition to the features of an Air Only computer Nitrox computers allow you to enter the percentage of oxygen in your “air” tank. In addition to nitrogen loading, Nitrox computers also calculate oxygen toxicity factors. While a discussion of Nitrox is beyond the scope of this document, more advanced divers often modify the amount of oxygen in their breathing mixture (NOTE: DONE INCORRECTLY THIS CAN KILL YOU. GET TRAINING BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO USE NITROX). Almost all Nitrox computers have the ability to download information they collect during a dive into a personal computer.

Advanced - Advanced Computers are those that allow for the use of multiple breathing mixtures, provide the user with different decompression algorithms and other features. They are beyond the scope of this document.

Liberal/Conservative - Liberal or conservative algorithms. Dive computers use computer programs to determine the likelihood of getting decompression sickness. Decompression is a very complicated process and is not fully understood. Because of this, decompression risk is calculated as a probability. Liberal computers increase your bottom allowance, by increasing the allowable risk factor. Conservative computers reduce the risk of DCS by decreasing the dive length. Personally, I dive a liberal computer, but use the information it provides conservatively, I don't push it to the limit. There are a lot of different decompression models used in computers. So like dive tables, do not mix and match computers. If yours says come up and your buddies says you can stay down, they may both be right. Dive computers generally don't say on the box if they are liberal or conservative so ask your Local Dive Shop (LDS) before making a selection.

Integrated Air – Integrated Air computers are computers that also incorporate an air pressure gage. They can provide on screen air consumption information. There are two kinds, those that use a high pressure hoes and those that are hoseless. The hoseless models use a small radio transmitter mounted on the regulator. These units tend to be more expensive.

Computer Violation - Violating your computer (no we haven't reached the kinky part of the document.) means that you have pushed the computer past it's limits. Your computer's program operates within certain parameters of depth and time. If you exceed these parameters the computer will not be able to determine your nitrogen loading and will go into a shutdown mode. It will stay in shutdown mode for 24 hours. The 24 hour wait is to ensure that your body has time to off-gas it's acquired nitrogen and get back to its base level. Your diving must also shutdown for 24 hours. The moral, if your computer says surface, or take a safety stop, do it,.or you may not be diving tomorrow.

Mounting - Computers can be attached to your wrist, mounted in a console, or hung on a retractor. I keep mine on my wrist, but find that rapid movements of my arm often cause my computer to indicate that I am surfacing at too fast a rate, sometimes even while I am descending.

BC Assuming you are are a certified diver, or are taking a course currently, you are familiar with the Buoyancy Compensator. At it's most basic a BC is a means of attaching a tank to a diver and providing a means for the diver to adjust her buoyancy. From there out there is a lot of variation.

Types of BCS – There are three basic types of BC. Listed in order of commonality they are:

Jacket - The most common type encountered, the jacket BC consists of a jacket with an internal air bladder that wraps around the back and to the wearers sides. It has pockets for storing accessories such as safety sausages, lights, line.... Jacket BCs are said to have the advantage of holding a person more upright on the surface that the other styles. This is due to the fact that the air bladder wraps around the sides of the wearers body so all the lift isn't confined to the back area as with the other two styles. On the other hand, inflation of a jacket BC means that the wearer will feel some pressure on their sides as the bladder inflates. Some find this annoying, some don't. Most jacket BCs use an integral (non replaceable) bladder. In the event of puncture this makes repair or replacement of the bladder difficult and may require the purchase of a new BC.

Back Inflated - Back inflaters are similar to jacket BCs except that their bladder is located on the back. Putting the bladder on the back prevents side squeeze during inflation. Some people find that a the back positioned bladder forces them face down on the surface, a position they do not prefer. Because the bladder doesn't have to enter the sides of the BC, back inflaters often have removable bladders. Such BC are more easily repaired in the event of balder puncture. Back inflaters are said to hold the diver in a more stable swimming position.

Back plate and wing - The Back Plate and Wing (BP/W) is an a la carte approach to buoyancy compensation. It consists of two main parts, a backplate and harness (BP) and a bladder (Wing). As the parts can be readily mixed and matched, the wearer can tailor the configuration to the needs of the specific dive. There are three basic plate materials, Plastic, Aluminum and Stainless Steel. Plastic is generally chosen for travel. Aluminum and SS are chosen depending upon the amount of weight a diver desires. The harness is most often sold without any pockets. If pockets or such are desired they are purchased separately and threaded onto the webbing. Wings come in a variety of lift capacities and styles and attach to the backplate. Backplates can accommodate single or dual tanks (as a neophyte diver, dual tanks are not an immediate concern.) In addition to its flexibility, another advantage of the BP/W is that the backplate puts weight directly over the divers lungs. Keeping your center of mass as close to possible to your center of buoyancy makes it easier for a diver to hold their orientation in the water column. The BW/Wing combination has a lot of adjustment range, much more than other BC styles. Until recently, the BP/W was the province of more advanced divers, but acceptance is growing among recreational divers.

Lift requirements - The function of a BC is to provide additional buoyancy as required by the diver. For most one tank recreational divers 30-45 lbs of lift will be sufficient if they are properly weighted at the start of a dive. When I first started diving there were no BCs. We used snorkel vests with 5-10 lbs of lift. You learned to weight yourself properly. Spend some time getting properly weighted, don't use your BC to compensate for over weighting. You can buy a BC with a lot more lift capacity, but these are generally used by very experienced divers for special purposes. Buying too large a BC will mean that you will have more resistance swimming through the water and as the air won't be as restricted, you may find that you have a tendency to be lifted unevenly as the air runs to the highest part of the BC (sometimes you can hear it gurgle.) Do not buy a large BC with the idea of using it as a lift bag, as that is dangerous (think very fast ascent and/or failure of the bladder while being over weighted.)

Bladders - are urethane bags attached to a large bore corrugated rubber air hose with an inflater/deflater mechanism on the other end of the hose. (Some of these inflater hoses have a steel cable inside running to a dump valve on the bladder. You pull on the hose to activate the valve. Personally I don't relish pulling on a rubber hose attached to a plastic valve 60 feet down, what if it comes off or breaks? I would rather press the release valve on the inflater, but thats my two cents.) Almost all bladders have at least one additional air release/dump/over pressure valve on the bottom. This allows for venting when in an inverted position and serves as an over pressure relief valve in case a stuck inflater (or panicky diver) overfills the bladder. Bladders may be single piece or two piece. A single piece bladder has an outer layer of nylon material directly bonded to the urethane bladder. The purpose of the material is to provide abrasion and puncture protection to the bladder (It also gives the manufactures a nice surface to print their logo, model name, racing stripes or whatever.) Single layer bladders are lighter and more compact than two piece bladders, but they are also less robust and not easily repaired. Two layer bladders consist of a urethane bladder inside a separate nylon case. The nylon used is generally of heavy weight and, in the better bladders, the nylon case is coated on the inside with urethane to increase puncture protection. Access to the bladder is provided by a zipper. Bladders come in “U” and “O” forms. Favor seems to be shifting to the “O” form as air is less likely to be caught in one side or the other. In addition to buoyancy/lift ratings, bladders also come in single and dual tank sizes. The dual tank ones are generally too large for recreational divers and their size makes them want to “taco” around single tanks. Some bladders have small projections to help stabilize a single air tank and keep it from shifting from side to side. Some wings require a single tank adapter (STA) to stabilize a single tank on a back plate.

Cam Bands - are the buckles and nylon webbing that cinch around the tank to hold it to the BC. Some designs use two cam bands, some one. There is less chance of a tank slipping with 2 bands. Divers with a single cam band are often advised to wet the band before attaching the tank as this helps to get a tighter fit. Good bands will have strong adjustable buckles and Velcro to hold the end of the band from fluttering about.

D-Rings - are D shaped rings, usually made of stainless steel, that divers use to attach gear, often by means of clips. They are found on almost all BCs. You will find a few D-Rings quite useful, but you don't need a lot of them. Most divers consider 4 or 5 sufficient.

Low Pressure air hoses - connect the BC to the regulator and are generally shipped with each BC/Wing. This is so that the length of the air hose can be matched to the length of the BC/Wing's inflater hose. Also, while there are standards concerning the dimensions of hose and connector fittings, there is some variation out there. Be sure that the hose you get will fit a LOW pressure port on your first stage AND the inflater.

Patching - There are bladder patching kits on the market. Luckily I haven't had the need to try them. I have heard that they are not always successful in fixing a holed bladder. Personally, if I am on a dive and had a small hole in a bladder, I would try to patch it but would replace the bladder as soon as possible.

Weight Integration - One of the newer options for BCs is weight integration. This consists of incorporating a mechanism for holding weights in the BC rather than in a separate weight belt. The advantage is that it allows the BC to spread the weight across more of the body. The disadvantage is that the weights must either be placed into the BC before putting it on, making it a lot heavier, or they must be added after the BC is on, often difficult due to the range of motion required (As you should be diving with a buddy, this shouldn't be a major problem). Of more concern with weight integration is the fact that each system is different so you will have to tell your buddy how to ditch your weights. (I constantly see divers matched up on dive boats that haven't a clue how to ditch their buddies weights. Sixty feet down in an emergency is not the time to try and figure things out.) Another drawback is that some systems place the weights in pouches and drop the pouches with the weight. Dropping the weights means the loss of the pouches and the disabling of the BC until new pouches can be acquired. If you are considering an integrated BC consider one that either doesn't have weight pouches or if it does have pouches, that they are a convenience item and not a necessary part of the weight system.

Care of the BC - After each use BCs should be rinsed off with clean water. The bladder should also be flushed with water and this water should be allowed to drain from each orifice, including the inflater air supply connection (hold down the inflation button to drain water through the connection.) This is particularly important when diving in salt water. Put a little air in the BC to keep things from sticking together and store it in a cool dry area.

Regulators No other item of SCUBA gear is hyped as much as regulators. All regulators currently sold consist of a primary and a secondary regulator and possibly a second secondary regulator (octopus). While there are notable differences in regulator behavior, breathing effort, wetness, etc., if you buy from a reputable dealer, there is little chance of getting junk.

Primary regulators – Primary Regulators (also called first stage) serve to reduce the high pressure air from your tank to an intermediate pressure of approximately 130 lbs/sq inch above the ambient pressure. In order to accomplish this, the regulator must be able to “sense” the pressure of the surrounding water. Most regulators do this by having a small hole in the regulator through which water enters a portion of the reg. This water adds its pressure to the pressure of the spring in the regulator and so allows for additional air pressure at depth. Regulators are designed for this small amount of water and in warm/clean environments the system works well. As the temperature of the water drops and /or the environment gets dirty, problems with ice or contamination can arise (as air expands from your tank through the regulator it cools. This can cool a regulator enough to freeze the water inside your reg even when the water temperature is in the 40s). To combat contamination and ice problems, sealed regulators have been designed. A sealed reg uses a membrane, piston or gel/fluid (Sherwood uses a unique air bleed – more on this later) to convey the water pressure to the inside of the reg without letting water in. Sealed regs tend to cost a bit more than unsealed regs. Many unsealed regs have sealing kit options available. The basic mechanism of first stage regs utilizes a piston or a diaphragm. Each design has it's proponents. Personally I use a diaphragm but either design can produce a good regulator providing there is good design, manufacturing and maintenance. While on the subject of primary regulator design, when shopping for a reg you will hear of balanced and unbalanced designs. An unbalanced reg will be more effected by changes in tank pressure than a balanced reg. Most experienced divers prefer balanced regs. But probably the reg you trained with or rent at the resort are unbalanced. Balanced regs are a bit more expensive.

Primary regulators have both high (full tank pressure) and low (130 PSIG) pressure ports. At a minimum you will require 1 HP port (for your SPG) and 3 LP ports (for second stage, octopus, and BC inflater.) Most regs provide more than this minimum number. Usually high and low pressure ports are marked and have different thread sizes, but one reg may use the same size fitting for a LP port that another uses for their HP port. Always check the port and hose type before connecting them to a reg.

The Sherwood air bleed system constantly bleeds off a very small amount of air – over the length of a typical dive, about two breaths worth. The air acts as a seal while allowing the reg to sense the water pressure. The system works well. A guy I work with dives a Sherwood under the ice in Antarctica several weeks every year. Many resorts use low end Sherwoods as rentals due to their reputation for ruggedness. If you figure on going on to more technical training, you should know that the air bleed system of the Sherwood is not well suited for pony and stage bottle use. So don't figure on getting an inexpensive Sherwood now and using it for these purposes later.

Secondary regulators – A secondary regulator (or second stage) takes the 130PSIG air from the primary and allows it to enter your mouth at a reduced pressure when you breath. They also deflect your exhaled air to the side of your mask on exhalation. It takes work to breath and as the air density increases at depth, breathing requires even more effort the deeper you go. For this reason the better 2^nd stages will incorporate one or more adjustments to allow the diver to tailor the regulator response for the current conditions. Many of the higher end regulators are designed to breath their best on deeper dives. Sometimes this results in shallow water performance that may be less than that provided by an inexpensive reg. A recreational diver need not buy a top shelf reg to get good performance at moderate depths.

Often a secondary regulator will function well in one position but breath wet (let in a little water) or have other problems when used in other positions, for example: upside down, face down... Higher end regulators tend to have fewer issues with breathing position.

An octopus (or octo) regulator is a second second stage. At it is designed for emergency, not normal usage, it often is of lower performance and has few if any adjustments.

Yoke or DIN - There are two methods of attaching a regulator to a tank, the yoke and the DIN. The yoke is the standard connector in the US. It is a loop of metal that the tank valve slides into and has a screw that is turned to tighten the tank into the yoke. The DIN connector is a large diameter screw that threads into the valve on the tank Unlike the yoke, which exposes it's o-ring, the DIN completely encloses the o-ring. DIN connectors are the standard in Europe but are catching on in the US. DIN connectors come in two styles, 5 and 7 thread. The 7 thread is high pressure capable and will fit all DIN tanks. The shorter 5 thread is low pressure only and is made short so it cannot mate with the deeper high pressure tank fittings. Time was when the yoke could not take the stress of high pressure tanks but most new yokes have been beefed up. If you want a reg that can do both yoke and DIN get the DIN reg and a yoke adapter rather than a yoke reg and a DIN adapter as this combination is simpler and more compact.

Maintenance – Maintenance consists of washing with fresh water after a dive. Be careful to cap the primary where it attaches to the tank and do not press the purge valve on the secondary when washing as this will let water inside and will require a trip to the LDS to correct. Almost all manufacturers want you to take your reg in for yearly service. Some will sweeten the deal by offering free parts if you service yearly. You should be aware that reg service is generally charged by the reg. i.e. 1^st stage, 2^nd stage and octo equal three regulators. At $25 per reg, probably typical, that is a $75 a year expense. Most manufacturers are notorious for not selling repair kits to anyone except dealers so don't count on doing the work yourself (this assumes that you have the skills, tools and knowledge required – few divers do.)

Accessories Some accessories are necessary from the outset, these include, a safety sausage and whistle or other signaling device and a means to cut line, particularly fishing line. As you progress in your diving you will want to add some other accessories.

Dive Knives - are carried by many divers. They are used for cutting line and to pry. Many knives are available with flat/blunt tips. They prevent accidentally sticking oneself when sheathing and the tip can be used to pry without worry of ruining the point. Larger knives are often worn inside the leg on the calf. Smaller ones are often worn on the BC. Many knives have a metal pommel which is used to bang on the tank as a signaling device. Dive knives should have a serrated edge as this cuts line easiest.

Shears - are frequently substituted for knives. EMT shears are often used as they are inexpensive. A simple pouch for EMT shears can be made by folding a piece of webbing and stitching the edges together. While the basic construction is stainless steel, many EMT shears have a plain steel rivet in the center. This rivet is subject to corrosion. More robust shears are also available. Some are claimed to be able to sever small diameter steel cable, the kind used in fishing leaders. In many circumstances shears are easier to use than a dive knife. I recall trying to cut free a hooked grouper tangled on the bottom with a knife. It was very difficult without grabbing or hurting the grouper. My wife handed me her shears and the job was done.

Line cutters - are “J” shaped plastic handles with a razor blade inside. They are handy for waving around to catch monofilament line and funnel it to the blade. Real handy if you get line tangled on your valve or reg behind your back where you can't see it.

Signal devices - are used below water to signal your buddy and on the surface to attract attention. Many dive boats will not let you dive without a signaling device.

Underwater signaling - is often done with hand signals. In low visibility, a light is often waved in front of (not in the eyes of) a diver to get their attention. The other method is with sound. Use either the pommel of your knife to tap on your tank or use a rattle. Rattles are tubes with balls inside they are shaken to produce a sound. You can buy rattles or make them with a little PVC tubings and end caps and some marbles, or ball bearings.

Safety Sausages - are long thin balloons that are inflated on the surface to signal. Some of the larger ones can also double as lift bags to raise that 10 lb Danforth you just came across.

Mirrors - are especially good on sunny days as eyes are attracted to flashes.

Whistles - are light and small and can be heard a long way away. They are also quite inexpensive.

Lights - If you dive very much in the northeast you will notice that it can get dark underwater petty fast. Not only does water absorb light, but it absorbs it at different rates depending upon color, the reds being most quickly absorbed and the blues least. This means that as you get deeper, things go from light and colorful to blue green and dark. To see things in their correct colors you need to supply light. A word of warning, you will be amazed how fast light is absorbed underwater. Do not expect to see that huge flood of light that your light puts out in the salesroom to be the same underwater. If you keep your light in a BC pocket, get into the habit of turning it on before you remove it. That way if you drop it you will be able to see where it is on the bottom.

Underwater lights come in many shapes and sizes. Perhaps the most popular size is the 4 C-Cell. These lights are small enough to tuck away, provide a fair amount of light and can act as a backup for the big lights used on night dives. Make sure your light has a lanyard.

Most lights use a small Xenon or similar halogen bulb, the same found in Maglights and other high end lights. LEDs are catching up as their power level improves. High end lights may use HID technology but they are very expensive. Some put out so much heat that they can only be left on for long periods if they are underwater as the water acts as a heat sink.

If you are planning on doing night diving you will require two lights a large main light and a backup. These large lights frequently start at 8 C-Cell size and go up. Try a few different ones at your LDS before making a purchase.

Dive Slates – These are handy for taking notes. They can be purchased inexpensively or made from a piece of plastic. (Find a piece of white plastic, or use a split piece of 4 inch PVC pipe. Scuff it with steel wool or a Scotch-brite to provide a rough surface. Drill a hole to attach a strap or clip and another to attach a cord to hold a pencil. I like to use carpenters pencil. They are larger making them easier to hold and drill a hole through. They are also designed for sharpening with a knife.)

Clips, retractors and catch bags - or “Ok, where do I put all this stuff?” If you have a BC you probably have a few pockets. You can put some of it in there. You can also clip some to your “D-Rings” Retractors are small devices that contain a spring wound reel of wire or line (line is cutable if you get tied up, wire is harder to cut) and a clip on either end. They are handy for things you need from time to time and don't want to take the time replacing. A frequent use for them is a compass or SPG. Snap clips are also used quite a frequently. Stainless steel clips are preferred as their springs won't rust, but I have had good results with brass ones from Tractor Supply. I don't know what the springs are made of, but they don't seem to rust. Clips are available as single (snap bolt) and double ended (double ended snap bolt or dog bone.) You can attach the single ended ones to your gear with zip ties and clip them to your D-rings. If you have an inexpensive underwater camera, they are usually buoyant and adding a snap bolt makes them slightly negative (a floating camera isn't fun, you want one just slightly negative) and provides a way to attach them to your harness. Be careful to buy only clips that require a positive motion to open. In particular do not buy the kind that has a spring loaded gate that opens when a rope is pushed against it. They are referred to by some as “suicide clips”. If you use these kind of clips it is possible that you might inadvertently clip yourself onto something by bumping it. This probably isn't much of an issue in a pool or during a beginning lake dive, but as you progress you will start to notice that in some sites there is a lot of “stuff” in the water that could be problematic with these clips. If you don't have these clips on your BC then you won't forget to remove them prior to dives where they could be a problem.

Software If you have a dive computer you probably got a software package with it. Some of these packages may be fine, but the one that came with my computer leaves much to be desired. I looked at a few, and settled on a program named Scubase. It imports data from many computers, calculates SAC, O2 and Nitrogen loading, provides a bunch of graphs, prints to a log book, can store your photos and ties into a fish identification database. It is inexpensive and available for a free 30 day trial.

Weights can be hard or soft. Hard weights tend to be a bit denser taking a little less room than soft weights for the same weight. They can be thread on a web weight belt or placed in the pockets of a BC or pocket style weight belt. Soft weights conform to your body better and are less likely to break your toe or whatever if dropped. Soft weights can not be thread on a web belt. They must be placed in the pockets of a BC or pocket style weight belt. While on the subject of weight belts, there are also harness varieties. Some people find them more comfortable as they take some of the load off the hips. If your waist us poorly defined a harness may help to keep it from slipping. Whatever style weight you choose, remember that weights are made of lead. Lead is toxic, especially to children. Soft weights are made of lead shot and have greater surface area so they may corrode faster than hard weights, releasing small amounts of lead. You should always wash your hands after handling lead and especially before eating.

Tanks should be the last thing you consider buying. Tanks come in 3 basic kinds, aluminum, steel and composite. We won't discuss composite tanks here as they are not yet in common usage and have a number of disadvantages for recreational divers. As you can see from the information below, if you don't dive a lot, you won't save money by buying a tank.

Aluminum tanks - are less expensive than steel, no surprise then that you see so many of them. The mechanical properties of aluminum are different than steel. Aluminum tanks are softer than steel, don't rust (but are subject to significant corrosion should salt water get inside) and are lighter for the same air volume than steel. With few exceptions (some 3300 PSI tanks) aluminum tanks are all rated for 3000PSI. The “standard” aluminum tank, the”80” holds between 77 and 78 cubic feet of air (80 cuft tanks don't hold 80 cuft) and does not tolerate overpressure well. If you are renting a tank the odds are that this is the tank you will get. Smaller and larger aluminum tanks, although available for purchase, are not often found for rent at dive shops. Unfortunately, one older alloy of aluminum used in tanks suffered from sustained load cracking. This resulted in some explosions and left a bad impression (all kinds of tanks have been known to fail, but the number of problems found with this particular alloy, 6351, caused a groundswell against aluminum tanks in general.) Although no one uses the old alloy anymore a lot of these tanks are still around. In addition to a VIP (see below) many shops require that an aluminum tank have a eddy current test (VIP Plus) each year before they will fill them (hot off the press, as of early 2008, proposed changes to DOT regulations will require eddy current tests yearly for aluminum tanks.) There is some talk in the industry of limiting the lifespan of an aluminum tank, perhaps 10 years. England recently banned aluminum tanks altogether.

Steel tanks - tend to be heavier than aluminum for the same air capacity. This is not necessarily a detriment as it means that the average diver will require less weight on their weight belt (weight is weight whether on the weight belt or on your back in the form of a tank.) Steel can rust, particularly under the tank boots if they trap water or if water is allowed inside (never drain all the air from a tank as then water may have a chance to leak inside.) Steel is not subject to the sustained load failures that plague some aluminum tanks. Steel tanks come in a variety of sizes, shapes and pressures. Newer steel tanks are generally divided into low (LP) and high pressure (HP) categories. Low pressure tanks often have a PLUS “+” hydro rating allowing them to be overfilled by 10% (generally to 2640 PSI.) An LP steel tank of about the same external size as an “80” cu ft aluminum tank contains 85 cu ft of air at a lower pressure. This is because the greater strength of steel allows for thinner walls and therefor more internal volume. High pressure (HP) steel tanks (there are different pressure ratings but 3442 PSI is a common rating) are becoming popular. A HP 80 holds 80 cubic feet and is the same size as an aluminum 65. It is a popular tank with women and shorter men. HP tanks are denser them LP tanks. So while a HP 80 may weigh close to an LP 85, its much smaller size means that it will displace a lot less water. My wife finds she needs about 5 lbs less on her weight belt with a HP 80 than she does with a LP 85. Be aware that if diving without an exposure suit, the HP tanks may make one too negative. All manufacturers provide information on the buoyancy characteristics of their tanks.

Valve type - As with regulators, you can get a DIN or a yoke valve . A combination valve is available, often for no increase in cost. This valve has a DIN screw thread, and an insert that can be screwed into the DIN thread to convert it for yoke usage. This is a nice feature as it future proofs your tank and to my mind doesn't have a down side.

Maintenance - Tanks must be maintained. Department of Transportation (DOT) rules mandate that tanks used to transport gases commercially over the highways must be hydrostatically pressure tested (hydroed) every 60 months (there is a LOT of confusion as to just what and how DOT regulations apply to private individuals, I like to think of these alternative interpretations as being in the same league as those who say they don't have to pay income tax. There's theory and then there are test cases. I for one don't want to be a test case. How many trials does the IRS loose?) Hydroing consists of filling the tank with water, over pressurizing it, and recording the change in volume as the pressure is removed. While on the face of it the DOT hydro requirement may not apply to tanks used for personal use, no dive shop will fill a tank without a current hydro. In addition to the hydro, the SCUBA industry has initiated it's own yearly Visual Inspection Program (VIP.) A VIP inspection requires the removal of the valve and the use of a mirror to inspect the inside of a tank for problems. In addition to the visual inspection many shops are requiring an eddy current test (VIP+) for all aluminum tanks as an extra safety step to catch neck cracking. This additional inspection cost is incurred only for aluminum tanks. Eddy current testers are expensive so shops have to charge a fair amount for the test. Costs for eddy current tests quickly add up (figure $100 to $200 every 10 years) and go a long way toward equalizing the cost of ownership of the two tank types.

Equipment maintenance -When it comes to maintaining your equipment and/or storing it you have three choices, pay someone to do it, marry someone who can do it, or learn how to do it yourself. A class in equipment maintenance isn't a bad way to pass a few hours during those long cold winter months while you wait for the ice to thaw. You will also learn a few new tricks about your equipment. Don't expect to be taught regulator repair at these classes.

Photography, the inexpensive kind, we're not talking aluminum housed DSLRs here. We all would like to bring back photos to help us remember our dives and to show our friends, but: Cameras tend to stop working when they get wet, and the light isn't “normal” underwater. “What do we do to get some underwater (UW) shots of that vacation we are going on in two weeks without spending a lot of money on something we won't know how to use?”

Basic Photography Skills – Are you a snapshot shooter, a professional photographer, or somewhere in between? Are you familiar with F-stop, shutter speed, depth of field, guide numbers, ISO? Can you tell the difference between shot noise and grain? Have you heard of the rule of thirds or the golden triangle? The point is that photography is a very broad field. Many decades of work have gone into the design of todays cameras to simplify the process. The result is that well focused/exposed (composition is a different issue) snapshots are fairly easy to take – on land. Below the water things get more complicated. If you would like to improve your UW photos, but have limited photographic experience, I would recommend you take a basic photography course and practice on land first. Most of the skills you learn can be transitioned underwater. Once you understand the basic techniques you will be better able to understand and use special UW techniques.

Given the low light levels, if not using flash, you will need some combination of fast film/high light sensitivity, large aperture and slow shutter speed to get enough illumination. Of theses three factors, the most useful for novice divers is high film speed/light sensitivity. Novice divers frequently don't have the best buoyancy skills so they tend to move around while taking a shot. Higher shutter speed is required to offset the motion of the diver/subject and prevent blurring. Large apertures are expensive and probably beyond the budget of introductory photography. High light sensitivity isn't a free ride, expect increased grain(film) or shot-noise (digital) but either or these problems are better than getting dim/blurry photos.

For film cameras choose a film of 800 ISO or higher (many processors will “push” your film as a special service, generally doubling it's speed. This will increase grain size a bit further, but allow a faster shutter speed.)

For digital cameras, look for the ISO (or gain) setting. If you can, increase it. Often moderately priced digital cameras have unrealistic upper ISO settings. Test your camera before taking it UW. Take the same shot several times, varying the ISO between each. Load them into your computer and review the images. Blow the image up a bit and look at a uniformly dark area. Look for dots of brightness in the dark field that shouldn't be there. This is shot-noise, caused by over amplification of the chip which causes the noise in the electronics to become apparent. Different cameras can achieve differing levels of signal amplification before shot-noise becomes objectionable. Pick the highest ISO setting that your camera will produce without the shot-noise becoming objectionable.

If your camera offers the ability to select shutter speed, pick a higher speed, at least 1/125 second to reduce motion (use the shutter priority mode – often denoted with an “S” or a “T” - to accomplish this.)

Cameras vary a lot in their capabilities. Use the above guidelines as a start, take a few pictures and make changes as your gear and conditions dictate.

Light and Flash Photography – you remember from your basic OW class that red light is adsorbed by water faster than blue. This means that the deeper you go not only is there less light, but the color balance shifts to the blue green. By the time you hit 60 feet, there is little, or no, red left. Cut your finger on a barnacle at this depth and you will bleed black blood (actually, color doesn't vary with depth, but rather distance traveled through the water. So the farther something is from you the bluer it will look regardless of depth.) If you are not too far underwater you can use your computer to adjust the color balance of your shots. Unfortunately, this adjustment doesn't work well beyond shallow depths. This because there is so much red light missing that the necessary compensation results in blocky color distribution (posterization.) If you require “true” color then you are left with no choice but flash photography. A discussion of UW flash photography is beyond the scope of this document, but there are two points that a novice photographer should be aware of:

Water absorbs light fast so the distance your flash will provide good lighting underwater is much less than it would be on land. Even close shots may require the complete discharge of the capacitors, resulting on a long flash recycle time and the quick draining of batteries. For this reason always use fresh batteries when taking pictures underwater.

There is lots of “stuff” in most water. This “stuff” will reflect light back into the camera. A speck of dust ½ way between your camera and it's subject will reflect four (4) times the light of a similar sized area of your subject back into your camera. This produces a snow storm like effect called backscatter. The close proximity of the flash unit to the camera lens (which is responsible for red-eye) only exacerbates the back scatter issue. Advanced UW photographers mount their flash unit(s) (often two are required to balance the shadows) well away from the camera and angle them into the photo to prevent illuminating directly as much of the intervening water as possible to reduce backscatter. This is expensive kit and will not be discussed here.

Film or Digital – The world has gone digital, but film is cheaper (you can get disposable or low use film cameras for less than the cost of an UW or housed digital), especially if you are only going to take a few photos a year. Film also has the advantage of higher dynamic range (the difference between the lightest and darkest elements that will be correctly exposed.) The narrow exposure latitude of digital cameras means that your exposure has to close to spot on. Digital has the advantage of allowing you to modify your images in a computer. If you get your film scanned you can also manipulate it with your computer.

Disposable Cameras – These are sold by several film companies. They are widely available in diving areas like Florida, and less common in the Northeast. The deepest rating I recall seeing is 30 feet. Ok for some shallow diving. The lenses in these units are small. This allows for a broad depth of field but requires a slow shutter speed or high speed film. If you are going this route, look for a fast film speed (ISO 800 or better) as light will be low and as a novice you will probably be moving during the shot. Also fast film may let you get away without using the flash and therefor avoiding backscatter problems.

Waterproof Cameras – These cameras are sealed to prevent water entrance. I will divide them into two classes, shallow usage (10 – 30 feet) and diving usage (not necessarily 133 feet) Olympus, Canon and several other traditional camera manufacturers make cameras of the first description. Diving usage cameras tend to be more expensive but there are some value models, from Sea Life, Bonica, Sea and Sea, and similar manufacturers on the market. It may be difficult to compare the different models. Your LDS rep may not be much of a photographer, on the other hand she may be very experienced and using a professional rig. Either way she may not be up to date on value level UW digital cameras. Check with fellow divers and the UW photography e-zines for reviews.

Housed Cameras – These consist of a normal camera and a waterproof housing that it is placed in before being being brought under water. Housed camera solutions range from the $30 Snap-Sights to many thousands for aluminum housed DSLRs. Likewise options range from none to ad-nauseam If you are just starting out and don't want a to spend much money, look into the Snap-Sights (a word of note: the clips should be handled carefully.) If you already have a digital camera, you might want to consider getting a housing for it.

Many camera manufacturers have inexpensive housings for their moderately priced cameras but the odds are your local camera stores doesn't have them on the shelves. Check the manufacturers web site and the Internet. Many of these housings appear to be made by the same manufacturer. While giving good service, their latch is not very robust. Use the latch only for securing the back. Do not use it to cam the unit shut or open it. If the latch breaks, there are no spare parts available so the housing will need to be replaced.

Another option is provided by Iklite. Iklite makes quality plastic housings. The housings come in several stock sizes and are modified to fit specific cameras. They may cost a bit more than the manufacturers housings and are a bit more bulky/heavy but they are quite rugged, something to consider when the only thing that is protection your expensive camera from a trip to the trash can is the quality of the water proof seals in the housing.

Some people even use zip-loc bags and there is at least one company that manufactures rugged plastic bags for cameras. They may work for you, but, leakage possibilities, lack of an optical window and varying volume depending upon depth, which may cause problems with control access, are not traits that inspire loyalty to this solution.

Lenses – UW photography is a Wide Angle game. There are a lot of reasons for this (if you want to know more get some UW photography books or visit one of the websites dedicated to the subject.) You won't do much zooming or telephoto work, but you might try make use of your macro setting. You should know that the use of a flat window on the face of a UW housing serves to reduce the camera's angle of view (this is why expensive rigs have domed faces – ports - matched to the specific lens they are using.) A rule of thumb is that moderately price digital cameras have a wide angle field of view equal to what a 35 mm camera sees when equipped with a 35 mm lens (a moderate wide angle. This is due to the construction of the small light sensor chips used. Higher end cameras like DSLRs often offer considerably wider fields of view.) The combination of moderate wide angle and flat window combine to produce a “normal” field of view (between wide angle and telephoto) for most inexpensive housed cameras.

Mounting – A camera should have a lanyard to prevent it being dropped and a clip to allow it to be hung on the BC when not in use. It should be weighted to be very slightly negative as cameras that float up around your face when not in use are annoying.

Seals – All UW cameras have seals to keep water out. Some of these may be user serviceable some are not. The primary user serviceable seal is the one that seals the back of the UW housing or camera to the case. These seals must be regularly cleaned and lubricated. This is a critical step that must be followed carefully if one is to avoid a flood (manual film cameras may survive a flood if promptly rinsed and dried, but electronics become junk upon immersion.)

UW photography can be simple of very complex. The above should be enough information to allow you to start asking good questions.

Adirondack Aquanautical Society

Last update: August 4, 2010

Webmistress: Dave - loonytunes@nycap.rr.com

Questions and comments - Paul - pllenroc@frontiernet.net