Basic Equipment for Scuba Diving and Snorkeling
The items generally considered as basic equipment are your Mask, Fins and Snorkel.
These three items of scuba/snorkeling diving equipment are used to allow your eyes to see your legs to propel yourself and your body to breath.
The mask provides air in front of your eyes so that they can focus thus enabling you so see the underwater environment you have come to view whether diving or snorkeling. The snorkel provides a means for you to breathe at the surface whilst your head is immersed in the water, when snorkeling this allows you to view items of interest from the surface before descending to take a closer look and whilst SCUBA diving it helps you conserve energy and air whilst swimming on the surface. Fins will allow you to move through the water quicker but with less effort when snorkeling thus enabling you to see more of the snorkel site when diving they allow you to overcome the added drag that results from the SCUBA system on your back.
Masks
Our eyes are not designed to focus underwater so we use a mask to provide airspace in front of your eyes to enable them to focus. If you did not have a mask for sure you would not go diving or snorkeling but if all you had was a mask you could still view the wonders of the underwater world in shallow water.
Although masks have changed in many was since their inception they basically consist of the same elements these being a clear face plate, flexible sealing skirt and a strap.
The faceplate is made from tempered glass, this type of glass is used because in the unlikely event that the glass should break it clings together thus limiting the hazard of sharp splinters. The glass can be in one piece for your eyes, single lens or two pieces, one for each eye, double lens. The lens is mounted in a frame usually made from a plastic or composite material and comes in many colours and shapes.
The flexible sealing skirt is usually made from clear or black silicone, although divers and snorkelers tend to prefer clear silicone skirts as the allow more light to enter the eyes there are a few divers such as underwater photographers and technical divers who favor black silicone so that they can reduce the amount of stray light entering there mask and distracting them form the tasks they have at hand. This skirt would also encompass a flexible nose pocket to enable the diver/snorkeler to equalize the pressure in their mask and ears.
The Strap is quite simple single or double band made from silicone, rubber or neoprene. They are adjustable in length for the users comfort.
Mask Styles
Masks are now available in many different styles from large oval single plates, rarely seen now, to high tech masks with integrated head up displays.
The items generally considered as basic equipment are your Mask, Fins and Snorkel.
These three items of scuba/snorkeling diving equipment are used to allow your eyes to see your legs to propel yourself and your body to breath.
The mask provides air in front of your eyes so that they can focus thus enabling you so see the underwater environment you have come to view whether diving or snorkeling. The snorkel provides a means for you to breathe at the surface whilst your head is immersed in the water, when snorkeling this allows you to view items of interest from the surface before descending to take a closer look and whilst SCUBA diving it helps you conserve energy and air whilst swimming on the surface. Fins will allow you to move through the water quicker but with less effort when snorkeling thus enabling you to see more of the snorkel site when diving they allow you to overcome the added drag that results from the SCUBA system on your back.
Masks
Our eyes are not designed to focus underwater so we use a mask to provide airspace in front of your eyes to enable them to focus. If you did not have a mask for sure you would not go diving or snorkeling but if all you had was a mask you could still view the wonders of the underwater world in shallow water.
Although masks have changed in many was since their inception they basically consist of the same elements these being a clear face plate, flexible sealing skirt and a strap.
The faceplate is made from tempered glass, this type of glass is used because in the unlikely event that the glass should break it clings together thus limiting the hazard of sharp splinters. The glass can be in one piece for your eyes, single lens or two pieces, one for each eye, double lens. The lens is mounted in a frame usually made from a plastic or composite material and comes in many colours and shapes.
The flexible sealing skirt is usually made from clear or black silicone, although divers and snorkelers tend to prefer clear silicone skirts as the allow more light to enter the eyes there are a few divers such as underwater photographers and technical divers who favor black silicone so that they can reduce the amount of stray light entering there mask and distracting them form the tasks they have at hand. This skirt would also encompass a flexible nose pocket to enable the diver/snorkeler to equalize the pressure in their mask and ears.
The Strap is quite simple single or double band made from silicone, rubber or neoprene. They are adjustable in length for the users comfort.
Mask Styles
Masks are now available in many different styles from large oval single plates, rarely seen now, to high tech masks with integrated head up displays.
Some masks try to give the best field of vision possible either horizontally like the Scubapro Crystal View complete with integrated seamless side windows or vertically such as the Seac Sub Italica mask offering an almost unlimited field of vision with twin inclined lenses.
Some divers prefer low profile masks as they are easy to equalize and clear. Also being low profile the faceplate is closer to the eyes thus providing a good field of vision although not quite as good as the special features
listed above provide. Examples of these masks would be the Seac Sub extreme mask, Seac Sub Libera Mask and Saekodive Runner Mask.
Frameless masks are now becoming quite popular with many options available on the market the Scubapro Trinidad being on such model, not having a frame reduces the weight of the mask leads to a low volume and good field of vision.
If you would like to know more about masks contact us we have a wide selection including those featured in this post available.
Next post: Snorkels
Some divers prefer low profile masks as they are easy to equalize and clear. Also being low profile the faceplate is closer to the eyes thus providing a good field of vision although not quite as good as the special features
listed above provide. Examples of these masks would be the Seac Sub extreme mask, Seac Sub Libera Mask and Saekodive Runner Mask.Frameless masks are now becoming quite popular with many options available on the market the Scubapro Trinidad being on such model, not having a frame reduces the weight of the mask leads to a low volume and good field of vision.
If you would like to know more about masks contact us we have a wide selection including those featured in this post available.
Next post: Snorkels
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