Dive Kit List
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Dive Kit List Last updated July 2015 blueventures.org Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 2 Essential Items ........................................................................................................................................ 2 PADI Manuals & Materials .................................................................................................................. 2 Advanced Open Water Course ........................................................................................................ 2 Log Books ........................................................................................................................................ 2 Mask .................................................................................................................................................... 2 Snorkel ................................................................................................................................................ 2 Fins ...................................................................................................................................................... 3 Dive Boots/booties ............................................................................................................................. 3 ............................................................................................................................................................ 3 Timing device ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Knife or line cutter .............................................................................................................................. 3 Dive slate (A4 or A5) and pencil .......................................................................................................... 4 Recommended (but not essential) Items............................................................................................ 4 Wetsuit ................................................................................................................................................ 4 Buoyancy Control Device (BCD) .......................................................................................................... 5 Regulator ............................................................................................................................................. 5 ............................................................................................................................................................ 5 Delayed Surface Marker Buoy (DSMB) ............................................................................................... 5 Reel ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 ............................................................................................................................................................ 6 ............................................................................................................................................................ 6 Dive Computer .................................................................................................................................... 6 ............................................................................................................................................................ 7 Dive Torch ........................................................................................................................................... 7 Introduction We realise that for new divers the array of dive equipment available can be slightly daunting! The following section should help you choose dive gear that is suitable for your time at Blue Ventures, without going overboard. Whenever purchasing equipment the most important factor to consider is comfort, if the equipment does not fit correctly it may not function properly. Money may be an issue, but regardless of your financial position conduct a little bit of research prior to buying, don’t be afraid of asking questions in the shop and remember a lot of sales assistants make a commission on the items they sell you. Essential Items PADI Manuals & Materials – essential for anyone doing any PADI courses Advanced Open Water Course – all volunteers must be certified to Advanced level before taking part in this expedition. Sometimes there is the option to complete the course during your expedition and if you are doing so you must bring with you the PADI Adventures in Diving Manual. Please ensure your manual has a plastic slate in the packet called the ‘Adventures in Diving Deluxe Data Carrier’ as you will also need this slate. Log Books - essential if doing any dive courses with us and recommended to all divers to keep a record of all your exciting diving adventures. A number of different types are available, any diving log book is sufficient. Mask You need to have your own mask, and a spare is recommended. Different masks have different features, which your dive shop will explain, so make your decision and make sure it fits properly. To do this, place the mask against your face as if you were wearing it without the strap, and inhale through your nose. You should feel it sucking onto your face. Now shake your head about a bit, without breathing out, and if it has a proper seal then it should not fall off. Before you use your mask, get rid of the wax protection seal that manufacturers coat the inside of the lenses with by gently rubbing toothpaste into the surface of the lenses, inside the mask. Leave it on overnight, then wash it off in the morning, and you should find this helps prevent your mask fogging up during dives. Snorkel A snorkel is a standard part of dive equipment, which is useful during diving in case of surface swims, mandatory during PADI dive courses, and essential if you want to go snorkelling, which is a great way to explore the lagoon and shallower parts of the reef. Cheap, bog standard tube snorkels are fine, but as a rule the more you pay the easier the snorkel is to clear and less water gets in the snorkel from waves providing a better experience. You may want to consider a ‘dry’ snorkel; these don’t fill with water even when you duck dive, thanks to a system of valves and floats inside the snorkel. Remember the watch words are comfort and easy to use. Fins There are two main options with regards to fins; either full foot fins (which you wear without dive boots) or half cup fins (which you strap on around your dive boots). Full foot ones are light to use, easy to slip on and off but can rub so dive socks, or regular socks solve this problem. Full foot fins are fine for warm water, however if you plan to use your fins in cold water too, then your feet are likely to get very cold. Half cup fins are used with booties, and stay on by an adjustable strap which goes behind the ankle, these are heavier to transport and use. The water is warm enough for most people in full foot fins but if you are susceptible to cold consider the half cup fins. Dive Boots/booties Dive boots are only essential if you choose the half cup fins but otherwise some other form of footwear (old pair of trainers) which can get wet is essential as there are shells and rocks which you might stand on in the shallows. Timing device You must have a timing device in order to dive and those without one will not be able to dive. The best option is to purchase a dive computer, especially if you plan to dive regularly. Dive computers/bottom timers start at about £125 UK. However this may not be an option for everyone and any watch that is pressure tested to 100m is sufficient (ones that only say 50m have, in the past, broken, even though the maximum depth Blue Ventures dive to is 30m). Either a digital with a countdown timer, or an analogue with a bezel will be adequate. Knife or line cutter We ask all divers to dive with a dive knife (in a sheaf) or line cutter, throughout their time with Blue Ventures as a safety requirement. A small knife is more than sufficient and generally cheaper, as the most common use for dive knifes is as a pencil sharpener there is no need to invest a lot of money, larger knifes are often more cumbersome, but it is up to you what type you buy. We recommend that if you choose to buy a knife over a line cutter, you purchase one which you can secure around your leg. The variety, which clips onto BCDs are not practical here unless you have your own BCD as you will not always have the same BCD. Dive slate (A4 or A5) and pencil In order to conduct the scientific surveys you will need a dive slate to write down the information and either a proper dive pencil or a normal pencil, bring a few spares. Special dive pencils are made of a plastic rather than wood and therefore do not rot and will last until you either run out of lead or lose them! Normal pencils will last a while, but eventually, over a couple of weeks, will start to rot and disintegrate, so you will need to bring a supply of these to last for your stay. Some slates come with a dive pencil attached via a piece of rubber tube, if your slate does not come with this, consider buying one as pencils are easy to lose. Recommended (but not essential) Items Wetsuit A wet suit is a great way to stay warm in water,