Friday, February 17, 2012

An Introduction to Scuba Diving

An Introduction to Scuba Diving

The idea that people could swim and breathe underwater for extended lengths of time was once a fantasy.? But today, the sport of scuba diving has left fantasy behind and grown into a sport that is participated in by millions of people throughout the world.? Scuba divers are granted access to a truly mysterious yet unique and beautiful underwater world and with every dive site being completely different, every dive into the underwater world is an adventure into the unknown.

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What Actually is Scuba Diving?

In a nutshell, scuba diving means being underwater and being able to breathe.? The scuba diving gear that is worn today was developed by Aqua Lung in the 20th century and although the technology has evolved into something much more efficient, it was this apparatus that formed the basis of scuba as we know it today.? There are lots of elements that make up scuba gear however the main essentials include:

  • A mask
  • A BCD (buoyancy control device)
  • A tank
  • Regulators ? these are the tubes that attach to the tank to help you breathe
  • Fins

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Scuba divers will also wear a form of suit (wet or dry) depending on the temperature of the water they will be diving in.? Other optional extras include:

  • A dive watch
  • A compass
  • A snorkel
  • A dive light
  • An underwater camera
  • A whistle

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Recreational and Commercial Diving

Commercial scuba diving on the other hand has been called the ?more serious side of scuba diving? primarily due to the dangers involved in specific jobs.? Some commercial scuba diving jobs involve things like reef conservation and marine research whereas others involve construction work at significant depths or police work such as recovering dead bodies in waters with poor levels of visibility.

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The Future of Scuba Diving

As scuba diving continues to increase in popularity, more and more people will become certified divers as the years go by.? Current estimates state that over one million people per year are currently becoming qualified and the largest dive school in the world ? PADI ? claim to have awarded over 14 million open water certificates to recreational divers since the company began in 1996.? With PADI being just one of the main training agencies (SSI and BSAC are other popular agencies) the numbers are truly astonishing.

Whilst the current scuba that we see utilised at the moment is extremely safe and efficient, who knows what the future could hold.? Every year we see new forms of technology hitting the market and knowing how far scuba equipment has come over the years we can expect many more advances to be unveiled in the years to come.

Source: http://www.new-zealand-vacation.info/new-zealand-vacation-blog/outdoor-activities/an-introduction-to-scuba-diving

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