Hawaii Scuba Diving Gear
Let me go ahead and introduce you to the gear or S.C.U.B.A . Scuba stands for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus." Just call say scuba for short.
First and foremost we will need a mask and fins.
I have left out snorkel here because I want to concentrate on the
actually diving, not snorkeling. Masks come in all shapes, colors
and sizes. Some even have a unique "hole" in the nose area called a
purge valve that allows air to escape but water can not enter. Masks
should be nice fitting, not to lose or tight. When wearing a mask
make sure there is no crimps or hair between the mask skirt and the
face.
Next, get yourself some nice fitting fins. Fins too come in all shapes sizes and colors. For now, stay with the traditional type fins. Fins should be snug, not overly tight but tight enough to not slip off during the dive. Some fins are used with either boots or without depending on the water temperatures . I like the full-fit fins , the type of scuba diving fins that needs no boots. California divers who scuba dive in cold water, do water entries from rocky areas need boots.
Wetsuits are a must. Again, I can go on and on about scuba diving wetsuits but your wetsuit will be determined by the type of diving and conditions that you will be scuba diving in. Oahu scuba diving and most of Hawaii scuba diving you can get away with using a 3mm thick neoprene full wetsuit.
Next is the jacket that will hold the scuba tank
and contact everything together. This jacket is called a buoyancy
control device or B.C.D. for short. Even B.C. is fine to say. The
B.C. is responsible for holding air inside and contacting external
gear like the inflator hose from the regulator setup that is
connected to the power inflator.
Ok.
How are we going to breath underwater ? I am sure you have seen
those Jacque Cousteau movies right ? On their backs you seen those
round cylinder objects. These are called SCUBA bottles or SCUBA
tanks and hold various amounts of air depending on the size of the
tank. Recreational scuba diving like here in Hawaii uses aluminum
tanks that are 80 cubic inches in volume. We commonly call them
"80s." These tanks weigh roughly 45 pounds. Once in the water you
don't even notice the weight so don't worry. The SCUBA tank is your
life-support system- the same sort of equipment that an astronaut
uses.
Attached
to the top portion of the tank is the regulator setup or the
1st-stage, as it is the first stage at which the air is being broken
down.
Well with 45 pounds strapped to your back you
will be surprised to know that you will not necessarily sink. The
human body is very buoyant and needs lead weight to counter act this
buoyant affect.
Weight will depend of several things. The body size
of the scuba diver, the wetsuit being worn (neoprene wetsuits have different thicknesses.
Inside the neoprene is very very small air pockets that help keep
the wetsuit thick however this can cause extra unwanted buoyancy)
and whether or not the scuba diver is a
shallow breather. Most first time scubas are shallow breathers.
The lead weights come in different weight increments. 2 pounders, 3 pounders and so on. Weight used for Oahu scuba diving is around 12-16 pounds.
So we are are ready to make the dive. It is best when Hawaii scuba diving to dive from a stable platform, like a Hawaii catamaran boat. These are boats with 2 hulls that actually minimize the risk of getting sea sick. Entry is easy with a unique step down ladder.
After hooking up at the reef of choice we we will use a mooring line for nice and easy controlled decent. As you are slowly getting deeper you will notice the pressure becomes greater. Every 33 feet there is 1 atmosphere of weight. Therefore 33 feet is actually 2 atmospheres due to the surface, or the place where we breath counting as one. To counter act the pressure building up you will need to "clear" your ears or do what is called in proper terms the "Valsalva maneuver." all it clearing-your-ears. You
To perform the Valsalva maneuver or we'll just all it clearing-your-ears. You will need to pinch your nose, while wearing your mask of course, then gently blow out. You should feel the pressure equalize within your ears. Using the the mooring line slowly go down. Once at the bottom, roughly 30 feet depending on which scuba dive location we are at we will start the dive.
Being underwater is almost like being in space, of course we have not been in space before but the almost zero gravity resembles outer space conditions. Paying close attention to where you are at is extremely important. There are scuba dive dangers down there that can give you a hard time if touched or molested. So watch your hands at all time. Scuba diving in Hawaii is very easy; you are more safe scuba diving in Oahu than you are driving in Waikiki.
Call us now for immediate answers to your questions concerning scuba diving in Hawaii. We dedicate our time in helping you , the first time scuba diver to enter the world that Jacques-Yves Cousteau said "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever."