Thursday 5 April 2007

Part 5: A discussion on diving and air consumption: Equipment



Again, as you learned in your dive course, equipment causes drag through the water, drag means extra effort which means higher air consumption. You learned therefore that the gear you carry should be streamlined.


What I am about to say may not be popular as many divers are very attached to their ‘gear’. Consider streamlining your gear by not taking it in the water in the first place or better still, leaving it at home! I can virtually put money on the guy who has been diving for years and is carrying half a dive shop underwater with him will be the first up. It’s always a matter of personal choice, but when diving in tropical waters you really can pare down to the bare essentials.

Why not take off your dry suit inflator hose – you won’t need it. It feels so much better when you’re not laden down with all the latest gadgets and it does wonders for your air consumption (and excess baggage charges!).

If you don’t have the ideal tropical setup, consider hiring you gear – your dive resort should have plenty of high quality equipment available for rental.

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