One area of scuba diving education that seems to get little attention is how to pack your gear. My very first scuba diving vacation was when my wife and I got married in Hawaii and did our honeymoon in Tahiti. I toted a full sized, scuba suitcase from Chicago to Maui to Honolulu to Papeete to Bora Bora to Moorea, then back to Honolulu and finally Chicago. Each leg of the journey, I had to pay extra for the weight (and extra bag) of scuba gear. I carried way too much unneeded stuff. In today's economy, the airlines are looking for any reason to bend you over and nail you in the keester with luggage fees. So planning how you pack, can save you some money in the future.

The Thinking Dive Traveler

Before you start putting anything in a bag, you first have to go over everything and look for items that can be removed. I'm currently packing for a trip to Turks and Caicos. As I was folding up my mesh bag for carrying gear on a boat, I noticed that I still had a bunch of teaching slates in one of the pockets. I removed the backup light from my harness as well as the backup double ender I keep and stainless steel buckle used to hold my canister light in place. Even though I could really use my stainless steel backplate, I'm taking my aluminum plate to reduce the weight of the bag (I'll add a weight belt when I get there). By making these small changes, I was able to shave off 8 pounds from the bag. That may not seem like much, but it will help me get below the "heavy" bag weight limit the airlines impose. Remember, every ounce counts. So get into the mindset to eliminate even the smallest item if it isn't needed. If your bag is even 1 pound over the weight limit, you can bet a paycheck the airline will charge you extra. There's a war raging for your dollar. You need to fight to keep it. Make sure you know the weight limits for the airline you are traveling with prior to packing up your dive gear.

The Rental Option

Even if you own your own gear, you can still opt to rent gear from the dive operator you are diving with. This way you won't have to worry about packing, and maybe losing your dive gear. I'm always skeptical about renting gear in other countries. Who knows how well it has been taken care of. I get the willies just thinking about donning a wet suit that a thousand people may have puked on, peed in or done something worse. So I prefer to take my own gear. Certainly renting gear at your destination is a viable option. Just do your homework into how they service their gear.

Maximizing Bag Space

Looking at how you pack your gear can be a big benefit to you. You are only given a finite space to place your gear in a bag. My shorty wetsuit and mesh gear bag will lay perfectly flat on the bottom of my travel case (when it's laying down). I then put my backplate and wing on top of that. Make sure all of the air is out of your BCD prior to packing. My regulator bag sits nicely inside the harness next to the backplate. I have fin "pockets" on the inside of my travel case. Even my Jet fins will fit in them. My wet suit boots go in the foot pocket of my fins. The lid of my travel case has a padded zipper pocket on the inside of it. My mask fits in there nicely. I carry my bottom timer/depth gauge on my carry-on bag. By packing this way, I have plenty of room for souvenirs to bring home. Just as long as they don't push me over the bag weight limit. In the past, I made mistakes by packing things I thought I needed. For example, I own two regulator bags. One is a very nice, thickly padded XS Scuba one. I love that reg bag. But it is too bulky to travel with. So I have a less bulky one, that isn't as nice, to carry my regulators in. I've also stopped carrying multiple Pelican cases. In the past, I took as many as three Pelican cases to hold "stuff". I'm now down to only one small case, to hold my wallet and sunglasses when I'm in the water.

Make Sound Travel Decisions

If you take frequent scuba vacations, make sure that you think through your gear choices when traveling. It doesn't hurt to have a travel BCD that is smaller and lighter than your home BCD. Same thing with fins. As much as I love my Scubapro Jet fins, my old Dacor Panthers save me 4 extra pounds and I can move through warm water just as efficiently as my Jets. I also have warm water boots that are low cut and a thin rubber sole. Whereas my home wet suit boots are high tops with a thick, hard sole.

Otherwise, if you don't mind paying the extra fees for exceeding your checked bag weight limit, then feel free to keep stimulating the economy. We could use all the help we can get.

Dive Safe,
Duane
Precision Diving

 

Exploring the world under the see is always a surreal journey. Along with the tremendous pressure, different temperatures in various levels of water always hinder to conquer the dream. But it is not an inconceivable task to plunge into the deep ocean with the scuba gears.

For the first few times you will usually hire the scuba gears and will compel to adjust with the rented problematic accessories. But when the aspiration to discover the ocean world grows up and up you will be tempted to buy your own scuba gears.

Before buying the scuba gears you must know your needs and always keep in mind these following things:

1) Snorkel: Snorkel is a breathing apparatus that helps you to breath under water without letting your head up from the water surface. The optimum length of snorkels is 30 cm (12”). It can be found in various designs. Normally it is J-shaped and made of rubber or plastic. It is mainly used in surface swimming before or after scuba diving.

2) Diving Mask: The diving mask is used to allow its users to clearly see underwater. It is not possible to the divers to view under water because when human eyes are in direct contact with water the lights entering the eyes are refracted to a different angle so that it becomes almost impossible to see clearly. Diving mask provides the air space in front of the eyes. Diving mask is made of durable and tempered glass with a rubber or silicon cover, which seals it with the diver’s face to make it watertight. The divers can exhale within the diving mask. The best way to find the best mask is: first place it on your face (without the strap and without holding it by your hands), inhale gently. If it doesn’t fall then keep it. Otherwise try another one.

3) Fins: The fins are used to move underwater. The fins are generally made from plastics but can be found often made from carbon fiber and fiberglass. According to the needs, the size of the fins can vary. Normally the scuba divers need large and wide fins to get rid of the water resistance to freely move.

4) Diving Suits: The diving suits provide the protection to the divers from the water atmosphere. There are different kinds of diving suits such as wetsuits, drysuits, semi-dry suits, dive skins and hot water suits. The diving suits should be chosen depending on the water temperature. Wetsuits provide the thermal insulation to the divers but they get wet. It is mainly used where the temperature is lying between 10 deg C to 25 deg C. Where the water temperature is between â€"2 deg C to 15 deg C it would be better to use the drysuits. The diver’s body remains dry as it seals the body by neck and wrist. No water can enter through the dry suits. The diving suits are found in all sizes, so, it would be better to try which one fits you best.

5) Regulator: Regulator carries the air for breathing. It is a very important accessory at the time of the deep diving. This should have a second hose that is used for breathing out. Regulator is also connected with the buoyancy compensator.

6) Buoyancy compensator: The buoyancy compensator provides the life saving buoyancy both underwater and on the surface. This is essential to neutral the buoyancy. The diver has to choose which one should be taken according to his needs.

7) Watch: It is very much necessary to measure the depth and time while diving. It is better to have a computer rather than the watch. But you should consider carefully whether to bye a watch or a computer. The ultimate decision is yours.

You can start to unveil the world underwater with these essential things. And you will learn as the time passes by and as per you experiences what kind of other apparatus you need. All these things can be easily found at Customworks at Idaho or visit http://www.hydroglove.com.

How to Choose the Best Surfboard Fins

Author: Chris Warner

There are many types of surfboard fin systems to choose from. Choosing the one that you want is an important part of choosing your surfboard. Fin characteristics as well as the brand of fin system are to be considered.

Most surfboards today come with the removable, as opposed to glassed-in, type of fin. Most brands do not have cross compatible boxes. Boxes are the devices that hold the fin on the surfboard. This makes it important to choose the system you want, as it affects all your future fin choices for that surfboard.

First, consider these fin characteristics:

• Depth - The maximum height of a fin as measured from the bottom surface of the board. This shows how far the fin goes in the water. The hold of the surfboard increases with more depth but generally makes it harder to turn as well. 3-4 inch depth is standard on tri-fins and longboard single fins typically have a depth of nine inches.
• Template - The fin outline.
• Base - The length of the fin where it joins the surfboard. Increasing length adds forward drive, but makes it harder to turn. Shortboard tri-fins usually have a 3.5-4.5 inch base, longboard single fins are about 6 inches.
• Foil - The horizontal curve of the fin, measured from the front edge to trailing edge.
• Rake - The distance between the trailing edge of the fin base and the fin tip. This is the swept back characteristic of the fin. Increasing rake increases traction.
• Tip - The top third of the fin. More tip means more hold.
• Flex - Stiff fins are faster but flexible fins are easier to turn.

Second, consider the brands of surfboard fins available:

• FCS - These fins are the most widely used surfboard fins in the world. The great things about FCS fins are the huge variety and the availability. You can almost always find a replacement at the nearest surf shop. Since FCS is the most common fin system, most surfboards come with that type of fin box. FCS makes a huge selection of fins. For fins with a softer edge try Pro-Tech. The are compatible with the FCS boxes. Installation is with a simple allen (hex) key.
• Future - Probably the second most popular fin system in the US. They have some of the lightest fin boxes around, weighing in at about 26 grams/box. There are fins system for just about any type of surfboard out there. In particular, Future fins has an excellent selection of of Quad fins. There are also plenty of foils to choose from such as Vector, Vector 2, and the Scimitar. Future fins also install with a simple allen key.
• Lokbox - These surfboard fins have one significant advantage over most other fin systems; they are adjustable. You can slide them forward and back to find the sweet spot for you. They are easily adjusted with a slotted screwdriver.
• O'Fish'L - This is a snap in fin system. For those that love to experiment, this might be the fin system for you. You could even slap some fins in your boardshorts and change them in the water.
• 4WFS - The "Four Way Fin System". Four ways as in forward/back, cant/flair, toe-in/toe-out, or an entire fin replacement. The only problem with this system is there are so many choices you might go crazy tweaking just one set of fins.

If your having a surfboard custom shaped for you, another consideration is the type of fin system the shaper has worked with before. It might be better to go with one he or she knows well rather than risk an incorrect installation of an unfamiliar one.

With so many choices of fins/companies available, you shouldn't have a problem finding something close to what you want. Study the different brands. They should have descriptions of the type of surf particular fins work best in. They usually have charts available for recommended weights of riders as well.

Once you have a system you like, it's nice if all your surfboards use those types of fins. It makes it easier and cheaper to build a decent collection of fins that you can swap around and enjoy. Visit Surfing-Gear.net to learn more about surfboard fins and find great deals on your next set.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/extreme-sports-articles/how-to-choose-the-best-surfboard-fins-589111.html

About the Author

Chris runs Surfing Gear, an online surf guide and surf shop. Also visit California Surfing, a website dedicated to all things related to surfing California.

Drysuits for Boaters, Scuba Divers, Swimmers

Author: Abir Roychowdhury

Exploring the world under the sea is always fascinating. But to move freely underwater is not so easy as to move on the land. To be alive under water one has to carry a tank full of oxygen as breathing is not possible under water for human being. Beside that the tremendous pressure and different temperature of the water in deeper are much more different from the land.

For Scuba (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) diving the divers, boaters, sailors, swimmers, Water Adventurers, surface-water sports persons often use these things besides the full tank of oxygen:

1. MASK

2. FINS

3. SNORKLE

4. DRY SUIT and so many things.

Maintaining body temperature is one of the biggest problems for the divers. Dry suit is a kind of apparel, which gives the wearer protection from the water to his skin. Dry suits are used to prevent the water entering. Drysuits are used where the temperature of the water is between –20c to 150c.

There are three types of dry suits:

1. Membrane dry suits

2. Neoprene dry suits

3. Hybrid dry suits

1. Membrane drysuits - are mainly built of thin materials of vulcanized rubber or a compound of nylon and butyl rubber. These types of dry suits do not give any real thermal protection in colder water. And these dry suits do not stretch, and needed to be oversized to the joints to give the wearer flexibility at the time of movements. Sailors and boaters who are likely to be out of water prefer these membrane dry suits. Membrane dry suits are easy to wear and put off. Membrane drysuits are mostly used in the spring.

2. Neoprene drysuits - offer the thermal protection in the colder water, keep the buoyancy. Neoprene is thermal insulating material, made of heavy-duty fabric and that fabric is coated with rubber or Polyvinyl chloride better known as venyl. The neoprene dry suits are considered better in comparison to membrane dry suits. Neoprene has some better properties, which make this more useful, chemical-resistant, more stretchable buoyant and waterproof. Neoprene drysuits give greater thermal protection even if there is a leak. Neoprene drysuits are mostly used for water surface sports and in the cold water.

3. Hybrid drysuits - are made by the combination of the membrane material and neoprene material. In hybrid dry suits, the upper part of the suits is made of membrane material and the lower part starting from the waist is made of Neoprene materials. So that the tight fitting lower part of the dry suits gives the comfort to the wearers to kick the water to move a distance when they are swimming. And the loose upper part of the dry suits lets the wearer to free movement of their arms. Hybrid drysuits are mostly used for water surface sports and in the cold water and where the divers are going deeper.

Modern drysuits are having a waterproof zippers & hydro gloves. The zippers are mostly located across the shoulder lines or in the front of the torso, to wear the dry suits easily. Drysuits may have the hydrogloves, permanently attached to the drysuits or with attachment rings. Modern drysuits have the air inflation valve, which empowers the diver to control the buoyancy of the suit by injecting air from the diving regulator to get rid of squeeze under deep water. A drysuit is worn over an insulating undersuit.

A modern drysuit has an air ventilation valve, which allows the diver to release the higher-pressure air from the suit when they are coming out of the water. Ventilator valves may be automatic or manual. It is used as the pressure relief valves. Most of the automatic ventilators are located at the shoulder of the dry suits and the manual ventilators are located at the wrist.

A modern version of the two-piece drysuit is manufactured at Customworks at Idaho. These two-piece drysuits give all sorts of comfort to the divers, boaters, swimmers, sailors, cave divers and the water adventurers. They are making the drysuits considering the needs of its users.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/drysuits-for-boaters-scuba-divers-swimmers-207233.html

About the Author

Abir Roychowdhury is a professional Internet Marketer & Sr. Executive SEO of KarmickSolutions.com. WWW.Hydroglove.com is the online resource for Scuba Gears, Diving Equipments and provides an expanding line of Rubber Molded DrySuits, Dive Kits, HydroSuits, HydroGloves, wetsuits, snorkles, masks fins, all are made for collectors, surfers, swimmers and vintage divers.

Scuba Diving Equipment - the Completely Equipped Diver

Author: Ian Jenkinson

What constitutes the minimum equipment that recreational divers should have and use on every dive? To some degree, this will be a factor of the environment and the purpose of the dive. Divers in cold water require more thermal protection than divers in warm water. Divers engaged in activities, such as underwater photography or night, deep, wreck, ice or cavern diving, require additional specialized diving equipment that sight-seeing divers in shallow, open water may not need.

There is, however, certain equipment items that most experts believe recreational divers should have and use on every dive. The following is a brief overview of each of these items.

Mask, Snorkel and Fins

These are the most basic of all diving equipment. Masks allow divers to see underwater without distortion. Snorkels enable them to breathe at the surface without having to lift their heads from the water or use air from their tanks. Fins allow divers to move through the water with far great efficiency.

Exposure Protection

Divers require protection from both heat loss and abrasion. Heat loss is of particular importance, because water conducts heat away from the body 20 to 25 times faster than air of the same temperature. Divers may become dangerously chilled in water that would seem uncomfortably warm, if it were air.

Thermal and abrasion protection may range from lightweight wet suits for warm-water diving to thick, highly insulative dry suits for cold water diving. Most divers also use some form of hand and foot protection. Wet suit boots are the most common form of foot protection. Hand protection may range from thick wet-suit mitts or light weight gloves.

Weight Systems

Depending on a diver's natural buoyancy and the buoyancy of his equipment, he may need to use some form of weight system to offset excess buoyancy. The most common type of weighting is a weight belt, although general options are available.

Scuba Systems

Modern scuba systems integrate several components, including primary and alternate air sources, buoyancy-control devices (BCD's) and instrumentation.

Air Sources

A diver's primary air source consists of a cylinder of compressed air and a two-stage regulator that reduces this air to the same pressure as the surrounding water. The most common form of alternate air source is an additional regulator second stage, similar to the one the diver normally breathes from. This extra second stage is for sharing with other divers who may run low, or out, of air.

Buoyancy-control Devices

A diver's buoyancy-control device (or BCD) is used for two purposes. When inflated on the surface, it allows the diver to rest or swim comfortably without having to struggle to keep his head above water. Under water, the BCD may be partially inflated to offset any decrease in buoyancy caused by compression of the diver's exposure suit during descent.

Gauges

The minimal instrumentation with which every diver should be equipped with includes:

a means of monitoring air supply

an accurate means of determining depth

a means of measuring the time spent under water

I would also recommend that each diver have and use an underwater compass. This not only makes it easier for the diver to navigate, it also helps eliminate the need for long, tiring surface swims at the end of a dive.

Knife or Tool

Although the risk of becoming entangled under water is slight, it is recommended that all divers equip themselves with some form of cutting tool. Depending on its design, this tool may also be used for prying and measuring.

Log Book

Because certification cards only establish that, at one point in time, a diver met the minimum requirements for certification at that level, divers record their dives in log books. Log books provide a tangible record of the depth and breadth of a diver's experience. An increasing number of dive resorts and charter operations require that divers present both certification card and a log book before they will provide diving service.

Slate

The ability to communicate under water using hand signals is limited. So, to convey more-complex messages to one another, divers use specially designed underwater slates.

Using slates may eliminate the need to surface in order to talk and can add the convenience and enjoyment of the dive.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/extreme-sports-articles/scuba-diving-equipment-the-completely-equipped-diver-204643.html

About the Author

Ian runs Scuba Shack, an online scuba diving equipment store. For new and pre-owned scuba diving equipment visit http:/www.scubashack.co.uk