The basics start with a mask, which can run from $20 to $150, and choosing the right one is important. Make sure the fit is perfect because water in your mask can ruin a dive. Snorkels range from $17 to $150 and fins vary from $30 to $450. A dive light is also essential. A bright full spectrum underwater light will cost at least $300.
A regulator, the mouthpiece unit that attaches to a diver's tank, usually includes a primary mouthpiece, an alternate mouthpiece (called an "octopus"), a pressure gauge to measure the amount of air in the tank, and a depth gauge. They run from $500 to $1,000.
A "buoyancy compensator" or "BC" is a sleeveless jacket that secures a tank to the diver's back. It can also be inflated or deflated to allow divers to become neutrally buoyant. Typically, buoyancy compensators run from $400 to $800. Weights are about $1.70 a pound.
Tanks range from $200 to $400 and are made of aluminum or steel. The most common setup for recreational use is a single aluminum tank that holds 80 cubic feet of compressed air. Tanks also come in larger and smaller sizes, and some dives like commercial or extreme diving, require several.
Dive computers are electronic versions of diving tables that help calculate depths and times. Worn underwater, they vary in function and complexity, from simple units for beginners to the full-scale rigs used by pros. A basic computer will cost from $300 to $1,000.
Exposure Suits vary according to type – wetsuit versus drysuit – and range in price as well. My first summer diving I was in a $250 wet suit, which allows water between your skin and the suit. It heats up from body temperature and helps insolate the diver. However, we were diving in 48-degree water, so it got pretty cold after about 30 minutes. The cold affects your ability to think and your physical response time slows, which can lead to an accident.
The following summer, we bought drysuits for about $1,500 each which do not allow water to touch your skin. We wear fleecies under the suit, which is completely enclosed. Only your head and hands are exposed, requiring a hood and gloves to complete the suit. Now, diving is like going underwater wrapped in a sleeping bag. We are able to stay under for longer periods without feeling cold, and our fleecies are dry when we take our suits off, so long as we have taken care to tuck the seals around our necks or wrists properly.
OUR EQUIPMENT
In most places you will want to dive, you can usually find a dive shop near-at-hand to rent tanks and other gear. Because we dive in remote areas, where dive shops are rare, we purchased all our equipment. We estimate that our gear has cost us about $4,000 each, but that includes upgrades over time. Those looking to save money can find used equipment available that has hardly been touched. Many people get into diving, buy all the gear, then drift away from the sport.
We store our equipment in a dedicated dock box on our upper bridge. Rick hauls it down and we check that all the instruments are working properly. This includes our gauges, regulator, dive computer, tanks – everything. If there is a problem, it is better to discover it and fix it onboard before loading our gear into the tender. But we do carry a box of spare parts with us, just in case.
We also own an electric breathing-air compressor manufactured by Jordair, with a Bauer pump. It fills up our tanks with compressed fresh air. The machine weights approximately 50 pounds and is about as big as four scuba tanks strapped together.
Our first dive compressor was located on the stern deck, though we stored it in the lazarette between trips. We always felt bad filling our tanks because the gas motor sounds just like a loud lawn mower. In a peaceful, quiet anchorage we had a few dirty looks when we turned on our compressor for 30 minutes each day. But only once did a fellow boater make a comment to us and move to another area.
