Scuba diving is popular, scuba diving is easy and scuba diving is fun. Scuba diving as outdoor recreation is gaining in popularity, while participation in other pastimes is diminishing. Why is scuba diving so popular?
Over 70% of the earth's surface is covered with water. The allure and mystery of the underwater world has inspired the human imagination since prehistory, from the mythological monsters described by seafaring people, to the science fiction of Jules Verne and the modern underwater adventures in Hollywood films. Breath-hold diving, dangerous though it can be, has been used to collect pearls, sponges and valuable commodities from the sea floor for many generations.
Advances in underwater exploration began nearly three centuries ago using diving bells and large cumbersome sealed suits using pumped air from the surface. Only very recently advances in technology and mechanics have allowed people to visit this domain safely for exploration using comfortable, self-contained air delivery systems.
Though air-assisted underwater exploration has been around since the 1700's, underwater exploration was out of reach for the average person, and recreational scuba diving was an unthinkable luxury. Great advances in the engineering of valves and compressed air tanks in the 1930's produced the first systems that we would call "scuba": the Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. These early scuba tanks were clunky, inefficient systems that spouted air constantly into the diver's face. Between 1942 and 1946, Jacques-Yves Cousteau (a French naval lieutenant) and Emile Gagnan (an engineer) developed the Aqua Lung; a device which used pressure valves to deliver properly pressurized air only when the diver breathed in. Over the next two decades experimental dives with the Aqua Lung proved its reliability and in the 1960's "sport diving" was born.
NAUI, the National Association of Underwater Instructors, was formed in 1960 to regulate and teach safe scuba diving to enthusiasts of this new sport. PADI, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, was formed in 1967.
In the 1970's, scuba equipment continued to evolve and the typical scuba system was enhanced by buoyancy compensation vests, better valves and submersible pressure gauges. Through the 1980's and 1990's, scuba as a recreational sport became a multi-billion dollar industry with its popularity prompting even more innovation in the design and the engineering of better, safer, lighter, more comfortable equipment.
Today, scuba diving is accessible to almost anyone with only a modest investment in equipment. Anywhere you want to dive you can usually find a dive shop near-at-hand to rent tanks, go on a guided dive with a master diver, take a chartered boat or just strap on the tanks and swim out from the shore.

Today, scuba diving is accessible to almost anyone with only a modest investment in equipment. Anywhere you want to dive you can usually find a dive shop near-at-hand to rent tanks, go on a guided dive with a master diver, take a chartered boat or just strap on the tanks and swim out from the shore.

Scuba Gear

Scuba diving gear is what makes scuba diving possible. A diver needs to know all about scuba diving gear and understand how it works in order to feel confident underwater. Part of scuba diving certification training will be devoted to learning all about scuba diving gear, how to assemble it and how to use it safely and responsibly. Unfortunately, many scuba diving certification courses do not spend much time explaining how the gear works and most importantly how to choose the right scuba diving gear. This guide will help you find and choose the scuba diving gear that is best for you.

Scuba Masks

Your scuba mask provides your view to the vast underwater world of the ocean. There is an endless view of coral, fish and sea mammals in our oceans and seas and you will want, and need, a high quality scuba mask to allow you many years of underwater viewing enjoyment. Scuba masks come in an endless choice of style and color, but there are many things to consider when purchasing your first, or tenth, scuba mask, including: field of vision, a high-grade silicone skirt for a lasting and comfortable seal, comfortable nose pocket and a high-grade, flexible silicone strap and strap fasteners.

Scuba Booties

Scuba booties are like neoprene socks, some have a zipper up the side and hard bottoms so you can walk over rocks and other hard surfaces. They protect your feet from cuts, burns and abrasions when walking on rocky beaches, rough boat decks and hot pavement. If you are a cold water scuba diver they will help keep you feet warm. Booties can also prevent blisters from the heel strap of your fins rubbing directly against your heel when walking and swimming.

Swim Fins

The creation and advancement of swim fins has become a science. Without them scuba diving is almost impossible; with them scuba diving is a dream of fluid underwater movement. Swim fins allow you to propel yourself through the water with the least amount of energy and effort. When you are fully clothed in your scuba diving attire, including: wet suit, buoyancy compensator, air tank and weights - moving in the water can be almost impossible and extremely tiring. The right pair of fins will allow you to go further and swim faster using the large muscles in your thighs.

Snorkels

Have you seen a whale up close and noticed how it blows water out of the blowhole on top of its head? This physical attribute allows the whale, and all other similar surface skimming ocean mammals, to keep its head in the water for extended lengths of time, while still allowing it to breathe. This allows the whale to swim more efficiently while maintaining the energy level needed for constant motion. A snorkel gives you, the scuba diver the same advantage.

Every scuba diver spends time on the surface while preparing to descend for a dive. A snorkel allows you to conserve energy by letting you keep your head in the water while swimming and enjoying the pre-dive sights without ever having to remove your head from the water.

Scuba Tanks

A scuba tank, also called a scuba cylinder, is constructed out of either steel or aluminum. Aluminum tanks are more common and less expensive, but more prone to denting and wear. Most dive gear shops will only have aluminum tanks for rent, so it is good to become used to their size, weight, shape and buoyancy.

Steel scuba tanks are a little more expensive, but they are far more durable. It is said that a properly maintained steel tank will last longer than the diver who wears it. The caveat with a steel scuba tank is that it will rust and a steel tank user needs to periodically inspect their tank for rust, but rusting can be somewhat avoided with proper care.

Scuba Suits

Wet suits and dry suits are very important when it comes to scuba diving. Your normal body temperature hovers around 98.6F (37C). If you are scuba diving in water that is cooler than your body temperature your temperature will drop. In all water, even the warmest, tropical waters, you will need thermal protection, like a wet suit, dry suit or dive skin, to keep warm and to keep safe while scuba diving. The cold affects our ability to think and our physical response time slows, which can lead to an accident. Warm tropical water will begin to feel cold after prolonged scuba diving, so it is always a good idea to wear light insulation at a minimum.

When choosing thermal protection, like a wet suit or dry suit, you need to consider the following factors:    Water temperature
   Your activity level during a dive
   Your body size

Scuba Diving Gadgets

If scuba is your hobby, and you have money to spend, there is no end to the list of scuba gadgets and scuba equipment upgrades you can acquire. Some of these items, like dive computers, will genuinely enhance your diving experience; while other scuba gadgets are just underwater knick-knacks.
Non-essential scuba gadgets