This site was written to provide qualified scuba divers and trainees alike with "easy to understand, practical guidance" on essential features to look for (or not) when they consider buying equipment. It covers everything from the bottom up for normal and more advanced recreational diving. This site is completely independent and not affiliated to any commercial enterprise.
All too often we get conflicting guidance on what to buy and it can be difficult to know what is good, bad or ugly, particularly when we are new to the sport. As qualified divers we may be impressed by the latest fashion and seek features which may prove to be more trouble than they are worth. The amount of money that can be wasted can be frightening. The chart on the right demonstrates this only too adeptly and it is a real life example!
If we want a new washing machine, we can always check "Which" or another consumer magazine. Dive equipment can be more subjective but is far more important since your life and not just your wardrobe depends on what you buy!
We can flick through dive magazines, but would you trust a review, when the editor is dependent on the same advertiser for his monthly income?
The alternative is to ask people's views, but most will recommend what they use and won't be able to give a fair comparison. This can lead to a slightly "piecemeal" approach, where you mix a range of different types and styles of equipment and hope that they all work out in the end.
Even if we make the right choice for the type of diving we are doing today, how can we be sure that it will be suitable for what we want to do tomorrow? The chart on the right hopefully gives you an idea of how it can work if we make the right choices from the beginning.
Hence, the reason why I originally wrote the pages which make up this guide, to try and give others consistent and reliable information so that their equipment grows with them, saving a few pennies along the way. Exactly what I wish I had had available to me.
If you know anyone who may also be interested then feel free to photocopy and distribute relevant pages as you wish or simply refer people to this web site
This is an evolutionary site, so please refer back to this site in the future for any possible changes. Major changes will be included within "What's NEW on the Site". Specific recommendations have been proven to be reliable over an extended period of time by people involved in both extreme and recreational diving and can be accepted with confidence, they are not subject to whim and fashion.
If you should find a broken link please let me know so that I can update the site as appropriate, using the contact link above, at times there is nothing more frustrating than finding that that crucial bit of information is missing.
Best Wishes
Bitz.
Diving can be a hazardous sport and the information contained within this site is not intended to replace formal training. Furthermore no responsibility will be accepted for any accidents, injuries or financial disadvantage, howsoever caused.
The views and information contained within this site has been influenced by training which both myself and a number of other experienced diving members have received from Gas Diving. Gas Diving teaches a holistic team approach to diving. This site only looks at equipment issues.
Thanks go to Izzy and the Do-It-Simple UK web site for their kind permission to use a number of underwater photos.
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Counter Complements of http://www.digits.com.
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Diving can be
a hazardous sport and the information contained within this site is
not intended to replace formal training. |
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Copyright © H Beasley 01 August 2001. All Rights Reserved
