Scuba Fins, Tanks, and Masks

Scuba diving is increasing in popularity in every area with water deep enough to swim in. Even pools are used, especially for training inexperienced divers, for scuba diving. A scuba, short for self-contained-underwater-breathing-apparatus, allows people to breath underwater for extended periods of time. Scuba equipment has evolved a great deal through the years since man conjured up an apparatus to breath longer underwater. The first devices were merely hollow reeds used the same way as modern snorkels, great for fishing near the shore, but deeper waters were still unobtainable.

The next step in the evolution of scuba gear was the diving bell which has been used successfully for thousands of years for the construction of ports, docks and piers, as well as for salvage missions. Even Alexander the Great is believed to have gone underwater in a diving bell to witness the salvage of a sunken treasure. Dive time was still limited, pumping air into the bells wasn’t introduced until the industrial revolution, and large areas still could not be explored.

By the 1800s English and French divers were wearing waterproof leather suits with large, round, metal helmets that could withstand the pressure of the water. Air was pumped down into the helmet via hoses connecting to the surface and the diver was allowed much greater mobility, often aided with weighted shoes. The extreme weight of the system prevented swimming and although there was much greater mobility, the diver was limited to exploring the radius of the hose. These are still not considered scuba because they require the aid of a pump and a person to man it, i.e. not self-contained.

The modern scuba tank was developed by Jacques Cousteau and marketed to the general public as the Aqua Lung. It combined a tank which contains pressurized air, with a scuba regulator which allowed the diver to exhale spent air. Add a scuba mask and scuba fins to complete the scuba set and with a little bit of training anyone can learn how to dive. Scuba diving is very reliant on technology which prevented it from becoming widespread earlier. Now scuba gear is getting increasingly small and light with full face masks that allow speech between divers and comfortable scuba wetsuit to stay warm in deep, cold waters.

The future of scuba diving looks very good. Diving gear has the potential to become small enough to be incorporated into the wetsuit with special gills that extract oxygen from the water and a mask with a heads up display that can show anything from dive time to depth as well as divers that are out of view. Full communication will be standard between divers and their vessel and swimming with fins may become obsolete as well with divers flying around superman style underwater with water jet boots and gloves providing locomotion.

There are many ways to enjoy diving, whether it is a scuba vacation or done as a profession. Finding equipment is easy at a scuba store which often has many models of tanks, masks, fins, regulators and can order specialized items when necessary.

 

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