Scuba Gear - A Buyer's guide to choosing the right scuba diving equipment

As in any sport, owning the right scuba equipment is important if you want to enjoy scuba diving to its full potential.

Starting scuba diving with the wrong scuba diving gear can make your dives very uncomfortable if not very frustrating.

So it is essential that you choose wisely when looking to buy your scuba equipment. We will therefore be looking into the gear which assists people like you and me to enjoy this great underwater sports.

This guide covers each piece of scuba diving equipment which I hope will assist you in making your right decisions when purchasing the right gear.

You will also find other helpful guides on how to take care and maintain your scuba gear to last you for many scuba adventures.

So let us begin...

The basic scuba gear configuration consists of the regulator, scuba tanks and buoyancy control device also known as a BCD.

The Scuba mask, snorkel and fins are covered in other sections within our site.

The Regulator

Breathing underwater is only possible, thanks to the invention of the scuba regulator.

This piece of scuba diving gear is designed to reduce the amount of high pressure of air that is within the scuba tank to acceptable levels of pressure which is provided only when you inhale from the mouthpiece. 

A regulator has two parts, one to control the pressure, preventing the compressed air within the tank from shooting into you and inflating you like a balloon.

Mares Abyss 42 Scuba Diving Balanced Regulator

The other part is the valve which allows air to flow when you breath in, but stops it, when you breath out.

Like any other sport, familiarizing yourself with your equipment is important so that you can understand what is going on. Our guide on buying a scuba regulator, provides all the features which make up a great scuba regulator and will help you in making a better decision when it comes to buying this piece of scuba diving equipment.

Taking care of your scuba regulator, is just as important as buying a good regulator. Believe me, you do not want your scuba regulator to fail on you, during your immersions. Our guide on how to take care of your regulator, contains useful and easy tips which you can carry out after each dive, so that your scuba regulator is properly maintained.

The Scuba Tanks

The scuba tank, is the only piece of scuba gear where most scuba divers choose to rent instead of owning. Why? Because there is not much of a difference in costs when coming to rent a full tank versus the costs in filling the air and servicing your scuba tank. 

However, some divers may choose to buy their own scuba tank for the sake of style and comfort. 

If you have decided that you want to purchase your own scuba tank, then take a look at our guide on scuba tanks features and handling and care of your scuba tank.

The Scuba Buoyancy Compensator Device (BCD) 

The Scuba BCD is an important piece of scuba gear which allows us to safely conduct our dives by maintaining our neutral buoyancy at any depth by adding or releasing air.

Buoyancy control is a major diving safety issue. You do not want to unexpectedly surface when a boat is overhead or sinking at depths for which you are not trained for.

Having the right Scuba BCD is essential, if you want to enjoy your scuba dives. Within this guide you will find information on what to look for when buying your own buoyancy compensator device.

We all know how expensive, scuba equipment can add up to. If you want to know on how to care for your BCD after each and every scuba dive, then check out our BCD care guide where you will find tips on how to make your investment last.