Diving Equipment List for Beginners

There are different ways to explore the world, there is still a very big completely different world, very little of which has been discovered on earth, underwater! Most of the world is covered with water, but few of us spend time, effort and money exploring this great part. Those interested in underwater those who want to start diving in this article for useful information about diving as well as Diving equipment list for beginners included, happy reading!

I, who wrote this article, took a new step into this world and I shared my experiences about this step in this article.

Years ago, I had received diving training, but I could not get my badge because I passed the date of the written exam, and I took a break from my diving adventure. Then I met my only wife, one of her biggest passions was diving. We were going diving with him, while he was diving, I was snorkeling in the same area. However, diving in Mexican cenotes (sinkhole) was on the "to do list" I prepared for myself, and I needed a diving badge to make this wish come true. In July 2018, I took the diving training that I left unfinished from Divefan Diving Club.

mexico travel writings You may also be interested, take a look.

My first goal was to dive in Silfra, the point where the European and American continents separate, in Iceland, but since I did not have enough experience and certificates for that place, I snorkeled again, my husband enjoyed the dive.

Silfra rift diving experience take a look at my post.

Tips for Beginners to Dive

Are you curious about underwater and don't know where to start? One of the most common questions I get when I post about diving is “I want to try it too, where should I start?”. In this section, I will humbly share my own paths.

Explore or Trial Dive

Actually the solution is very simple. To make an exploration or test dive. This is an experience called "discovery" in Turkey and in many parts of the world, where you can go underwater to a maximum depth of 5 meters with a diving instructor or diving leader. This experience allows you to see if you are comfortable underwater and whether you have any fears about it.

Get Diving Training

If you are happy, excited and have decided to continue diving, you should take diving training from a professional institution. For diving training, you need to decide which discipline to train, I will explain it in detail in the next section.

Do not rush

After receiving diving training, what you need to do is to practice as much as possible. As in every subject, diving is a hobby that you can improve as you practice. Don't be in a hurry to move to the next level, to buy equipment right away, first of all, make sure that you learn and apply the dynamics of diving in the most accurate way.

What is Diving Badge, What are its Types, How to Get It?

Let's say you've done the exploratory dive, you've decided to move forward and you've decided to get training. Then you need to determine which discipline you will receive the training from. Let me remind you again that the topics mentioned below are for scuba diving.

There are 3 different diving disciplines common in Turkey: SSI, PADI and CMAS. Turkish Underwater Sports Federation (TSSF) accepts CMAS and conducts trainings in accordance with CMAS. If you have an SSI or PADI certificate, you can dive in Turkey according to CMAS equivalencies. Since these certificates are accepted worldwide, you can also dive with these certificates anywhere in the world.

In the CMAS discipline, the beginner level starts from 1 star and continues as 2 stars and 3 stars. In the SSI discipline, levels are determined as Open Water, Advanced Open Water, and Master Diver.

After receiving your theoretical and practical training for the beginner level, you must successfully complete the practice exam. When you complete your beginner level training, you will be able to dive up to 18 meters. Congratulations, you can now go diving!

Diving Equipment List for Beginners

We got our diving training and our badge, from now on we want to make diving a part of our life, then what do we do? We are slowly starting to complete our materials for diving. Let's take a look at what should be included in the diving equipment list for beginners, what should we buy first.

1- Diving Mask

Mask is one of the indispensable equipment of diving.

It is very important to dive with a mask that fits on your face, that will not cause you to panic by taking in water during the dive, and that will not cause any condensation problems. When buying a mask;

The most important thing is that it fits perfectly on your face, if you stick the mask to your face with your hand and breathe through your nose, if it clings to itself and does not fall, this means that this mask is for you.

The wider the viewing angle of your mask, the better your diving comfort will be.

In order for the mask to be the right size for your head, it is better to buy a mask by making sure that the buckles on the sides are securely fastened with the eye part and that the adjustment work can be done easily.

If you prefer the black rubber parts in the mask instead of white, you will prevent yellowing from salt water and sun over time.

When you buy a new mask, it is very normal to have a problem of condensation during the first dives due to the chemicals in the mask, and I learned from experience. The most practical way to overcome this problem is to burn the inside of the mask. The second way is to apply toothpaste and wait. Cleaning with baby shampoo is another way to prevent fogging. The most common method is to spit on the mask and then wash it, the choice is yours.

By the way, if you say "glasses" instead of a mask, they fix it immediately.

2- Pallet

Another indispensable material among diving equipment is the fins.

There is a pallet, there is a pallet. If you ask me how to choose the pallet that suits my needs, the shopkeepers who sell you materials or your friends who have been diving for a long time will help you. I am lucky that my husband has been diving for over 10 years. Otherwise, my only criterion when choosing a palette is that it is red.

If you are going to dive continuously, it is recommended to buy open flippers. It is shaped according to the grooves on the pallets. For example, if you are not very experienced, you should not choose very heavy pallets. But don't buy a very simple pallet, it will allow you to move quickly under water. Also, the fins differ according to the type of diving you will do, free diving fins are different from scuba diving fins, for example.

3- Diving Shoes (Booties)

If you bought open fins, you will also need to get diving shoes, booties. The booties you will wear inside the pallet will prevent the pallet from hurting your feet. A bootie that is not too stiff, preferably up to your ankles, will do the trick.

4- Diving Suit

Don't you see the sexy outfits you see on the divers that fit them well? Hah, that outfit is called a wetsuit.

The dress I mentioned as a diving suit will be wet suits here. In other words, clothes that get completely wet when you enter the water and pass the water into them. The heating logic of these clothes works with the logic of heating the water between your body and the clothes with your body temperature. Are you overheated in the dress, stretch your neck or arm a little and get fresh cold water inside, you will cool off a bit.

The selection of diving suits depends on the temperature of the water you will dive. Diving suits include expressions indicating their thickness such as 3mm, 5mm. If the water you are going to dive into is very hot, you can also choose short dresses up to the knee, called shorts. However, do not forget that you are a beginner since you have just started diving and you are more likely to touch something underwater than experienced divers. Until you gain experience, it is better to choose dresses that cover your whole body rather than short dresses.

There are also clothes such as "dry suits" used in very cold waters, which you need to get a separate certificate in order to use it anyway.

Simply a suit of 5 millimeters will save you in average water temperatures. If you want to advance in diving, then you should consider thinner or thicker models.

5- Diving Gloves

While diving, the parts of your body that touch the water will get cold more easily. One of the purposes of using diving gloves is to protect you from the cold. Another and more important purpose of use is to prevent you from touching something underwater and hurting yourself.

A glove that is not very thick and in which your hand can move freely will be sufficient for the beginner level.

6- Flashlight

The place we dive is under the water. The deeper you go underwater, the darker it gets. It is very useful to have a flashlight on you to illuminate a certain place.

You don't have to be deep, you can also use your flashlight to look at a tiny cave or recess, or to point something to your dive partner.

7- Diving Bag

The equipment I listed above and more are our necessary equipment for diving. A diving bag will be very useful to keep all these in order.

When you come out of the dive, you may need to put your gear in your bag, mostly wet or damp, so you don't want to use your travel bag with your other belongings for your diving gear, believe me.

You can find a wide variety of diving bags in different sizes and made of different materials. You can choose the one that suits your materials and needs.

8- Diving Regulator

Now, if you are sure that you will be diving all the time, if you say that I will make this job a little more professional, then you may consider buying a regulator for yourself.

The regulator used in diving has the appearance of an octopus and is a diving equipment that can reduce the high pressure air flow in the diving tube to breathable pressure.

The regulator consists of a valve attached to the scuba tank (first stage), the main air supply (second stage), the backup air supply, and an indicator that shows the amount of air in your tank and some of the depth.

9- Diving Balance Vest, namely BC

Like the regulator, the balance vest is one of the equipment you should buy if you want to take your business one step further. The reason I say this is because the equipment is expensive and not very practical to carry. If you are thinking of buying a vest, you really need to make sure that you can carry this vest to your dives.

A diving balance vest is an equipment that is worn like a jacket, inflated by taking air from the diving tube, and thus helps the diver to stay in balance in the water. Its English name is Buoyancy Control Device (BCD), ie buoyancy control equipment or Buoyancy Compensator, ie buoyancy provider.

Can't I Get The Necessary Equipment For Diving?

Let's say you started diving and want to continue, do you need to buy equipment? The answer to this question is: No.

If you want, you can rent the equipment from the centers where you will dive, and use only the equipment you need for each dive by paying the rent. It is also very difficult to carry all your materials with you, especially if you are going to a long-distance place for travel. These are large and space-consuming materials.

What could be the exception to this situation? If you are only doing diving trips, if you go diving at least 3-5 times a year, having some of your own equipment will be both more economical and more comfortable after a point. Wearing the mask worn by hundreds of people, wearing the palette or dress worn by hundreds of people will not make you happy after a point. It will have effects such as a mask that fits your face, a flipper that fits perfectly on your feet, and your diving comfort will increase because you trust your own materials.

I'm in favor of everyone having at least one hobby that they can make their passion. New hobbies and pursuits; It provides people with a different perspective, discharge, establishing new relationships and many other benefits. Diving is one of these options, besides, there is a completely different world under the sea, it is the best way to discover it.

If you have read this article to the end, it means you are interested in diving, I hope you will be included in this new world as soon as possible.

Stay on track!