Beginner Tips: Your First Set Of Scuba Gear

Snorkelling is the practice of swimming on or below a body of water equipped with a diving mask, a breathing tube, and fins. If you’re a new diver you’ll want to know exactly what to buy to keep you safe. You’ll initially need all the basic things to learn how to snorkel. Then you need additional equipment that you can buy after you’ve qualified. Take a look at these beginner tips: your first set of scuba gear…

1. Protection suits

Wetsuits are usually made of foam neoprene rubber or spandex-like skins, sometimes with a fleece lining. They insulate you against the cold of the water — so the thickness and type of exposure protection you need depends on the dive conditions.

A wetsuit keeps you warm by keeping the water out. So it’s essential that you buy a suit that fits perfectly and snugly everywhere. Look for features such as wrist, collar, and ankle seals. Zips with sealing flaps and smooth inners all minimise water flow within the suit.

Make sure the suit fits well and is comfortable. Any gaps will let in water and you’ll lose heat — buy a suit that fits without restricting movement and breathing. You could even consider having one made to measure.

2. Masks

Masks allow you to focus underwater, and the nose pocket lets you equalise air pressure as you dive deeper. You need a good watertight fit. Attach the snorkel to test there are still no gaps — the mask should sit on your face and seal easily as you gentle breathe in.

Adjust the straps and make sure the nose pocket is away from your nose and the base feels comfortable on your upper lip. Look for additional features such as purge valves, and side, top, and bottom panes for a wider field of vision.

3. Snorkels

As there’s such a huge range of breathing tubes available you need to focus on the basics. All you need a snorkel for initially is to conserve air in your tank when you’re on the surface of the water.

Make sure the mouthpiece feels comfortable, breathes easily and stays dry — you’ll need to find a compromise remembering that the bigger a snorkel is the more drag it creates in the water. Look for an attachment that’s easy to secure to your mask.

4. Fins

To swim effectively underwater you need a good set of flippers. The efficiency of the fins is determined by the design, size, and stiffness.

As a beginner you’ll need a smaller, more flexible fin with straps and buckles that are easy to use, and can be adjusted. Full foot fins are best suited to warm waters and don’t need dive booties, whereas open heel fins with dive booties provide extra foot protection.

Snorkelling in Tulum

You can get your Scuba Diving Tulum certification with Koox Diving. You’ll be taught the basics of open water dives from experienced dive masters. Then you’ll be able to take part in the Tulum snorkelling tours where you can encounter barracudas, eagle and manta rays, sea turtles and nurse sharks.

Life Support Equipment to Purchase

5. Buoyancy Control Devices

Depending on the type of diving you’ll be doing most the BC is vitally important. It holds your gear in place, carries your tank effortlessly, and floats you to the surface. It also allows you to achieve neutral buoyancy at any depth.

You need the correct size and fit — snug but doesn’t squeeze you when inflated. You should test all valves for accessibility and ensure the pockets and straps are easy to reach and use. The inflate and deflate buttons should be easy to identify and operate with one hand.

6. Regulators

Regulators convert the high-pressure in your tank to an ambient pressure that you can breathe. It must also deliver air to your BC inflator. Choose a high-performance option that can deliver a high volume of air at depth even at low tank pressure.

Get all the information you need about operating diver controlled knobs and switches, and make sure the mouthpiece is comfortable, and the hose is the right length for you.

7. Dive Computers

This piece of equipment constantly monitors depth and bottom time, keeping you within a safe envelope of no-decompression time. You can also monitor ascent rates and tank pressure, and much more.

Make sure you can quickly and easily access information — choose at-a-glance numeric and graphic displays. Consider mounting options and study the different features to get the mix of features to suit you.