What is some of the equipment that might be provided by the dive team?

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The first piece of equipment that is brought by almost all dive instructors is the oxygen tanks. These are your life support while you are under water. They are also expensive and hard to transport, so the company that you are working with should rent them to you. The second piece of equipment is the Buoyancy Control Device, or the BCD for short. The BCD provides buoyancy for you while on the surface or while underneath the water for more comfort and safety. The BCD looks a lot like a backpack and usually has straps that allow other equipment to be fastened to it.

The third and fourth pieces of equipment work directly with your oxygen tanks. The third is the regulator. The regulator “tests” the water depth around you for pressure. It then uses the oxygen to increase or decrease the pressure inside your lungs and body so that you will not feel pain from the change of pressure around you. The fourth item is the gauges. The gauges keep an accurate reading on how much oxygen you have left so that you are not 50 feet underwater when your tank runs out.

These four pieces of equipment are crucial to every dive. If your mask or flippers are not working correctly then you can still get to the surface, just with a certain amount of work, but if any of these four devices do not work, your life may be in danger. Make sure the dive company that you are working with keeps accurate records and maintenance on its equipment.



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