The usually used diving suit is made of Neopren and is close to your skin.It’s not waterproof but the Neopren keeps the body warm.

Professionals often use the so-called dry diving suit. You can use it for extremely cold and contaminated water because your body doesn‘t get wet with it.

Compressed Air Bottle:

The compressed air in the bottle has a pressure of 200 to 300 bar. The bottle is made of a kind of aluminium which is pressure- and corrosion-resistant. Usually bottles with a volume between 4 and 20 litres are used.

There is a maximal stock of air for one hour.But how long you can dive depends on the consumption of air,the diver‘s physical state and the depth.

Breath regulator:

The breath regulator is a connection from the diver to the air bottle. One end is fixed on the air bottle, the other is in the diver‘s mouth. The valve, which regulates the air pressure is situated on the bottles top, the other valve gives the diver air to breathe.

In the breath regulator, the air loses a lot of pressure, it diminishes from more than 200 bar to 4 bar. So it cools down and can get iced and block the valves.

Rescue vest:

In case of an accident you can press air into the rescue vest so you come up very quickly. The rescue vest is also used for staying constantly in the same depth.A diver begins to sink if he‘s diving more than 25 metres, so the diver produces buoyancy by pressing air into the vest. Diving computer:

The diving computer was invented in the 80‘s, makes diving easier and helps to avoid accidents. This gadget shows the consumption of air, the stock of air, the speed of diving up or down and a few more things.

The pressure gauge is directly connected with the air bottle and shows the air pressure.If the air pressure is under a critical number the diver has to come up. On this piece of equipment there are also a compass and a thing to measure the depth.

This is the most important equipment but divers also use special cameras for under water photography and strong lights for diving at night and in caves.Up to the 80‘s divers used special weapons for hunting fish and other animals but to hunt under water is now forbidden.

SAFE AIR

A few years ago Safe Air was invented to makes diving a lot safer.

Safe Air is air with a higher percentage of oxygen than normal air (it contains up to 50% O 2 ). It has also a lower part of

This air-mixture makes longer diving trips possible.The helium diminishes the danger of a “Tiefenrausch“ and a supersaturation with nitrogen of the blood.

DANGERS

“TIEFENRAUSCH“

“Tiefenrausch“ is one of the best known dangers of diving.This phenomenon is similar to the intoxication of alcohol and is produced by nitrogen from a depth of 40 metres on.

From a depth of 60 metres on every diver feels the dangerous narcotic effect.

Symptoms of the “Tiefenrausch“ are actions without control and any sense, for example to let the mouthpiece fall, to throw the diving mask away or to lose the sense of direction and the sense of balance. Under these circumstances diving accidents often end in death.The “Tiefenrausch“ is also the reason why sport divers usually don‘t dive deeper than 40 metres.

HIGH PRESSURE IN THE LUNGS

Not only “Tiefenrausch“ is dangerous, also high pressure in the lungs often ends in death. If you dive in, for example, a depth of 35 metres the water around you has a pressure of 4.5 bar.The air you breathe has the same pressure like the w ater around you, so you breathe air with a pressure of 4.5 bar.If you come up and don‘t breathe out, the air remains with a pressure of 4.5 bar in your lungs although the water around you has lower pressure, for example 2 bar.So your lungs will explode and air gets in your blood circulation and under your skin. It is very important to breathe while coming up otherwise the diver is in extrem life danger.

DANGEROUS ANIMALS

Many believe sharks are dangerous killers, who attack every diver they find.That‘s absolute nonsense.From about 300 types of sharks worldwide, 2 types are dangerous, the White Shark and the Tigershark.But they just react aggressively if you provoke them and approach them to closely.

But the most inconspicuous fish are the most dangerous ones,for example the little Stonefish.You can hardly see this

animal but one sting causes death.

Divers should also be aware of Barracudas, Morays, Rays and Seasnakes, they are not to be underestimated.

OTHER DANGERS

From the First and Second World War there are still a lot of bombs, grenades and mines in old wrecks and on the sea bottom.They will explode if they are touched so it’s better not to dive into a wreck.

THE BEST PLACES TO DIVE

A lot of divers like the Mediterrean Sea because of the many wrecks and fish.The water temperature is usually very

warm.The Mediterrean Sea is famous for the beautiful caves underwater. The Red Sea is without nearly any contamination and the warmest sea worldwide so there are a lot of coral-reefs. Great coral-reefs are also in the Indian Ocean, the Indo Pacific and in the east of Australia is the Great Barrier Reef.The Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef in the world and it’s nature is unique.

WORDS:

reliable zuverlässig

diving bell flippers diving mask diving balance buoyancy diving suit dry diving suit compressed air bottle stock of air

consumption of air Luftverbrauch

breath regulator valve gadget pressure gauge Manometer(Luftdruckmeßgerät) to come up oxygen/nitrogen supersaturation with nitrogen moray/ray inconspicuous