Extreme Sports

Although scuba regulators may seem similar in design, some regulators will perform better than others. Others may feel like you have to breathe much harder to get air.

If you have rented an old scuba diving regulator you might know what I am talking about. You may struggle just to keep the regulator in your mouth by making that extra effort by biting on the mouth piece. When you exhale, the air bubbles may also flow directly in front of you, therefore restricting your vision. A not so good regulator will distract you away from the pleasures of diving.

Remember, the regulator is your lifeline underwater, so better get a good one that you can use in all types of waters. Within this page, you should find useful information which will help you in determining what you should look for when buying a good scuba regulator.

Let us first look at some of the features which form part of the design of the scuba diving regulator.

The first and foremost most important feature when choosing your scuba diving regulator is ease of breathing. So how would you know whether a regulator is better than an other when breathing underwater? It’s simple really… Just ask around… Most divers will be more than willing to give their own opinion as to which scuba diving regulators provide the greatest performance.

Desirable features which make a good scuba diving regulator

When buying your new scuba regulator, ensure that it has at least some of the following features:

Piston better than diaphragm construction – Go for a piston first stage. This type of construction, although more expensive, has got less moving parts that its counterpart and therefore makes it much more reliable.  Read more...

There are a number of important facts about scuba diving that you need to know. The first one is that you need to have a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. These high pressure tanks that are strapped to the back of the diver, provide air to the diver that is regulated through a breathing device. This lets the diver go very deep in the water without worrying about coming up for oxygen.

Next of the facts about scuba diving is that you need specific diving apparel to protect your body and allow you to swim easily. Such apparel includes wetsuits, gloves, hoods, computer watch, etc. The next fact about scuba diving is that nearly anyone can be certified for scuba diving. More than one million people get certified for scuba diving each year. As long as you can put on a heavy tank filled with compressed and dive down deep, you can become certified. The thing that scares most people away from scuba diving is that breathing through the rubber tube connected to the air tank is the only way to stay alive that deep in the water. People have a fear that something will go wrong, but it is rare that something does.

The next of the facts about scuba diving is that the diver must make a decision on what type of underwater adventure would be preferred. You could dive in warm or cold water, or explore locations of shipwrecks. If you are on a cruise or in other specific instances, you may not have to get certified before going scuba diving. In cruises to the Caribbean, Acapulco, and the Florida Keys, you can get a one day crash course on scuba diving before you go exploring.  Read more...

What Is Scuba Diving?

Scuba is an acronym for “Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus”. This originated from the term used for the US military re-breather sets, used by naval divers. It is independent breathing equipment, complete with an oxygen supply that allows divers to remain underwater for longer periods of time.

Who Can Be A Scuba Diver?

Working as a scuba diver is contrary to the regular nine to five office job. Anyone who has a penchant for diving can be a scuba diver. The following are points you need to take into consideration, before you decide on becoming a scuba diver:

Scuba Diving Is Used In The Following Jobs:

Underwater Construction – Scuba diving is used for underwater construction such as bridges, oil platforms, dams, docks, nuclear power plants and other coastal structures.

Underwater Archeology and Underwater Experiments – These jobs involve scientific inspection and survey – also known as scientific diving.

Military- The military uses scuba divers for naval ship construction and repair. They also include specialized diving divisions like combatant divers and explosives ordnance disposal.

Initially, scuba diving was intended only for scientific and military use. Now, it has become one of the most popular recreational water sports. Instead of pursuing scuba diving as a job, you can practice it as a hobby. You can use scuba diving skills for search and recovery, fish identification and underwater photography.

However, since scuba diving is a fairly dangerous sport, experts recommend taking the necessary lessons and certifications seriously before pursuing the sport as a hobby.

Requirements  Read more...

Thailand has one of the world’s most diverse marine habitats, with more than 300 major reef groups covering an area of over 4,500 square miles. From pinnacles and submerged rocks, through to stunning coral gardens and sheer walls, the scuba diving in Thailand has something to offer scuba divers of all levels of experience. It is this diversity in marine habitats and diving environments which attracts so many divers to the waters around Thailand every year, and today the region is one of the world’s most popular scuba diving destinations.

There are a number of major diving destinations in Thailand, all offering a wide selection of diverse dive sites. Throughout all of these major destinations is a network of well equipped, knowledgeable and experienced dive centres, offering a range of diving from leisure dives through to a selection of scuba diving courses.

It would be impossible to discuss Thailand, without looking at the scuba diving in Phuket and the surrounding areas. Without doubt, the diving in Phuket is of the highest standard, and the waters surrounding the ‘island’ host a number of excellent dive sites. However, the real underwater treasures of Phuket lie slightly further afield. Dive sites such as the Burma Banks, The Similan Islands and the Mergui Archipelago are often found high on the wish list of many discerning scuba diver and offer some of South East Asia’s finest dive sites.

The scuba diving on the Western Gulf of Thailand sees a different emphasis, and the small islands found here have become one of the world’s most popular areas to learn to scuba dive. In fact, the island of Koh Tao has developed a complete tourist industry from scuba diving, and today large numbers of would be scuba divers travel to Koh Tao every day to begin their diving education. Other islands within the Western Gulf of Thailand are also home to developed scuba diving industries, and destinations such as Koh Samui and Ko Pha-Ngan are both home to a large number of dive centres and excellent dive sites.  Read more...

One of the most diverse aquatic habitats are present in Thailand with over 300 main reef groups around an area of more than 4500 sq. miles. From submerged rocks and pinnacles to sheer walls and coral gardens, scuba diving Thailand has a lot to offer to the scuba divers with all levels of expertise and experience. Due to this diverse marine and diving environment, Thailand has attracted diving lovers from throughout the world due to which it has become one of the most popular destinations for scuba diving. Located on its western coast is the wonderful island of Phuket, covering an area of 300 sq. miles.

For the last three decades, Phuket has been catering to a huge number of visitors from almost every part of the world out of which a large percent is of scuba divers looking out to dive in some of the finest diving sites in Asia. Today, scuba diving Thailand has become on of the biggest businesses and the island of Phuket offers many great diving centres and services from leisure dives to advanced courses in diving.

Scuba Diving destinations in Phuket:

One of the best diving sites in Phuket is the Racha Islands located off Thailand’s southern coast. The small island of Racha Noi provides some overwhelming underwater scenic views and has been renowned for encounters with manta ray and whale shark. King Cruiser Wrecks and Shark Point also attract a large number of scuba diving enthusiasts to try their hands on.

The water around and in the Ao Phang-Nga has been notable for their marine life profusion offering access to diverse marine and coral life unrivalled anywhere else in Phuket. Diving in the destinations such as Mergui Archipelago, Burma Banks and Similan islands can be an awe-inspiring experience for the fans of scuba diving Thailand. Ko Phi Phi Lae and Ko Phi Phi Don are the regions characterised for stunning topography, amazing cliffs of limestone, many hard coral gardens and excellent soft corals, sea whips, black coral and orange sea fans.  Read more...