Diving

Diving – a guide from A to Z

What is diving? In the simplest terms, scuba diving is being underwater on what is known as a “dive”. stopped breathing (freediving) or staying underwater with appropriate equipment (scuba diving). Diving can be done for a variety of reasons and purposes, reaching for techniques appropriate to the situation and the diver’s skills. What is scuba diving and what are its types? How to start diving, who can dive and what are the contraindications to diving? What do beginners and advanced divers get from diving schools and courses? Find the answers to these and many other questions below!

What is scuba diving and what is its history?

Diving has accompanied man since the dawn of time. Thousands of years ago, people dived primarily for food, but also in search of “treasure” and for military purposes. At the time, people dived primarily on a held breath, but also with cane stalks in their mouths – the other end of the cane protruded above the surface of the water and allowed them to take a breath without surfacing (the modern equivalent of this method is snorkeling).

History of diving – where did it start?

The oldest engravings and descriptions of diving date back to the 1st century BC. These include. a bas-relief from 885 B.C. depicts an armed man breathing underwater using equipment resembling modern-day diving cylinders, as well as Aristotle’s record, dated 332 B.C., of a diving bell said to have been used by Alexander the Great during the siege of Tyre.

Discoveries and inventions – the road to safe diving

The goal of the scientists and inventors who were involved in diving became, in the centuries that followed, to develop solutions to increase the time spent underwater. Leonardo da Vinci is considered the author of the first design of a self-contained underwater breathing system and the first diving suit. A breakthrough invention in the field of diving was the first diving system that allowed free movement underwater, designed in 1797 by Karl Heinrich Klingert.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, many innovations were tested simultaneously. In 1823, the Deane brothers patented a firefighter’s helmet to protect firefighters from the effects of smoke inhalation. Soon after, the firefighter’s helmet, at the request of the inventors, was adapted for diving by August Siebie. It is he, incidentally, who is considered the “father of diving.” It’s all due to the complete, enclosed classical diver’s outfit patented in 1837 – made of gas-tight fabric, with heavy boots and weights (allowing for adjustable buoyancy) and air supply via a rotary pump. The outfit was the first to make it possible to really stay safely underwater for an extended period of time.

Popularization of diving

A surge of interest in diving was noted in the first and then the second half of the 20th century. The popularization of underwater adventures has been most significantly influenced by increasing the safety of divers through the use of modern technological solutions, while gradually reducing the price of suits and the cost of operating breathing apparatuses. Today, millions of people around the world are engaged in diving.

Diving methods – division by technique and equipment selection

Snorkeling, freediving and scuba diving can be accomplished by one of three basic methods: snorkeling, freediving and scuba diving. What are the characteristics of these methods?

Snorkeling – amateur diving for everyone

Snorkeling is the simplest form of diving, involving floating or swimming just below the surface of the water, with simple equipment that allows you to admire the underwater world without having to surface for air.

The basic equipment for snorkeling is called. ABC equipment:

Mask – protect the eyes from contact with water and allow clear vision.

Snorkel (from English – hence the name of the diving method) – allows you to breathe freely without raising your head above the water level / without surfacing.

Fins, which significantly increase a diver’s mobility and speed up swimming.

Freediving – diving on held breath

Freediving, translated as free diving, or diving without an aqualung (but not without any equipment at all!) – on held breath, is one of the two basic methods of diving, in which one actually goes underwater to a chosen depth (in snorkeling, the diver merely floats on the water or is just below the surface – he does not go deep). The length of a freediver’s immersion depends on how long they can safely hold their breath underwater. As part of the preparation for the first freediving, it is necessary to conduct breathing exercises and learn the principles of safe immersion and emergence from the water.

Freedivers do not use an aqualung that allows them to stay/breathe underwater, but they can:

Masks and goggles – they protect the eyes and increase the comfort of admiring the underwater world.

Swimming foams or skins – they protect the diver’s body from cooling too quickly.

Fins – to increase the mobility of the diver.

Ballast – for effective management of submergence depth.

Scuba diving – scuba diving with aqualung

Scuba diving is equipment diving. A diver practicing scuba diving is equipped with an aqualung, which is equipment that allows him to swim and breathe freely underwater. This is the only diving method that allows you to stay underwater and explore the underwater world continuously for an extended period of time.

The basic equipment of a scubadiver is:

ABC equipment – mask, snorkel and fins (snorkel used in snorkeling – here it comes in handy, for example, in situations when you want to swim up to the place of immersion without using air from the cylinder).

Breathing machine and oxygen cylinder.

Foam or dry suit.

Optionally, the scubadiver’s equipment can also include:

Dive computer – a small device in the form of an elaborate wristwatch, high-end dive computer indicates, among other things. the depth of the dive and the time spent underwater, warns against ascending too quickly, and informs about the limit of no-decompression time at a given depth (taking into account previous dives).

A buoyancy vest (as an alternative to the traditional board and buoyancy bag).

Diving flashlight – to bring out disappearing colors in murky waters or at depths of less than 10 m, essential for night dives.

Types of diving – a division by the purpose of diving

You can dive for different reasons and purposes, and the division into recreational diving (rec diving) and technical/sports diving (tec diving) is definitely not exhaustive.

Here are the most popular types of diving and the techniques used in them:

Amateur recreational diving – snorkeling

This is the type of diving that is practiced by the largest number of people around the world. Snorkeling can be practiced with almost no restrictions (age and health) and without any major preparation – just fitting a mask and mastering the skills of breathing with a tube / snorkel. Snorkeling is hugely popular among tourists visiting the country, including. Egypt, Croatia, Greece or Italy.

The most beautiful snorkeling spots include:

Beaches around the Maltese islands of Gozo and Comino.

Beaches off the town of Isola Rossa in Sardinia.

Beaches around Paphos, Cyprus.

Croatian Riviera of Makarska.

The rocky coast around the Spanish island of Medes.

The azure coastlines around the Greek islands of Skiathos and Skopelos.

Recreational diving – freediving and scuba diving

Recreational diving can be practiced in many different ways, without or with equipment, by both beginners and advanced divers of varying degrees. Unlike amateur snorkeling – recreational diving practiced by freediving and scuba diving methods should always be preceded by training appropriate to the technique. Regardless of the method chosen and the type of equipment or aqualung (or lack thereof) – the purpose of recreational diving is to relax and unwind, a way to meditate (especially in the case of freediving) and to enjoy admiring the underwater world and overcoming one’s own barriers.

Freediving and scuba diving can be practiced both in natural bodies of water and in special pools – simulators of diving conditions. The contractual limit for recreational diving is 40 meters deep.

Amateur sport diving – freediving and scuba diving

Sport diving can be a form of recreation at the same time. What distinguishes sports diving from recreational diving is, among other things. frequency and regularity of dives (recreational diving is usually occasional). The goal of those treating diving as a sport is also different – diving in this case is supposed to be a kind of physical activity, during which certain activities are performed and all muscle parts are engaged. Divers also strive to improve their performance, to increase their mobility and efficiency, their diving speed or their speed of movement underwater.

Amateur sport diving can be practiced both in natural bodies of water and in special pools – simulators of diving conditions.

Technical diving – freediving and scuba diving

Technical diving (also referred to as professional or sport diving) is dedicated only to experienced divers with extensive knowledge and highly rated skills, as well as the right equipment – definitely more advanced than in recreational diving. This is a dive that requires divers to be in good physical condition and to be free of any contraindications to this activity (technical divers must undergo regular medical check-ups to confirm very good health).

Technical diving can be quite a strain and challenge to the body, as it definitely exceeds recreational limits – regarding the depth of immersion (divers technically exceed the 40m depth limit) and/or the length of time they stay underwater. Technical diving can be performed at different depths, with or without changing decompression gases, using multiple breathing mixtures during a single dive. Therefore, technical diving involves more risk than recreational diving.

The goal of technical diving is to improve one’s skills, improve one’s performance and acquire more degrees, among others. by exceeding standard time and depth limits, but always with safety rules. It is imperative to learn technical diving under the guidance of an experienced instructor, such as specialized courses provided by tec diving organizations TDI, IANTD or PADI/DSAT.

The most important rule of technical diving is to plan your dive precisely, and then dive according to that plan. The so-called. Run Time details the entire course of a dive: from submergence to ascent, specifying the points where the diver should be at any given time. Run Time planning should involve optimizing the dive in all respects.

Wreck diving – scuba diving

Wreck diving is diving that aims to explore sunken wrecks and other objects that are the result of human activity (as opposed to exploring underwater flora and fauna), such as sunken oil rigs or sunken cities. Penetration of submerged objects is carried out by equipment diving, or scuba diving.

Cave diving – scuba diving

Cave diving is diving that aims to explore underwater caves, passageways and adits. Cave diving can be carried out at various depths, but most often involves the inability to ascend vertically to the surface, so it requires proper training and skills (rather exceeding rec diving skills), very good physical fitness and mental toughness. Cave diving is done with equipment, that is, under the scuba diving method.

Commercial and professional diving

We speak of commercial and professional diving when it is directly related to work. Commercial diving is performed by the so-called. professional diver, i.e., a person who has the appropriate psycho-physical qualities and the necessary skills, as well as the qualifications / authorizations confirming them.

A professional diver must have a certificate of completion of a dedicated course, which includes. Class information: a Class III diploma authorizes professional diving at depths of up to 20m, a Class II diploma authorizes professional diving at depths of up to 50m, and a Class III diploma authorizes professional deep-sea diving and underwater work at depths of more than 50m. The health requirements for a professional diver are strictly defined by the Ministry of Health Regulation on Health Conditions for Underwater Work.

Professional divers include:

Diving instructors

People who dive for research and scientific purposes, conducting, for example, biological research and archaeological studies)

Rescue divers (Rescue Diver)

Police divers

Prospecting divers – extractors

Engineering divers, working, for example, in the operation of hydraulic structures, maintenance of ships or welding of individual elements of platform and quay structures.

Diving equipment

Scuba diving equipment is a very broad category in which new products regularly appear. In the most general terms, diving equipment can be divided into ABC equipment (which is the only equipment of a person diving on held breath, using the freediving method) and other diving equipment / air equipment (which is more or less extensive and advanced equipment of the scuba diver) and additional accessories / auxiliary equipment.

ABC equipment: mask, fins, snorkel

ABC equipment is a mask, fins and snorkel, which make snorkeling possible, the only equipment for freedivers and the basic equipment for scubadivers (but not sufficient for diving by this method). ABC equipment is individual equipment, which means that every diver, even a beginner, should have his own set (at selected dive bases it is possible to rent ABC equipment).

Diving mask

An essential piece of equipment for a diver, enabling proper (sharp, clear) and comfortable vision underwater, thanks to the creation of air space in front of the eyes. A properly fitted mask protects the eyes and nose from contact with water and allows the mask to equalize pressure (through the nose). The diving mask includes the following components:

Frame / body – the frame is made of plastic, different types / shapes of bodies are available, so you can optimally fit the mask to the shape and size of your face;

Sealing collar – the collars of modern masks are made of silicone (usually transparent, white / milky or black), the collar has a minimum of double sealing on the rim and covers the entire body, except for the section below the soft nose (so that it is possible to effectively drain the water during diving, the so-called “blowout” of the mask);

Tempered glass (on the front of the mask, covering the eyes) – tempered glass guarantees maximum safety, making it virtually impossible to break the mask (however, if the glass were broken – it would shatter into small pieces with blurred edges), the most common diving masks have one or two panes, in more advanced models, allowing panoramic vision underwater – there may be more panes (for example, three or six);

Soft nose (covers the nose) – a part of the body covering the nose, made of soft and flexible plastic (such a design allows you to compress the nose and equalize the pressure in the mask and “blow” the mask);

Strap with adjustment system – the straps of modern diving masks are made of silicone (most often identical to the one used for the collar) and have a split in the middle part (to minimize pressure on the head and the risk of displacement of the strap / mask), the task of the strap is to pre-press the mask to the diver’s face.

Snorkel

The snorkel allows you to breathe air without having to emerge from the water. This is the piece of equipment that makes snorkeling possible, and is rarely, very rarely or not at all useful in the rest of the diving techniques. The snorkel can be used, for example, when swimming to a fixed dive site or when returning from a dive, especially when there is a long distance to cover in difficult surface conditions (such as at sea, with high waves or strong current). The snorkel includes the following components:

Tube – modern tubes have an anatomical shape (fitting the shape / contour of the head, without sharp bends or narrowing that makes it difficult to take in and exhale air), the diameter of the tube should be about 2 cm, and the length of the tube about 30-35 cm;

Mouthpiece – made of silicone, it should be of a size and shape that allows you to easily put it in your mouth and hold it comfortably with your teeth (in classic models: by two tabs, in modern mouthpieces the tabs are connected by an additional, properly shaped element);

Check valve (optional) – located below the mouthpiece and makes it easier to empty the pipe of water;

Labyrinth valve (optional) – located at the end of the tube and restricting water from pouring into the pipe;

Clasp – an external and mobile element, applied to the tube allows you to connect the snorkel to the strap of the mask in such a way that it can be comfortably inserted into the mouth.

Diving fins

The purpose of the fins is to increase the surface area of the feet and thus maximize our motor capabilities in the water. Flippers allow you to swim quickly and efficiently using only your legs. The construction of fins is relatively simple – each fin consists of: a fin foot (calliope or strap) and a fin feather (which accounts for the propulsive force of the fins, the feathers can vary in size / length and hardness and vary in shape and functionality).

Fins should not only fit the foot, but also be matched to the diver’s skills and condition. Strip fins are used for diving:

Classic – consist of a feather and a foot, available in different degrees of softness / hardness.

With a slit – consist of a pen with a slit, they are very soft and easy to use even by beginners.

Technical jet fins (short and hard strip fins, used primarily in technical diving, requiring excellent skills and strong legs).

Airborne equipment

Airborne equipment is equipment that allows you to stay underwater for extended periods of time. Air equipment consists of three components: a cylinder or set of cylinders, a breathing machine and a buoyancy system (KRW, BCD or wings).

Diving cylinder / diving cylinder set

Diving cylinders are cylindrical containers of a certain capacity (most commonly: 10l, 12l, 15l, 18l), used to collect/store air at an increased pressure of 150-300at (15-30MPa), which we will use underwater. Cylinders can be made of carbon steel (used primarily in cold and fresh water) or alloy steel and aluminum alloys (used primarily in warm and saltwater). Aluminum cylinders are larger and heavier than steel cylinders of the same capacity, but in the water they become lighter than steel cylinders – they have neutral buoyancy (positive or slightly negative). Steel cylinders have negative buoyancy, so they can reduce the load in a diver’s ballast system.

The steel diving cylinder consists of the following components:

Cylinder – steel (with a convex bottom) or aluminum (with a flat bottom), available in a variety of capacities (ranging from 4l to 18l), and therefore in different sizes and weights;

Net – performs the protective function of the cylinder, protecting it from mechanical damage; made of special threads, closely matched to the dimensions of a particular cylinder;

Valve – allows you to control the flow of gas from the cylinder;

Рandle – allows you to carry the cylinder comfortably and safely;

Аoot – a piece made of plastic / plastic, also called a pot, which is put on the lower, convex part of the cylinder and allows it to stand on the ground (the flat bottom of aluminum cylinders does not require additional feet).

An aluminum diving cylinder usually consists of only two components: the cylinder and the valve.

Two, connected to each other by a special design / handle diving cylinders are Twinset. Two-bottle sets are used primarily by technical divers, but also for cave or wreck diving.

Breathing machine

This is one of the most important pieces of diving equipment, crucial to our safety. It is imperative for a diver to know how an automatic breathing apparatus works, to be able to connect it intuitively and correctly to the cylinder, and to operate it confidently in emergency situations as well. The chosen breathing machine should be properly stored and regularly serviced.

The automatic breathing machine consists of the following components:

The first stage of the breathing apparatus (diaphragm or piston, with DIN or INT type connection) – screwed to the diving cylinder, reduces the high pressure from the cylinder to a positive pressure of about 10at;

The second stage of the automatic breathing apparatus (may additionally have respiratory resistance adjustments) – is located directly at the mouth, reduces the positive pressure from about 10at to ambient pressure;

Octopus, or alternative air source – currently absolutely required;

Pressure gauge – a device that allows you to control the supply of air / gas in the cylinder (optionally, the pressure gauge can be part of the console, that is, a device that has more indicators, such as in addition: compass, depth gauge, dive computer);

Inflator and inflator hose – allowing to fill and empty the system / buoyancy bag.

Displacement system

A diver’s buoyancy system is nothing more than a KRW rescue and compensation vest (BCD, or Buoyancy Control Device). The vest is a must-have piece of equipment for every diver, increasing his safety and making diving more comfortable.

KRW’s task is:

Allowing the diver to change buoyancy (to negative, positive or neutral buoyancy, depending on the current need).

Allowing the diver to quickly surface the water in emergency situations.

Allowing the diver to stay safely on the surface of the water (preferably in the so-called safe position, i.e. face up).

KRW vests are available in a variety of designs, so that, every diver can choose a model that will be optimally suited to his or her size, needs and skills.

Types of KRW:

Jacket-type KRW – the most popular and most commonly used type of vest, easy to use, Jacket can be: adjustable (with the ability to adjust the length of the arms to suit your figure and current needs, such as for diving in a foam or dry suit) or full (with full arms, without the ability to adjust – it is necessary to accurately size KRW);

Wing-type KRW – a type of lifejacket attached to the back (filling the buoyancy bag does not squeeze the diver at the waist, as is the case with the classic Jacket-type KRW), which was originally used by technical divers, and is now entering widespread use in recreational diving.

Support equipment – additional diving equipment and accessories

This is a wide range of different types of equipment and accessories that are designed to make diving easier and improve the diver’s comfort and optimize his safety underwater.

Auxiliary equipment includes, but is not limited to:

Ballasts (including belt ballasts and leg ballasts)

Dive consoles and dive computers

Individual gauges to expand your individual measurement system, including: dive watches, thermometers, depth gauges, compasses, gauges / meters

Light accessories – flashlights, LED flashlights, HID flashlights, flashes and chemical light

Sounders

Diving slates – allowing you to record and read information/messages to your partner underwater

Knives, net knives and secateurs, as well as multifunctional utensils

Screws and ice augers

Underwater scooters – amateur and professional

Dive bags and transport cases – to facilitate the safe transportation / carrying of diving equipment.