Technical diving demands a variety of equipment. Backplates, which are used in conjunction with a harness, can be made of stainless steel or carbon fiber. Diver knives, lights and safety buoys are just a few of the technical gear available. These items are essential for your safety and comfort while you dive.
Technical divers use specific equipment
Technical divers often use more advanced equipment than recreational divers. This equipment includes sophisticated gear that can be used in dangerous conditions and computers that monitor and record their dive data and decompression. For instance, multigas dive computers allow divers to change gas blends on the fly and control their decompression time. Submersible pressure gauges, which allow divers to monitor the level of air in their cylinders, are also important. Dry suits provide insulation for long-duration dives. Additional equipment include a compass (or a delayed surface marker buoy), a slate and compass. A decompression trapeze can help divers maintain correct depth during in-water decompression stops. To transport the equipment, a lift bag can also be used.
The technical diver may also use a full mask to cover his nose, mouth, ears, and eyes. Safety harnesses can be used in lifting divers out of the sea. A buddy line, shotline, and other equipment are also important for technical divers. A shotline, which is connected to a weight in shot to provide a reference point for a diver's descent, is a line that connects to a shotweight. A buddy line connects two divers in water to prevent them from getting separated. A buddy line ties the diver to a shotline and a surface marker buoy signals the location of the divers to others at the surface.
Equipment used by Ice Divers
Safety reasons make it possible for ice divers to use different types of equipment. They generally use two-stage regulators. Divers can easily switch between the two, without having to purchase a second tank. To replace the first-stage regulator that has failed, the diver can grab the second-stage one and attach it to its working counterpart. Double tanks are used by ice divers to provide redundant air supply and delivery systems.
Support personnel must always be on hand for ice divers. The safety cord is attached to the diver’s harness. This acts as a communication tool in an emergency. The safety line can run up to 150 feet. The two-person team might use separate lines in some instances. The line tenders must be dressed in thermal protection and may need to enter the water if the diver becomes separated from them.
Before ice diving, the team must prepare the area and cut a hole in the ice. The most common tool used for cutting the ice is a chainsaw. However, it should be used carefully. To avoid damage to equipment and divers, the hole should be smooth. Many ice divers use triangle-shaped holes to provide safer entry and exit.
Equipment used by decompression divers
For decompression diving, special equipment is required. Multigas dive computers are used to track decompression needs and allow divers to switch between different types of gas in a cylinder. You can also see the remaining air level in the tank with the submersible tension gauge. Another equipment used by decompression divers is a drysuit, which provides insulation during long diving.
In addition to a self-contained breathing device, divers also use equipment that connects to a surface support platform. Divers can also use this equipment to adjust their stop depth or monitor their depth. The umbilical provides the breathing gas for the diver's helmet. It may also contain two way communications, a depth measure tube, a camera, or hot water to warm his dive suit.
The jonline, another piece of equipment decompression divers need to use, is a very important tool. It is a long straight line used to guide divers during search and work sessions. The lifting bag, an airtight bag attached with a weighted wire and suspended at depth in the diving chamber, is another piece. These tools enable the diver to lift heavy items from the bottom and use them as floating objects when they are full. A shot line allows decompression divers, who are able to navigate to surface areas and do a stop at safe places, to use.