Wednesday, February 08, 2012
   
Text Size

SCUBA

PrintE-mail

Subject Index - Sports

 

 

 

stingray_scuba_diver_getting_ride_lg_clr

 

 

scuba_fish_swimming_lg_clr
scubaline

whitefactsblackbkg

1.  The term SCUBA is actually an acronym. It stands for, Self, Contained, Underwater, Breathing Apparatus. This is a term used to describe a system that allowed divers to go underwater without being connected to a surface air supply.

2.  There was an unsuccessful attempt at a"rebreathing" device in the 1770's when Sieur Freminet, a Frenchman, invented the first self-contained air device that recycled the exhaled air from inside a barrel. Unfortunately, the device worked poorly and Freminet died from lack of oxygen. He had been in his device for twenty minutes. Another death of an inventor trying to make a rebreather was that of Englishman, Henry Fleuss who invented a closed circuit oxygen rebreather in 1876. He used it in a 30 foot dive and died from the pure oxygen.

3.  Scuba diving as we know it today really got started in the 1500's when the first diving bell was invented.

4.  The term SCUBA was originally used during WW II and referred to the Navy's oxygen rebreathers used by frogmen. The rebreathers were used during underwater attacks and for under water demolition projects. The rebreather for the US Navy was developed by Dr. Christian Lambertsen in the 1940's. The rebreather is closed-curcuit, which means no air is expelled outside of the system.

5.  The open circuit breathing system in use today was invented by Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan. It allows divers to breathe from a tank of air on their back and exhale it into the water.

6.  Some of the most important SCUBA gears includes: wet suit, diving mask, fins, snorkel, buoyancy compensator vest, regulator and octopus, depth gauge, tank pressure gauge, underwater timer, compass, underwater light, diving knife, dive logbook and underwater slate, whistle or air horn, anti-fog solution, Scuba Diving Computer, weight belt, and diving watch.

7.  All dive computers tell 4 basic things; 1) current depth, 2)maximum depth during the dive 3) length of time underwater, 4) how much longer someone can stay safely underwater at any particular depth.

8.  The maximum limit for recreational scuba divers is going to a 130 feet depth. Beginner divers are probably best advised to stay at 60 feet or above until they become more comfortable and gain more experience.

9.  Eight important rules of SCUBA diving are:
1.Get proper training, 2. Never dive alone, 3. Be in good physical shape, 4. Come to the surface slowly and with control, 5. Don’t hold your breath, 6. Check your equipment, 7. Relax, 8. Plan your dive and dive your plan

10. Some consider this list the best places to SCUBA dive:

The Yongala, Australia - Blue Corner Wall, Palau, Micronesia - Barracuda Point, Sipadan Island -Thistlegorm, Egyptian Red Sea - Shark and Yolanda Reef, Egyptian Red Sea - Navy Pier, Western Australia - Manta Ray Night Dive, Kailua Kona, Hawaii - Big Brother, Egyptian Red Sea - Great Blue Hole, Belize - Richelieu Rock, Thailand.
scuba_dive_lg_clr 

whitelinkblackbkg