UBUC

Essential Kit

With PK not far away, and many of you getting ready to immerse yourselves in the sea for the first time, there are a few bits of kit you need to beg / borrow / buy. Diving gear is unfortunately rather expensive, so here are a few pointers to try and ensure you end up with the right stuff. I have also divided the stuff into must have, should have, and nice to look at... Please ask if you have any questions.

Must Have...

A Diving Suit - see Basic Kit for more information on the types of suit available.

If you have brought a drysuit, you will need talcum powder (ideally non-scented - doesn't perish the seals) to help you get into it, and beeswax / zip-lube for the zip. Look after your zip and it will last a long time. If you don't you will find yourself continually forking out 100 quid or so for a new one...

Weight Belt. How much weight you need will depend on the type of suit you have, and your build.

As a guideline:

Drysuit (32 - 36 pounds or 14 - 16 kilos) Semi-dry (24 - 28 pounds or 11 - 13 kilos) Typically women will need a belt with the smaller of the two amounts indicated, whilst any huge body builders amongst you may need a couple of pounds more than the weights given.

You can either buy a shot belt (lead is in shot), or a webbing weight belt, where you thread blocks of lead onto the belt. Since shot belts are twice the price, and hard to adjust I would recommend an ordinary webbing belt. I would suggest buying the lead as 4 pound (2 kilo) blocks, except for possibly a couple of 2 pound (1 kilo) blocks, as this will make it easy to adjust your weight. The belt should have an end of around 10 inches (with the lead on), when it is put around your waist. If it is too short, it is likely to fall off (with disastrous consequences), and too long and it will get in the way. Also buy a couple of weight retainers to stop the lead coming off when you remove the belt. A bright coloured belt will be easier to find if you do drop it, and don't forget to write your name on it! There are various types of buckles available. A standard metal bucle is cheap and shouldn't come undone. Guidelines for adjusting your weight correctly can be found on another page (see equipment section).

Gloves. Some people dive without them, but generally not in April. The water will be at it's coldest, so gloves are STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. The thicker your gloves, the warmer your hands, but the harder your gear will be to operate. 3mm is a good compromise, but you should be able to operate most gear with 5mm gloves and practice. It is possible to buy kevlar / leather palmed gloves which won't wear out so quickly. I haven't used these, but they may be a good investment.

Hood. Make sure your suit comes with one (second hand suits may not, nor some new ones). You will need a hood. 5mm minimum, but the thicker the better really. Fins. If you have been using slipper type fins, you will need to buy a set of adjustable ones for the sea, which will fit over a thick pair of bootees (5mm).

Dive Watch. You will need to be able to time your dives! You don't need anything fancy, any watch with a timing facility, and rated as water resistant to 200 metres will do. One with a lighting facility is preferable. You should be able to pick something up from Argos for around 20 quid. A lot of the club uses the Casio DW-280. This is not a recommendation, it is just the cheapest watch available from Argos that is up to the job. Check the catalogues, they may do something cheaper now!

Logbook. You will need to record your dives, if only to prove to your DO that you have done enough to qualify, though mine reads rather like a diary, and I quite enjoy reading back over what I have done. A simple pocket notebook will suffice.

Should Have...

Delayed SMB (Sports Divers Only). If you want to do any wreck dives you will need one of these. Both divers in a pair should carry a delayed SMB and reel. Don't split the stuff up as I have seen many divers do (think about it!!!). An SMB with a throat (restriction around the openining) is best, since these tend not to deflate at the surface, and cost only a couple of quid more than the non-throated ones. AP Valves produce an excellent self sealing delayed SMB which can be used as a standard SMB. It's stating the obvious, but practice with your delayed before trying to deploy it for real from 20 metres!

Dive Knife / Shears. Divers no longer tend to carry machetes on their lower legs, but a small knife or a set of shears is a sensible precaution. Many of the sites we dive are fished, so there tends to be lots of monofilament about. I only know of one diver who has been caught by ordinary fishing line. Nets tend to be found on deeper wrecks, and are far more of a problem. I would still stick by the old adage "never dive without a knife", but would add that shears may be more effective - if they are well maintained. You should be able to find shears for around 10 quid, and knives generally start at 20 quid. A price you'll be able to reflect on for some time whilst you sit on the bottom waiting for your air to run out, wishing you had bought something to cut that damned line you are tied up in... If you get a knife, blunt chisel tips are preferable so you don't stab yourself / puncture the boat, and get one with a serated edge. Much better for cutting line / rope. Some also come with dedicated line cutters.

Compass. Dedicated diving compasses cost around 30 quid up. An oil filled orienteering compass from somewhere like Millets is considerably cheaper and funnily enough does exactly the same thing! Make sure it is oil filled or it will break under pressure. Also make sure you have some sort of lanyard (bit of string) to tie it to your wrist / jacket so you don't lose it. You will need a compass for your navigation exercise, and as with most of this stuff the more practice you get the better!

Goody Bag. This is basically a multipurpose string bag. Used for holding underwater booty, or more generally for storing your mask, fins, snorkel etc. whilst on the boat. Keeping everything together helps avoid leaving things on the beach when you go boat diving, and from losing stuff out of the boat. Fertiliser bags, and holdalls make suitable alternatives. Binliners are unfortunately not up to the job. A goody bag will only cost around 10 quid, and represents an excellent investment. Just make sure it is big enough for your fins.

Nice to look at...

Slate. Not essential, but they cost about 5 quid. I dived with a wrist mounted slate once and haven't dived with it ever since. Try explaining to someone that they are looking at a corkwing wrasse without one... You'll need to have legible handwriting though! If you need advice on any of this stuff please ask Anthony

If you are after buying stuff, the following is a list of Bristol's dive shops, in no particular order. With all of them it would be worth trying for a student discount. Say you are a member of the University of Bristol Underwater Club.

Bristol Dive Shops

Bristol Channel Divers

Dive Monkeys

Mikes Dive Shop