Essential Diving Accessories For Your Gear

When you think of accessorizing above sea level, you think of extra trims and sparkle. Accessories imply something extra and perhaps aren't strictly vital for your everyday survival. However, it's an entirely different ball game where diving accessories for your scuba diving gear are concerned. Divers need to keep track of time so that they know how long their air can last and how to time their ascent to avoid a nasty bout of the bends. There's also always the possibility of getting tangled in a rope and that's where sharp knives come in.

Knives

Divers (and marine creatures) could get tangled in abandoned nets and fishing lines and even in their dive lines, and so a knife is an indispensable addition to your scuba diving gear. Diving knives are made from titanium or stainless steel, although titanium is a better option because it doesn't rust. Those who need to cut wire should opt for steel, as this is a harder metal than titanium. The knife should always be attached to the diver's body with a lanyard, so that he or she doesn't lose it in the seabed during an emergency.

Underwater watches

Diving watches have been ousted somewhat by computers that can do your time keeping for you, however, they are always useful and are great for back-up in a crisis. You'll want to buy a well-known brand, so that if it says 200m water resistance you know that it definitely won't give up the ghost on a 15 metre dive. The advantage of diving watches is that they are durable and make good fashion pieces, so you can keep them on even after removing the mask and wetsuit.

Dive lights

Underwater lights are essential diving accessories for cave or night dives and help the diver to see the spectacular colours of the underwater far more clearly. They can also be used to spot marine life hiding away in crevices. For added safety, a cave diver needs to have two back-up lights in addition to the light he or she is carrying.

The brightness of the torch you use will depend on where you are diving. A very bright light won't be very good in an area of water with a lot of suspended particles but a small bright light is perfect for looking at finer details. If you want to venture into an area of complete darkness, use a wide-beamed and less intense light instead.

Your knives, lights and watches are your most basic diving accessories, but once you've invested in these, you can add cameras and more advanced gadgets to your diving gear to impress both your co-divers and the fish, who will more than likely goggle at your high-tech attire.