As a new diver, it can be overwhelming to know where to start when it comes to your first equipment purchases. These are the four Ocean Quest recommended items we think every diver should own. These items will complement your scuba equipment rentals and are a great start in owning your own scuba gear. These essential items will help you get the most out of diving and allow you to develop your skills and confidence and ultimately have more fun!

Mask and Snorkel

It goes without saying that a mask is one of the key pieces of diving equipment that will make diving more fun and comfortable. Divers will typically have their own mask and snorkels when they start diving.

https://diveoceanquest.com/product-category/masks

Fins

At Ocean Quest we teach very specific propulsion techniques such as frog kicking, helicopter turns and back finning. These skills can only be accomplished with fins that are specifically designed towards these various sculling techniques. This is why we believe fins are the most important component of your personal gear and why we are very specific on which fins we recommend to our students and customers.

https://diveoceanquest.com/product-category/fins

Diving Light

The dive light serves many important purposes:

• Brings backs the colours – Marine life can be very colourfull but without a light, everything will look dull grey and blue, even in warm clear water. Your dive light will bring back the colours and make your dive more exciting!
• Finding marine life – Many marine animals use camouflage to hide from predators. A dive light will make it easier to spot these elusive creatures. A light also allows you to look in cracks and crevices to find more marine life such as octo’s, tiger rock fish, wolf eels and much more!
• Effective buddy communications – A light is a very effective way to stay with your buddy (team member) and communicate. We find light communication is essential for a smooth and trouble free dive with your buddy.

https://diveoceanquest.com/product-category/lights

Dive Computer

A dive computer is probably one of the most important safety tools you have as a diver. You need to know how deep you are, how long you have been diving and of course where you stand within your no-decompression/no-stop limits at any given time.

Dive computers will help you:

• Keep track of your depth, time and no-stop (no-decompression time) – You will also be able to dive longer as computers will adjust your no-stop time to your actual depth. If you start your dive a bit deeper and move to the shallows, your computer will give you more time as you move up.
• Manage your ascent rate – Ascending at a proper rate is an essential component of safe diving. Computers have ascent rate indicators letting you know if you are ascending at the proper rate. Through experience, you will be able to manage your ascent rate by simply monitoring your depth changes on your computer.
• Dive Enriched Air Nitrox – Most if not all computers have a “Nitrox” Mode allowing you to program your computer to nitrox diving. Nitrox is extremely popular and will give you even more time underwater by increasing your available no-stop time by decreasing the nitrogen in your mix. Learn more about Enriched Air Nitrox Diving here!
• Customize Settings – Many computers allow you to customize your settings so you can personalize your unit to your individual needs. This includes different diving modes, safety stop settings, conservative factor settings, display settings and more.
• Log your Dives – Your dive computer will track all of your information and keep a log of all of your dives. You can often import the dive log from your computer to a dive log application on  your phone via bluetooth!

By having your own dive computer, you will be familiar with the layout and have a better idea of what all of the numbers mean. You will also be able to build a feeling of independence as a diver as you will know where you stand at all times during the dive.

https://diveoceanquest.com/product-category/dive-computers-and-gauges

Owning these four essential items will set you up to be a more confident, skillful diver. Each piece enhances safety and enjoyment and will allow you feel more in control while exploring the underwater world. Whether you’re exploring the incredible marine life in our beautiful British Columbia waters or diving abroad, investing in these essentials will build the foundation for a lifetime of amazing dive experiences. Ready to dive in? Visit Ocean Quest to chat with our team and get customized advice from our diving experts to find out what is best for you!