Technical diving requires divers to use a variety equipment. Backplates with a harness, for instance, are made of stainless steel, carbon fiber, or aluminum. Other technical dive gear includes dive knives, lights, rebreathers, stage tanks, safety buoys, and bailout bottles. These items are used to ensure your safety and comfort while diving.
Technical divers use equipment
Technical divers use more sophisticated equipment than recreational divers. It includes specialized gear, which can be used in hazardous conditions, and sophisticated computers that help them monitor their decompression and other dive-related data. 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 are important for long-duration diving and offer insulation. You can also use a compass, slate, or delayed surface marker buoy as diving equipment. A decompression trapeze can help divers maintain correct depth during in-water decompression stops. The equipment can be carried in a lift bag.
Another equipment technical divers use is a full face mask. This covers the diver's nose and mouth as well as his eyes. Safety harnesses can be used in lifting divers out of the sea. A buddy line or shotline is another item technical divers may require. A shotline is a connection to a shot weight that gives a diver a point of reference for their descent. A buddy line is a connection between two divers in the water that prevents them becoming separated. A buddy line attaches the diver on a shotline. A surface marker buoy is used to indicate the divers' location to others.
Equipment used to ice divers
Divers using ice diving equipment use multiple types of equipment to ensure safety. They often use two first stage regulators. It allows divers to swap between the two regulators without needing 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. Ice divers use double tanks that provide redundant air delivery systems as well as air supplies.
Support personnel must be accessible above the ice when ice diving. The safety cord is attached to the diver’s harness. This acts as a communication tool in an emergency. The safety rope can reach 150 feet. Sometimes, the two-person team may have separate lines. If the diver is not able to reach them, the line tenders will need to wear thermal protection.
Before ice diving, the team must prepare the area and cut a hole in the ice. While the most common tool to cut ice is the chainsaw (but it must be used with care), it is still very useful. It is important to make the hole smooth so that there are no injuries to equipment or divers. Many ice divers prefer to use triangle-shaped holes for safer entry or exit.
Equipment used by decompression divers
Special equipment is used by decompression divers when they're underwater. The multigas dive computer tracks decompression requirements, and allows divers to switch between two types of gases in their cylinder. Also included is a submersible gauge to display the air remaining in the cylinder. Another equipment used by decompression divers is a drysuit, which provides insulation during long diving.
Apart from a self-contained breath device, divers can also use equipment which connects to a platform for support. Divers can use this equipment to adjust the stop depth and monitor their depth. The umbilical supplies oxygen to the diver's head and can also be used to communicate with the other side.
Another piece of equipment that decompression divers use is the jonline. This is a long rope that is used to guide the diver in a search and/or work session. The lifting bag is another piece of equipment. It is an airtight bag that is attached to a weighted rope and suspended at the bottom. These tools can be used to lift heavy objects off the bottom of an ocean, and act as a floating device when filled with water. Shot lines are also used by decompression divers. They consist of a weight and a line that allow them to navigate to the surface, and then make a safety stop.