Meet our very own diving model; Darren the diver. I just wish his physique was based on mine! During your Discover Scuba Diving session you will gain an appreciation of the various items of kit Darren is showing you. All of this kit is provided for you during your first session.

Mask. This vital piece of kit is what enables us to see objects underwater. If you wear contact lenses this is not a problem at all, nor if you wear spectacles. Objects underwater seem larger and closer, more of which you learn about during the full PADI Open Water Diver course.

Cylinder. This just contains air, albeit highly compressed. We have a wide variety of different sizes so you will get one suited to your physique.

Inflator. This is the control module that either inflates or deflates your BCD helping you float, descend or with great skill maintain a mid water position like a fish.

BCD. Your Buoyancy Control Device, does what it says on the tin, controls your buoyancy to be top, middle or bottom in the water.

SPG. Submersible Pressure Gauge. (Are you picking this up know with abbrieviations? Clever lot us divers aren't we?). Like the petrol gauge on a car it tells us how much air we have left in our cylinder.

Fins. We want to relax and move slowly underwater so a nice large fin helps to propel us under the water.

Suit. A suit provides both warmth and buoyancy to a diver. We wont need either in the warm swimming pool but if you have one bring it along.

Weight Belt. You might not think you will need it with the rest of your gear on but humans tend to float quite well so we will adjust your trim with some weights.

Regulator. A rather important bit of kit. It takes the high pressure air from the cylinder and rather cleverly delivers it to the diver in a way that allows us to breath easilly underwater. Lots of people are apprehensive about breathing underwater but with our sericed and well maintained regulators after a few minutes you won't even notice1

Alternate Air Source. Another regulator, not for you but for your diving buddy. If they run low on air they can secure your, guess what; AAS, and then you can end the dibve safely. This is one of a number of low on air options taught to PADI Open Water divers during the course.