105. Three core pieces of scuba equipment you should own plus Wet Notes news, information and commentary

Scuba Shack Radio

William Cline recently released Q4 statistics regarding the scuba industry. It would seem that overall certifications are flat when compared to 2021 as is equipment sales. Scuba related travel is up however. We will see how things progress in 2023. Nature Communications recently published a study that indicates 59% of coral reef sharks, rays and skates are threatened with extinction due to overfishing. The first quarter edition of the Journal of Diving History is out. Find out about the first hydrogen dives in this longest running US magazine about diving. The new Cayman Aggressor IV is operational with seven-day cruises around all three Cayman Islands. There is a new artificial reef off Destin-Ft. Walton Beach, FL. The R/V Manta was sunk in 111 feet of water about 16 miles south of Destin. A service and maintenance department in a scuba diving center represents a significant investment to the center with tools, equipment, repair and spare parts, along with training and certification. Is it worth the investment? Not everyone feels like they need to have their gear serviced as they should and the revenue from services is not there. What if your local dive shop no longer serviced gear? What would you do? New divers have already made an investment in their mask, snorkel, fins and boots. When these new divers ask about what equipment should they buy first, I turn that question around and say - here are the three core pieces of gear that you will need to really become a safe and competent diver. These core pieces of scuba gear are a buoyancy compensator (BC), a regulator, and a dive computer. Yes, there is a lot of other gear that we use to breathe underwater. Listen to may reason for why I think these are the three core pieces of scuba equipment.