Scuba diving is the best opportunity for anyone to watch the underwater life in lakes and oceans. Scuba is the short form for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. This is the equipment the diver wears to stay under the water surface for long periods of time required for underwater studies or entertainment.

When majority of the divers do scuba diving for recreational purposes there are commercial, military and scientific purposes also behind scuba diving. There are some people who do scuba diving in lakes and rivers. But for most people think of diving to the depths of oceans when they think about scuba diving.

In is a good practice to take the beginner’s diving course before you attempt any scuba diving. These classes teach you the basics like the operation of the equipment, underwater defense techniques and give you ocean awareness. Now a days these classes are popular and available at most of the places to minimize the accidents in scuba diving Most of the time the equipment for scuba diving is common but in some places depending upon the temperature additional accessories are used.

The basic parts of the scuba diving equipment are : the fins, a tank, a mask, gauges and a watch. Depending on the temperature the diver may wear gloves, wet or dry suit and a hood. A tank worn on the back of the diver is the source of air when the diver is under the water. The gauges that the diver carry will show the depth, pressure, temperature etc. and will be used to track his position under the water. The watch and the compass are also very important tools for a diver.

Divers who do scuba diving for recreational purposes are mainly keen to observe variety of fishes, dolphins, whales, turtles, ocean plants etc. There are some who are keenly interested in viewing shipwrecks. In the beginning the divers will practice in shallow waters or in pools. Later also any recreational diver is not allowed to go beyond 60 feet depth. There are skilled and trained commercial divers to assist companies and business organizations to do studies under the ocean. They are most helpful in the design of projects like oil drilling and bridge construction. Scientific needs such as study of ocean biology also make use of commercial scuba divers. Also military operations such as destroying water mines require the help of scuba divers.