Activities > Basic Level > Dive Gear

Dress the Diver

Drag each piece of equipment over to the diver and drop it where you think it belongs.

What is the diver wearing? Scuba divers wear special suits to help keep them warm underwater. One type of suit is a wetsuit, which traps water inside the suit. The other type of suit is a drysuit, which keeps all the water out of the suit so you can wear clothes underneath.

Tank
Mask and Snorkel
Regulator
BCD Vest
Gloves
Compass
Fins
Underwater Camera
Dive Slate
Flashlight
Dive Booties
Hands
Diver Body

Awesome!
You are ready to dive!

A diver films the shipwreck Fleetwing
A diver films the shipwreck Fleetwing.
Image courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society.



Scuba Tank

The tank is a metal container that holds the air the diver will breathe while underwater. Scuba tanks come in different sizes and hold different amounts of air, so divers can choose how long they want to be underwater.

Mask and Snorkel

A mask is worn on a diver's face so they can see underwater. It is important to clean your mask before each dive so you can see clearly. The snorkel is used for breathing while swimming on the surface to save the air in the tank for the dive.

Regulator

A regulator brings air from the tank to the diver’s mouth through a hose. There is also a gauge attached to the regulator that shows how much air is in the tank. Sometimes divers also have a dive computer on their gauges, which remembers all the details of the dive.

BCD (Buoyancy Control Device) Vest

This vest holds the tank the diver breathes from and can be inflated to help the diver stay off the bottom. BCDs have lots of clips and pockets that hold weights and other equipment for the diver.

Gloves

Gloves are used underwater to keep your hands warm and to protect them from things in the water. Divers want their gloves to be thick enough for warmth, but thin enough to do things with their hands.

Compass

A compass helps divers know what direction they are going underwater when it is dark and difficult to see. Divers usually wear their compass on their wrist, like a watch, or clipped to their BCD.

Fins

Fins are long pieces of plastic or rubber that divers wear on their feet to help them move through the water quickly and easily. Fins come in many shapes, sizes, and colors.

Camera

Underwater cameras are protected by special plastic boxes so they will work without getting wet. Some divers use cameras for fun, but pictures are also an important part of underwater research.

Dive Slate

A dive slate is a clipboard that allows divers to write and draw underwater. Some scientists use dive slates, mechanical pencils, and special underwater paper to record things while diving.

Flashlight

Flashlights help divers see underwater when it is dark or when there are things in the water that make it hard to see.