Cylinder Safety

Users must operate cylinders within design parameters, such as filling only to the rated service pressure and having cylinders inspected by formally trained and qualified technicians and requalified by a reputable, recognized test facility. More than 90 percent of ruptures occur during filling, so diligent inspection during this process is critical. Cylinders should operate safely throughout their entire service lives if users adhere to design and operating conditions.

Young man in blue shirt fills scuba cylinders.

Get Wet, Dive Dry

Drysuits enable divers to dive longer and test their own abilities. Do you know drysuit basics? Cultivate a better understanding of drysuits and how to find the right one.

Happy male diver helps a female diver into her wetsuit by the trunk of a car

Popping the Question: What is a DSMB?

SURFACE MARKER BUOYS (SMBS) AND DELAYED SURFACE MARKER BUOYS (DSMBS) are common and essential safety devices. These brightly colored, inflatable tubes, sometimes called safety sausages, are critical pieces of equipment […]

Alert Diver Q3 Dive Gear

Nitrox Production Methods

Enriched air, or nitrox, has become a trusted way for many recreational divers to extend no-decompression limits and reduce fatigue. By increasing the oxygen content and reducing nitrogen absorption, divers […]

testing cylinder

Do You Know What You’re Breathing

A rebreather diver respires an artificial atmosphere that changes dynamically with depth over the course of a dive.

A rebreather diver poses in a cave and wears a blue and black wetsuit

Breathe In, Breathe Out

A scuba regulator enables humans to breathe regularly. Get the basics on scuba regulators.

Diver in yellow fins floats above corals

Decompression, Stage, and Bailout Cylinders

DIFFERENT TERMS CAN SOMETIMES DESCRIBE the same piece of equipment in the dive industry. What some divers call a dive light, for example, others call a dive torch. They are physically identical, so the names are interchangeable …

dive industry equipment terminology confusion; dive industry equipment terminology confusion

Gear-Related Incidents

Faulty or improperly used gear can quickly change and impact a dive. Read gear-related dive incident reports and avoid these mistakes.

Woman in pink scuba gear swims near fish

Defining Performance

Do you know how to find the right pair of fins to fit your feet? Read our best tips on finding the right fins for you.

A person's legs, wearing red fins, stick out of tropical beach waters

The Dive Light: A Tool for All Divers

The dive light is essential equipment that can benefit all divers on most dives. There are several types of lights with various uses and a few key considerations you should make before purchasing. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to dive lights, so each diver must carefully consider their own goals and needs before deciding which model is most useful.

Lights are tools for all divers