A small lifeline
worn on your back
Your life support, on your back.
Scuba is a self-contained underwater breathing system built around a cylinder + BCD + regulator, plus a mask, fins, exposure suit, gauges and a dive computer. The standard breathing gas is air (21% oxygen); oxygen-enriched nitrox and helium-blended trimix are for longer or deeper dives and require separate training.
A self-contained system on your back
The three essentials are the cylinder, BCD and regulator. Add gear for seeing, moving, staying warm and staying informed.
See and move. A leak-free fit matters most for the mask.
Add or dump air to control buoyancy (neutral buoyancy) and secure the cylinder. Essential.
Reduces high-pressure gas to breathable pressure in two stages. The octopus (yellow backup) is for air sharing.
Aluminum (positively buoyant when empty) vs steel (negative/neutral even when empty).
Real-time remaining pressure, depth and no-decompression limit (NDL) — core to safety.
Deployed just before ascent to signal your position to the boat; a reference for the safety stop.
Four seasons in Korea, from wetsuit to drysuit
Pick a suit for warmth based on water temperature and your cold tolerance. Korea's water temperature swings widely across the seasons, from summer wetsuits to winter drysuits.
- Wetsuit (neoprene, insulates by warming a thin layer of water) · Semi-dry (reinforced seals) · Drysuit (air insulation, requires separate training)
- Rough PADI guide: 10–17°C wet/semi-dry · below 10°C drysuit (varies by person)
Blending oxygen, nitrogen and helium
Air (21% O₂) is the baseline, with nitrogen narcosis capping recreational depth at ~40m. Nitrox (EANx, 22–40% O₂) lowers nitrogen to extend no-decompression time — at 18m, air's 56 minutes becomes 95 minutes on EANx32. Trimix (O₂·He·N₂) is for deep technical diving (60m+).
- Weight and buoyancy figures vary by material, model and spec, so we avoid stating them definitively.
- Nitrox and trimix require separate certification.