son to use it. That mouthpiece on the regulator is theirs. They will also know how it has been maintained, cleaned and stored. While there is no guarantee that a regulator might not have a failure, they have control over this risk by having their regulator properly serviced and handled with care. Buoyancy, trim and control in the water should be at the top of every divers mind. As the name implies our BCD is critical in our buoyancy and control. There are many differ- ent models of BCDs on the market from jacket style, back inflate, and the backplate and wing. First and foremost the diver needs to be comfortable with the fit of their BC. Too many times we see divers with a BCD that is too big and flops around seriously compromising their control. Addi- tionally, if they are comfortable with their BC, they will con- sistently dive that rig and should improve their buoyancy and control. Finally, by having their own BC, they will know all the safety elements associated with their gear including dump valves, releases and the weight system. Today, we are very fortunate to have affordable dive com- puters readily available. While not specifically required to conduct a dive, there are many operators whose policies re- quire that each diver have their own dive computer and for the most part will have rental computers available. This however presents a challenge. First, it might seem obvious but a diver needs to be able to read the screen. Font size, layout, brightness and the amount of information may make it difficult for an individual to read the data. Secondly, with the wide array of dive computers on the market, each has nuances in their menu structure and set up. A diver who owns his own computer should be able to properly prepare the computer for each dive and ensure that they know where to find critical information. While dive computers all provided the key data during the dive, they do display information in different ways. Safely conducting their dive requires that the diver be able to prop- erly interpret that information real-time. Finally, after the dive, the log function allows the diver to document and re- view the parameters of their dive and in many cases provide download capabilities to ensure they have a complete dive log. Purchasing the big three represents a significant invest- ment for new divers and there are various marketing and RETAILING continued
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