Forms Of Diving

Diving is engaged in for different reasons, but by far most diving is undertaken for recreational purposes in waters around the world.

Recreational Diving

Recreational diving utilizes compressed air, allowing the diver to breathe under water and reach greater depths then they can via snorkeling. Since divers are not restricted to the surface of the water, diving deeper allows greater visibility in deeper waters. There is still depth and decompression limits to adhere to but a recreational diver has much greater freedom to explore otherwise inaccessible shipwrecks, canyons and see more diverse aquatic life.

Technical Diving

Technical diving involves more equipment and specialized training then that of recreational diving. A diver is equipped with at least 2 cylinders containing different gases. During the dive the diver will breathe in a mix of the gases allowing them to reach depths and stay underwater for periods not achievable by recreational diving techniques. The other popular method of technical diving is called rebreather diving where equipment recycles exhaled air. Extra cylinders called stage bottles are sometimes carried by divers as a backup or when extra air is required during decompression stages.

The greater depths and longer periods underwater achieved by technical diving as apposed to recreational diving means divers can access deep caves, shipwrecks and ice diving. Furthermore, technical divers are equipped with a higher skill set and more advanced equipment required to dive in these waters where there is extremely low light and moving currents.