So, you have made the decision to buy dive gear? - a bit of advice...
The purchase of your diving equipment is a major investment. Buying quality equipment, caring for it properly and having it regularly serviced can ensure your investment lasts many years and 100's of dives.
In each product category there is enormous choice available - how do you I know what suits ME and my needs? What do I buy first?
Firstly, we are here to help you make affordable and appropriate choices for YOUR diving needs. As an Aquanaut dealer we have access to the largest range of the best equipment available from anywhere in the world. That said, when you are new to diving, it can be rather bewildering and most dive equipment seems the same - its not. In making an informed decision, ask as many questions as possible.
This site is a good start and gives you a basic view of the equipment available. You will notice links on this page to Aquanaut, its brands and even equipment Selection Guides. Find out as much information as you can about the product, its features, reliability and after sales service and support.
In making a decision to buy equipment, keep in mind the most expensive gear does not mean it is the best gear FOR YOU. There are a couple of basic guidelines:
Buy the best equipment you can afford, and
Make your decision based on the type of diving you WANT to do in the future, not based on the diving that you do now. For example, if you plan to do deep diving you will need to seriously consider a dive computer. Wreck diving - Non-split fins because split fins have a tendancy to cause 'silt-outs' (stir up the bottom sediments) and can also cause damage to delicate marine life by the way water is transferred from the fin during a kick.
As a guide, unless you can afford to buy all your gear at once you should consider buying your equipment in the following general order:
1. Mask, snorkel and fins with booties. Personally, I would recommend a 'Snap' Snorkel which is foldable and can be kept in a BCD pocket until you need it. (ALL divers should carry a snorkel and a snorkel permanently attached to a mask can become annoying).
2. Exposure Protection. A wetsuit, semi-dry or dry suit, gloves and hood. If you feel the cold, perhaps a 'Sharkskin Vest' is also needed. With the equivalent of a 3mm wet suit, 'Sharkskins' dry rapidly, are neutrally buoyant and wind proof!
3. BCD (weight integrated), Regulators and Computer. These are the most expensive items and usually best purchased packaged together - this is almost always cheaper than buying individually.
Whenever you can, buy the following types of personal items (depending on your own diving needs):
Dive slate
Torch/es
SMB (Surface Marker Buoy) with deployment device, eg spool
Dive Reel
Dive Tub
Mask Defog
Hangers designed specifically for dive equipment
Dive Site Guides - Books
Fish/Marine Life Identification Guides - Books
UW Digital Camera, and so forth.
As the most experienced scuba diver in Mudgee and with more than 20 years of diving and teaching experience, Grant, like other leading instructors the world over, recognises the importance of reliable equipment to assist in ensuring the highest possible standards of safety and learned skills for all levels of divers.
That is why we choose to use and recommend the very best diving equipment in the world. Indeed, the world's biggest selling and most highly regarded brand names for all levels of divers from the beginner to the technical.
How can you tell our products are the best? Who else offers 5 years or 500 dive warrantieson their computers (Suunto) and free parts for lifefor regulators (Aqualung) if annually serviced?
As anAuthorised Dealerfor Aquanaut(www.aquanaut.com.au ) whom, like Mudgee Dive & Travelis an AUSTRALIAN and FAMILY OWNED business, we offer the broadest range of products in all possible categories.
Feel free to browse the selected products on this site or follow the link below to view the extensive range of products for divers, snorkelers, swimmers and other adventurer seekers on the Aquanaut site:
Aquanaut focuses on distributing a select number of high quality scuba diving equipment and water sports brands. These brands have been selected as they represent the leaders in diving equipment manufacture and development and are the leaders in their particular field of expertise. Collectively they are 'The Products of Excellence'.
ALPHA DIVING PRODUCTS
In addition to Aquanaut, we are also suppliers of the outstanding Alpha Dive Products . Click the logo to go to their website to view the full range of these impressive products .
Alpha Dive Products are mostly specialist and technical dive equipment for experienced divers. The product range includes:
A wide range of top quality premium lighting systems
Safety and Exploration reels for ALL levels of recreational, wreck and cave diving
Wings and backplates for technical level diving
Wide range of twin tank band sets and accessories
Recreational and technical length hoses (including custom lengths)
Diving Accessories
SMB's (Surface Marker Buoys) and related asseccories
Manifolds and valves for various tank set-up configurations
THE FOLLOWING BRANDS ENSURE YOU HAVE ENORMOUS CHOICE WHEN SELECTING THE HIGHEST QUALITY PRODUCTS
With over 25 years of experience as Britain 's only manufacturer of scuba regulators Apeks Marine Equipment is highly regarded throughout the industry and diving world. Apeks regulators have a well-known reputation as producing innovative products, designed and engineered to the highest standards. Apeks regulators are especially favoured by technical and commercial divers the world over.
The very first diving regulator, the 'Aqualung' was developed by Captain Cousteau and Emile Gagnan, an Air Liquide engineer, in 1943. This invention started the sport of scuba diving as we know it today. Aqualung has been producing the highest quality scuba diving equipment in excess of fifty years. Supporting every aspect of commercial, recreational, scientific, military and public safety diving, Aqua Lung has lead the way in pioneering developments that have enhanced performance, effectiveness, efficiency and safe equipment and procedures underwater. Aqualung represents a passion for diving, a passion for creative product development, a passion for customer service excellence and a passion that represents the spirit and emotion of a company that was truly the 'first to dive'.
Offering an inventive alternative to swim goggles, Aqua Sphere – the swim division of diving industry powerhouse Aqua Lung America -- has developed the Seal Mask, the ultimate eye protection against chlorine, sand, salt water, pollution and debris. This patented product is lightweight and leak proof, combining the comfort and visibility of a diving mask with the streamlined versatility of swim goggles.
Since 1889, following the first pressure reducer valve patented by Dräger and Gerling; Dräger has established itself as the world leader and innovator of quality diving equipment for many and varied applications for the military, the professional diver and of course the recreational diver as well. Since then many years of research and development have been spent producing ground breaking equipment such as hose free helmet diving in 1912, the oxygen closed circuit diving apparatus as early as 1926, the mixed gas closed circuit set for exciting deep diving bells in 1969, this led to the release of the military version for mine clearance diving. Through the years Dräger has continued to further develop and supply the world's diving companies and military forces with cutting edge rebreather diving technology; this expertise is now available to you in the form of the Dolphin and DrägerRay semi-closed rebreathers.
DUI, Diving Unlimited International, is the recognised leader in drysuit and drysuit accessory manufacture. In the diving world, DUI craftsmanship is without equal. Every suit is handmade and treated as if it is being prepared for the deepest dive in the harshest conditions. DUI have a long-established and enviable reputation of working with and supplying to the US military. Here in Australia , Aquanaut has established a world-class drysuit testing and repair facility on the Aquanaut premise.
Drowning is the greatest cause of accidental death in the under five age group in Australia. Every year, one child drowns each week. Laurie Lawrence's passion for reducing preschool drowning resulted in the Kids Alive - Do The Five! Water Safety Program in 1988. Kids Alive offer a range of high quality products to facilitate water safety.
Established in 1898, Luxfer are an Australian company that is well known as the world leader in the development, production and supply of seamless, extruded aluminium and composite high pressure cylinders for the storage of gases. Luxfer service major gas markets including medical, life support, beverage, fire, scuba and specialty gases.
David Wharton, the Founder of MediDive, has many years experience as a scuba dive instructor and in dive retail businesses. While running his scuba diver training operation, Dave noticed the increasing number of people who could not participate in SCUBA due to their asthma. Frequently this also meant that friends and family of the asthmatic chose not to scuba dive, so as not to exclude one of the group while they were out enjoying themselves or on a holiday. People were missing a wonderful experience and the dive industry was losing many potential customers. So Dave began thinking about a device that would deliver asthma medication to someone whilst in the water – this gave rise to the technology that underpins our products.
Unlike some of our competitors, Neptune make wetsuits that stand up to the reality of the Australian and New Zealand diving experience. Neptune have an obsession with quality, this is why they have been the market leaders for over 20 years and remain in that position today.
Sea & Sea have an impressive and comprehensive line of underwater imaging products, from the world's most popular amphibious cameras to cutting edge housings for SLR cameras and video camcorders, sterling lenses and strobes, and an extensive array of accessories. Dependability and ease of operation are the hallmarks of all Sea & Sea equipment. Like the first strobe, innovative design, precision engineering, and ease of use distinguish all Sea & Sea products. A commitment to excellence is a 30-year-old concept that time and technology cannot improve.
SeaQuest is renowned as the world leader in buoyancy compensators. This reputation has been earned with a commitment to design and function unmatched by other manufacturers. In the year 2000 SeaQuest are celebrating their 30th year in providing innovating and quality-orientated dive products to enthusiastic and adventurous divers around the world. Every piece of equipment with the SeaQuest label is backed by years of experience, a worldwide warranty program, and a dedicated team of people.
Sharkskin is a Polartec fabric that offers unparalleled warmth per weight. Sharkskin presents three definite layers of defence against the elements. The smooth combination nylon-lycra outer layer is tough and abrasion resistant, capable of withstanding jagged rocks, harsh winds and driving rain alike. The inner membrane is windproof and breathable, allowing perspiration to pass through, while blocking cold water exchange and providing neutral buoyancy. The light next-to-skin fleece lining is comfortable, warm, quick drying and traps body warmth. This fleece wicks perspiration away from the body, keeping it dry.
The Submersible Systems, Inc. range of products is the only compact, affordable and easy-to-use, hose-less mini air systems in the world. Designed over 20 years ago to fill the need of short-term air emergency use, the product has now been used in virtually every country in the world for a variety of emergency situations. Scuba Divers, Helicopter Pilots, Big-Wave Surfers and Industrial Workers have used the product to safely get them to safety in short-term out-of-air emergencies.
Decades of unwavering devotion to craftsmanship, innovation, and exacting attention to detail make Suunto the finest choice for diving instrumentation in the world. Suunto diving instrumentation equals to ultimate reliability and solid quality. The Suunto Dive product line extends from the top-of the line air-integrated dive computers to dive compasses and depth and pressure gauges. All made to perfectly complement each other. Suunto's success is based on innovative products such as Spyder ACW, the first watch-sized multi-level dive computer in the world. Suunto has brought many innovations to the diving world. The high quality of Suunto products is confirmed by the ISO 9001 quality certificate.
Technisub, founded in 1962 by Luigi Ferraro one of the pioneers of diving, has developed the most sophisticated technological expertise in rubber and plastic material applied to underwater equipment. This know-how has been combined with innovative design and a distinctive creativity that has produced a range of equipment unanimously considered among the most advanced in the field. TECHNISUB products conform to the current CE legislation. They have all been tested and certified, and carry the CE marking.
Underwater Kinetics has been manufacturing the world's brightest dive lighting equipment for over 30 years. Each light is manufactured to be the brightest in its class. Underwater Kinetics' dry cases and boxes offer the maximum protection for even the most delicate equipment. Their cases are absolutely dust-proof, watertight, air-sealed and extraordinarily rugged. Aquanaut supplies Underwater Kinetics torches and cases to a wide range of industries including mining, rescue services, the military and the diving community.
US Divers are a sub-brand of Aqualung and produce the highest quality professional and sport series snorkeling and rubber products that are designed and manufactured to provide consumers with top quality performance, as well as superior features, benefits and styling.
Click to download one of the Aquanaut selection guides below, specially designed to help you choose the right equipment for your needs. More guides will be available soon.
