What is a Total Diving System?
A Total Diving System, or TDS, is your ticket to safety, protection, and comfort under the water. A TDS is all of your essential equipment for scuba diving. While you are having the time of your life exploring a world that not many get to experience, your Total Diving System is making sure that you are prepared for any situation.
A TDS consists of six sub-categories of equipment designed to assist or protect you during your dive:
• Surface Support
• Accessory
• Environmental
• Air Delivery
• Air Management
• Buoyancy Control Device (BCD)
At SeaVentures, you will need ten basic pieces of personal gear to enroll in open water class. The remaining parts of a TDS are not required to begin class, however owning your own full TDS is extremely beneficial. Familiarity, comfort, and knowledge gained from training and diving in your own equipment is invaluable.
Review each category below to learn more. Then, take a look at the different packages SeaVentures offers to help you get the best bang for your buck!
Basic Ten Piece Gear PackageSurface SupportAccessory SystemEnvironmental SystemAir Delivery SystemAir Management SystemBuoyancy Control Device
Basic Ten Piece Gear Package
At SeaVentures, we want to set you up for success right out of the gate for your scuba diving adventure. Because of this, in order to enroll in an open water class with us, we require ten basic pieces of equipment to participate in class. This set of gear is comprised of pieces from the surface support, accessory, and environmental categories.
• Mask • Dive Knife
• Fins • Defog
• Snorkel • Gloves
• Booties • Surface Marker Buoy
• Slate • Mesh Gear Bag
Flip through the tabs to learn more about each system and why each piece of equipment is important to your diving experience!
Surface Support
Surface support consists of the equipment to help you see, breathe, and move around at the top of the water as well once you start diving. Your surface support system consists of your mask, fins, booties, and snorkel. The surface support system makes up one part of the ten pieces of gear that are required to enroll in Open Water classes at SeaVentures.
Accessory System
The Accessory system consists of multiple pieces of equipment that help you stay safe and maintain your dive gear. It includes your knife, slate, mesh gear bag, defog, and surface marker buoy. The Accessory system is one part of the ten pieces of gear that are required to enroll in Open Water classes at SeaVentures.
Environmental System
The Environmental System helps you stay warm and protected from your external environment (scratches from coral, jellyfish stings, sharp rocks, etc) while you are diving. It consists of gloves, a full skin or full wetsuit, and a hooded vest or a hood. Gloves are the final part of the SeaVentures’ ten pieces that are required to enroll in Open Water classes at SeaVentures. A wetsuit, skin, hood, or vest is not required for class but highly recommended, as you will need them for open water diving.
Air Delivery System
The air delivery system is one of the most important parts of scuba diving because it is how you receive air to breathe underwater. It consists of the first stage (allows air to exit the tank through hoses) and second stage (allows you to breathe the air in from the tank on demand). Air delivery systems can be rented, however it is highly recommended that you purchase, become familiar with, and maintain your own. The best way to guard against accidents in scuba diving is knowledge and familiarity.
Air Management System
How do you know when, how, or where to end your dive? Simple: by monitoring tank pressure, consumption, dive length, and location through use of an air management system. The air management system consists of your dive computer, pressure gauge, and compass. There are many different types of air management systems to choose from based on your diving needs. Air management systems can be rented, however it is highly recommended that you purchase, become familiar with, and maintain your own. The best way to guard against accidents in scuba diving is knowledge and familiarity.
Buoyancy Control Device (BCD)
People float – there’s no way around it. The best way to help yourself sink, then become neutrally buoyant underwater without disturbing your underwater environment is through the use of a buoyancy control device. A buoyancy control device is a vest for scuba diving that serves many purposes: it holds your tank, inflates and deflates to help with buoyancy, and has areas to clip or store things such as your slate and camera. Depending on the BCD’s style, it may also include integrated weight pockets or an alternate safety air source. BCDs can be rented, however it is highly recommended that you purchase, become familiar with, and maintain your own. The best way to guard against accidents in scuba diving is knowledge and familiarity.
Tier 1: Reef Package
Includes:
- Aqua Lung Zuma BCD
- Aqua Lung Calypso Regulator
- Aqua Lung ABS Octopus
- Sherwood Profile Computer
- Deep See High Value Wetsuit
- Scubapro Wake Fins and Low Top Boots
- Silicone Mask & Defog
- Snorkel
- Gloves
- Mesh Gear Bag
- Log Book Cover
- Knife
- Gauge Retractor
- U/W Slate
- Inflatable Surface Tube
Tier 2: Tropical Package
Includes:
- Aqua Lung Dimension or Lotus BCD with Airsource
- Aqua Lung Legend LX Regulator
- Sherwood Wisdom 3 Computer
- BARE 3/2 Wetsuit
- Atomic X1 Fins and Low Top Boots
- Silicone Mask & Defog
- Snorkel
- Gloves
- Mesh Gear Bag
- Knife
- Log Book Cover
- Gauge Retractor
- U/W Slate
- Inflatable Surface Tube
Tier 3: Paradise Package
Includes:
- Aqua Lung Dimension or Lotus BCD with Airsource
- Aqua Lung Legend LX Regulator
- Suunto Eon Core Dive Computer w/Tank pod
- AquaLung AquaFlex 3mm Wetsuit
- Atomic Split Fins and Low Top Boots
- Silicone Mask & Defog
- Snorkel
- Gloves
- Mesh Gear Bag
- Log Book Cover
- Knife
- U/W Slate
- Inflatable Surface Tube