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This is a collection of direct links to our knowledge base of educational content that appears on the Dive Gear Express website mostly in the form of brief blocks of diving related information that are distinct from our product descriptions and administration content. This knowledge is primarily focused on experienced sport and technical SCUBA divers. It may not be useful to those just now learning to dive, and in some cases might even contradict instructor recommendations to entry level divers.


Our popular Tek-Tips are product independent information attached to the bottom of various category and product pages. There is some product related information, such as our opinions on specific product selection or usage, that we list in a separate Product-Tips category. We have a few longer discussions that we list under the Articles category.

The Dive Gear Express YouTube Channel contains a library of our in-house produced information videos. Each video is focused on important facts for a single topic, omitting extraneous promotional content and excessive detail. The videos are fast paced to keep them compact, about one to three minutes in length with pause and rewind controls always available during viewing.

TekTips

  1. Compressor Lubricants and Diver Safety
  2. Compressor Lubrication for SCUBA
  3. Nitrox and Compressor Lubrication
  4. "OMG" Is your QR insurance paid up?
  5. Marine Grade Stainless Markings Must Be Annealed
  6. Your Hands and Feet Can Be Larger When Diving
  7. Is My HP Tank 3/4 NPS or 7/8 UNF Neck Threads?
  8. Seriously, Do Not Pee On That...
  9. The 411 on Dive Instrument Consoles vs Wrist Mounts
  10. High Pressure Swivel Spindles aka 'Air Spools'
  11. When is Enough... Enough?
  12. Helium Penalty? What Penalty?
  13. Using a Signal Mirror for Rescue
  14. Handling Emergency Oxygen Kits
  15. How do the grades of compressed oxygen differ?
  16. Units of Pressure in Diving
  17. Servicing SCUBA Hoses
  18. Damaged 300 bar DIN valve outlets
  19. Can Nitrox or Trimix be run through a breathing air compressor?
  20. Bühlmann versus VPM Decompression Schedules
  21. About Gas Time Remaining (GTR) Calculations
  22. Open Water Students and Modern Equipment Configurations
  23. Aluminum vs. Stainless Hardware
  24. Single-Tank-Adapters or Assembly Screws Are Often Counterproductive
  25. A unified and robust solution for dive logging software
  26. Sunscreen and Dive Computers
  27. How Deep is DEEP and How Cold is COLD?
  28. How do you stay warm in a neoprene wetsuit? Take it off.
  29. SCUBA Cylinder Neck Threads and Pressures in North America
  30. Do I really need that big NITROX wrap decal on my tank?
  31. Advice for Flying with SCUBA tanks
  32. Calibrating Oxygen Analyzers for Diving
  33. How to use a twist-on handheld dive light or strobe
  34. Where do I get replacement batteries?
  35. Diving and Blue Pills
  36. Environmentally Sealing SCUBA Regulators
  37. Rigging the SPG on Stage and Sidemount Bottles
  38. Line Markers
  39. Divemasters Should Ask 'Is Your Oxygen ON?'
  40. Dust caps with DIN-to-Yoke adapters are not best practice
  41. The R-22 and R-17 type oxygen sensors in diving
  42. Lubrication and SCUBA Valve Installation
  43. Using PTFE (aka Teflon) Thread Seal Tape with Oxygen, Nitrox and Trimix
  44. Metric vs Imperial SCUBA Cylinder Sizes
  45. Orange, Yellow, or White, which is better?
  46. Rechargeable Battery Chemistry for Dive Lights - Lithium Ion
  47. ADVISORY: Oxidane and Diving
  48. Many Mass-Market Cleaning Products Can Damage Your Dive Gear
  49. What is the knob and lever on my second stage?
  50. 'The Skinny' on Snorkels and SCUBA Diving
  51. Quick-Disconnect Compatibility and Lack Thereof
  52. Helium Grades for Breathing Gases in Diving
  53. A Battery Warning Means You Are Diving On Borrowed Time!
  54. A Common Mistake When Using Tables for Repetitive Dives
  55. Backup Second Stages
  56. Buddies and BC Integrated Regs
  57. Choosing the Best Inflation Hose Length
  58. Choosing the Best Primary SPG Hose Length
  59. Cleaning Low Current Electrical Contacts
  60. Compass Balance Zones
  61. Just Say No to Deep Air
  62. Do You Know Your Right From Your Left?
  63. DPV Battery Technology Tradeoffs
  64. Evolution of Manifolds and Bands
  65. Full Face Masks and Recreational Scuba
  66. Gearing Up With a Long Hose
  67. Get the Lead Out!
  68. Gradient Factors
  69. History of the Finger Spool
  70. How Long is Your Hose?
  71. How Much and Where to Use Lubricant
  72. How to Overhaul a Power Inflator
  73. Independent Twins Are Not Doubles
  74. Regulator Intermediate Pressure (IP)
  75. Tang? Pommel? Drop Point? Swage? Spine?
  76. Leaking Mask? Loosen The Strap!
  77. Candela vs Lumen
  78. Mixing Brands or Ages of Oxygen Sensors
  79. Dispelling the Myth of the Simple Oxygen Flush Test
  80. OOPS.... NOT!
  81. Burst Disks in SCUBA Valves Are Not What You Think
  82. Rebreather Training
  83. Sanitizers, Disinfectants, Antiseptics and Your Rebreather
  84. Self-Operated vs Pilot-Operated
  85. Sidemount Diving Has Gone Mainstream
  86. "Sidemount diving makes technical diving easy" - Jeff Loflin
  87. Sidemount Configurations
  88. Who's Your Buddy... Han?
  89. SPG Floods
  90. Swivel vs Fixed
  91. Time to Fly? Maybe Not.
  92. What about "black face" instruments?
  93. What Color is Your Parachute Bag?
  94. What Happened to Low-Pressure (LP) Cylinders?
  95. What if you donate your primary?
  96. What Size Fins Do I Need?
  97. You Can't Get Everything On-Line
  98. Choosing the Best Regulator Hose Length
  99. Optical Coating Masks Are Not "Cool"
  100. Plan Your Dive - Dive Your Plan
  101. Looping Hoses Under Hose Retainers
  102. Does the Vindicator knob make sense for experienced divers?
  103. Valves for Sidemount
  104. Single Tank Mounting with Backplates
  105. Bad BCD Maintenance = Provoking Instead of Preventing
  106. Types of Back Inflation BC Systems
  107. The Origin of Hogarthian Configuration
  108. Will back inflation float an unconscious diver face up?
  109. Interchangeability of Backplates and Wings
  110. Which Wing Do I Need?
  111. Helmets Have Their Place In Diving
  112. How to Glue On Your Glue-On Pocket
  113. Why Black Dive Masks Are Better
  114. Beware of Fin Hyperbole
  115. Form vs. Function in Dive Masks
  116. Ordering Vision Correcting Lenses for Dive Masks
  117. Mask Defoggers Explained
  118. Give Tank Boots the Boot, Decals Too!
  119. Installing Valves in SCUBA Cylinders
  120. What is the difference between "200 Bar" and "300 Bar" fittings?
  121. A Gas Booster Reality Check
  122. What Happened to My Gas?
  123. Stage Straps
  124. Perfect Positioning of Decals
  125. StainLESS does not mean StainPROOF
  126. Common Uses for Stainless Steel Snaps
  127. Threading a 3-Slot Quick-Release Belt Buckle
  128. Regulator Necklaces
  129. Canister vs Handheld Lights
  130. About the U.S. Diver Down Flag
  131. The Best Things in Life are FREE
  132. Are Rebreathers Safe?
  133. Oxygen Sensor Life in Rebreathers
  134. SCUBA Regulators and Hoses Nomenclature
  135. Piston vs Diaphragm... Does it really matter?
  136. Upstream vs Downstream
  137. Long Hose Regulator Configuration for Single Tank Diving
  138. Hogarthian Regulator Configuration for Doubles
  139. Do You Sidemount Up or Down?
  140. Choosing Stage/Deco Regulators
  141. Bailout/Deco Regulators
  142. Inspect Your Regulator Mouthpiece
  143. Inside Submersible Pressure Gauges
  144. Hose Protectors Don't
  145. The Oxygen Shutoff Is a Mixed-Bag
  146. Take Only What You Need, No More and No Less
  147. Tiny Bubbles?
  148. Selection, Care and Maintenance for Guideline Reels
  149. Finger Spools Are Not Guideline Reels
  150. How to Choose Between Lift Bags and Marking Tubes
  151. Mr. Cleaning Your Dive Slate and Wetnotes
  152. BCD Bladder Repairs
  153. Using the metal grommets......
  154. Open Circuit Etiquette with Closed Circuit Divers
  155. Blame Normalization of Deviance, Not "Complacency"
  156. ZHL, VPM, RGBM, DSAT, DCIEM, DCAP ... Does It Really Matter?
  157. Uncoupling DIN Fittings From SCUBA Valves
  158. Streamlined Open Water Regulator Configuration
  159. Lumens, Lux and Burn Time - Caveat Emptor
  160. Nitrox? Heliox? Helitrox? Triox? Normoxic Trimix? Hypoxic Trimix? Heliair?
  161. Manifold Crossbar Isolator Valves May Not Improve Safety
  162. Care and Feeding of Lithium Chemistry Rechargeable Batteries
  163. Learning From Analysis of Rebreather Deaths
  164. Sizing and Selecting O-Rings for SCUBA
View All 164 articles

ProductTips

  1. How are the DGX Premium O2 Valves different from DGX Premium Nitrox Ready Valves?
  2. Basketball Shoes for Diving... Seriously?
  3. DGX Gears brand D6 and XTRA regulators
  4. The NERD 2 from Shearwater Research
  5. Why Choose XR by Mares?
  6. Differences Between DGX and Thermo Brand Valves
  7. Drive Gas Options for the Haskel Mini Sport Booster
  8. Low-Pressure Breathing Gas Fittings on SCUBA Regulators and Hoses
  9. Backplates and Your Height
  10. Why we are ashamed to sell these...
  11. SCUBA Regulator DIN Connector O-ring Sizes
  12. DGX No Longer Sells SAFT Lithium Batteries
  13. Garmin Descent Mk2/Mk2i/Mk2s Model Differences
  14. Garmin Descent G1 Series vs Mk2 Series Differences
  15. About Our Hi-Viz Line
  16. Required-stop Decompression and Regulators
  17. Dive Rite XT Regulator Differences
  18. Differences of Petrel vs Perdix Dive Computers
  19. Differences of Teric vs Perdix 2 Ti Dive Computers
  20. Peregrine vs Perdix 2
  21. How to resurrect a completely dead Poseidon Smart Module
  22. CO2 Absorbent: 797 vs 812 vs 1025
  23. SPG Depth Ratings
  24. What Micro SD-card should I use with Paralenz camera?
  25. Why Choose DIVESOFT?
  26. Maintaining Poseidon Cable Connectors
  27. Alternative hose configuration for your Poseidon DSV/ADV/BOV
  28. Aluminum Cylinders at Dive Gear Express
  29. Steel High Pressure Cylinders by Faber
  30. Light Mount Sizing Chart
  31. DGX Custom Regulators - Have It Your Way
  32. Dive Rite Dual Armored Wing Options
  33. Recreational Nitrox Configuration of Shearwater Perdix
  34. Advice regarding travel with Sofnolime
  35. TransPac, TransPlate, and Hydro Lite Sizing
  36. Dive Rite's Gusset Control System
  37. Replacing Air Cell Inflation Assembly Elbows
  38. Why Choose DGX Gears™ Brand Products?
  39. Why Choose Shearwater Research Dive Computers?
  40. Why dive Poseidon?
  41. Why Choose G-Dive?
  42. Compare the DGX 300 - 600 - 800 lights
  43. Why choose Omni-Swivel International products?
  44. Why Choose Analytical Industries?
  45. Steel Specialty Cylinders by Faber
  46. Dive Rite Air Cells Overview
  47. Why Choose Dive Rite?
  48. Why Choose Ocean Management Systems?
  49. Nomad XT/LTZ/LT/LS Tank Mount Configuration Options
View All 49 articles

Articles

  1. How to Select a SCUBA Tank
  2. CCR FAQ - rEvo
  3. Z Factors for SCUBA
  4. Calculating SCUBA Cylinder Capacity
  5. Oxygen Sensor Handling
  6. SCUBA Valves
  7. Assembling Double Cylinders
  8. South East Florida Diving Logistics
  9. CCR FAQ - O2ptima
  10. CCR FAQ - Poseidon Se7en+
  11. Lift Bags versus Marking Tubes
  12. DGX Gears Harness Assembly Instructions
  13. How to Attach a Snap
  14. Suggestions for Selecting a Wing
  15. Understanding Nitrox Ready and Oxygen Service
  16. About Oxygen Disclaimers
  17. What is a Rebreather?
  18. O2ptima Scrubber Duration Test Results
  19. Sofnolime Absorbent Selection And Handling
View All 19 articles