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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. Helium Penalty? What Penalty?
  12. Using a Signal Mirror for Rescue
  13. Handling Emergency Oxygen Kits
  14. How do the grades of compressed oxygen differ?
  15. Units of Pressure in Diving
  16. Servicing SCUBA Hoses
  17. Damaged 300 bar DIN valve outlets
  18. Can Nitrox or Trimix be run through a breathing air compressor?
  19. Bühlmann versus VPM Decompression Schedules
  20. About Gas Time Remaining (GTR) Calculations
  21. Open Water Students and Modern Equipment Configurations
  22. Aluminum vs. Stainless Hardware
  23. Single-Tank-Adapters or Assembly Screws Are Often Counterproductive
  24. A unified and robust solution for dive logging software
  25. Sunscreen and Dive Computers
  26. How do you stay warm in a neoprene wetsuit? Take it off.
  27. Do I really need that big NITROX wrap decal on my tank?
  28. Advice for Flying with SCUBA tanks
  29. Calibrating Oxygen Analyzers for Diving
  30. How to use a twist-on handheld dive light or strobe
  31. Diving and Blue Pills
  32. Rigging the SPG on Stage and Sidemount Bottles
  33. Line Markers
  34. Divemasters Should Ask 'Is Your Oxygen ON?'
  35. Dust caps with DIN-to-Yoke adapters are not best practice
  36. The R-22 and R-17 type oxygen sensors in diving
  37. Lubrication and SCUBA Valve Installation
  38. Using PTFE (aka Teflon) Thread Seal Tape with Oxygen, Nitrox and Trimix
  39. Metric vs Imperial SCUBA Cylinder Sizes
  40. Rechargeable Battery Chemistry for Dive Lights - Lithium Ion
  41. ADVISORY: Oxidane and Diving
  42. Many Mass-Market Cleaning Products Can Damage Your Dive Gear
  43. 'The Skinny' on Snorkels and SCUBA Diving
  44. Quick-Disconnect Compatibility and Lack Thereof
  45. Helium Grades for Breathing Gases in Diving
  46. SCUBA Cylinder Neck Threads and Pressures in North America
  47. When is Enough... Enough?
  48. Soft Plate Systems and Metal Backplates
  49. Where do I get replacement batteries?
  50. The Original Sidewinding Style Cave Reel
  51. What is the knob and lever on my second stage?
  52. Orange or Yellow, which is better?
  53. BC, HP, IP, LP and MP
  54. Environmentally Sealing SCUBA Regulators
  55. How Deep is DEEP and How Cold is COLD?
  56. The History Behind the K-inflator and Drift-Pin vs. Schrader Inflators
  57. A Battery Warning Means You Are Diving On Borrowed Time!
  58. A Common Mistake When Using Tables for Repetitive Dives
  59. Backup Second Stages
  60. Buddies and BC Integrated Regs
  61. Choosing the Best Inflation Hose Length
  62. Choosing the Best Primary SPG Hose Length
  63. Cleaning Low Current Electrical Contacts
  64. Compass Balance Zones
  65. Just Say No to Deep Air
  66. Do You Know Your Right From Your Left?
  67. DPV Battery Technology Tradeoffs
  68. Evolution of Manifolds and Bands
  69. Full Face Masks and Recreational Scuba
  70. Gearing Up With a Long Hose
  71. Get the Lead Out!
  72. Gradient Factors
  73. History of the Finger Spool
  74. How Long is Your Hose?
  75. How Much and Where to Use Lubricant
  76. How to Overhaul a Power Inflator
  77. Independent Twins Are Not Doubles
  78. Regulator Intermediate Pressure (IP)
  79. Tang? Pommel? Drop Point? Swage? Spine?
  80. Leaking Mask? Loosen The Strap!
  81. Candela vs Lumen
  82. Mixing Brands or Ages of Oxygen Sensors
  83. Dispelling the Myth of the Simple Oxygen Flush Test
  84. OOPS.... NOT!
  85. Burst Disks in SCUBA Valves Are Not What You Think
  86. Rebreather Training
  87. Self-Operated vs Pilot-Operated
  88. Sidemount Diving Has Gone Mainstream
  89. "Sidemount diving makes technical diving easy" - Jeff Loflin
  90. Sidemount Configurations
  91. Who's Your Buddy... Han?
  92. SPG Floods
  93. Time to Fly? Maybe Not.
  94. What about "black face" instruments?
  95. What Color is Your Parachute Bag?
  96. What Happened to Low-Pressure (LP) Cylinders?
  97. What if you donate your primary?
  98. What Size Fins Do I Need?
  99. You Can't Get Everything On-Line
  100. Choosing the Best Regulator Hose Length
  101. Optical Coating Masks Are Not "Cool"
  102. Plan Your Dive - Dive Your Plan
  103. Looping Hoses Under Hose Retainers
  104. Does the Vindicator knob make sense for experienced divers?
  105. Valves for Sidemount
  106. Single Tank Mounting with Backplates
  107. Bad BCD Maintenance = Provoking Instead of Preventing
  108. Types of Back Inflation BC Systems
  109. The Origin of Hogarthian Configuration
  110. Will back inflation float an unconscious diver face up?
  111. Interchangeability of Backplates and Wings
  112. Which Wing Do I Need?
  113. Helmets Have Their Place In Diving
  114. How to Glue On Your Glue-On Pocket
  115. Why Black Dive Masks Are Better
  116. Beware of Fin Hyperbole
  117. Form vs. Function in Dive Masks
  118. Ordering Vision Correcting Lenses for Dive Masks
  119. Mask Defoggers Explained
  120. Give Tank Boots the Boot, Decals Too!
  121. Installing Valves in SCUBA Cylinders
  122. What is the difference between "200 Bar" and "300 Bar" fittings?
  123. A Gas Booster Reality Check
  124. What Happened to My Gas?
  125. Stage Straps
  126. Perfect Positioning of Decals
  127. StainLESS does not mean StainPROOF
  128. Common Uses for Stainless Steel Snaps
  129. Threading a 3-Slot Quick-Release Belt Buckle
  130. Regulator Necklaces
  131. Canister vs Handheld Lights
  132. About the U.S. Diver Down Flag
  133. The Best Things in Life are FREE
  134. Are Rebreathers Safe?
  135. Oxygen Sensor Life in Rebreathers
  136. Piston vs Diaphragm... Does it really matter?
  137. Upstream vs Downstream
  138. Long Hose Regulator Configuration for Single Tank Diving
  139. Hogarthian Regulator Configuration for Doubles
  140. Do You Sidemount Up or Down?
  141. Choosing Stage/Deco Regulators
  142. Bailout/Deco Regulators
  143. Inspect Your Regulator Mouthpiece
  144. Inside Submersible Pressure Gauges
  145. Hose Protectors Don't
  146. The Oxygen Shutoff Is a Mixed-Bag
  147. Take Only What You Need, No More and No Less
  148. Tiny Bubbles?
  149. Mr. Cleaning Your Dive Slate and Wetnotes
  150. BCD Bladder Repairs
  151. Using the metal grommets......
  152. Open Circuit Etiquette with Closed Circuit Divers
  153. Blame Normalization of Deviance, Not "Complacency"
  154. ZHL, VPM, RGBM, DSAT, DCIEM, DCAP ... Does It Really Matter?
  155. Uncoupling DIN Fittings From SCUBA Valves
  156. Streamlined Open Water Regulator Configuration
  157. Nitrox? Heliox? Helitrox? Triox? Normoxic Trimix? Hypoxic Trimix? Heliair?
  158. Manifold Crossbar Isolator Valves May Not Improve Safety
  159. Care and Feeding of Lithium Chemistry Rechargeable Batteries
  160. Learning From Analysis of Rebreather Deaths
  161. Sizing and Selecting O-Rings for SCUBA
  162. Sanitizers, Disinfectants, Antiseptics and Your Rebreather & Regulators
  163. Finger Spools Are Not Reels
  164. How to Choose Between Lift Bags and Marking Tubes
  165. SCUBA Regulators and Hoses Nomenclature
  166. Fixed Port vs Swivel Turret
  167. Lumens, Lux, Burn Time and Kelvin - Caveat Emptor
  168. Selection, Care and Maintenance for Reels
View All 168 articles

ProductTips

  1. About Our Hi-Viz Line
  2. Why Choose XR by Mares?
  3. The NERD 2 from Shearwater Research
  4. Basketball Shoes for Diving... Seriously?
  5. DGX Gears brand D6 and XTRA regulators
  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. DGX No Longer Sells SAFT Lithium Batteries
  10. Garmin Descent Mk2/Mk2i/Mk2s Model Differences
  11. Garmin Descent G1 Series vs Mk2 Series Differences
  12. Alternative hose configuration for your Poseidon DSV/ADV/BOV
  13. How are the DGX Premium O2 Valves different from DGX Premium Nitrox Ready Valves?
  14. Dive Rite XT Regulator Differences
  15. Differences of Petrel vs Perdix Dive Computers
  16. Differences of Teric vs Perdix 2 Ti Dive Computers
  17. Peregrine vs Perdix 2
  18. SCUBA Regulator DIN Connector O-ring Sizes
  19. Regulators and Required-stop Accelerated Decompression
  20. Apeks XTX Series Second Stage Differences
  21. Why Chose Apeks?
  22. Apeks XTX Series First Stage Differences
  23. How to resurrect a completely dead Poseidon Smart Module
  24. Maintaining Poseidon Cable Connectors
  25. Backplates and Your Height
  26. Why Choose DIVESOFT?
  27. Why we are ashamed to sell these...
  28. What Micro SD-card should I use with Paralenz camera?
  29. SPG Depth Ratings
  30. CO2 Absorbent: 797 vs 812 vs 1025
  31. Why Choose DGX Gears™ Brand Products?
  32. Aluminum Cylinders at Dive Gear Express
  33. Light Mount Sizing Chart
  34. Recreational Nitrox Configuration of Shearwater Perdix
  35. Advice regarding travel with Sofnolime
  36. Steel High Pressure Cylinders by Faber
  37. TransPac, TransPlate, and Hydro Lite Sizing
  38. Dive Rite's Gusset Control System
  39. Replacing Air Cell Inflation Assembly Elbows
  40. Dive Rite Air Cells Overview
  41. Why Choose Shearwater Research Dive Computers?
  42. Why dive Poseidon?
  43. Dive Rite Dual Armored Wing Options
  44. Compare the DGX 300 - 600 - 800 lights
  45. Why choose Omni-Swivel International products?
  46. DGX Custom Regulators - Have It Your Way
  47. Why Choose Analytical Industries?
  48. Steel Specialty Cylinders by Faber
  49. Why Choose G-Dive?
  50. Nomad XT/LTZ/LT/LS Tank Mount Configuration Options
  51. Why Choose Ocean Management Systems?
  52. Why Choose Dive Rite?
View All 52 articles

Articles

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