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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. Using a Signal Mirror for Rescue
  11. Handling Emergency Oxygen Kits
  12. How do the grades of compressed oxygen differ?
  13. Units of Pressure in Diving
  14. Servicing SCUBA Hoses
  15. Can Nitrox or Trimix be run through a breathing air compressor?
  16. About Gas Time Remaining (GTR) Calculations
  17. Aluminum vs. Stainless Hardware
  18. Single-Tank-Adapters or Assembly Screws Are Often Counterproductive
  19. A unified and robust solution for dive logging software
  20. Sunscreen and Dive Computers
  21. How do you stay warm in a neoprene wetsuit? Take it off.
  22. Do I really need that big NITROX wrap decal on my tank?
  23. Advice for Flying with SCUBA tanks
  24. Diving and Blue Pills
  25. The R-22 and R-17 type oxygen sensors in diving
  26. Lubrication and SCUBA Valve Installation
  27. Using PTFE (aka Teflon) Thread Seal Tape with Oxygen, Nitrox and Trimix
  28. Metric vs Imperial SCUBA Cylinder Sizes
  29. Rechargeable Battery Chemistry for Dive Lights - Lithium Ion
  30. ADVISORY: Oxidane and Diving
  31. 'The Skinny' on Snorkels and SCUBA Diving
  32. Helium Grades for Breathing Gases in Diving
  33. SCUBA Cylinder Neck Threads and Pressures in North America
  34. When is Enough... Enough?
  35. Soft Plate Systems and Metal Backplates
  36. Environmentally Sealing SCUBA Regulators
  37. How Deep is DEEP and How Cold is COLD?
  38. The Original Sidewinding Style Cave Reel
  39. Line Markers
  40. The History Behind the K-inflator and Drift-Pin vs. Schrader Inflators
  41. Bühlmann versus VPM Decompression Schedules
  42. Open Water Students and Modern Equipment Configurations
  43. High Pressure Swivel Spindles aka 'Air Spools'
  44. BC, HP, IP, LP and MP
  45. Helium Penalty? What Penalty?
  46. Calibrating Oxygen Analyzers for Diving
  47. Dust caps with DIN-to-Yoke adapters are not best practice
  48. Rigging the SPG on Stage and Sidemount Bottles
  49. What is the knob and lever on my second stage?
  50. Make Your Own Custom Length LP or BC Hose
  51. Decompression Sickness and Arterial Gas Embolism
  52. Many Mass-Market Cleaning Products Can Damage Your Dive Gear
  53. Divemasters Should Ask 'Is Your Oxygen ON?'
  54. How to use a twist-on handheld dive light or strobe
  55. Quick-Disconnect Compatibility and Lack Thereof
  56. QC6 Quick Connect System and SCUBA
  57. Orange or Chartreuse; which is better?
  58. Where do I get replacement batteries?
  59. Damaged 300 bar DIN valve outlets
  60. A Battery Warning Means You Are Diving On Borrowed Time!
  61. Backup Second Stages
  62. Choosing the Best Inflation Hose Length
  63. Choosing the Best Primary SPG Hose Length
  64. Cleaning Low Current Electrical Contacts
  65. Compass Balance Zones
  66. Just Say No to Deep Air
  67. Do You Know Your Right From Your Left?
  68. DPV Battery Technology Tradeoffs
  69. Evolution of Manifolds and Bands
  70. Full Face Masks and Recreational Scuba
  71. Gearing Up With a Long Hose
  72. Get the Lead Out!
  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. Burst Disks in SCUBA Valves Are Not What You Think
  85. Self-Operated vs Pilot-Operated
  86. "Sidemount diving makes technical diving easy" - Jeff Loflin
  87. Sidemount Configurations
  88. Who's Your Buddy... Han?
  89. SPG Floods
  90. Time to Fly? Maybe Not.
  91. What Color is Your Parachute Bag?
  92. What Happened to Low-Pressure (LP) Cylinders?
  93. What if you donate your primary?
  94. What Size Fins Do I Need?
  95. Choosing the Best Regulator Hose Length
  96. Optical Coating Masks Are Not "Cool"
  97. Plan Your Dive - Dive Your Plan
  98. Looping Hoses Under Hose Retainers
  99. Does the Vindicator knob make sense for experienced divers?
  100. Valves for Sidemount
  101. Single Tank Mounting with Backplates
  102. Types of Back Inflation BC Systems
  103. The Origin of Hogarthian Configuration
  104. Interchangeability of Backplates and Wings
  105. Which Wing Do I Need?
  106. Helmets Have Their Place In Diving
  107. How to Glue On Your Glue-On Pocket
  108. Why Black Dive Masks Are Better
  109. Beware of Fin Hyperbole
  110. Ordering Vision Correcting Lenses for Dive Masks
  111. Give Tank Boots the Boot, Decals Too!
  112. What Happened to My Gas?
  113. Perfect Positioning of Decals
  114. Common Uses for Stainless Steel Snaps
  115. The Best Things in Life are FREE
  116. Oxygen Sensor Life in Rebreathers
  117. Piston vs Diaphragm... Does it really matter?
  118. Upstream vs Downstream
  119. Long Hose Regulator Configuration for Single Tank Diving
  120. Do You Sidemount Up or Down?
  121. Choosing Stage/Deco Regulators
  122. Bailout/Deco Regulators
  123. Inspect Your Regulator Mouthpiece
  124. Hose Protectors Don't
  125. The Oxygen Shutoff Is a Mixed-Bag
  126. Take Only What You Need, No More and No Less
  127. Mr. Cleaning Your Dive Slate and Wetnotes
  128. Blame Normalization of Deviance, Not "Complacency"
  129. Manifold Crossbar Isolator Valves May Not Improve Safety
  130. Finger Spools Are Not Reels
  131. SCUBA Regulators and Hoses Nomenclature
  132. Fixed Port vs Swivel Turret
  133. Open Circuit Etiquette with Closed Circuit Divers
  134. StainLESS does not mean StainPROOF
  135. Form vs. Function in Dive Masks
  136. About the U.S. Diver Down Flag
  137. Using the metal grommets......
  138. Will back inflation float an unconscious diver face up?
  139. Stage Straps
  140. You Can't Get Everything On-Line
  141. What about "black face" instruments?
  142. OOPS.... NOT!
  143. Hogarthian Regulator Configuration for Doubles
  144. Learning From Analysis of Rebreather Deaths
  145. Gradient Factors
  146. Sidemount Diving Has Gone Mainstream
  147. What is the difference between "200 Bar" and "300 Bar" fittings?
  148. Threading a 3-Slot Quick-Release Belt Buckle
  149. Nitrox? Heliox? Helitrox? Triox? Normoxic Trimix? Hypoxic Trimix? Heliair?
  150. Care and Feeding of Lithium Chemistry Rechargeable Batteries
  151. Are Rebreathers Safe?
  152. Uncoupling DIN Fittings From SCUBA Valves
  153. Inside Submersible Pressure Gauges
  154. A Gas Booster Reality Check
  155. Streamlined Open Water Regulator Configuration
  156. Installing Valves in SCUBA Cylinders
  157. Buddies and BC Integrated Regs
  158. North is 180° with Tiny Bubbles?
  159. How to Choose Between Lift Bags and Marking Tubes
  160. Canister vs Handheld Lights
  161. Rebreather Training
  162. ZHL, VPM, RGBM, DSAT, DCIEM, DCAP ... Does It Really Matter?
  163. Sizing and Selecting O-Rings for SCUBA
  164. Sanitizers, Disinfectants, Antiseptics and Your Rebreather & Regulators
  165. Lumens, Lux, Burn Time and Kelvin - Caveat Emptor
  166. Selection, Care and Maintenance for Reels
  167. Regulator Necklaces
  168. Mask Defoggers Explained
  169. BCD Bladder Repairs
  170. Bad BCD Maintenance = Provoking Instead of Preventing
View All 170 articles

ProductTips

  1. Choosing Between the DGX Gears 1000-6 and 1000-8 Handheld Lights
  2. How are the DGX Premium O2 Valves different from DGX Premium Nitrox Ready Valves?
  3. Dive Rite XT Regulator Differences
  4. Differences of Petrel vs Perdix Dive Computers
  5. How to resurrect a completely dead Poseidon Smart Module
  6. Garmin Descent Mk2/Mk2i/Mk2s Model Differences
  7. Backplates and Your Height
  8. Characteristics of Line on Dive Reels and Finger Spools
  9. R-22 Oxygen Sensors - 'D' type vs 'S' type
  10. CO2 Absorbent: 797 vs 812 vs 1025
  11. Why Choose SI TECH?
  12. Garmin Descent G Series vs Mk Series Differences
  13. Regulators and Required-stop Accelerated Decompression
  14. Peregrine vs Perdix 2
  15. Differences of Teric vs Perdix 2 Ti Dive Computers
  16. Why Choose Apeks?
  17. DGX Gears brand D6 and XTRA regulators
  18. SCUBA Regulator DIN Connector O-ring Sizes
  19. Apeks XTX Series Second Stage Differences
  20. Apeks XTX Series First Stage Differences
  21. Dive Rite Hydro Lite BC vs TransPac Harness
  22. Drive Gas Options for the Booster
  23. Availability of steel SCUBA cylinder finishes
  24. Dive Rite TransPac vs TransPlate Systems
  25. Low-Pressure Breathing Gas Fittings on SCUBA Regulators and Hoses
  26. Alternative hose configuration for your Poseidon DSV/ADV/BOV
  27. Maintaining Poseidon Cable Connectors
  28. Why Choose DIVESOFT?
  29. SPG Depth Ratings
  30. Why we are ashamed to sell these...
  31. Why Choose XR by Mares?
  32. The NERD 2 from Shearwater Research
  33. DGX No Longer Sells SAFT Lithium Batteries
  34. Differences Between DGX and Thermo Brand Valves
  35. Basketball Shoes for Diving... Seriously?
  36. Why dive Poseidon?
  37. Dive Rite 2025 Air Cells Overview
  38. Light Mount Sizing Chart
  39. DGX Custom Regulators - Have It Your Way
  40. Recreational Nitrox Configuration of Shearwater Perdix
  41. Advice regarding travel with Sofnolime
  42. Replacing Air Cell Inflation Assembly Elbows
  43. Steel Specialty Cylinders by Faber
  44. Why Choose DGX Gears™ Brand Products?
  45. Why Choose Shearwater Research Dive Computers?
  46. Dive Rite Dual Armored Wing Options
  47. Compare the DGX 300 - 600 - 800 lights
  48. Why Choose Analytical Industries?
  49. TransPac, TransPlate, and Hydro Lite Sizing
  50. Why Choose Dive Rite?
  51. Why Choose Ocean Management Systems?
  52. Dive Rite's Gusset Control System
  53. Why Choose G-Dive?
  54. Why Choose Omni-Swivel International Products?
  55. Aluminum Cylinders at Dive Gear Express
  56. Steel High Pressure Cylinders by Faber
View All 56 articles

Articles

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