14 May Now THAT’S Salty!

As scuba divers, the typical dive environment we dive in is salt water. Yes, there are many fresh water options for scuba diving, however, salt water is still the majority favorite for diving options.  The world’s oceans provide us fantastic dives with fish and creatures that only exist in salt water.  Along with the wide variety of life we see, as scuba divers we are affected by salt water in several ways.  First, it changes our buoyancy, typically requiring us to add additional weight from what we would use in fresh water. In addition to increased buoyancy, scuba divers also have to be much more conscientious about the after-dive care of our scuba equipment and rinsing it in fresh water.  With this being said, have you ever wondered how much salt on the ocean?  Here are a few fun facts to pass along to your fellow scuba divers.
*One cubic foot of sea water, when evaporated, yields approximately 2.2 pounds of salt. Conversely, one cubic foot of fresh water yields about 0.01 pounds of salt, making salt water 220 times more salty than fresh water!  
*The salinity of the water off Ft Lauderdale beach is approximately 36.4 pounds of salt per 1,000 pounds of sea water.  The Red Sea and the Persian Gulf are the saltiest due to high rates of evaporation with the salinity being 40 pounds of salt per 1,000 pounds of sea water.  
*If all the salt were removed from the sea it would be enough to form a layer over Earth’s land surface that is over 500’ high! 
So, scuba divers, next time you are rinsing your dive equipment, remember, there is a lot of salt in the sea and on your equipment, rinse well and it will provide you with years of scuba diving enjoyment.