Scuba Safety
and other
Scuba Diving Tips!
Dive, Dive, Dive!
Scuba safety remains the same for each dive! Whether you are scuba diving in Kauai, the Florida Keys, Redfish Lake in Idaho, or scuba diving in Aruba, follow the rules, follow your dive plan, and enjoy the day. The following is a general set of guidelines. Each dive is different and some may require additional rules, different planning and/or different equipment. But remember, by utilizing a basic scuba safety program and following your pre-determined safety guidelines, you will be celebrating at the end of each dive! "Scuba diving is not considered a good exercise for aerobic conditioning. If SCUBA divers do everything "right," by maintaining neutral buoyancy, drifting with currents, and breathing slowly and deeply while underwater, they should expend less energy than when resting on land." - MICHAEL STRAUSS, Diving Science
Here Are My Top Ten Tips for Scuba Safety!
Send us your best "Scuba Safety Tip"!Tip #1
Get certified. With NAUI and PADI schools available at throughout the world, there is no reason not to. Dive educated, dive safe. Tip #2
Make sure your equipment is in perfect working order. Make sure it fits and you get a decent seal with your mask. Do a check out dive in a controlled environment such as a pool or on the beach. A definite must in any Scuba Safety Program. Tip #3
Implement the Buddy System into your scuba safety program! Always dive with a buddy and make sure your dive buddy keeps you out of trouble and not in trouble! This tip should be #1 in any scuba safety program. Tip #4
Plan ahead and be prepared. Know what to do in all emergency situations and always prepare for the unexpected. Tip #5
Drinking and diving do not go well together. You need to stay hydrated while diving and alcohol has a tendency to de-hydrate you. Plus it impairs your judgment. (Well it does mine anyway.) Save the celebration for after the dive. Tip #6
Monitor your status constantly. Monitor your air, your location, your diving buddies, your down time, and your depth. Are you following your dive plan? Another scuba safety must! Tip #7
Learn good buoyancy control. Make it an automatic part of your diving. Things can go wrong if you don't control your buoyancy. It not only causes stress during a dive, but it also causes knee jerk reactions in various situations. Practice, practice and practice some more until it becomes automatic. It will greatly improve your diving enjoyment. Tip #8
When ascending, never hold your breath. Always ascend slowly, look up, and breath normally. Maintain neutral buoyancy and follow your dive plan. Remember your safety stops! Tip #9
When descending, gently equalize. Descend as slowly as you need to in order to equalize pressure. It helps insure your comfort and safety. Tip #10
And my most favorite tip of all, Enjoy!
"Be sure you have your own Scuba Safety Program in place!
I believe Tec Clark hit it on the head with the following description of diving:
"SCUBA diving is sensual. To breathe underwater is one of the most fascinating and peculiar sensations imaginable. Breathing becomes a rhythmic melody of inhalations and exhalations. The cracks and pops of fish and crustaceans harmonize with the rhythmic chiming of the bubbles as you exhale. Soon, lungs act as bellows, controlling your buoyancy as you achieve weightlessness. And, as in your dreams, you are flying. Combine these otherworldly stimuli and you surrender completely to the sanctuary of the underwater world."
TEC CLARK, forward, Karen Berger's Scuba Diving
The Following Scuba Safety Guidelines were written by
The American Academy of Family PhysiciansWhat is Recreational Scuba Diving?SCUBA is short for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus." Scuba divers, while underwater, breathe through a mouthpiece that is attached to a tank of compressed air. Scuba diving is defined as pleasure diving to a depth of 130 feet. Several scuba-certifying agencies offer training for divers, from beginners to experts. Three agencies that offer certification courses are the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) and Scuba Schools International (SSI). Basic courses involve classroom instruction, training pools and open-water settings. Diving certification, which allows you to rent equipment, request tanks to be re-filled and dive without supervision, can be attained in as little as five open-water dives. Most scuba-certifying agencies highly recommend you dive in a "buddy system" (a group of 2 or 3 divers). What are the Most Common Problems of Scuba Diving?The most common medical problems are simple middle ear "squeezes." Squeezes cause pain in your ears. The pain is caused by the difference in pressure between the air spaces of your ears and mask and higher water pressure as you go deeper into the water. Squeezes that affect the inner ear or sinuses are less common. Cuts, scrapes and other injuries to the arms and legs can be caused by contact with fish and other marine animals, certain species of coral and hazards such as exposed sharp metal on wrecks or fishing line. What Dangerous Medical Conditions are Possible when I am Diving? This condition may occur if you have trouble clearing (equilizing the pressure between the middle ear and the water-- sometimes called "popping your ears") during a dive. The result is severe dizziness and hearing loss. Pulmonary barotrauma: This condition is the result of improper breathing during the ascent to the surface or, occasionally, from diving with a respiratory tract infection. Symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath and hoarseness. Arterial gas embolism (AGE): This is a type of barotrauma in which bubbles enter the blood stream and travel to the brain. Symptoms such as numbness or tingling of the skin, weakness, paralysis or loss of consciousness may occur. This is a serious diving injury. Decompression sickness ("the bends"): This condition occurs during ascent and on the surface of the water. Nitrogen gas that is stored in body tissues and blood comes out of solution and forms bubbles in the blood. The bubbles can injure various body tissues and block blood vessels. The most common signs of severe decompression sickness are dysfunction of the spinal cord, brain and lungs. Remember: If you should develop any of the symptoms on this list during or after a dive, seek medical care immediately. How Common are Medical Problems in Scuba Diving?Fortunately, serious medical problems are not common in recreational scuba divers. While there are millions of dives each year in the Unites States, only about 90 deaths are reported each year worldwide. In addition, fewer than 1,000 divers worldwide require re-compression therapy to treat severe dive-related health problems. How Can I Lower My Risk of Medical Problems?Most severe dive-related injuries and deaths happen in beginning divers. To be safe, always dive within the limits of your experience and level of training. Good rules to follow for safe diving include:1- Never try a dive you're not comfortable with. During descent, you should gently equalize your ears and mask. At depth, never dive outside the parameters of the dive tables or your dive computer (information that helps you avoid decompression sickness). 2- Never hold your breath while ascending. You should always ascend slowly while breathing normally. 3- Become familiar with the underwater area and its dangers. Learn which fish, coral and other hazards to avoid so injuries do not occur. Be aware of local tides and currents. Never panic under water. 4- If you become confused or afraid during a dive, stop, try to relax and think the problem through. You can also get help from your dive buddy or dive master. 5- Never dive without a buddy. 6- Always plan your dive; then always dive your plan. 7- Be sure that your diving equipment can handle the dive you have planned and that the equipment is working well. 8- Don't drink alcohol before diving. 9- Never dive while taking medicine unless your doctor tells you it's safe. 10- Diving can be dangerous if you have certain medical problems. Ask your doctor how diving may affect your health. 11- Cave diving is dangerous and should only be attempted by divers with proper training and equipment. 12- If you don't feel good or if you are in pain after diving, go to the nearest emergency room immediately. 13- Don't fly for 12 hours after a no-decompression dive, even in a pressurized airplane. If your dive required decompression stops, don't fly for at least 24 hours. Source:
Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff.American Academy of Family Physicians What Should I do in a Diving Emergency?If you or one of your dive buddies has an accident while diving, call the Divers Alert Network (DAN) emergency telephone line (919-684-8111). DAN is located at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. Doctors, emergency medical technicians and nurses are available 24 hours a day to answer your questions. If needed, they will direct you to the nearest hyperbaric chamber or other appropriate medical facility. If you would like to discuss a potential diving-related health problem, contact the non-emergency Divers Alert Network telephone line (800-446-2671).
Scuba safety begins with education, but common sense always helps!
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