SCUBA SAFETY

The popularity of scuba diving has exploded over the last few decades, with more than a million people trying the sport for the first time each year. Divers are drawn to the depths in the hopes of seeing exotic creatures and beautiful coral reefs. With all this interest, scuba diving has quickly become a billion-dollar industry, with providers¹ actively competing to entice² tourists by advertising not only the excitement but also the safety of their dives. So is diving into the unknown as safe as these providers claim?

In fact, when compared to other extreme sports, scuba diving is relatively risk free. Mountain climbing, hang gliding, and bull running all have far higher rates of injury. As long as a diver has learned how to use and maintain their apparatus³ properly and is able to follow a few straightforward underwater rules, the rewards far outweigh the risks.

So what should a diver do to remain safe?

One of the most important things to remember when diving is to practice the buddy system, which means one diver pairing up with another. These divers look out for each other before and during the dive and assist each other in the event of a problem. For example, they can help each other get into their diving equipment, make sure their buddy is not disoriented⁴ after entering the water, and make sure they don't get distracted and lose track of the other divers. If there is a problem with one diver's breathing apparatus, his or her buddy will share oxygen, actually taking the regulator⁵ out of his or her mouth and taking turns breathing with the buddy until they both can safely reach the surface and breathe air normally again.

While much of what a diver observes and experiences underwater is harmless, there are some creatures and situations that can be dangerous. Amongst known dangers, sharks generally come to mind first. Of course, some sharks, such as the tiger, mako, and hammerhead, are considered quite aggressive. But many other sharks, including the ones most commonly seen during dives, such as the nurse shark and sand shark, are not usually aggressive at all and are more likely to swim away from a diver than to attack.

But one marine life form divers should only observe from a distance is the sea snake. This creature is not usually aggressive but may become so if disturbed. Its poison is as potent⁶ as a cobra's, and there is no effective antidote⁷ for it. The jellyfish, sea wasp, and Portuguese man-of-war are also to be avoided at all costs. Even though they may look harmless and graceful floating in the water, they have nematocysts, which are small barbs⁸ that can deliver poisonous and painful stings that require immediate medical attention. The eel⁹ can also be dangerous. One of the most common kinds of eel is the moray. They don't usually bother people, but if a diver disturbs one resting in a dark hole or crevice, it might bite. The stingray is another kind of marine animal that's beautiful to watch, but divers must take care not to step on its barbed tail. This is a good reason for wearing diving boots; stingrays can burrow¹⁰ under the sand of the ocean floor and might not be easily spotted by divers. Although fatal attacks are almost unheard of, the danger is real: in 2006, TV wildlife expert Steve Irwin tragically died in a stingray attack.

Another danger involved with diving is nitrogen narcosis. This condition is caused by an increased concentration of nitrogen in the blood due to the high-pressure environment. It involves feelings of "drunkenness" and a slowing down of normal brain functions, which may cause a diver to have trouble communicating with a buddy, reading diving equipment, or even telling which way is up. No one knows why nitrogen has this effect on divers, but the cure is very easy. The diver should just start slowly ascending¹¹, because the water pressure starts decreasing as the diver approaches the surface. Typical dives that go no deeper than eighteen to twenty-four meters rarely encounter any nitrogen narcosis problems; however, diving to thirty meters or more will noticeably affect most divers.

While there are some concerns about safety, people who are well educated about scuba diving, approach the activity responsibly with a competent buddy, and treat the marine environment with respect should have little trouble and lots of fun exploring the wide array of underwater attractions!

• gradually ascend
• pair up with
• extended period
• in the blood
• not disoriented
• should be avoided

• actively
• amongst
• array
• competent
• cure
• nitrogen

Scuba: Get Your Gear On

Modern scuba equipment was designed by engineer Emile Gagnan and naval lieutenant Jacques Cousteau, later famous as a marine explorer, during World War II. Along with oxygen tanks on their backs connected with hoses to a regulator, divers need such equipment as a mask, fins, a vest, and sometimes a diving suit. Scuba diving is definitely an equipment- intensive sport.

The mask is vital because the human eye is not designed to see well underwater. The mask covers the eyes with a plastic lens that enables divers to see about as well as they do above water. The mask also covers a person's nose. This is important to keep water out of the nose, as well as to allow a diver to exhale into the mask, helping to balance the pressure inside and outside of the mask.

Fins are like the tail fins on a dolphin. They help propel the diver through the water. A protective suit, while not always necessary, can help keep a diver warm and protect against bumps and scratches during a dive. If a diver enters water that is colder than sixteen degrees Celsius, he or she should wear a dry suit.

Finally, divers need help to sink underwater when they begin a dive and to return to the surface when they finish or have an emergency. The vest worn by a diver is called a buoyancy compensator, or BC. It is attached to the air tank that divers wear on their backs. Divers deflate the BC when they start their dive and can later refill it with air to help them return to the surface and float there, if necessary.