The dangers and risk of scuba diving

Scuba diving is a popular sport which is enjoyed by a lot of people of all ages from all over the world! We all share the same passion for the fascinating underwater world with its beautiful reefs, interesting marine life and mystic wrecks. However, it shouldn’t be forgotten that scuba diving is a sport with its own special risks and dangers! Here we’ve got the most common risks of scuba diving, and tips to avoid them!

Decompression Sickness

This might be the risk of scuba diving that most people talk about. If you breathe compressed air underwater, where the pressure is higher, your tissues absorbs more nitrogen. By ascending too fast, the pressure suddenly reduces and the extra nitrogen might form inside bubbles your tissues. Those bubbles cause a lot of pain and can result in severe tissue damage as well as other unpleasant consequences.

To prevent Decompression Sickness, you should always follow your dive computer or tables, ascend slowly and make a safety stop. Only dive within the limits you’re trained to! There are also some aggravating risks factors that nee to be taken into account like age, general fitness, etc.

Drowning

Even if Decompression Sickness is the most common risk of scuba diving to talk about, there are more drowning accidents within the diving community. Drowning is often the consequence of a diver panicking or going unconscious. This might be because of malfunctioning equipment, for example a regulator that doesn’t work properly or non-diving health problems.

A panic emergency can be prevented or at least helped with the buddy system and proper training. In addition here again, it is important to only dive within your limits, and if it doesn’t feel right to do the dive, don’t do it!

Malfunctioning Equipment

As said, malfunctioning equipment might be a reason for panic, but it also is a risk of scuba diving in general. If you are only diving occasionally you might not own your own gear, so you need to rent it. Always check it carefully and if something doesn’t seem right, ask for a new piece! You surely don’t want to have problems with your equipment while underwater!

Nitrogen Narcosis

Nitrogen Narcosis is a risk due to the extra nitrogen the body absorbs that usually occurs at deeper depths, at around 25 to 30m, which is why you need additional training for those depths. The feeling that it gives you might be compared to being drunk. It temporarily reduces the ability to make reasonable decisions and also affects the motor coordination. The danger in that is, that not thinking clear might lead to other harmful dangers like Decompression Sickness or other problems.

Marine Life

Most creatures of the sea aren’t harmful or aggressive towards divers. Furthermore, everybody should now that you shouldn’t touch any animals or corals. Not only to not destroy or harm them, but also not to harm yourself. However, there are cases where divers are attacked, even by usually harmless creatures, so you should always pay attention and treat marine life with respect.

Here are the risks of scuba diving that you should know. We aren’t meant to scare you, though just to help you anticipate and prepare yourself to make your dive safer and more enjoyable. Come and enroll in our program at  Blue Season Bali and become a Pro diver with us!