What Are the Dangers of SCUBA Diving?

Scuba diving is as safe as any sport, given proper training, equipment and good health. Many scuba divers learn their limitations to continue diving safely, but certain dangers are unique to scuba diving and divers always run the risk of these dangers at every dive.

  1. Experience

    • Underwater emergencies can occur among divers of all experience levels. Experienced divers who are familiar with equipment and the local dive spot are more adept at addressing potential problems before they escalate to emergencies.

    Barotrauma

    • Internal injuries can result from descending and ascending too quickly, affecting the lungs and ears. Proper techniques for clearing ears during descent and proper ascending practices involving safety stops can prevent barotrauma.

    The Bends

    • Decompression sickness (often called "The Bends") can result from diving beyond limits for depth and bottom time, causing an accumulation of nitrogen in the blood and affecting function. Symptoms of decompression sickness can be present at the surface, requiring immediate intervention and medical assistance.

    Rapture of the Deep

    • Nitrogen narcosis has been described as "rapture of the deep," where a diver feels light-headed and giddy at depth. Nitrogen narcosis usually resolves as the diver ascends slightly, but a diver who is "narc'd" might lose awareness of his surroundings and might descend deeper.

    Equipment

    • Scuba equipment is designed for safety, and many divers plan for redundancies. But equipment malfunctions and mishaps might occur underwater, causing extreme loss of air supply or buoyancy.

    Solo Diving

    • Scuba divers are typically trained to dive using a buddy system for safe diving practices. Solo divers run the risk of not having a redundant set of equipment or air supply nearby, or assistance during entanglements.