Scuba Diving: A deceptively easy way to die

"Scuba diving is itself a hazardous sport. To do it without any training is tantamount to playing Russian roulette with a loaded revolver." - Robert F. Burgess

As a scuba diving instructor, I spend my days teaching people how not to kill themselves underwater. However, there is only so much information I can provide- what students choose to do with it is unfortunately out of my control. 

Scuba diving is an increasingly popular recreational activity. The majority of new divers get certified so that they can explore the underwater world on their vacations. Although, despite being warned of the risks associated with scuba diving, many just see it as a fun (albeit expensive) new hobby that doesn't require any more thought or planning than a round of golf. This is exactly where problems tend to arise.

In theory; if you follow all the correct procedures, respect the ocean and obey the rules you should never have a problem: I've done over 1,000 dives without incident. However, so many divers don't seem to care about following any kind of rules, even if their lives depend on it, especially when they're on vacation. Perhaps they rationalise to themselves that the rules don't apply to them, or perhaps they did it before and got away with it. But you wouldn't jump out of a plane without checking you had a parachute, yet I see people jump into the water without checking whether their air is turned on every day.

But this isn't the only way accidents happen whilst diving. Of the numerous things that can go wrong, here are just a few:

- Decompression Sickness (the bends) 

- Lung over-expansion injury

- Nitrogen narcosis

- Running out of air

- Oxygen toxicity

- Aquatic life injury

- Equipment problems

- Entanglement

- Entrapment in overhead environments: Caves/wrecks



And all of these can potentially lead to death.


If reading this post scares you, then good. That is my aim. I want to raise awareness of the risks associated with diving to encourage divers to take more responsibility. Hopefully this will then lower the chance of them ever having a problem underwater.

So for those who assume that I have an easy job and my life is one big vacation, think again. Being responsible for people's lives underwater is no picnic, especially when divers pay little respect to the dangers associated with scuba diving.