Scuba diving is fun, thrilling, exciting, adventurous and dangerous. It is one of the most sought after adventure sports in the current times, which has given birth to an organized million dollar industry. But it poses certain risks which can be fatal. So before you plunge into this activity it’s necessary to be aware of the dangers and risks that this recreational activity can threaten you of.
Common Risks of Scuba Diving
- Hypothermia or Loss of body heat – Water absorbs 25% more heat from the body of the diver than air. This may be dangerous. Though wearing a wet suit helps in avoiding such a condition.
- Currents – The risk of strong currents under water sweeping away the diver always exists. So keeping information of the current of the water where you are diving is important.
- Injuries – Injuries from sharp metals such as a fishing line, ship wrecks or other sharp things under water like rocks or coral is common.
- Risk from marine life – There are many hostile underwater species and an encounter with them can be deadly. Octopus, jelly fish, eels, urchins, stingrays and sharks are some of the most dangerous marine species. Though attacks from large fish are rare but nevertheless it is one of the biggest dangers associated with underwater diving.
- Drowning – This is one of the most obvious risks of diving. It may also be caused for running out of air.
Scuba Diving Health Risks
Scuba diving has certain risks related to health but with proper measures taken, they can be avoided.
- Barotrauma –The increase in air pressure due to the weight of water can cause certain painful injuries, such as splitting the ear drum or damaging the sinuses, which are termed as Barotrauma.
- Decompression Sickness – Also known as “the bends”, is caused when gas bubbles are formed in the body tissues. There are various sorts of effects of the different sorts of decompression sicknesses which may be not so dangerous skin irritations to the pain in limbs or paralysis of limbs, severe headache, vomiting, abdominal pain, heart pain to even grave issues like coma and death.
- Nitrogen Narcosis – It happens in case of deep diving, when after a certain depth the diver feels similar to alcohol intoxication. Dizziness, anxiety, hallucinations occur under this condition and can even lead to death.
- Oxygen Toxicity – The increased pressure, due to the depth, after a certain limit makes the pressurized oxygen in the breathing gas tank toxic directly affecting the nervous system, causing convulsion.
It is important to be aware of the possible dangers and take training from a certified professional before you jump into the water for that deep dive which will take you to a different world altogether. Though there are risks involved with scuba diving but they can be avoided or taken care of by maintaining certain rules and precautions.