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Facts About Scuba Diving

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Scuba diving is a fun and enchanting sport. Enthusiasts all over the world have many fond memories of their dives. The world under the ocean offers some of the earth’s most beautiful scenery and creatures. Many people are curious about scuba diving and often have many questions. Below are some fun and informational facts about scuba diving for those new to the sport.

  • Scuba stands for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.
  • Wooden barrels were used in the 16th century as primitive air supplies; the barrels contained enough air for one breath.
  • Two inventors died in their efforts to find a way to breathe under water- Sieur Freminet and Henry Fleuss. The latter died from breathing pure oxygen (which is toxic to humans under pressure.)
  • The great magician and inventor Houdini invented a diver’s suit that allowed the diver to escape quickly in case of an emergency.
  • Jacques Costeau and Emile Gagnan invented the modern regulator in 1942.
  • Costeau’s and Gagnan’s Aqua Lung was sold publicly a year later.
  • Scuba divers must be certified in order to legally dive.
  • Certification can be completed in as little as three days.
  • Scuba diving has its own sign language.
  • Scuba diving is for people of all ages from eight years and up!
  • Divers don’t have to be super fit, just in general good health and able to swim and carry the equipment.
  • Diving instructors will perform a preliminary swimming test before teaching someone to dive.
  • Besides recreational scuba diving there are a few other types of scuba diving: technical, commercial and military.
  • People living in land-locked areas can still scuba dive; scuba divers can dive in lakes, rivers, and craters filled with water.
  • Every diver needs a dive buddy. Dive buddies carry backup regulators (known as an octopus) for their partners in case of equipment failure.
  • Basic scuba gear includes a full mask, a snorkel, a regulator, an octopus, a dive cylinder, a buoyancy control device, a wetsuit, and fins.
  • Decompression sickness (aka the bends) is a result of a build-up of nitrogen in the body and can be fatal if severe, may even cause organs to rupture.
  • To prevent decompression sickness the diver must ascend slowly, at a rate of one foot per second.
  • A dive computer can help make sure the diver ascends at the proper rate.
  • Entering the water from a boat is much easier than entering from the beach; if the waves are more than a few feet tall it’s not safe to enter from the beach.
  • When descending, descend slowly, swallowing frequently, allowing ears to adjust to prevent eardrum rupture.
  • Never surface with less than five hundred pounds left in the tank (divers usually start with about three thousand pounds.)
  • The deeper the diver goes the more rapidly the air supply will deplete.
  • When underwater the diver should not touch anything. Not only can some plants, coral, and animals sting, but coral takes years to grow. Fish have a protective layer that can be compromised by human touch, causing infections and cancers.
  • If the diver will be making multiple dives in one day he should wait at least one hour between dives and start with the deepest dive first.
  • Limit multiple dives to three dives a day at maximum.
    When divers become certified they will learn how to use their equipment and what to do in an emergency. With all the precautions it’s understandable that new divers may be nervous or apprehensive, but with a few practice dives the divers will quickly learn how easy scuba diving can be. Practice is the key for divers in becoming relaxed and confident underwater.