Is Scuba Diving Dangerous ?

[Lawman]

ut:

Have you noticed how much initial dive training is devoted to
recognizing dive injuries and how to treat them?
Have you noticed how much specialty training is devoted to
the particular injuries you can suffer when doing that specialty?
Deep diving, Nitrox, Wreck, DAN O2, Stress & Rescue...at least
50% is first aid.
Have you noticed that fishermen, bicycle riders and football
players don't have specialized insurance companies just to
cover their sports injuries?
Have you noticed that basketball players don't have stickers with
emergency hot line numbers to call when injured?
Have you noticed that bowlers don't have insurance policies
that cover "repatriation of remains."
These things should tell us something.

 

[captjohnr]

Lawman once bubbled...
ut:

Have you noticed how much initial dive training is devoted to
recognizing dive injuries and how to treat them?

I don't think that overall there is a lot of training in that area. In open water one is taught the basic rules/risks and how to judge a "tired diver" and a "panicked diver" and some tows.

In advanced, the problems with narcosis and bends for deep diving are discussed.

Rescue, most of the first aid is above water, first responder stuff, training that we all need. True the other half is dealing with the worst case scenario. But I believe that is mostly about self rescue and for good scouts that want to "be prepared".

In technical diving there is a lot of that kind of training. It is necessary for those that want to push the envelope. Plus a lot of this is "new science". To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

Most accidents happen near or at the surface. If I could put students in a pool on a trampoline and throw buckets of salt water in their faces, a lot of that would be solved.

From the poll, I think most of those that answer the poll to the negative --- that diving is dangerous--- are xenophobic (fear the unknown); have suffered either anxiety or panic at some point in their diving experiences or have been diving beyond their experience level.

In truth, most deaths are caused from fast ascents from shallow water, 33' to the surface. Deaths from drowning are usually caused by overweighting at the surface.

Most of the rules in diving today were designed for the "baby boomer" (who were fair, fat and forty at the time) divers that were the largest participants in diving in the past.

Most divers ascend at a rate of 90' per minute in open water situations without harm. Diving to depths greater than 130' on air is done everyday without harm. Oxygen toxicity generally occurs at depths greater than 230' on air.

Most of the basic rules in basic diving are, in my opinon, about twice the precaution necessary to survive. Of course the physiology in all of use differ and some folks suffer injury even staying well within the (tables) rules, and unfortunately, there is nothing to be done about that.

People being people are going to break the speed limits on land. Some do the same thing underwater. "If you are going to be stupid, you'd better be tough". The thinning of the herd" happens in all species.

As to the sports you mentioned, there are more injuries in those sports than there are in diving.

Insurance companies have always been a sucker bet. They bet that nothing bad will happen to us, while we bet that something bad will. The odds are nothing will. No wonder they make money! No wonder they do not look at the other sports to sell insurance, they'd have to pay out all the time! If most divers think that diving is dangerous and that something bad will happen to them, then it is a seller's market for the insurance company!

As to calling DAN in case of a diving injury, that is our only protection against mis-diagnosis and unnecessary trips to the chamber by emergency room staff that have no clue.

The insurance that I am forced to buy by my training agency is for their protection againt nuicense suits. It does not cover me in the event that I am negligent, which is the only way a student could be hurt in training and the olny time I would need the damn insurance.

In the past few years, the diving agencies noticed a decline in new diver entrance into the sport. The problem.... we told people for so long that diving was safe, which translated to the "new breed" that diving was boring. So the industry has tried to change that image to diving is exciting so that the young folks that bungie jump and sky dive for thrills can experience the some thills in diving. This new breed are also "techies" hence the influx of technical diving. Tech diving is more "thrilling"!

The down side is more folks now think diving is dangerous. Great for the industry. We can sell more training. Diving is no longer boring, because it is no longer safe.

So for all of you that are xenophobic and/or really believe that diving that you do is dangerous, I have a class for you!ldguy:

 

[Lawman]

:doctor:

Well, actually xenophobia is a fear of strangers or anything foreign, but I guess we could stretch it to diving.

When you dive you are UNDERWATER. You cannot BREATH.
You can drown...rather quickly. That's what makes it dangerous.
The only question is whether it's an acceptable risk when weighed against the pleasure we get from doing it. To those of us in ScubaBoard it is. That doesn't keep diving from being dangerous.

 

[DiverBuoy]

Lawman once bubbled...
ut:

Have you noticed how much initial dive training is devoted to
recognizing dive injuries and how to treat them?
Have you noticed how much specialty training is devoted to
the particular injuries you can suffer when doing that specialty?
Deep diving, Nitrox, Wreck, DAN O2, Stress & Rescue...at least
50% is first aid.
Have you noticed that fishermen, bicycle riders and football
players don't have specialized insurance companies just to
cover their sports injuries?
Have you noticed that basketball players don't have stickers with
emergency hot line numbers to call when injured?
Have you noticed that bowlers don't have insurance policies
that cover "repatriation of remains."
These things should tell us something.

though I can see the humor in these things, there is one important lesson - we must learn from our mistakes - or as the saying goes we are doomed to repeat them. Spending a "fair" amount of time on these things with new students is a way of raising historical awareness, helping the new generation to stand more firmly and not be doomed to repeat the past.

 

[Amanda]

Of course diving is dangerous ! And anyone who has seen

- a beginner diver doing a panic ascent (because he's suddenly getting claustrophobic) without anyone being able to stop him, and doing a lung expansion...

- a certified diver doing an decompression accident even though he's been in the safety curve

... knows diving is dangerous.

I seen both of them.

 

[captjohnr]

The only danger is dangerous divers. You are talking about poorly trained newbies or bad phyisology.

:doctor:

 

[Dxtreme]

I think... Dive accident happens due to

1) Overestimating your ability

2) Poor training

3) Poor equip maintenance

4) Unfit Diver (when an unfit diver panics and drive their heart rate to 200 bpm there is where heart attack comes knocking on the door

 

[pops]

But you can manage the risk fairly easily. I also ride a motorcycle and bikes and diving both will punish a stupid mistake or indescretion like judge Roy Bean - who hung everybody he tried.
I won't allow anything between me and a clear shot to the surface, won't dive to narc depth regardless of training. I stay physically fit.
I'm under the impression that deep dives and wreck/cave dives cause most fatal accidents so I avoid them.
Everybody has to decide how much risk they will accept based on their experience and their goals in the sport.
But it IS dangerous and can kill you. That's the bottom line.

 

[captjohnr]

Seems you limit your diving to your abilities. Therefore diving for you is safe.:bonk:

 

[Bubble Boy]

If you dive within your level of training and experience and have your gear maintained properly diving is safe.