Northwest Dive Club

I am currently reading the book "The last dive" and one thing about the book, so far, i can say is, The narration about scuba diving starts from very early days and so a lot of hazards are described. Almost every discussion ends with "This can get a diver killed".

This type of read has proved to be a bit spooky to a very new potential diver like me and i was wondering, since the technology has advanced so much now a days, what things you would consider "Dangerous" when you dive?

The dangerous list can include almost anything and everything e.g. marine life which is dangerous to humans to the technical stuff like decompression, narcosis, oxygen toxicity.... (yay! i know these terms, i read from the book)

Thanks in advance.

The things in that book that end with "This can get a diver killed" can, and unfortunately still do, kill people.

Everything you listed is definitely a danger to one degree or another, though in Puget Sound there's not much marine life that's going to bother you if you don't bother it.

to answer the subject line....one word

Complacency

The most dangerous thing in scuba diving is taking it too lightly. Divers who die are usually those who exceed their training ... or ignore it ... out of some sense of achieving a goal that they're not willing to put in the requisite degree of effort preparing for.

Diving is a pretty safe activity for those who pay attention to their training. In fact, statistically the most dangerous part of your dive will probably be driving to the dive site ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Grateful Diver wrote: In fact, statistically the most dangerous part of your dive will probably be driving to the dive site ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Thank you Bob, this sounds encouraging to me

Although i have never dived but i sometimes get tensed when i read about decompression. Is it that difficult to get used to or learn the skill ? or i will get it ?

Also do we have to do the deco every time we dive to any depth ? or it depends on the time we stay under ?

Acquatic wrote:

Grateful Diver wrote: In fact, statistically the most dangerous part of your dive will probably be driving to the dive site ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Thank you Bob, this sounds encouraging to me

Although i have never dived but i sometimes get tensed when i read about decompression. Is it that difficult to get used to or learn the skill ? or i will get it ?

Also do we have to do the deco every time we dive to any depth ? or it depends on the time we stay under ?

Deco happens all by itself ... you won't have to study for that part at all.

Just pay attention to the "rules" that you'll learn in your class about ascent rates and safety stops and you'll be fine. Once you've gotten comfortable with the basics, then it'll be time to learn more. Decompression is a science unto itself. If you think of it like math, you'll start out with 2+2 = 4 ... and can eventually work your way up to complex differential equations if you're so inclined. For many divers, 2+2 is really all you need ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

wow!. One more question i had was, the scuba tank had pure dry air right so while breathing don't we experience dry throat or something?

The bottom line is that we do lots of things on a daily basis that can kill us. Driving on a two lane road with on coming traffic and no barrier between vehicles is the most obvious example. Something on the order of 35-40 thousand people are killed every year doing that. But we don't think twice about the risk because we know there are rules and we have become desensitized to the danger.

So, yes, scuba can kill you if you don't follow the rules. It can kill you if you break a rule you don't know about. But, so can a lot of things. A person cannot avoid risk. The key is to discover and manage the risk as best as you can. For most of a lifetime that will be enough.

Remember, to enjoy the sport you need to be trained. After training you'll realize that there are very few risks in scuba that can not be managed and reduced to acceptable levels. Just like driving a car where risk is reduced by following traffic laws and using educated judgement. While not a perfect analogy I think you get the idea.

Try it, you won't regret it.

Acquatic wrote:wow!. One more question i had was, the scuba tank had pure dry air right so while breathing don't we experience dry throat or something?

Its very dry and dehydrating too. Every inhalation is <5% relative humidity and exhalations are 100% humidity, the water comes out of you. So its important to drink sufficient fluids. Most people's saliva limits dry mouth considerably and in practice that isn't usually a big issue for most divers.

CaptnJack wrote: Its very dry and dehydrating too. Most people's saliva limits dry mouth considerably and in practice that isn't usually a big issue for most divers.

It just makes that Post Dive Beer taste all that much better!

Sorry, not really helping....

boydski wrote:

CaptnJack wrote: Its very dry and dehydrating too. Most people's saliva limits dry mouth considerably and in practice that isn't usually a big issue for most divers.

It just makes that Post Dive Beer taste all that much better!

Sorry, not really helping....

Good point! Diving is 1/2 about in the water and 1/2 about afterwards!

so now i see the point in drinking beer after every dive

ahhh, the fact you can't breathe underwater!

Maverick wrote:ahhh, the fact you can't breathe underwater!

shouldn't it be the fact that you can't drink underwater :)

Acquatic wrote:

Maverick wrote:ahhh, the fact you can't breathe underwater!

shouldn't it be the fact that you can't drink underwater :)

oh but you can, just not beer.

(camelbak, not used for normal dives around here)

CaptnJack wrote: oh but you can, just not beer.
(camelbak, not used for normal dives around here)

well, i am thinking. Scientifically when you drink you have to let out the air through your nose or mouth if outside water but since the nose is covered by mask underwater and even there is water present outside the mouth underwater.. how is drinking possible ?? just thinking

You have to vent air out your nose more than you'd think... You have to equalize that gas space when you descend for instance lest you get a face hicky (mask squeeze). It becomes 2nd nature. So drinking not a problem.

Well, as you can imagine, there are a lot of potential problems with spending time in an environment where you can't survive without life support equipment. But the good news is that scuba gear, if properly cared for, is really quite reliable, and most of the time, will give you plenty of warning before it fails. For the things that can go wrong quickly, you learn coping strategies in your open water class (and it's a good idea to practice those things from time to time afterwards, too!).

You will learn in your OW class that the depth limit for "recreational" diving is 130 feet. The stories you are reading are of dives done far deeper than that -- when you do such very deep dives, the risks are much greater. The OW depth limit is in part to make sure that, for all of us, a direct ascent to the surface (at a controlled speed) is always an option. Because of this, if you keep your wits about you and follow some very simple rules, you are very unlikely to get hurt diving. Crawl inside wrecks at 250 feet, or swim a mile back in a cave, and things are a bit different . . .

LCF wrote:Well, as you can imagine, there are a lot of potential problems with spending time in an environment where you can't survive without life support equipment. But the good news is that scuba gear, if properly cared for, is really quite reliable, and most of the time, will give you plenty of warning before it fails. For the things that can go wrong quickly, you learn coping strategies in your open water class (and it's a good idea to practice those things from time to time afterwards, too!).

You will learn in your OW class that the depth limit for "recreational" diving is 130 feet. The stories you are reading are of dives done far deeper than that -- when you do such very deep dives, the risks are much greater. The OW depth limit is in part to make sure that, for all of us, a direct ascent to the surface (at a controlled speed) is always an option. Because of this, if you keep your wits about you and follow some very simple rules, you are very unlikely to get hurt diving. Crawl inside wrecks at 250 feet, or swim a mile back in a cave, and things are a bit different . . .

Yes, thats true. The story is about extreme beyond 130 feet. So i think the basic recreational diving certification depth limit is 66 - 70 feet right ? and the 130 limit is wreck diving, which is an advance certification correct?

So then all the way up to 130, normal compressed air is used ? or trimix ?

The first "open water" course has a recommended limit of 60ft from pretty much all agencies. Gas is used much faster at depth and you're significantly further from the surface at 100ft than 60ft (at least a beginner is). 60ft is prudent without more training and experience. The form of that training varies by agency.

When are you taking your course?

CaptnJack wrote:The first "open water" course has a recommended limit of 60ft from pretty much all agencies. Gas is used much faster at depth and you're significantly further from the surface at 100ft than 60ft (at least a beginner is). 60ft is prudent without more training and experience. The form of that training varies by agency.

When are you taking your course?

I am planning to take my course sometime in Feb. I have signed up for swim lessons just to refresh my swim techniques before i go for scuba class.

You won't need to be a great swimmer, being "still" in the water is vastly harder than the swimming parts.

CaptnJack wrote:You won't need to be a great swimmer, being "still" in the water is vastly harder than the swimming parts.

Well yeah but it has been a very long time that i actually swam in the pool so i thought lets do it.

By being "still" do you mean still under water ? (buoyancy control) or on the surface ?

Acquatic wrote:

CaptnJack wrote:You won't need to be a great swimmer, being "still" in the water is vastly harder than the swimming parts.

Well yeah but it has been a very long time that i actually swam in the pool so i thought lets do it.

By being "still" do you mean still under water ? (buoyancy control) or on the surface ?

Still underwater....i.e. "trim" very important up here in these waters

Norris wrote:
Still underwater....i.e. "trim" very important up here in these waters

aah ok, have read about the term "trim". But why it is specifically important here in these waters ? is it coz the floor has much slit ?