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We enjoy bringing you interesting articles to you about scuba. Take a few minutes to review this exciting article and then you can scroll down to the "SCUBA DIVING FOR BEGINNERS" article. We have also provided you with some other interesting pages on safety and Fun tips. Enjoy!!!

SCUBA stands for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. When using SCUBA equipment, a diver breathes from a tank that holds highly compressed air.

SCUBA diving is different from holding your breath and diving, and to understand the difference you need to understand the incredible pressures that a diver's body experiences. When we are living on dry land at sea level, the air around us has a pressure of 14.7 PSI (pounds per square inch), or 1 atmosphere. That is a "normal pressure" for our bodies. Because water is so heavy compared to air, it does not take much water to exert a lot of pressure. For example, a 1-inch by 1-inch column of water 33 feet high exerts another 14.7 PSI.

If you hold your breath and dive down 33 feet (10 meters), therefore, your lungs actually contract in size by a factor of two. They have to -- there is twice as much pressure around the air in your lungs, so they contract. When you rise back up the air expands again, so your lungs return to normal size.

When you breathe from a SCUBA tank, the air coming out of the tank actually has the same pressure as the pressure that the water is exerting. It has to, or it won't come out of the tank. Therefore, when SCUBA diving, the air in your lungs at a 33-foot depth has twice the pressure of air on land. At 66 feet, it has three times the pressure. At 99 feet, it has four times the pressure, and so on.

When high-pressure gases in the air come in contact with water, they dissolve into the water. This is how carbonated beverages are made. To make carbonated water, water is exposed to high-pressure carbon dioxide gas, and the gas dissolves into the water. We all know what happens when you release the pressure in a bottle of soda -- bubbles suddenly start rising. The gas dissolved in the water at high-pressure comes out of the liquid when the pressure is released, and we see it as bubbles.

If a SCUBA diver stays under water, say at a depth of 100 feet (about 30 meters), for a certain period of time, some amount of nitrogen from the air will dissolve in the water in his or her body. If the diver were to swim quickly to the surface, it is just like uncorking a bottle of soda -- the gas is released. This can cause a very painful condition, and it is sometimes fatal.

To avoid the effects of quick decompression, the diver must rise slowly and/or make intermittent stops on the way up (called "decompression stops") so that the gas can come out of solution slowly. If the diver does rise too fast, the only cure is to enter a pressurized chamber in which the air pressure matches the pressure at depth (breathing 100-percent oxygen on the way to the chamber also helps). Then, the pressure is released slowly.

Decompression sickness, also known as the bends, is one danger of diving. Other dangers include nitrogen narcosis, oxygen toxicity and simple drowning (if you run out of air before making it back to the surface). If the diver decompresses properly, remains at "recreational depths" (less than 100 feet or so), and is careful about the air supply, the dangers can be largely eliminated. Proper training, good equipment and careful execution are the keys to safe diving.

 
SCUBA diving for Beginners

The Five Ws

Scuba diving is a complex sport and cannot be fully understood in one lesson. Before taking your first scuba class, you should have a firm comprehension of the five Ws (who, what, where, when, and why) of scuba diving.

Who can dive?
Just about anyone can become a diver. Scuba diving is an equal opportunity sport open to men, women and children of any race, color, religion, national origin, handicap or familial status. However, there are a few limitations on age and health for safety purposes. Here is a quick breakdown of criteria:

- Age
Anyone 15 years old or older can become an Open Water Diver. Children between the ages of 10 and 15 can receive a Junior Open Water Diver certification. At the age of 15 they can upgrade to a regular Open Water Diver certification.

There are programs available for younger children that will help prepare them for certification such as the Bubblemakers, Scuba rangers, and SASY.

- Fitness
In general, anyone in good average health who meets the age requirement can participate. As a safety measure, a routine medical questionnaire must be completed. If anything on the questionnaire indicates a risky condition, you should get a medical checkup to make sure it's acceptable to dive. Some conditions to watch out for include but are not limited to neurological, cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, metabolic and endocrinological, orthopedic, hematological, pregnancy, behavioral health issues, and ear and sinus problems. When in doubt, Divers Alert Network can answer health questions.

What do divers do?
Scuba divers do more than check out the fish. Depending on your interests, you can specialize in a skill for your own pleasure or make diving a career option. Scuba diving can be broken down into four groups: recreational, commercial, scientific, and military.

Why do people scuba dive?
There is no one simple answer to this question. People dive for their own personal reasons, which can include an appreciation for the ocean, an interest in marine life, or just for the thrill of the ride.

- Recreational
This is the largest group of divers – those who dive for the fun of it. Once you get your certification, you can further your diving education by specializing in a skill. Some specializations include altitude diving, night diving, fish identification, search and recovery, underwater photography or videography, equipment specialist, cavern diving, wreck diving, ice diving, and technical diving specialties. Careers include divemasters and instructors; instructor trainers and examiners; resort, dive center and live-aboard personnel; journalists, photographers and cinematographers; leaders of scuba training and certification agencies; sales and marketing professionals.

- Commercial
Commercial divers usually, but not always, work for diving contractors. They build underwater structures and oil platforms; salvage ships and treasures; construct and maintain boats, bridges, docks, dams, nuclear power plants and coastal structures; conduct engineering and scientific surveys and inspections; operate and maintain complex remote operated vehicles (ROVs), air and gas supplies, and life-support systems; provide hyperbaric first-aid and diving emergency medical care.

- Scientific
Scientific diving is different from recreational diving and commercial diving in many ways. Scientific diving is carried out exclusively for research purposes, or in support of research activities that involve marine life, the ocean, underwater archaeology, etc.

- Military
Military divers perform tasks such as underwater ship repair, salvage, and construction, as well as dive medicine. Specialized diving divisions include explosives ordnance disposal and combatant divers.

Where do divers dive?
Scuba divers dive wherever there is water: oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, quarries, waterways, canals, mines, springs, abandoned oilrigs, and old missile silos.

When is the best time to dive?
Any time of year is a good time to dive. Just because it is fall or winter, it doesn’t mean you can’t dive. There are many cold water and ice divers out there. You can take specialty courses to prepare you for cold water diving. If you are a warm water fan, take a vacation to a tropical island and enjoy.

 

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