Scuba diving is an exciting sport that allows us to explore the world below the ocean, but it comes with challenges and risks. Here, you’ll find out everything you need to know about scuba diving and maybe some fascinating facts that you weren’t aware of.
The History Of Scuba Diving
The origins of scuba diving go way back to ancient times. People in early Rome and Greece would dive using hollow plant stems as improved breathing apparatuses to gather materials and food from the sea. Scuba evolved from this simple skin diving to the sophisticated form we know today. Now using technologically advanced equipment to stay safe underwater.
The 16th century saw early divers making suits from leather so they could dive down to 60 feet with air being pumped down using manual pumps. Changes soon came to the helmets, making them from metal instead of leather so they could withstand higher water pressure and divers could go deeper.
In 1771 the air pump was developed. This enabled the diver to receive air pumped through a hose and diving barrel. Then in 1825, a self-contained breather was designed that allowed 7-minutes of diving time. Within 10 years, surface-supplied air helmets were good enough to enable divers to undertake extensive underwater work. Meanwhile, diving suits were invented in 1873 with the earliest versions weighing around 200lbs.
The late 19th century saw improvements being made in technology. Creating CO2 scrubbers, regulators, and compressed air pumps to allow divers to stay under the waves for longer. However, in 1942, Jacques Cousteau invented the improved modern diving regulator and autonomous diving suit known as the Aqua Lung. This paved the way for today’s equipment. However, the acronym SCUBA (standing for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) didn’t come into use until 1954.
Why Was Scuba Diving Invented?
The earliest divers would go underwater to collect materials and food from beneath the sea’s surface. However, later diving was designed with the purpose of working underwater for excavations, explorations, or other purposes. It was during the Second World War that scuba diving was invented. There was a need for divers to go underwater to manage risks and threats beneath the waves.
How Does Scuba Equipment Work?
Modern scuba diving requires a lot of equipment.
Firstly, divers need a wet suit or dry suit to stay warm under the water where the water temperatures can be very cold. There are many accessories that accompany the wet or dry suit, including boots, gloves, hoods, and vests.
Divers also need to control their depth and buoyancy. They need a BCD (buoyancy control device) along with lead weights. To breathe under the water, they need a regulator and air cylinder. Of course, these are essential pieces of equipment that must be cared for properly.
Other pieces of equipment can be taken on scuba dives. This includes spare air units, snorkels, and pony tanks. One key piece of equipment that divers use is a good-quality diving watch. The best diving watches let divers know how long they’ve been under the water. This allows them to be sure to return to the surface in good time before running out of air. Furthermore, they also show the depth they are at so they can remain safe at all times.
Read about the Garmin Descent MK2 dive watch here.
What Are The Dangers Of Scuba Diving?
As you might imagine, going underwater for any length of time, even with the latest cutting-edge equipment, can be hazardous. That is why it’s so important to undertake proper training and be aware of the possible dangers.
There are two key issues that the human body has to deal with underwater – temperature and pressure. The pressure can affect hollow organs like lungs, sinuses, ears, and more. The pressure also affects how much oxygen and nitrogen dissolves in the tissues and blood and can affect our brain and joints. Meanwhile, water can absorb body heat, thus lowering body temperatures and increasing the risk of hypothermia.
Pressure- Nitrogen Decompression & Narcosis
There is more pressure on the body when you go underwater. And, this leads to the shrinking of our hollow organs when descending. Our sinuses get squeezed, and our lungs and ears too. When we ascend these organs expand to their original size. And, if we rise too fast, it may lead to the rapture of these organs and possible damage to the eardrums. The pressure must be equalized in the sinuses and ear canal to withstand increased pressure effectively. This can be done by closing the nostrils and blowing the nose gently. Failing to do this could result in a damaged eardrum.
Another element that shrinks due to the pressure underwater, is the Nitrogen Atom. These atoms of nitrogen comprise 78% of the atmospheric air. They have no influence on our Breathing and metabolism. The reason is that the size of these atoms is too big for them to enter into our blood cycle. But when diving, the pressure underwater squeezes the Nitrogen Atoms and therefore allows them to enter our blood cycle and reach areas inside our body that they should not reach. When ascending, these Nitrogen atoms expand again and stay stuck in our joints. This is known as Decompression or The Bends. This may cause strokes, heart attacks, joint pain, or ruptured blood vessels. Oxygen toxicity is another potential problem. This can be avoided by staying above the “no decompression” limit.
Waring the right diving watch will help us avoid these dangerous situations. Read all about diving watches in our expert guide.
The squeezed Nitrogen can now also dissolve in the Blood, and while the tissues consume the majority of the oxygen, the nitrogen stays dissolved. This can result in nitrogen narcosis, which can impair judgment or cause sleepiness.
Hypothermia
Hypothermia is certainly a potential risk of scuba diving. Consequently, this is why wearing a proper thermal protective suit like a dry or wet suit is imperative. If divers begin to shiver while underwater, they should return to the surface safely. Shivering is a sign that they could be starting to develop hypothermia.
Some other possible risks of diving include cramps in the muscles or intestines, dehydration, and fatigue. Divers always need to know their physical limitations and avoid pushing their boundaries for their own safety.
While it’s imperative to never take the risks that scuba diving presents lightly, the good news is that it’s possible to minimize the potential dangers of diving by undertaking appropriate training and education, using equipment properly, and diving in a group with other skilled divers.
If you need to buy a diving watch, see our Top Diving Watches.
Since diving is a lot of fun and offers the opportunity to explore the fascinating underwater environment, it’s well worth taking the time to learn how to do it safely to enjoy all of the benefits with no drawbacks.
If you want more dive information, check out our range of diving articles.
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Last Updated on December 7, 2022
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