Is Diving Safe?

Maybe you're wondering whether scuba diving is for your and you're thinking about signing up for a certification course, or maybe you've just got your Open Water (beginner level diver) certification and you're eager to dive more often. You may be asking yourself - is diving safe? Maybe you've heard it is dangerous or hard. If you listen to some of the leading dive training agencies you'll read things like "diving has an excellent safety record". At the same time, maybe you've read newspaper stories or seen social media posts about vacationers and locals who have gone missing and died while diving - this certainly makes diving seem dangerous.

What should you believe - IS diving safe - or dangerous?

To answer that question let's back up a little bit and use an analogy that most of us will find familiar. Learning to dive is a lot like learning to drive a car. Both activities require you to get some book knowledge to become familiar with your equipment and the "rules of the road" before you ever get "behind the wheel" or in the water. Both activities require that you then get enough practice in real-life situations, under the guidance of a licensed/certified person so that handling your equipment becomes automatic and easy. 

This analogy helps us answer the question of whether diving is safe. Ultimately it is up to you - not your instructor, not your dive guide or boat captain - you and only you are the one who is responsible for whether your diving is safe or not.  A driver who anticipates problems before they become accidents, stays within speed limits, leaves a safe following distance, services their vehicle when it needs maintenance, always uses safety features like seatbelts and who diligently keeps their attention on the road will generally have very few accidents and can expect to be "safe" most of the time when driving even when something unexpected happens. There is a good chance they will anticipate the problem and avoid it, or minimize the damage to themselves and others.  Driving is a risky activity, but safe drivers manage this risk effectively by applying safe and defensive driving techniques and following the rules.

In contrast, a driver who pushes the limits - exceeding the speed limit at every opportunity, following other cars like they're trying to win the Indy 500, who frequently gets distracted, and who thinks the rules only apply to lesser skilled drivers - is a danger to themselves and those around them. 

Similarly, divers who push (or break) the limits frequently get hurt and, sadly, sometimes pay for their poor judgment with their lives. I say this not to scare you, but to encourage you not to be one of these divers. Dangerous diving is easy to avoid, you just have to make the choice and have the right attitude to keep yourself safe. 

In your Open Water dive certification class almost everything you learn is designed to keep you safe. This training works really well, but only if you take it seriously and diligently learn the material and take responsibility for your diving by following ALL the guidelines for safe diving after you're certified and you're out diving without the supervision of a professional. The vast majority of divers who come to harm underwater have violated one or more of the established best practices for safe diving. Don't be one of these divers. You may see other divers who have an attitude of "I don't need to do a full, careful buddy check of all my equipment - I'm an experienced diver - that's for beginners". Or you may see certified divers who blithely will follow their instructor and guide anywhere - without a care in the world. Don't be like these divers. Pre-dive safety checks and other guidelines for safe diving exist for a reason. They have been put in place due to the hard-earned experience of divers who have come to harm who didn't follow them.  Dive professionals can be helpful, but once you're certified you should make sure that you are responsible for keeping yourself safe on every dive - plan your dive, know how to handle issues that may arise, know where you are (and how to get back to safety/land/boat), and know when a dive exceeds the limits of your experience . Don't be afraid to skip a dive or get more training or experience before you attempt something you haven't learned to do yet.

One way in which diving differs from driving is that the ocean can be a less forgiving environment. If you don't pay attention to your fuel gauge and your run out of fuel while driving around town your car will stall and you'll be stranded on the side of the road. Not fun, but not usually life threatening.

In diving if you run out of gas/air you can drown if you don't quickly find an alternate air source. This may sound scary but it shouldn't be. It just means you need to follow your training and make sure that you plan your dives to not run out of gas/air, that you monitor your gas supply regularly during every dive, and that you always have an alternate air source (that tank on your buddies back is one option - and you are staying close to your buddy - right?) so that if you do make a mistake - you realize it early, correct it, and stay safe. This is what your training is for - it teaches you to deal with common and uncommon issues that may arise in diving (low on air, buddy kicked your mask off, your regulator came out, your mask is leaking, etc.) so you can deal with them safely. 

OK, here's one more thought on the driving analogy. It is common in diving to take an Open Water course which typically involves about 4 dives in the ocean, and then become a "certified diver". Some divers take this to mean that they can then go and dive wherever they want and that they are now an expert. This is definitely not what it means to be a certified diver. It means you have only started your journey in diving. Would you ever put your 15-year old teenage daughter behind the wheel of a car, take her for 4 short training drives, and then hand her the keys and say "Congratulations sweetheart! You're now a licensed driver - why don't you take the car and go visit your Aunt in Portland". Of course not - that would be negligent and dangerous. 

Driving requires many hours of training before a driver is licensed and even then, many jurisdictions only gradually give new drivers the privilege to drive long distances and at certain times. The truth is, when you've finished your Open Water course you are only a qualified beginner diver. You only have a few hours of experience diving after all - right? You have probably only seen a couple of diving sites - and only under certain (usually very favorable conditions). YOu have practiced dealing with certain simulated issues underwater - but you probably haven't had to yet respond to many actual issues that can arise unexpectedly and without warning. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, it is great to be a beginning diver and getting to see the underwater world for the first time. Just remember that you're still very new and take it easy as you get more experience.  

After you're certified, stay safe by slowly and carefully building up your dive experience in conditions similar (or better) than what you were certified in. Stay within your training depth limits. Get more training by seeking out an "Advanced" course - and eventually - a "Rescue" course from a certified professional. In your advanced course you'll learn how to dive in a variety of different conditions. In a rescue course you'll learn more about how to anticipate small issues before they become big problems - and how to respond to in-water problems and emergencies should they arise. Keep practicing the skills you learned in your Open Water class. Do your full pre-dive/safety check for every dive. Practice clearing your mask, if you partner with a new buddy - take the time to discuss emergency air sharing and practice it with them until it becomes automatic and second nature. Don't become complacent. 

Buddy up with someone who has more experience and a safety-first mindset. If you are diving with someone who has a blatant disregard for safe diving practices and frequently wanders off and leaves you - stop diving with them and find a more responsible partner who takes being a buddy seriously. Your buddy is there to help keep you safe and make your diving more enjoyable (and in many cases they are your source of gas if you run out due to an issue or inattention to your supply). If they aren't up for that responsibility don't put your safety at risk by continuing to dive with them. 

Finally, a word about diving here in the Salish Sea (Puget Sound and surrounding areas). We have amazing dive sites here and so much to see! It is a great place to go diving. That said, our water is also cold, frequently murky, and can have strong tidal currents. Divers usually use drysuits here which require extra practice and training to use safely. Our local dive conditions can cause problems or induce panic if you aren't used to them. Get experience from a trained professional if you haven't been diving in cold-water, limited visibility conditions before you jump into the Salish Sea. Dive more conservatively here than you would if you were in a warm tropical location with 100-foot visibility. Diving up here can be safe and super fun - but it is more challenging than diving in most warm, clear, tropical waters. That challenge is fun and exciting. It also requires a bit of practice, preparation, and a safety-first mindset. 

To return to the driving analogy - it can be fairly safe to drive in tougher conditions like rain, heavy traffic, or even snow - with the right mindset, practices, and equipment. But you wouldn't ever want a brand new driver to experience these conditions for the first time without the help of someone more experienced. Diving is the same. Be honest with yourself about when the conditions are so challenging that it is best to dive another day - and when you might need more training or mentorship. Always respect the limits of your experience and training. 

Here's a paraphrased summary of PADI's safe diving practices - follow ALL of them every time to keep your diving safe for you. Other training agencies have similar guidelines.

1. Maintain mental and physical fitness for diving.

2. Be familiar with your dive sites.

3. Use complete equipment that is in good working order and with which you are familiar - make sure it is working by performing a thorough pre-dive safety/buddy check before EVERY dive. 

4. Listen to dive briefings and directions from dive professionals, recognize when you may need more training.

5. Adhere to the buddy system (make sure you have a buddy who follows the safety guidelines too!)

6. As a recreational diver, use your dive computer (or dive tables) to stay within no decompression stop limits and always ascend slowly from your dives (PADIs max is 60 ft/min - but research suggests 30 ft/min is a safer max)... the last part of your ascent is where the relative pressure changes most rapidly and your ascent should be the slowest as you approach the surface. 

7. Maintain proper buoyancy - neutral underwater and positive (floating with an inflated BCD) at the surface. This means you need to do a proper weight check to make sure you don't have too much or too little weight. 

8. Never hold your breathe - breathe continuously underwater - particularly when ascending.

9. Use a surface support (float, boat) when possible.

10. Know and obey local dive laws and regulations.