SCUBA diving.... how dangerous?

There are a few divers on here, so they may wish to comment. There are other "dangerous" sports and pastimes (most of the best ones are in some ways), and I wonder how they all compare. I used to climb, and knew one or two who didn't make it. Some sports eg ice climbing, have a significant component of objective risk that can only be overcome by skill, experience and strength in varying degrees (and luck!). I suppose equipment failure, and possibly general health, may be more of a factor in diving.
 
I do both, as I am sure do a lot of forumites. She simple answer is that it depends. Is sailing dangerous? That depends as well. Pottering around in my dinghy in the river has an element of danger, but nothing compared to single handing the southern ocean.

Deep diving is more dangerous than shallow diving
Cold water is more dangerous than warm water
Night diving is more dangerous than day diving
Diving in rough water is more dangerous than diving in still water.
Untrained divers are more dangerous than trained divers
Unfit divers are more dangerous than fit divers

Add a few of these together and you are racking up the chances of a bad experience.
 
I've had similar thoughts and will be interested to hear expert views. Very sad about this lady diver.
It is something that I'd love to do but the one time I had a try dive, I became very claustrophobic and just had to surface. My eldest boys stayed down with the instructor, who was very reticent to let me go back to shore alone. It may actually have been him who was pushing a bit hard.

Divers on our pontoon tell me that it's no less safe than many activities, if you follow proceedure and basic safety measures.
 
SolentBoy said:
Is sailing dangerous? .
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My gut reaction to that one is that I hear of a lot more diver deaths than I ever hear of sailing deaths. My perception is also that at any one time there will be far more people sailing than diving. However I was interested as to whether this is just my mistaken perception.

I guess if you make a mistake sailing the chances are that you are still going to be able to breathe and the boat will still be afloat. If you make a mistake diving you are outwith an environment where you can survive without support.
 
I've had long chats about this with divers whilst on holiday in Bonaire (one of the world's most popular dive destinations). The consensus opinion seemed to be that it's very safe generally. Statistics are difficult to come by, but it's reckoned that there are maybe 100 diving-related deaths worldwide each year, which isn't many considering the popularity of the sport. What is interesting is that older people (50+) are much more likely to die than younger divers, due to heart/lung problems. Obviously, people who go in for the more extreme types of scuba diving (extreme depth, extreme cold, etc) are more at risk than most recreational divers.

I stick to snorkelling!
 
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Seaside Rescue

I know it is 'sensationalism' but on the TV program the helecopter always seemed to be called out to divers with the 'bends'. Seems a very regular occurnace. But then again they go out quite often to boats in trouble.

PS Is it just me or have there been a lot of light aircraft accidents lately?
 
SCUBA - Dangerous or not?

Hi

I used to teach diving (PADI Staff Instructor) and have been diving since 1982 (aged 16). Diving is no more dangerous than other sports - true there are fatalities each year - but that is true of most sports / active pursuits.

The points already raised (deep v shallow, cold v warm water etc) all ring true - the most dangerous aspect of the sport is generally the diver themselves! I have witnessed on numerous occasions divers coming out post winter hibernation only to jump into Stoney Cove (a popular site in the UK) and try to hit 30m without any form of shake down dive, kit inspection etc. There is at least one fatality there in early March/April each year.....

Someone once told me that there are statistics available that highlight there are more people die each year whilst ironing than whilst diving.... not sure if it is accurate or not!

To highlight the simple fact of "when your time is up - its up" (and I firmly believe this is the way life works) - I also participate in mountaineering and tried some ice climbing in Scotland in the mid 90's. My instructor 9civilian working for the military) hand been up Everest, climbed most of the major peaks worldwide and had been teaching for 20 years ....... he was killed in front of me by a rock fall whist leading a pitch on Red Gully.........

If you want to give it a go - go for it. my advice would be if you have the opportunity to learn in the UK then do it here rather than in warmer climes - I believe it makes you a better diver and you will also appreciate diving in warmer water soooo much more!!

Regards
Paul
 
As a one time BSAC Advanced Instructor I say that diving isn't dangerous if you are properly trained and follow the rules but a little knowledge can be very dangerous.
 
Hi
Like most adventure sports, diving has a few 'Golden Rules'. In most serious incidents people had broken several if not all of them. Usually a result of poor training, inexperience and pushing their luck. I used to dive ( to old now ) and our local club had no serious incidents in thousands of dives over fifty years. Some dodgy times admittedly. My daughter rides cross-country and her partner is a serious rock climber. Both go downhill skiing. These all petrify me, but the same rules apply.
Rather worryingly people are now learning 'resort diving' somewhere nice and warm in clear. calm seas. They then come home and dive in murky,cold tidal waters - bad news. A bit like sailing really.
 
The statistic that really matters, but is very hard to come by, is the number of deaths per 100,000 (or whatever) participant events. Deaths per year don't mean much unless you know how often participants pursue their activity.

Some sports with an apparently high risk, because they get more publicity, may in fact have only a small number of deaths but are enormously popular. Diving may be one of these.

Yachting is perhaps another.

I read some years ago, but have no idea how valid the figures were, that the highest risk per participant event was angling, this included all forms of the sport. Seems very unlikely but I guess one often sees mention of fishermen being drowned in a canal or at sea.
 
robp said:
I've had similar thoughts and will be interested to hear expert views. Very sad about this lady diver.
It is something that I'd love to do but the one time I had a try dive, I became very claustrophobic and just had to surface. My eldest boys stayed down with the instructor, who was very reticent to let me go back to shore alone. It may actually have been him who was pushing a bit hard.

Divers on our pontoon tell me that it's no less safe than many activities, if you follow proceedure and basic safety measures.
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If you felt claustrophobic and want to have another go, I would really recommend you do a few things.

1. Try again, but in a warm swimming pool.
2. Make sure it is one where you can stand in the shallow end.
3. Get used to a mask and snorkel on the surface before you try using a BCD.

If you have the same problem again, maybe diving isn't for you. However, being able to walk into the water and stand if there is a problem can help overcome a lot of the fear.
 
Romeo said:
Is SCUBA diving the most dangerous hobby you can partake in?

I seem to read about a death of a diver every week! A lady in her 40's has died today at Fifeness: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-10995330
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I did a BSAC course back in the 70s, started in the local swimming pool, we used the diving pool which was 13 ft deep. Loved it, BUT I never went more than 60ft deep and that was in Scotland. 20 or 30 ft around Abersoch was more the norm. Nowadays we see Scooby Doos going out in their ribs, mixed gas diving, deep as they can go. I suspect a bit of pushing the envelope and peer pressure is producing the fatalities we are starting to see! Also hearing more shouts on 16 about clubs and ribs "losing" divers on drift dives or when they are surfacing around Bardsey and the North Lleyn
Stu
 
I used to dive every year on holiday, have my own kit etc.

We went back to the same place many times due to knowing the instructor and becoming personal friends with his family.

We would often see people arrive and try to book out on the deep dives straight away. No luck for them, our guy always insisted on a check dive/kit shakedown first.(as mentioned earlier)

I went one step further, I had my kit service with my dive guy first, whilst this was happenning I would go on a couple of shallow/beach dives with the beginners, actually I prefer some shallow dives sometimes you can get to see more things.

When my kit was ready, then a shake down dive with it.
After that routine I has happy as larry to go on any dive, deep or night dives etc.

I always dive with a good buddy, this makes a difference.
I once did have a technical failure with my BCD over inflating, now becoming positively buoyant is the last thing that you want to happen at any depth over a few metres. I was dumping air through the main dump and secondary dump just to maintane depth. My Buddy, unclipped the BCD hose for me as I was holding the dump valves open. Next time I will disconnect first myself, should have though about it earlier, but the inflation crept up, I dumped a bit then a bit more then suddenly boing and I needed both dumps.

So technical failures can happen to anyone. but stick to the buddy diving rule and you should be OK.

Biggest risk is that you are breathing compressed air, and unless at shallow depths, you can not just pop up to he surface, problems have to be sorted at depth, this is done by training , experience and having a good buddy.

At work we have to have regular health checks, I carry my medical passport if I am going diving as the school that I went to always checked these too.

Not dived for a couple of seasons due to moving to a new area, but lookingforward to it again soon. Kit will have a full strip down and service first though.
 
robp said:
I've had similar thoughts and will be interested to hear expert views. Very sad about this lady diver.
It is something that I'd love to do but the one time I had a try dive, I became very claustrophobic and just had to surface. My eldest boys stayed down with the instructor, who was very reticent to let me go back to shore alone. It may actually have been him who was pushing a bit hard.

Divers on our pontoon tell me that it's no less safe than many activities, if you follow proceedure and basic safety measures.
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I'm a PADI instructor, your instructor is supposed to supervise you at all times which explains his reticence to let you go back alone. What he should have done is take you all back.

Echo what a lot of the others have said about dive safety in general and it's difficult to comment on the news story without any proper details of the incident. Very very sad day for any club or dive school to have such a tragedy happen to them. Most clubs and dive schools have very good safety records of which they are justifiably proud. If you are learning any school or club should be very happy to discuss safety with you.

Re learning to dive in warmer climes, there's another school of thought that says do it before you go as you can get maximum from your tropical trip diving and it'll be soooo warm and comfortable as compared to UK...:)
 
Romeo said:
Is SCUBA diving the most dangerous hobby you can partake in?

I seem to read about a death of a diver every week! A lady in her 40's has died today at Fifeness: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-10995330
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Well yes diving is very dangerous but with proper training you should be ok......break it down.
I fly and have lost a few mates in light aircraft and fast jet crashes.
Lost two in car crashes.
None sailing or diving.
About 8 in motorbike accidents so take your choice.
Go for it but train in a good school.
 
I've done a little diving, from the people I've met, I would say there are two main elements of potentially dangerous divers.
One is the obvious, gung-ho laddish element, read the magazines, buy some kit, don't really have much sea sense, push themselves too far, get through by brute force, in a rush to get qualified for something exciting....
Same people who hurt themselves on motorbikes?

The other is:
Been diving for many years.
Not as fit as five years ago.
Can still just get into the old wetsuit.
Time is short, can't afford too many weekends away from wife and family, make the most of it...
Heart attack material?

One thing I found was that it's easier to get a place on 'tough' dives than to find someone offering you a nice relaxing dive at 10 or 15m with non-pushy buddies.

It's roughly as safe as you (and your buddies) make it.
One thing I never understood is why so many divers smoke, compared to dinghy sailors?
 
davidtyler said:
PS Is it just me or have there been a lot of light aircraft accidents lately?
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During the winter there's a preponderance of reports of climbing accidents, then in the spring it's the skiers who grab the headlines with avalanche accidents.

It says more about the press than the sports.

Alisdair
 
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