SCUBA diving.... how dangerous?

I can't believe anybody is actually "practicing" free ascents. Thats a bit like practicing running across the M1 motorway. You either get it right or you're dead! By all means drum the theory in and cement the golden rule of breath out but don't go trying it for goodness sake.
Scuba diving dangerous?-yes and no.
Bimbling along at 10m in 50m viz looking at fish in the Maldives-no.
Groping around a net strewn wreck in 2m viz and freezing tide in Lyme Bay-yes.
As an ex pro "Sat Rat" I'm also horified by the relative lack of back up in difficult sports dives compared to a well sorted pro set up.
Stick to good viz or a wee dip to check the anodes and forget all the macho willy waving bravado nonsense of the "deep and dark" scooby doos ( thats sport divers to you) and it's really pretty safe and easy- Breath, don't hold yer breath and don't panic- simples!
 
I was cured of diving many years ago....I was snorkelling off Europa Point here in Gibraltar and at a depth of about 20 - 25 feet when I percieved a shadow nearby.

To my horror I came face to face with a shark.

The beast swerved away and disappeared.

I hopped out quick and never did it again.:eek:

Then seeing the film Jaws hasn't helped either.
 
DownWest said:
I always thought that spear fishing or lobstering using SCUBA gear is frowned on. In most Med countries it is illegal. While laying a mooring in Portugal, the coast police tried to trick question me by suggesting that I might be enjoying a bit of fishing. My reply was "Of course not, isn't it illegal?" "Well, yes," they said. "Just checking" But looked disappointed.
A
Click to expand...

Is it illegal in Med countries for any reason other than to protect the income of fishermen? Much better to dive for scallops than to have the fishing boat vandals ploughing up the sea bed and killing everything. Its scallop dredging that ought to be banned.
 
DownWest said:
Horse riding is more dangerous than motorbikes, so must be much more so than diving.
Click to expand...

As an (ex) biker I find that very difficult to believe, but the whole debate is clouded by issues such as "how do you measure danger". Is it deaths or injuries and if injuries how serious. And then how do you relate deaths to participation - for example, horse riding deaths per mile might approach those of biking but would deaths per hour? I doubt it.

It seems to me that some sports are inherently more risky in that when something goes wrong its more likely to be terminal. You cant fly without wings, you cant breath underwater and in the case of biking you dont bounce well off road furniture at 60mph - I can vouch for that!:(. In contrast, with sailing even a complete boat failure doesnt automatically mean death.

In any case at 65, am I more likely to die if I take up diving than I am from some nasty disease like cancer ( 5 pals of similar age died already) or heart attack etc? And am I just as much of a risktaker in every thing I do - I have too little self restraint for my own good on a motor bike but I am a cautious sailor?

In the end you are comparing apples and pears which is meaningless.
 
Bosun Higgs said:
Is it illegal in Med countries for any reason other than to protect the income of fishermen? Much better to dive for scallops than to have the fishing boat vandals ploughing up the sea bed and killing everything. Its scallop dredging that ought to be banned.
Click to expand...

It is OK to snorkle and fish, but not SCUBA. I expect a bit of fisherman protection as well. An oft heard complaint was that divers nick lobsters from pots. How true?, dunno. An explaination, non official, was it was too easy with bottles. I agree with you on scallop dredgers.
A

Anybody see that Cousteau program on Greek sponge divers? Guy was overpressuring his bottles to stay down longer (we saw one that had failed) and working at depths that Cousteau's lot used helium. They clearly thought he was taking risks, but he was happy to do it, as there were more sponges lower down (fished out at shallower depths). The post script was that he died some time later, but knifed by his neighbour over a garden hose.
A
 
Bosun Higgs said:
As an (ex) biker I find that very difficult to believe, but the whole debate is clouded by issues such as "how do you measure danger". Is it deaths or injuries and if injuries how serious. And then how do you relate deaths to participation - for example, horse riding deaths per mile might approach those of biking but would deaths per hour? I doubt it.

In the end you are comparing apples and pears which is meaningless.
Click to expand...

Others started the comparisons...
But it brought to mind the remarks of a friend who used to work for 'a japonese motorbike maker' and was involved in a survey co funded by the equestrian lot. Some time later he asked the survey outfit why he hadn't seen the results. The equestrians had sat on it, as the result were very unfavourable to them. Heresay, but..
A
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top