I would never say that scuba diving is not dangerous. There are risks, as in many sports, and the environment in which diving takes place is far from friendly. But, that is why we are trained and have a variety of safety procedures and equipment in place.

Many people fear sharks will attack them when diving. Again, I cannot say this never happens, but most shark attacks are mistaken identity attacks of swimmers on the surface. A diver swimming underwater is a clearer object for the shark to see and can also see the sharks in the water. Sharks are not always as brave as they seem to be. If they know their potential prey has seen them, and is likely to attack back, they are more likely to leave alone. They do not want to get injured and not be able to feed another day.

The bends is a serious danger risk when diving. But, follow the rules and this is minimized. Always take care of your buoyancy and keep to a steady level as much as possible. Invest in a dive computer that can double check your decompression time, ascend slowly and do the required decompression / safety stops and you should be safe. But, just in case, make sure that you know the signs and what to do if you suspect the bends.

Pulmonary embolisms are also a risk. But again, there are some simple rules. Never hold your breath under water – if you do and you suddenly ascend, this can cause problems. Ascend slowly when you do and be aware of the first aid requirements.

A big risk is, of course, running out of air. This can be just pure carelessness or maybe an equipment failure has suddenly released a lot of your air into the water. Prevention is better than cure, so keep an eye on your gauges and end your dive in plenty of time. Know how much air you use on a typical dive and make sure you carry a sufficiently sized tank. Also, look after your equipment to avoid the chance of failure.

If the worst does happen, keep going from the air supply as long as you can and make sure that your buddy, and dive leader, is aware of the problem. If you do run out of air, make sure you know the air sharing methods and start to ascend with your buddy.

Poisoned air is also a risk. Prevent this by tasting (yes tasting, not testing) the air before you dive. Make sure it tastes clean. If you feel ill on the dive or you show other symptoms of air problems, such as cherry red fingernails, immediately share air with your buddy and ascend. On the surface bag up your cylinder for a full inspection.

Yes, there are a lot of risks to diving, but knowing what to do to prevent them helps a lot. As long as you take care, get the right training and keep a level head, it is not actually all that dangerous. It just sounds it!

I would never say that scuba diving is not dangerous. There are risks, as in many sports, and the environment in which diving takes place is far from friendly. But, that is why we are trained and have a variety of safety procedures and equipment in place.