Commons:Category:Underwater diving

Underwater diving is the practice of descending below the water's surface to interact with the environment. It encompasses a variety of activities, including scuba diving, freediving, and snorkeling.

Types of Underwater Diving

Scuba Diving

Scuba diving involves using a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (scuba) to breathe underwater. Divers carry their own source of breathing gas, usually compressed air, allowing them greater freedom of movement.

Freediving

Freediving is diving without the use of breathing apparatus, relying on holding one's breath until resurfacing. It is often practiced as a competitive sport or recreational activity.

Snorkeling

Snorkeling involves swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped tube called a snorkel, and usually fins. It allows the snorkeler to observe underwater attractions for extended periods with relatively little effort.

Surface-supplied Diving

Surface-supplied diving uses equipment supplied with breathing gas from the surface, either from a diving bell or a diving support vessel. This method is often used in commercial diving operations.

Hazards of Underwater Diving

Underwater diving presents several potential hazards, including:

• Decompression sickness: A condition caused by dissolved gases coming out of solution into bubbles inside the body due to rapid ascent.
• Barotrauma: Injury caused by pressure differences between the inside and outside of the body.
• Nitrogen narcosis: A reversible alteration in consciousness that occurs while diving at depth.

Diving Equipment

Divers use a variety of equipment to ensure safety and enhance their underwater experience:

• Diving mask: Allows divers to see clearly underwater.
• Fins: Aid in efficient movement through the water.
• Wetsuit: Provides thermal insulation and protection.
• Buoyancy compensator: Helps divers maintain neutral buoyancy.
• Diving regulator: Delivers breathing gas from the tank to the diver.

See Also

• Underwater photography
• Marine biology
• Oceanography

References

• John,

 The Science of Diving, 
  
 Dive Press, 
 2020,

Diving World(link). {{{website}}}.

Accessed 2023-10-01.

External Links

• PADI - Professional Association of Diving Instructors
• Divers Alert Network