| We have all heard the terms "Skin Diving" and "Scuba | | | | the individual divers breathing rate, and the size of |
| Diving", and know that they are something to do | | | | the cylinder the diver can spend up to one hour |
| with underwater diving. More specifically "skin-diving" a | | | | underwater. The relationship of depth and time for |
| 'highly competitive sport' is "free diving" using no | | | | scuba divers is most important. This is due the |
| equipment to breath. The divers use a single breath | | | | absorption of Nitrogen into the blood stream and |
| of air to descend to depths of over 100m competing | | | | tissue cause by breathing compressed air under |
| with other diver to reach the greatest possible depth. | | | | pressure. The deeper the dive the more pressure is |
| With extensive training and yoga a professional skin | | | | exerted on the air that we breath causing the |
| divers body reacts like that of 'whales and dolphins' | | | | nitrogen part to be absorbed in the form of a liquid |
| during a skin dive. The heart rate slows down and | | | | into the blood stream and tissue. This nitrogen |
| the oxygen from that one lung full of air is | | | | reforms into a gas as the diver ascends to the |
| concentrated in the heart and in the brain. A skin | | | | surface after a dive. If there is too much nitrogen |
| diver is in danger of becoming unconscious as he | | | | absorbed during the dive, it cannot all be reformed |
| nears the surface after a skin dive due to the very | | | | into a gas and breathed out while ascending, leaving |
| low concentration of oxygen in the brain as he | | | | some in the body in the form of a gas (a bubble). |
| reaches shallow water. This is called "shallow water | | | | This nitrogen gas bubble can become lodged in a |
| blackout". | | | | joint, heart, brain, or spine etc., causing |
| Scuba diving on the other hand is a non-competitive | | | | decompression sickness (The Bends). The deeper the |
| sport now practiced all over the world by not only | | | | dive the less time we can spend underwater. It is a |
| the young athletic, but by couples and families too. | | | | depth time relationship and dive tables or dive |
| Divers descend underwater using breathing | | | | computers are used to calculate the amount of time |
| equipment call "scuba gear". The word scuba means | | | | a diver may spend on each dive. (Learn more by |
| "Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus". | | | | doing a PADI Open water Diver Course) |
| That is the diver is self contained and not attached | | | | Scuba divers are able to enjoy and explore all the |
| by a hose to an air supply on the surface. He is free | | | | wonders that the world's oceans have to offer. |
| to move around weightless underwater, (like a fish) | | | | People of all ages, shapes and sizes enjoy this |
| breathing air from a cylinder on his back. The air in | | | | non-competitive sport. It is a way of life for many |
| the cylinder is compressed to 200 - 220 | | | | people. Good training by a certified instructor, being in |
| atmospheres, in other words a lot of air into a small | | | | good health and water-fit are the only requirement. |
| space. | | | | So get yourself prepared to discover a whole new |
| Depending on the depth and time of the dive, and | | | | world and a new way of life. |