What is Scuba Diving?

Scuba Diving is one of the fastest growing industriespressure slowly on the body at the end of the each
that attracts millions of people every year. Whatdive. This will allow the gases trapped in the
really brings all divers everyday to enjoy these passbloodstream to gradually break solution and leave the
time is the adventure, feeling of exploration and thebody. This is done by ascending slowly and making
variety of colorful corals and other marine organisms.safety stops or decompression stops using dive
We started diving a long time ago. The word diving iscomputers or decompression tables for guidance.
related to swimming underwater, and the word scubaAs you can see while scuba diving, divers are limited
is an abbreviation for "self-contained underwaterin time and depth due to the nitrogen in the air.
breathing apparatus" and it has become acceptableToday thanks to new technology we have managed
to refer to scuba as "equipment" or "apparatus". So,to extend our limits. For those divers that exceed 40
we understand the word Scuba Diving as swimmingmeters/133 feet and for divers who need to spend a
underwater with special equipment.lot of time under water, a different mixture of
A lot of people think, that the gas divers breathegases, training and equipment are required.
while scuba diving is oxygen. Although the humanThe depth limit for recreational diving is between 30
body needs oxygen to survive, under pressureto 40 meters/100 to 133 feet, but it also depends on
oxygen can be toxic. So, the gas divers use fromthe training and the gases used while underwater.
the tank is compressed normal air. Air is composed ofNuno Gomes (South Africa) currently holds the world
78.084% of nitrogen, 20.946% of oxygen and 1% ofrecord for the deepest dive using scuba diving
other gases that have little or no effect whenequipment. The dive of 318 meters / 1044 feet beat
breathing compressed air.the previous record set by the late John Bennet of
Nitrogen under high pressure can temporally effect308 meters /1016 feet (confirmed). The total dive
our nervous system and interfere with signaltime was 12 hours and 20 minutes, while the descent
transmissions, causing at greater depths (30 to 40took 14 minutes. French diver Pascal Bernabé
meters/100 to 133 feet or more) the conditionclaims to have dived to 1,083 feet (330 m) in July,
known as nitrogen narcosis, which has similar effects2005 (unconfirmed). The above records were set
as being under the influence of alcohol ( loss ofusing 'recreational' SCUBA. Commercial divers can go
decision-making ability, loss of focus, impairedto depths greater than 500 meters / 1650 feet using
judgment, multi tasking and coordination).specialized commercial and military diving equipment
The most straightforward way to avoid nitrogenand support systems.
narcosis is for a diver to limit the depth of dives. IfWhat is important to remember that being
narcosis does occur, the effects disappear almostunderwater has limits and risks that professional
immediately upon ascending to a shallower depth.divers are willing to take. And remember that
In addition to its narcotic effects, nitrogen also bringsrecreational scuba diving is for fun. Dives between 5
another issue. Under pressure nitrogen dissolves intoto 20 meters/ 16 to 66 feet can show you the
body tissues and starts to accumulate. This must bewonderful world that was once explored by
kept within limits to prevent nitrogen from comingCousteau. These depths have the advantage that
out of solution and forming bubbles inside our body,provides divers with better light, colors and marine
known as "decompression sickness" or "the bends"-life. Also in shallow dives you will breathe less air from
when all the pressure created by the nitrogen isthe tank, making your dive longer and safer.
released at the surface.Keep it safe.
To avoid the bends divers must minimize the water