Many people consider Scuba diving a much too risky and complicated sport and prefer staying clear of it, but why? As is the answer to most misconceptions- it’s the Lack of knowledge about the sport and activity that keep people from trying it.
The Scuba diving world is filled with misconceptions, misunderstandings and plain-old myths which even some well-educated divers and instructors are unwittingly a part of. Usually the said ‘Myth’ or misconception has an element of truth or fact to it, but passed on from person to person with their two cents, which often contains rumor and speculation, it starts sounding a lot less like the original. While it’s easy to just ‘go along’ with whatever you hear, it’s important to filter the truth from the fiction, before offering up advice to anyone. Here’s a look at the most common Scuba diving myths to do the rounds and an attempt to sort the truth surrounding them from the rest.
*Photo by Ilse Reijs en Jan-Noud Hutten on flickr
1) Scuba Diving is a high-risk, dangerous sport.
Diving is just as dangerous as any other activity/sport like skiing, football and basketball even. Injuries from motor vehicle accidents far exceed those of diving. I’m not saying there isn’t an element of danger involved in the sport, but that’s why there is a training requirement and a certification process involved to Scuba dive. What’s important to remember is that while there are potential hazards, it is a diver’s knowledge, training, judgment and decision making that limits or controls that risk. Research has shown that the injury rate in diving is just 1 per 2,000 participants or 50 per 100,000 as compared to 21,300 injuries per 100,000 participants of basketball!
2) Scuba diving is only for people who are good swimmers and not for people who are claustrophobic.
Well of course you should know how to swim how else would you be comfortable jumping into the water in the middle of the sea! But diving doesn’t require you to be an advanced swimmer with super athletic stamina. There are many divers who get by with minimal swimming skills. With Scuba gear and fins, diving actually only involve fining (slow strokes with your legs). But,to earn your Open Water Certification, you should be able to tread water for 10 minutes and swim 200 meters (200-250 yards).
Scuba diving does involve the use of a breathing apparatus and dive gear that some may consider restrictive, but if you were to overcome this, considering the wide open ocean you dive in, claustrophobia shouldn’t stop you from trying this sport. People who are claustrophobic howeevr should ideally dive in clearer waters with good visibility.
3) Snorkeling and Scuba Diving are equally as good!
Now this is a matter of preference more than a myth. While snorkeling has it’s own charm it’s more like a spectator sport. Diving allows you an up close and personal view of the life underwater, while snorkeling is restrictive in terms of viewing marine life that’s hidden behind coral formations, on the sandy bottom, under rocks or in caves. Also the equipment used in diving allows you a greater time looking around that the energy sapping swimming snorkeling requires at the surface.
4) Scuba Divers are easy shark bait.
Let’s just say your chances of getting hit by lightning, dying of a wasp, bee or snake bite are a lot more than becoming a shark’s supper. Like most animals Sharks too are weary of foreign objects (read as humans in the ocean!). Look at it from a shark’s point of view- if you came across a noisy bubble blowing, large strange shaped creature that often flashes bright lights (with flashlights or camera’s) and not to mention in groups or at least more than one, would you stick around to figure whether they would harm you? If you’re still thinking, the answer is No. Most sharks with an exception of very few species, don’t often stick around when they spot groups of divers. However we must never forget that we are on their turf and the rule of the wild still holds true- never draw attention to yourself, provoke them or feed them or you could be mistaken as a snack yourself. It’s not to say there have never been any unprovoked shark attacks, but most often it’s a case of mistaken identity and the number of deaths from shark bites negligible as compared to the number of people who have come into contact with the creature diving, snorkeling, swimming or boating.
5) Scuba Diving requires a lot of equipment and gear which is way too expensive!
This is definitely a myth. Scuba diving doesn’t require you to buy all your own dive equipment. Most dive shops offer the dive gear to rent or on hire. Certification requires the minimal or basic gear like your mask, fins and snorkel which aren’t too expensive.The need for own gear is for comfort reasons as then it is better fitted is best considered when you get serious about diving.
“LeisurePro recommends starting off slowly and, during training, only buying the (personal or basic) essentials, such as mask, fins and snorkel. Combined, these can cost less than $100. In addition, online scuba stores offer deep discounts to make the sport more appealing to the masses.”
Also Read: Myth Buster: More Scuba Diving Misconceptions Dispelled
*Photos by Daquella manera, Barnaby on flickr
I am planning to do a little Scuba diving the next time that I go on vacation, and this article has really helped to make it more do-able. Great article, I can hardly wait to hit the water!