In the previous post we looked at 5 Scuba Diving Misconceptions that Beginners or those unfamiliar with the sport may have. But it isn’t just people with little knowledge of Diving that have been following or believing in Scuba myths so as to speak. I once overheard a seasoned diver once tell a newbie interested in taking up diving that all the good stuff was deep. It became the newbie’s mission to dive deep without caution. Lot’s of divers still have misconceptions and are unwittingly a part of some of these scuba myths that can be potentially harmful. Here’s the truth to some more of these diving myths-
1) Dive cylinders contain oxygen
Contrary to popular belief dive cylinders contain the same air we breathe above water and in the same compositions. The air filled in a Scuba tank is compressed air and not pure oxygen. It contains the same proportions, i.e 78% Nitrogen, 20% oxygen and the remaining other gases. The fact that divers are absorbing the same amount of Nitrogen as when they are on land, but the gas has nowhere to escape while underwater is what can lead to decompression sickness (nitrogen bubbles forming in the blood stream) if one spends a considerable amount of time under. This is the case for regular recreational scuba diving, however, there are specialty courses and types of diving which use a special mix of Nitrogen and Oxygen and re-breathers use one cylinder which does contain oxygen but this again is used in a blend.
2) Dive classes are intimidating and difficult
Scuba classes are neither intimidating nor difficult. They start with the basics about the equipment you use and it focuses on getting the person comfortable underwater. Minimal theory and more practical exercises are conducted in calm, shallow waters or swimming pools and you are always accompanied by the instructor who will guide you through the step by step process. If you aren’t to sure if it’s something you want to give a try many resorts even offer one-day, introductory scuba experiences that enables first-timers to sample scuba diving first-hand without making a commitment of time or money.
3) If you make a mistake underwater, you’ll probably die
Even though we’re not in our natural environment and caution and safety is of utmost importance, dive training and safety practices prepare you for almost any scenario or difficulty you may face. Modern technology and advance equipment pretty much provide divers a solution or backup if anything should go wrong. The more a person dives the more comfortable and confident they get underwater and as always taught, if one adheres to the standard safety rules and procedures, they’d find this myth more and more ridiculous.
4) You have to dive deep to see the good stuff
This is one of the most common mistakes of many new divers. there’s always a fascination to dive deeper as the belief doing rounds is that there’s better stuff to see. Hogwash! The most prolific sea life and stunning corals are usually within 50 feet of the surface. The truth is the deeper you go, the less light, which not only keeps coral, plankton and fish which live on this from flourishing but we also see colors muted and not as rich and vibrant as shallow stuff.
Apart from not as much to see in terms of deeper dives, you get a much shorter bottom time to look around and enjoy, not to mention the stress of decompression times lurking in the back of your head can put quite the damper on the dive. Most underwater photographers prefer depth of around 20-30 feet. With the exception of wrecks and walls most recreational diving rarely exceeds 100 feet. Deep dives are not all what people make them out to be. People brag about it more from the thrill of doing something risky rather than a true experience or the dive site itself.
5) If I use a dive computer, I won’t get decompression sickness.
It’s important to remember that dive computers are just that- computers! While a properly functioning and correctly used dive computer is perhaps a diver’s best friend, they are not infallible either. Being overly dependent on any one thing when you dive is never good. A wrong settings, incorrect times or challenging environmental conditions can affect the readings of a dive computer. Between 70 percent and 75 percent of the divers injured in 2002 were using computers as their means of dive planning.This is not to indicated that dive computers are to blame, but to build awareness there is no guarantee that using one will save you from decompression sickness. With or without a dive computer it is the diver’s alertness and consciousness about depth, time and ascent rate which is crucial in keeping the bends away.
Also Read: Myth Buster: 5 Beginner Scuba Diving Misconceptions Dispelled
*Photos by frerieke, divemasterking2000 on flickr
