Diving Risks -- real information

[wreckchick]

.....about the disparity between the obvious perception that diving is dangerous and the research that shows that the incidence of injury is low and the best I can come up with is that divers don't sprain ankles or get black eyes, they get bent, suffer barotraumas, drown, etc. Any of the normal sports injury type stuff doesn't really happen during a dive. It's not that the incidence of injury is higher, it's the magnitude.

Rachel

 

[Rick Christ]

Metalman once bubbled...
I have a question relating to the risks of diving...

As a new diver, it would really interest me to know if the statistics are actually correct.

As I learned from German friend of mine, "Never trust statistics that you didn't invent yourself."

So many say that (hobby) diving is a safe sport, statistically speaking, in comparison to others such as soccer (or perhaps lacrosse). On the other hand, every diving board I have ever seen has a section on accidents. This is not true of every lacrosse board I have seen...

I know it seems like a simple question, but I guess there's probably not a simple answer. I am actually kind of afraid of what you all will say, because I really like diving and don't want to quit out of fear of accidents...

Please don't let this turn into some sort of flame war! "Divers" here are defined as those who have a certification to dive in open water (PADI, SSI, WHOEVER). No nasty comments about an organization just 'cause you don't like it or think yours is better.

Thanks,
-MM

Metalman
To make a simple answer to your question:

Diving is as safe as you make it. You learned the skills and safest rules to diving there is in your training. Read the complete manual and follow what you learned. Practice the skills you learned and get good at them. As you can see by the answers in this post. Everyone states opinions and statistics and they vary greatly. Diving is not as safe as sitting in your living room. I tell students that I relate it to riding a motorcycle, it is fun, exciting, it is some of the greatest things you will ever do; but if you do not treat it with the respect it deserves, it will HURT you. If you follow the rules you learned and use some common sense (that’s a big one). You will in all likelihood have a safe and long diving career.

RMC
MSDT 37536:viking:

 

[Metalman]

I really appreciate all of your answers to my questions... I know that no one can tell me how 'safe' diving is in terms of skill levels("diving is safe, if the diver is a 'good' diver), because there are no two people who are 100% the same. I also know that direct comparisons with other sports bring little true information to light about the safety of the sport.

It was these comparisons which brought about my questions, though.

Diving is more dangerous than bowling, that's why you need training before you can participate.

Actually, PADI Europe published statistics that more people are injured or killed while bowling than while diving. They attribute that to the training received in diving and the fact that there is no training for bowling. Bowling is also not as common in Europe, as I discovered when I first arrived, so it could be that people injure/kill themselves because of a lack of training in the so-called "redneck sports" at an early age... Not letting go of the ball at the proper time could cause a severe head injury...

When I read the above statistic, I couldn't believe it; that's why I had to ask.

Thanks again for all your replies...

-MM

 

[Saturation]

After more than 20 years of reviewing the stats, from various sources and reflecting various methods, from the price of injury insurance offered by companies that know the real deal in dive safety, you can say that in safety, recreational diving is about as risky as driving on US roads, and say it with great confidence.

The "Bowling" analogy from DAN Europe 1994 report is on rates on injury, alas, a sprained wrist <> bent in terms of its long term potential for disability or death.

Driving is an inherently dangerous task, and without proper training that is later followed and practiced, you cannot only injure and kill yourself driving, but others too. Diving too, requires training and adherence to the training regimen. However, in diving, you probably will mostly just injure yourself if you don't do well.

Paraplegics can dive within recreational limits without restrictions, and quadriplegics can dive with mandatory guidance, that such disabled people can dive should help one reflect on the difficulty involved in diving safely.

 

[KuwaitiDiver]

Hello there

one thing that really got my attention...IT is nice thing to try to find the truth and the real facts behind those statistics, however, any scuba diver who took the training, and am talking about basic training o/w will know that there are few things if you do while you are diving can KILL you!!! however, we still dive...

Cars, boats, Jet SKi, Waveboarding, even tennis..if practised in the wrong way, can kill you..

maybe you should just know your risks, know how avoide those risks, and always try to educate yourself about new subjects related to diving..

Diving meant for joy and having fun and ADVANTURE, so, if you are fraid..then i guess there is no point of diving in the first place...

last word:

RELAX MATE AND DIVE SFAELY WITH SOMEONE ELSE WHO CAN UNDERSTAND YOU VERY WELL.......:mean: