Safer than bowling?

[MXGratefulDiver]

When I was DM'ing I worked with a few instructors who used that statement. To my concern, it's absurd. "Injury" in bowling means what ... a sprained thumb? In any case, it's stupid to downplay the potential for serious injury in diving ... it only encourages complacency.

I'd rather be upfront with my students about the potential risks, and use that as a basis for discussion about how to keep yourself from getting into trouble in the first place.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

An instructor who lies with those numbers is asking for trouble. A diver assumes a risk when he begins to dive. If he's unaware of the risk, he cannot assume it. One of an instructor's duties is to fairly explain the risks of diving. You should be told of swimmers ear and many other issues including, but not limited to, DCS, pneumothorax, and AGE.

To my concern, the number one risk in diving is stress ... and that can be a topic for a discussion onto itself ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[nolatom]

Well, if you had to get certified to bowl, and there were a gillion PABI certs you had to get (wide-lane bowler, narrow-lane bowler, night bowler, altitude bowler, mixed-gas bowler, five-beer bowler, don't drop the ball on your ^%$&%^* foot bowler), then the injury rate would likely go way down ;-)

Diving's safe if you follow the rules. If you don't, it isn't. I suspect the students get this, whether the instructor uses the bowling analogy or not.

 

[jponline77]

I would think a better comparison would be to compare diving to driving.

There is much data on driving fatalities with about 20 per 100,000 drivers. Higher end estimates of diving are about 9 per 100,000 active divers (still don't know what consititutes an active driver). So you could say that diving is safer than driving without being completely misleading. I would say, however, this is slightly misleading as divers dive much less than drivers drive. So taking an individual drive is much safer than an individual dive (by a factor of more than 200 to 1).

Despite that, I would consider this comparison better. As most drivers are aware that if you don't check your mirrors and do blind spot checks when changing lanes or wait for a green light to go through an intersection then you will eventually get killed.

JP

 

[RonFrank]

There are so many ways to work numbers that statistics generally fall short of doing much other than an attempt to guide an individual or group down some path.

I would hope the instructors intent was to put the group at ease. However as Walter correctly pointed out, Scuba is an assumed risk. The risks are real, the danger is real, and all divers must understand the risks in order to make safe dive plans, and maybe more importantly identify problem situations, and either avoid them, or deal with them in a way that does not result in injury or death.

On most dives the experience is fun, relaxing, and enjoyable. However it's important to not gain a false sense of safety just because things generally go well. Divers must always be aware of the danger of being in an environment where we can not live for more than a couple minutes without air. DCS is real, panic kills, and safety must always be a priority. Even minor ear problems can lead to disorientation, panic, and death in water that is not all that deep.

These are the messages that the instructor should be hammering into new students. I would hope that even if with this one statement the instructor was providing a laughable statistic, that there were FAR more statements stressing dive safety, dive planning, and dive risks.

I'll not judge an instructor by one post, or statement. I'd have to observe a class and instruction as a whole to judge someone in a negative manner.

 

[Gary D.]

Statistics are misleading when it comes to determining how safe something is. Judging by cardiac deaths at night, sleeping is a dangerous activity.

The most common cause of accidental death or serious injury, other than motor vehicle accidents? Stairways. Yes, just walking down the stairs is dangerous.

The better point would be that diving CAN be safer than bowling if done correctly, not that diving is intrinsically safe in and of itself. Common sense tells us that anytime we are out of our element (flying in the sky or abandoning the atmosphere underwater or in space), we face danger.

Let’s not forget toilets. Boy do we find a bunch of seniors expired that tried to push the big one. That must be #1 in Florida.

Gary D.

 

[jponline77]

I'll not judge an instructor by one post, or statement. I'd have to observe a class and instruction as a whole to judge someone in a negative manner.

Correct. This was one snippet of discussion for which my instructor made what I consider a bad joke (i think he believed it though and many class members also believed it). The instructor was very good in other respects stressing saftey, buddy awareness, dive limitations and proper training. Overall, I enjoyed the course and liked the instructor.

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

Let’s not forget toilets. Boy do we find a bunch of seniors expired that tried to push the big one. That must be #1 in Florida.

Gary D.

No Gary that would techincally be "number two"

 

[Pathfinder]

Aaanyway. I believe that people should be made aware of all the risks involved. Downplaying those risks is not responsible. Give them the facts and let them make an educated decision whether or not they are willing to accept them.

Dave

 

[Charlie99]

Statistics are misleading when it comes to determining how safe something is. Judging by cardiac deaths at night, sleeping is a dangerous activity.

When somebody has a heart attack while bowling or golfing, it's a heart attack. When somebody has a heart attack while diving, it's scuba accident.

I agree though, that downplaying the risks is a bad thing for an instructor or agency to be doing.